The Night Watcher by Gavin Seim - Near White Sands New Mexico, March 2012
An open New Mexico sky and a gentle foreground glow from the lights of a distant military base. This tree stands alone on a dusty patch of earth. In the daytime you might not think much of him. But as he watches over the trailing stars of night his delicate majesty is revealed in full.
I made this just outside the camper in the same spot near White Sands where I made Sliver Moon Blues. A seemingly barren patch of earth, that in three days offered me two new images. But I had to work for it and I was up until the middle of the night making it happen. It took well over an hour for each exposure and that adds up fast. It was worth the effort however and the Night Watcher is the result.
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….
37 inch Signature Canvas – Limited Edition of, 40 (contact the gallery)
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.
