Photography in the National Parks: Yellowstone
by Rebecca Latson
The year is almost over! And this December, I'll be celebrating my 7th anniversary as a contributing editor and photographer for the National Parks Traveler! Where did the time go? Some of you will say “time flies when you’re having fun.” Well, I’ve certainly had fun with photography in the national parks I visited. As a matter of fact, I recently spent 9 very cold, snowy days in Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone covers almost 3,500 square miles (9,065 square kilometers) of mountains, meadows, valleys, forests, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, and geyser basins, so I’ll be the first to admit 9 days just isn’t enough time to spend absorbing everything America’s first national park offers. Still, I managed to capture a gazillion images (almost exaggerating here) using techniques and my own advice which I’ve given to you over the years in this monthly column.
As such, for the end of the year, I decided I’d synopsize selected past articles I’ve published in the Traveler, which I apply to my own photography with regularity. I’m bringing them all together using images captured during my October trip to Yellowstone. Each of the highlighted headers are links to the full articles I've penned for this column.
Leading Lines, Natural Frames, and Other Techniques
I’ve written more than just a single article about these techniques, but the header above is linked to the very first story I wrote for the Traveler. Aside from my own nostalgia, the stuff in that article still holds true and always will, IMO. A photographer utilizes various techniques to capture a great photo which should, in turn, capture the viewer’s eye. It doesn’t matter if you are using a smartphone, point-and-shoot, or tricked-out SLR. Below are the three techniques I use the most in my images.
The leading line technique uses something in the image, like a trail, road, river, boardwalk, or waterfall to guide the eyes from Point A to Point B to beyond. Leading lines are a personal favorite of mine, I admit, and I certainly capture my fair share of them. Natural frames are another great technique to place more focus on your subject. Trees on either side of your composition work very well, as do rock walls or even a lodge window. Sometimes the impact your subject makes works well if you place it smack dab in the center of your viewfinder, and other times, more emphasis is focused on your subject if you place it to the right or left of your composition, or above or below your horizon line. This is called the rule-of-thirds technique.
The Right Filter
While this is geared more toward SLR users, I know there are some filters out there which fit on point-and-shoot fixed lenses and there are a number of smartphone aps with photo filters approximating my favorite and most useful filter: the circular polarizer (with the graduated neutral density filter coming in a close second). Every SLR user should carry these two filters (CPL and grad ND) in their camera packs. CPLs, especially, make a huge difference, depending upon the result you want.
A CPL attaches to your lens and works on the same principle as your sunglasses. When the sun hits the glass at a certain angle, as you rotate this filter's outer ring, you'll see a reduction of glare and reflections on water, windows and vegetation, haze removal, an increase in color saturation, and better delineation of cloud texture. A CPL even eliminates water glare, allowing you see below the surface.
My second-favorite filter is the graduated neutral density filter (grad ND). It's a round, square or rectangular piece of glass or resin that is half clear - half gray shade. This filter is usefor for compositions with a horizon line where the horizon bottom is darker, while the scene above the horizon is excessively bright. The grad ND prevents blowing out (overexposing) the highlights above the horizon (for the most part) while you set your exposure for the darker areas below the horizon. Much like a CPL, the grad ND also adds texture to clouds.
Silky Water
Not everybody likes silky water, but I sure do, and all my waterfall photos, plus a number of river and stream shots, use this technique. So, I want to take a moment to describe the silky water technique, that smooth, satiny-silky look to water achieved with a slow shutter speed and a neutral density filter (not a grad ND). A regular ND filter is a dark piece of glass or resin fitting over your lens which allows you to use slower shutter speeds while not overexposing the entire composition. Note: under certain circumstances, like a shady or shadowed scene, you can use a CPL instead of an ND filter for a silky water shot. You must use a tripod or have some other stable ground for your camera. Otherwise, slow shutter speeds of 1 or more seconds mean a blurred image if handholding.
Finding Pattern, Texture, and Color in Your Compositions
The more you observe your surroundings, the better you become at composing your shot, which in turn makes you a better photographer. Looking for patterns, textures and colors to photograph improves those powers of observation. I’m pretty sure most of your national park images possess at least one of these properties.
Telling A Story
All the suggestions, tips, and techniques I’ve synopsized above lead to what I consider one of the most important functions of photography: telling your audience a story. As a matter of fact, I’ve just told you my own Yellowstone story with the photos shared in this column. Great images don’t even need words for you to get the gist of the story. And, like a great story, a great image will also elicit emotion. You know it does from the oooo’s and ahhhh’s you’ve heard family, friends, and colleagues say when they look at your national park photos. These stories not only wow your viewer, but they bring back memories of your wonderful park travels in addition to reminding you and others just how important national parks, monuments, seashores, historic sites, and other protected lands are to all of us. In addition to providing unique environments for flora and fauna, they instill within us a sense of awe and wonder, clearing the mind of all those murky urban worries, refreshing our souls, and jump starting our own imaginations and creative juices.
So, armed with what you've read here, take your smartphone, point-and-shoot, and SLR and keep on telling your national park story.
The year is almost over! And this December, I'll be celebrating my 7th anniversary as a contributing editor and photographer for the National Parks Traveler! Where did the time go? Some of you will say “time flies when you’re having fun.” Well, I’ve certainly had fun with photography in the national parks I visited. As a matter of fact, I recently spent 9 very cold, snowy days in Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone covers almost 3,500 square miles (9,065 square kilometers) of mountains, meadows, valleys, forests, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, and geyser basins, so I’ll be the first to admit 9 days just isn’t enough time to spend absorbing everything America’s first national park offers. Still, I managed to capture a gazillion images (almost exaggerating here) using techniques and my own advice which I’ve given to you over the years in this monthly column.
As such, for the end of the year, I decided I’d synopsize selected past articles I’ve published in the Traveler, which I apply to my own photography with regularity. I’m bringing them all together using images captured during my October trip to Yellowstone. Each of the highlighted headers are links to the full articles I've penned for this column.
Leading Lines, Natural Frames, and Other Techniques
I’ve written more than just a single article about these techniques, but the header above is linked to the very first story I wrote for the Traveler. Aside from my own nostalgia, the stuff in that article still holds true and always will, IMO. A photographer utilizes various techniques to capture a great photo which should, in turn, capture the viewer’s eye. It doesn’t matter if you are using a smartphone, point-and-shoot, or tricked-out SLR. Below are the three techniques I use the most in my images.
The leading line technique uses something in the image, like a trail, road, river, boardwalk, or waterfall to guide the eyes from Point A to Point B to beyond. Leading lines are a personal favorite of mine, I admit, and I certainly capture my fair share of them. Natural frames are another great technique to place more focus on your subject. Trees on either side of your composition work very well, as do rock walls or even a lodge window. Sometimes the impact your subject makes works well if you place it smack dab in the center of your viewfinder, and other times, more emphasis is focused on your subject if you place it to the right or left of your composition, or above or below your horizon line. This is called the rule-of-thirds technique.
The Right Filter
While this is geared more toward SLR users, I know there are some filters out there which fit on point-and-shoot fixed lenses and there are a number of smartphone aps with photo filters approximating my favorite and most useful filter: the circular polarizer (with the graduated neutral density filter coming in a close second). Every SLR user should carry these two filters (CPL and grad ND) in their camera packs. CPLs, especially, make a huge difference, depending upon the result you want.
A CPL attaches to your lens and works on the same principle as your sunglasses. When the sun hits the glass at a certain angle, as you rotate this filter's outer ring, you'll see a reduction of glare and reflections on water, windows and vegetation, haze removal, an increase in color saturation, and better delineation of cloud texture. A CPL even eliminates water glare, allowing you see below the surface.
My second-favorite filter is the graduated neutral density filter (grad ND). It's a round, square or rectangular piece of glass or resin that is half clear - half gray shade. This filter is usefor for compositions with a horizon line where the horizon bottom is darker, while the scene above the horizon is excessively bright. The grad ND prevents blowing out (overexposing) the highlights above the horizon (for the most part) while you set your exposure for the darker areas below the horizon. Much like a CPL, the grad ND also adds texture to clouds.
Silky Water
Not everybody likes silky water, but I sure do, and all my waterfall photos, plus a number of river and stream shots, use this technique. So, I want to take a moment to describe the silky water technique, that smooth, satiny-silky look to water achieved with a slow shutter speed and a neutral density filter (not a grad ND). A regular ND filter is a dark piece of glass or resin fitting over your lens which allows you to use slower shutter speeds while not overexposing the entire composition. Note: under certain circumstances, like a shady or shadowed scene, you can use a CPL instead of an ND filter for a silky water shot. You must use a tripod or have some other stable ground for your camera. Otherwise, slow shutter speeds of 1 or more seconds mean a blurred image if handholding.
Finding Pattern, Texture, and Color in Your Compositions
The more you observe your surroundings, the better you become at composing your shot, which in turn makes you a better photographer. Looking for patterns, textures and colors to photograph improves those powers of observation. I’m pretty sure most of your national park images possess at least one of these properties.
Telling A Story
All the suggestions, tips, and techniques I’ve synopsized above lead to what I consider one of the most important functions of photography: telling your audience a story. As a matter of fact, I’ve just told you my own Yellowstone story with the photos shared in this column. Great images don’t even need words for you to get the gist of the story. And, like a great story, a great image will also elicit emotion. You know it does from the oooo’s and ahhhh’s you’ve heard family, friends, and colleagues say when they look at your national park photos. These stories not only wow your viewer, but they bring back memories of your wonderful park travels in addition to reminding you and others just how important national parks, monuments, seashores, historic sites, and other protected lands are to all of us. In addition to providing unique environments for flora and fauna, they instill within us a sense of awe and wonder, clearing the mind of all those murky urban worries, refreshing our souls, and jump starting our own imaginations and creative juices.
So, armed with what you've read here, take your smartphone, point-and-shoot, and SLR and keep on telling your national park story.
