Spectacular Eruption

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks"

-John Muir

"Beehive Erupts", 2012
Beehive Geyser
Yellowstone National Park, WY

Beehive Geyser erupts once a day during the summer months.  Its eruption is spectacular with sprays of 200 feet high.  These eruptions are actually longer and higher than that of Ole Faithful, the famous geyser that is located feet away from Beehive.

On our private guided tour of Yellowstone, we happened to drive up to the location of Beehive about 5 minutes prior to the eruption for the day.  Our tour guide was ecstatic because he recognized the indicator of the eruption activating upon our arrival.  It gave us just the right amount of time to get situated and experience the amazing eruption of this mysterious natural event.  The eruption lasted over five minutes and I captured many photos. 

I have always been moved by the drama of black and white photographs so I chose to photograph much of my experience at Yellowstone in black and white.  "Beehive Erupts"captures the crowd witnessing the eruption, the drama of the spray, and the beautiful clouds in the sky in black and white.  

When looking at this image I find myself thinking back to the early explorers who discovered Yellowstone ... I can't imagine their thoughts about the erupting earth, bubbling waters, and mysterious activity throughout the land. 

Glory and Beauty Unite

"The glories and beauties of form, color, and sound unite in the Grand Canyon"
-John Wesley Powell, 1909

The Grand Canyon...what an awesome sight to be seen!  One can not explain the beauty in this unbelievable natural monument.  

It was 2008 when my husband and I had the opportunity to travel to the Grand Canyon while on a trip to Arizona.  It was in January when we made the trip.  The afternoon we arrived the weather was crisp and clear.   This quickly changed when snow moved into the canyon.

"Canyon through the Snow", 2008
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

Grand Canyon in the Clouds, 2008
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

We wanted to know where the best place was to see the sun rise over the canyon.  We were told to go up to Desert View, the farthest eastern point on the South Rim of the Canyon.  We woke up early and traveled the distance through ice and snow and arrived just in time to witness the sun peak over the top of the canyon walls.  What a spectacular event.  

"Sun Breaking over Desert View", 2008
Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

Words and photos cannot begin to capture the absolute beauty and the grandeur of the Grand Canyon but it is clearly a photographers wonderland.  

Something Marvelous

"In all things of nature, there is something marvelous"

-Aristotle

"Rebirth", 2012
Yellowstone National Park, WY

Who would think that a photograph of fallen trees would become one of my favorite compositions?  This image has grown on me over the months after I took it.  There is something about the rebirth of grass coming out among the fallen tree trunks that appeals to me.  The colors are vibrant and full of life and the symmetry of the tree trunks adds composition. 

While in Yellowstone, our family was treated to a personal guided tour of the park.  This was an all day event and we only had a chance to tour half of the park.  We learned so much about the history of Yellowstone as well as the many intriguing facts of the terrain, nature, and wildlife that makes it such a unique place to visit.  I found it very interesting to learn about the life cycle of nature and the importance of wildfires to the growth.  It is a common site to find dead trees charred from a wildfire in the middle of a beautiful meadow of green grass.  This is what is captured in "Rebirth".  The image defines the marvelous cycle of life.

Beautiful Imperfections

"If you look closely at a tree you'll notice it's knots and dead branches, just like our bodies.  What we learn is that beauty and imperfection go together wonderfully"

-Matthew Fox

"Gnarled Roots", 2012
Yellowstone National Park, WY

Yellowstone National Park is a photographer's dream come true.  The colors are vivid, the scenery amazing, and everything just seems to scream to be photographed.  During our RV trip out west we spent quite a bit of time exploring Yellowstone.   I was amazed by the beauty of everything.  The colors were spectacular and there was such a variety.  I was particularly impressed by the combination of new and old growth throughout the Park.  In 1988, Yellowstone National Park experienced its largest wildfire in history - over 793,880 acres or 36% of the Park was burned.  Still today visitors to the Park can see the remains of this fire throughout its scenery.  It is very common to see a tree that has fallen due to fire or other means amidst the rebirth of grass.  In "Gnarled Roots" the beauty and shape of the roots of a dead tree is captured among the green of the new grass.  The image reveals the dead branches, knots in the trunk, and the variation in the roots.  It is the imperfection of all these that makes this dead tree a beautiful combination of shapes and colors.