Yellowstone locations - DPChallenge Forums

04/23/2009 02:24:31 PM · #1

I'm going to be spending a fair bit of time in Yellowstone this Summer season, and even though I have been to the Park before a number of times, I mostly just know the main attractions. I'm looking for information and suggestions for good photo locations, the where/when/what/how and maybe even the why of any good places to make pictures in the Park. Thank you!

04/23/2009 02:38:57 PM · #2

Shameless plug to my Yosemite Gallery on Picasa

Do you know where you'll be entering the park from? Your entry may determine the most convenient places to go. If you're entering the west gate, Merced Grove is an excellent hike to see some Giant Sequoias.

Also, some of the passes may not be open yet. We were just there March 23rd and got caught in a wonderful blizzard.

04/23/2009 02:41:31 PM · #3

No, not Yosemite, I'd love to go there some day too, but Yellowstone, in Wyoming, not Yosemite in California :) I'll be located out of the Canyon area, and I'll be there long enough so that it doesn't matter where I'm entering the place.

PS - nice pictures, BTW :)

Message edited by author 2009-04-23 18:42:08.

04/23/2009 02:44:09 PM · #4

Oops, read that wrong... let me go dig up my Yellowstone gallery. :-)

alanfreed

Nikon D6

04/23/2009 02:48:24 PM · #5

My Yellowstone gallery is actually from Yellowstone! ;)

Obviously I hit the popular places you already know about. But I would bet that you could plop yourself into any area of the park, spin around in a circle, and shoot in a random direction and still get awe-inspiring shots there!

Message edited by author 2009-04-23 18:49:19.

04/23/2009 02:49:32 PM · #6

Originally posted by alanfreed:

My Yellowstone gallery is actually from Yellowstone! ;)

Nice! So, where would you consider would be some of the best locations to make fantastically outstanding images of Yellowstone? :)

04/23/2009 02:50:25 PM · #7

okay, after looking at Alan's gallery, I have deemed mine as inadequate and unnecessary.

04/23/2009 02:52:35 PM · #8

Originally posted by signal2noise:

okay, after looking at Alan's gallery, I have deemed mine as inadequate and unnecessary.

Chicken! [just teasing]
I'm serious in wanting to know where some of the best locations might be. Any ideas would be welcome. I'm familiar with the main attractions, but there's got to be more than that!

alanfreed

Nikon D6

04/23/2009 02:57:06 PM · #9

I wish I had the opportunity to spend more time there! I've been there twice, but on both occasions I was only there for a day. I really enjoy the various hot spring pools, especially the ones that have such rich colors to them. The Grand Prismatic Spring comes to mind. The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is really pretty, and I would have liked to have explored it from more angles.

And the Mammoth Hot Springs were interesting, although I didn't hike as far up into them as I could have.

Oh, and bubbling mud things... fumeroles? They were fascinating (and stinky)!

04/23/2009 02:58:04 PM · #10

Our highlight was hiking the Tower/Roosevelt area. The petrified trees and the waterfall were amazing.

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED

04/23/2009 03:00:42 PM · #11

Originally posted by signal2noise:

Our highlight was hiking the Tower/Roosevelt area. The petrified trees and the waterfall were amazing.

Any pictures? That is one area with which I'm not at all familiar, but I've been reading about it and it sounds like a good area to explore.

bob350

Sony Alpha 1

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM

04/23/2009 03:15:49 PM · #12

If you have a car available, remember that the Grand Teton National Park is pretty close (south of Yellowstone) and provides quite a few image opportunities too.

PHOTOKID

04/23/2009 03:22:29 PM · #13

on the road entering yellowstone from west yellowstone, there is a large field on the left that is always full of elk and buffalo. Also on the same road is an eagles nest and the eagles hang out near it and on the river that runs parallel to the enterence road. Also if my memory serves me right, the second pull off on the left side has a great sunset oppertunity and where I took this:

The Whole park is beutiful, I am sure you can find plenty of oppertunity.

Of couse Hayden Valley is also one of my favs:

Message edited by author 2009-04-23 19:23:43.

caba

Nikon D800

04/23/2009 04:03:30 PM · #14

Sometimes you see faces in the steam cloud.

Ann

Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro

04/23/2009 04:29:24 PM · #15

On the road in between the canyon area and the lake there is a large meadow where the buffalo like to hang out. When we stayed near the canyon in 2005, we drove down to the meadow and ate breakfast watching the buffalo every morning. It was the highlight of the trip. They would come right up to the car.

My pictures from back then are embarrassingly bad, so you'll have to imagine.

If you're looking for gorgeous landscapes, Grand Teton National Park is amazing. But Yellowstone has fabulous thermal stuff and wildlife.

C4Pictures

Canon EOS-90D

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

04/23/2009 05:03:47 PM · #16

My Family and I are about to go to Yellowstone, so I hope that there are some good pictures that come out of it. What is the best place besides Old Faithful that you can get great pictures?

alanfreed

Nikon D6

04/23/2009 05:32:45 PM · #17

That kinda depends on what you like to photograph! There's wildlife, awesome landscapes, the hot springs, bubbling mud pits, etc., etc. When you get to the park, you'll get a detailed map with all of the most notable features on it. It's all good :)

Originally posted by C4Pictures:

My Family and I are about to go to Yellowstone, so I hope that there are some good pictures that come out of it. What is the best place besides Old Faithful that you can get great pictures?

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

04/23/2009 07:06:06 PM · #18

Thanks, everybody, much appreciated!

spiritualspatula

Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM

04/23/2009 07:33:06 PM · #19

I second the Grand Tetons. Not only will you be graced with gorgeous scenery, but you'll also discover how lonely and perverse early French explorers got.
On a serious note though, a huge amount of the west is gorgeous, and you won't really (IMO) GET the area if you stay confined to areas where everything is paved, because that is (again, IMO) the antithesis of the west. Now, many that come don't care about that and only want the expected family standing by whatever landmark, but I think that since you'll be spending a good amount of time, you should consider that.

jleom

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

04/23/2009 07:37:26 PM · #20

As others have mentioned it may depend on what you most want to photograph as to recommendations.

Check out

www.yellowstone.net and the online forums for some great information and current trip reports as well as suggestions. Good luck and have fun.

Leo

p.s. Just a few of my yellowstone photos.
//www.pbase.com/jleom/yellowstone

caba

Nikon D800

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED

04/23/2009 07:42:25 PM · #21

Don't forget to "Google Earth" all the locations mentioned above.

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

04/23/2009 08:01:23 PM · #22

I like that place where you often see wildlife by the small river.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

04/23/2009 09:22:22 PM · #23

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

I like that place where you often see wildlife by the small river.

Can you be more specific? :-)

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

04/23/2009 09:27:05 PM · #24

Originally posted by ursula:

Originally posted by DrAchoo:
I like that place where you often see wildlife by the small river.

Can you be more specific? :-)

It was close to a geyser and I specifically remember I could see a mountain.