Fire In The Hole
Fire in the hole
Yellowstone NP
Yellowstone is a truly magical place! It features stunning landscapes, bears, bison, waterfalls, roaring rivers, and, of course, countless geysers. Witnessing Old Faithful and other iconic geysers is a remarkable experience, although capturing their beauty in photographs can be challenging.
The image above highlights the powerful geysers' mist at sunset, creating a breathtaking scene.
Images and location summary by Tim Wier
Trail Difficulty - EASY
I rate the difficulty of this trail as 1 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). It’s an easy 1/3 mile walk (on the boardwalk) from the parking area for the Lower Geyser Basin.
GPS Coordinates & Elevation
7,300 ft Elevation
View In Google earth
Download KMZ Trail File
Click here to download the KMZ file for this location.
Directions
CLICK HERE to get driving directions to the Lower Geyser Basin parking area.
From Old Faithful - drive approximately 7.7 miles and turn left into the parking area for the Lower Geyser Basin. From the parking lot, walk on the boardwalk loop (take a left at the fork on the boardwalk) for approximately 1/3 mile.
The shot was taken at the far end of the boardwalk loop, standing in front of the Clepsydra Geyser.
Photography Tips
The key to this shot is to underexpose the scene enough to create the fiery glow through the geyser mist, but still maintain detail in the surrounding areas.
For my composition, I wanted to include the full range of the geyser mist to give it depth and place the sun in the middle of the mist. I set up my camera on a tripod to blend multiple images and/or exposures, if needed. The sun moves very quickly, so it is important to have your composition, focus, and camera settings set up several minutes before sunset.
First, I did a 5-shot (1 f-stop apart) bracket to make sure I would have detail in the foreground and sky. After a few attempts at bracket sequences, I switched to a single-fire shutter release to try capturing the sun amidst the mist. The mist moves around more than you think, so this is not as easy as it seems.
In the end, I only used 3 images to blend together.
EXIF Data
Focal Length – 38 mm
Exposure – 1/400 th sec @ f 9.0
ISO – 50
Date – June 30th
Time – 8:55 pm
Best Time of Day to Shoot
This is a sunset shot. Taken just a few moments before the sun went below the horizon.
Best Time of Year
The late spring through summer is a good time to shoot this location (you will need to adjust where you stand to put the setting sun in the middle of the Clepsydra Geyser).
NOTE about Clepsydra Geyser. This nearly constant performer splashes from several vents, and its steam can be seenthroughout the Lower Geyser Basin. Its name is Greek for water clock, and was given because the geyser used to erupt regularly every three minutes. Since the 1959 Hebgen Lae Earthquake, however, Clepsydra erupts almost without pause. Sometimes it quits during Fountain Geyser's eruption.
Lens(es) Needed
There are many ways to shoot this location. You can shoot wide angle to capture the full stream of the geyser or a short telephoto to create a fiery abstract.
Birds-Eye View
Permits
Once you pay the entry fee to get into Yellowstone, there are no additional permits required.
Direction of the Shot
The direction of the shots is northwest @ approximately 300°.
Equipment Needed
I would suggest a sturdy tripod (as you might have to blend multiple shots and/or exposures) and a polarizer, and potentially a strong ND filter if you want to slow down the shutter speed to create movement in the Geyser spray.
Number of Other Photographers to Expect
The Clepsydra Geyser and other locations at the Lower Geyser Basin can draw a large number of visitors. However, this shot is at sunset, and most of the crowds are heading back to their lodging.
Weather
The weather in Yellowstone is mild in the late spring, summer, and early fall and bitter in the winter. The weather in Yellowstone is very unpredictable and changes quickly. I usually get the weather from the visitor's center or at the front desk of the Old Faithful Lodge.
Cell Service
The cell service has improved in recent years. However, many parts of the park have limited to no cell service.