Vics Blog

Last week Wayne Morine and I traveled back to Yellowstone for a week of photography and the opportunity to show our photographs for two days at the invitation of the Old Faithful Inn. It was incredible to meet so many people from countries all over the world in the lobby and have them give us such positive feedback on the calendars and prints we had for sale. We marked the hours by watching the ebb and flow of tourists as they marched out of the hundred and seven year old hotel to see Old Faithful erupt and then rushed right back in again when it finished. It was an awesome experience but taking pictures in the park was better yet.
Our first evening, we camped at Colter Bay in the Grand Tetons. It had rained most of the afternoon but just a sunset the clouds parted and golden rays of sunshine lit the highest peaks and reflected in Oxbow Bend on the Snake River. A bit of a photo tip here; don’t give up on pictures until it’s just about dark. Early the next morning, we traveled to Madison Junction in Yellowstone to secure a campsite for the remainder of the week. On our arrival, we were informed that most of the campgrounds in the park are on a reservation system and that all sites were full for days to come. Luckily, we found a spot just a couple miles north of the town of West Yellowstone and set up shop.
Over the next two days, we found four black bears to photograph at close range. On one occasion, a rather half-baked tourist managed to get himself less than six feet from the jaws of a feeding bruin and snap a flash shot. I wish I’d been ready to shoot as that bear jumped right out of the bush and just missed landing an upper left paw on the dimwit. Here’s two other photo hints; get a good telephoto lens a respect an animal’s space. I think the bear realized the intelligence of the man and gave him a break and went back to dinner.
One evening, on Fire Hole Lake Drive, we were privileged to see another magnificent sunset. It had been raining for a couple of hours, but as the sun slipped low on the horizon, the sky exploded in colors of unbelievable beauty. It was all reflected in the terraces of a hot spring and made for great images.
The first days of August mark the beginning of the Bison rut, or mating season, and by the end of the week they were in full swing. Giant bulls were grumbling a low, guttural roar and in a one hour span I photographed two huge fights as the males crashed into each other to establish dominance for the right to breed. It was truly incredible, but sadly, it was the last afternoon in park. If you haven’t been there, it’s a magical paradise and I highly recommend it.