March 5, 2011

God’s Fist – Yellowstone NP, Great Fountain Geyser

I was the only one there at sunrise and it was beautiful, but not what I had hoped for. Great Fountain steamed calmly away as the sun rose, but no great fingers of water reached skyward. This was not going to be so easy.

Great Fountain is not on a schedule like Old Faithful. It generally blows about once a day and while it can be roughly predicted, it seems to be no exact science. I took a few images of the pool and then begin to wander nearby areas, hoping to catch it later. Around noon I came back to find crowds gathering and cars lining the sides of the narrow loop road. It seemed everyone was here now. But only I had the satisfaction of having been there with the sunrise.

I grabbed my gear and hustled along the line of cars, to where a surprisingly large gathering was taking place. Fortunately most everyone wanted the high vantage points. I just wanted this lowly spot down in the weeds off the roadside. About ten minutes later, she blew. Slow and spurting at first, but then spectacular.

Bright sun is generally not the most ideal light however and my mind was racing like fanatic and I varied the setups I had been envisioning, working with filters and tweaking settings in an attempt to make something memorable of of this scene. The truth is that the resulting sequence from these moments were on my computer until months after I returned home. They sat patiently on my hard drive, waiting for me to become inspired. I saw them now and then, but secretly I was remembering the peaceful sunrise and wishing it had happened then.

In time I sifted through them more closely, thinking in terms on tone, analyzing details and thinking about the process. The light was actually pretty amazing. And there was one frame that stood out above the rest and it was higher and more spectacular than any others from this majestic water show. Once I started working it, I knew I had only needed one frame and this was it. I hope you enjoy… Gavin

Release details: Prints Available.. Order Open Edition originals above.. Master prints and Signature Limited Editions are listed below and can be ordered by contacting gallery.

Released prints….

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December 10, 2010

Tufa Sunrise. Mono Lake CA. 15×34.5 True Metal – Read Journal Entry.
25 print Limited Edition. $329, including US Shipping.

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October 27, 2010

Crags of Yellowstone Falls, 2010.

It was a softly lit morning in Yellowstone on this day in mid September. I came in thru the west entrance before sunrise to explore the landscape before the increasing light started getting harsh. I love waterfalls and while the lower falls area is not a hard place to reach, the various lookouts up the valley are magnificent.

I think I planted myself at Lookout Point for this one. I was inspired at the awesome beauty of this place. I know hundreds of people photograph these falls every day and I wanted to take my time to try for something special. I was careful in planning the composition and went for a silver process from the start to focus the eyes on the water and tone in this landscape. I’ll let you be the judge of how well I did.

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October 19, 2010

Firehole Spring sparkles like a sky of deep blue turquoise, it’s inviting crystal clear water set flush to the earth like a giant hot tub. But beware, this is no swimming pool. The docile looking waters are nearly boiling, so enjoy it’s unearthly beauty, but let it bathe alone.

Firehole has nearly constant activity roiling under it’s surface, as  thermal bursts appear like small white explosions. Sometimes it’s subtle while at other times water may spit into the air as thermal bubbles reach the surface. On this day in early September it seems unusually calm affording me this unique crystal like view into it’s depths.

Set amid a rather barren patch of land, backed by shrill trees and sparse grasses, The pool sits just off Firehole Lake Drive, nearly unmarked and easily passed by. It seems plain, but when you get out and stand near, it’s impossibly clear water mesmerizes the eyes.

I took this in the early morning as bold clouds drifted overhead and I gave it some time, carefully planning the composition and working to use the land and the light as best I could.

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October 17, 2010

Forgotten City, 2010. Downtown Minneapolis, fall 2010. Time exposure.

Print release coming soon.
This image earned a merit at the PPA International Print Competition, 2011.

It was the flour capital of the world around 1880 and beyond. But things change over time and the old flour mill in downtown Minneapolis MN is now a part of the landscape around the Mill City Museum. It’s a pretty neat sight. Remnants of old machinery, underground tunnels and broken structures spark my curiosity and make me marvel at how large the operations here must have been.
It’s a mix of the still standing and the now fallen. Both still appreciated. I made this during my tone workshop in mid Sept as we all walked across the bridge and explored the area around the museum and the Guthrey Theater. It was a fun walk and I took home more than one good image from the area. Here I used a very slow shutter to blur the movement of cars and people, leaving the city as a silent piece of history.

For Photographers. How it was made…

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