Entrance to the Center of the Earth
Geothermal hot pool Yellowstone National Park
Geothermal hot pool Yellowstone National Park
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Sep, 2016Views
2015
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Awards
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Legendary Award
Contest Finalist in The Beauty Of Yellowstone National Park Photo Contest
Member Selection Award
Featured
Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 14
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Superior Skill
Genius
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Cisco---lsu
October 17, 2016
I love Yellowstone. It is one of my favorite wild places. The different colors allowed by slight temperature changes is fascinating. But catching cutthroat in lake Yellowstone on light tackle is thrilling in its own right. Very nice picture.
PRO
LindieK
November 05, 2016
This is an amazing photograph! Never been to Yellowstone, but planning a trip there next year.
Platinum
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in Yellowstone National Park. This is Belgium Pool and it is located above Old Faithful Geyser up in the woods. Many people walk right by this little gem. I say little because it measures approximately 15 feet x 8 feet. It is my favorite hot pool of all those found in the numerous geyser basins.Time
I took this at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon to get an indirect lighting effect.Lighting
I try to take photos when the sun is not directly overhead as the strong lighting tends to overpower the pastel colors of the thermophiles that make up the various colors. The delicate colors are easily washed out with harsh lighting. On the other hand the light needs to be strong enough to penetrate to the deeper parts of the feature. Thermophiles are heat loving organisms that live in the hot waters of these pools. Different thermophiles produce different colors based on the temperatures of the water in and around the pools.Equipment
I shoot all my photos with a cell phone. I used an iPhone 4S for this particular shot. I now use an iPhone11 which has much better optics. There is an inherent disadvantage in only using a cell phone. I cannot get telephoto shots and often I have to move around to keep the sun from playing tricks on the camera sensors. It takes skill and a certain amount of luck to get as good of shot as the digital cameras and that is one of the things that attracts me to using a cell phone camera. I have to work to get a good shot. The advantage is that I always have it in my pocket which allows me to catch fleeting action and scenes that would otherwise be missed while setting up a complicated digital camera. If the truth be known I use the iPhone because it is simple to use and easy on my brain. I don't like using a camera that is smarter than I am.Inspiration
Yellowstone Park is my favorite of all the National Parks. And although there are numerous geyser basins with hundreds of wonderful thermal features, Belgium Pool is my all time favorite. I love the green colors of the thermophiles and the deep grotto like formation that leads to the boiling water under the surface. The contrast of the dark shallow water and the beautiful green deep water is unmatched for a pool of this size.Editing
Using only an iPhone for all photographs presents many different challenges. Although I do have a digital camera I use the iPhone because it demands more creativity and skill in order to compete with the many advanced digital cameras. For that reason I normally do post-processing to make up for what the iPhone lacks in the variety of options. I use Smart Photo Editor and Photo Shop. These after photo programs allow me to be creative and have fun as well.In my camera bag
As I use an iPhone for all my photography I do not have to carry a variety of lenses. The most important items that I carry are several power recharging packs and charging cables. Their importance cannot be over stated. During a trip to the Galapagos for example, I averaged shooting 1200 - 1400 pictures a day. That normally took 4 power packs worth of charging to keep the iPhone going. At the end of the day I would download all the photos to clear the camera, charge all the power packs and get ready for the next day. As with most photographers I would normally delete the majority of photos and keep perhaps 300 shots. Of those I might be lucky enough to get 15 - 20 keepers. This particular photo was one of about 20 shot I took from various angles and perspectives.Feedback
If I had to give one piece of advise it would be to allow yourself to be open to what is all around you. Get into the flow of the environment you find yourself in. As I walk through a geyser basin I become one with the hot pools, the flowing hot and colorful streams of water and the smells that envelop me. I enter a zone. A zone where I am not fully conscious of actively looking for specific scenes. Once I stop 'looking' the 'real scenes' seem to jump out and call to be captured in all their natural beauty. I am always surprised at the things captured during those times of non cerebral activity. It becomes almost spiritual for me. I think some of my best photos are those that I do not fully remember taking. So I recommend getting out of your head and into your senses. Then, if the gods are gracious, you may become one with that which you are attempting to capture and make real.
