Mammoth Hot Springs

Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park (18 June 2014)

I wanted to make a separate post for this one attraction in Yellowstone National Park.

Limestone is calcium carbonate rock. Travertine is limestone that is deposited by hot springs. Mammoth Hot Springs, near the north entrance to the park, is a travertine mother lode. The constant outflow of water from the hot bowels of the earth quickly cools and the mineral settles out to grow these intriguing formations.

The colorful expression of real geology in action can make for interesting images from a distance and close up. I first thought of this as a ‘Tip of the Day’ kind of post that emphasized composition from the different perspectives.

My advice in this digital age where the ‘film’ is free is to shoot away from all distances and angles. The more you shoot, the better the chances of bringing home a winner. This flippant advice comes with a caveat. One also needs to put in the time to get rid of the shots not worth saving. There is no need to bloat your storage with images that don’t work.

Above is a wide view that shows the size and breadth of the geological elements. As you approach the Springs, a wide-angle view highlights the extent of the feature, the multiple steaming, flowing parts and the boardwalks with people that confirm the scale of it all.

Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park (18 June 2014)

An intermediate view is a closer-in look of a segment of the feature, again with people for a sense of scale. The white deposits from this angle look like a snow drift or waterfall cascading past the visitors.

Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park (18 June 2014)

My favorite view is still closer in on a detailed portion of the feature. The look is more abstract and depends more on color and pattern for its aesthetic appreciation.

Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park (18 June 2014)

Especially with unique landscape scenes like this…that one may visit once in a lifetime, I urge the picture-taker to try many views that capture its special features. I suggest a rule-of-thumb to apply ‘max-mid-min’ perspectives from further away to close-in will do that.