Fire In The Hole
YELLOWSTONE, NP
FIRE IN THE HOLE
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF FIRE IN THE HOLE
Yellowstone is a magical place! It boasts stunning landscapes, bears, bison, roaring rivers, waterfalls, and, of course, an endless array of geysers. Witnessing Old Faithful and other iconic geysers is a remarkable experience, although capturing them in photographs can be challenging.
The image above was taken just before sunset, which illuminated the geysers’ mist and created a breathtaking, fiery scene.
Images and location summary by Tim Wier
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DATA POINTS INCLUDED WITH FIRE IN THE HOLE SUMMARY
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.
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 area.
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 decided to set up my camera on a sturdy tripod to blend multiple images and/or exposures, if needed. The sun moves very quickly, so it was important to have my 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.
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.
6,653 ft Elevation
Other Resources Available with Membership
KMZ Trail File
Directions
Best Time of Day to Shoot
Best Time of Year to Shoot
Equipment Needed
Permits Required
Direction of Shot
Google Maps Birds-Eye-View
Number of Photographers to Expect
Cell Service
Overnight Lodging/Camping
Nearby Restaurants
Area Guides and Workshops
Other Resources
LOCATION SUMMARIES WRITTEN BY PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
