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On some of the other park pages on Parkcamper.com we talked about
specific or "must see" spots for photography, and how
some parks don't really have them. Well, this is one park that
definitely does have them , and in spades. Before we get into
those landscape areas, there are a couple things you should know
about photography in Yellowstone National Park. First, the park
is a pretty dangerous place, especially when approaching wildlife
(which you should not do) and when photographing the geothermal
features that make the park so famous. Also, please protect your
equipment. when shooting around the geothermal features, use a
UV filter to protect your lens from any of the gases or sprays
that could come in contact with the lens surface.
Old Faithful area: This entire area in the southeastern
corner of the park offers very unique chances to photograph
an expanse of geothermal features. From the massive(and very popular)
Old Faithful in the upper geothermal basin to the Midway Geyser
Basin to the Lower Geyser Basin. The pull outs are many. There
is also a really cool short road between Old Faithful and Madison
Junction called Firehole Lake Drive. This will take you a bit
off the beaten path to Great Fountain Geyser as well as some other
features. Anyone interested in geothermal features needs to spend
their time between Old Faithful and Madison Junction.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone: You've seen the photos,
you've read about it. This is one of the most photographed places
in the park. For easy access and prime morning shots, stay at
Canyon campground which is a short drive away. Access to the viewpoints
are along the north and south rim, south of Canyon Junction with
very short walks to viewing platforms. The Grand Canyon of the
Yellowstone is one of the most spectacular things you could possibly
see on this planet. That's how good it is.
Lamar Valley: This is one of the last "big valleys"
in the lower 48 with the complete array of native wildlife present
before European settlement. The views are expansive and breathtaking.
Located in the northeast corner of the park.
Hayden Valley: A rolling, surreal valley between Yellowstone
Lake and Canyon Junction. I've always been fascinated by the ambiance
of this valley. The rolling, grassy meadows combined with the
far off pines makes for a peaceful scene.
Yellowstone Lake: Gigantic, powerful and awe inspiring.
The surface area is 136 square miles. Areas around the West Thumb
offer geothermal steam which can create for an interesting foreground
in your images.
Mammoth Hot Springs: Otherworldly travertine hills. Check
out Mud volcano and Sulfur cauldron.
Cooke City Area: This is the extreme northeast corner of
Yellowstone National Park, and the beginning of Beartooth Mountain
country. The forest is thicker here, with alpine meadows and classic
mountain scenery. Mountain goats dot the cliff sides. The Beartooth
Highway and Chief Joseph Scenic Highway are just east of Cooke
City. Both offer world class mountain scenery. The Beartooth Road
should be very high on your list if you are interested in photographing
alpine mountain scenery. Check
out our new photo forum!
Check out the Parkcamper.com focal chart for Yellowstone National
Park. This shows what focal ranges we use in the park, and how
often:
For those that don't want to haul lenses around, I recommend the
Canon SX10 IS, which is an excellent compact camera. For DSLR,
the Canon 50D is a current top choice. For Yellowstone, I would
pair it with a Canon 17-40L and a Canon 100-400 IS. This should
cover most of your bases, with a Canon 10-22 for ultra wide angle.
For Nikon, the D300 is a great camera body, and for Yellowstone
would work great with Nikon 70-300 VR and Nikon 16-85 VR.
All of this gear can be purchased at our site link here: Photography
Gear .
Doing so helps us continue to provide our users with specific
photos and information on our national parks.
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