It’s usually pretty hard to provide a sense of place in a close-up portrait, but this intimate portrait of an elk cow strongly hints at Yellowstone with the burned and broken tree in the background. It was indeed taken near the Madison River in Yellowstone, she was part of a herd that was resting in the rain.
After visiting Yellowstone each year from 2004 to 2007, I’m not going to make it in 2008. It was a hard decision not to go, not only because I have such a good time there, but also because the elk get so excited when they see me.
My favorite aspect of Yellowstone is the wildlife, no question, but I’ve become increasingly fascinated by the thermal features, especially the formations in Mammoth Hot Springs. The variety of colors and textures is enough to draw in even a wildlife nut like myself. Last year I continued a theme I had started before, focusing in on small areas to isolate little landscapes from the larger scene.
Another view of Wahkeena Falls from the trail that passes right in front of the falls. Really wish I could have a wider angle of view, but this is as wide as I can go with my camera and lens. I’d like to return to see what the falls look like when the water levels are higher. I took this two weeks ago at the start of the day’s hike, it’s a pretty short hike from the view near the road (which is mostly blocked by trees).
I originally set up my camera directly behind Upper Horsetail Falls to photograph a panoramic view from top to bottom. But I also like this shot focusing just on the falls as they hit the pool of water, the column of water looks more like a shaft of light descending from above.