Glowing Aspens Crown the Grand Tetons
Driving to Grand Teton National Park, aspens lined the road, glowing with color.
Driving to Grand Teton National Park, aspens lined the road, glowing with color.
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Sep, 2016Views
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Awards
Featured
Contest Finalist in Unforgettable Landscapes Photo Contest by Zenfolio
People's Choice in Magnificent Mountains Photo Challenge
Member Selection Award
Winner in Beautiful Fall Colors Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Virtuoso
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PRO
mioyshi
April 11, 2017
I saw this photo on one of the contest, and thought it must win as it is so bright and happy. Lovely capture, and congrats on the wins!
Platinum
PRO
ronaldhavard
June 21, 2017
Great shot. I was standing in that same spot back in september but we had storm clouds rolling over Tetons. Good job. Love the clarity.
Platinum
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Behind The Lens
Location
Having a few extra days in our month long Fall Foliage trip west, we stopped at Yellowstone National Park and then drove to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Along the way down state road WY-22 were several clusters of golden aspens near water in the late afternoon light. This was the last in a series of "STOP, please stop, I need a photo" - before my husband lost patience. Luckily it was golden and beautiful - the only thing that could have made it better was weather - more snow and less wind affecting reflections on the water. But, like many of my photos, it was an "along the way opportunity".Time
Mid to late afternoon - not quite the "golden hour", but the light was starting to get better as the afternoon waned. I wanted to stay and get a "golden hour" shot, but it was my husband's birthday, so we opted to let him pick where to go to dinner and enjoy Jackson Hole.Lighting
Sometimes there's a shot that you really really really want to wait for better light, but circumstances preclude it on that particular day. David's birthday took precedence on this day. We drove back a couple days later in the late afternoon for better light but the aspens color had faded and many leaves dropped.Equipment
Canon EOS Rebel T6i, EFS 18-200 lens, F/10, ISO 160, Shutter 1/60 handheld with IS on, focal length 50mm which wasn't quite enough, but the IS stabilized the photo for clarity plus a circular polarizer filter.Inspiration
The scenery along the drive had been spectacular all along, but by later in the afternoon the light was starting to accentuate the colors.Editing
Very little post processing: crop, white & black balance adjusted, some highlight, saturation and clarity. Nothing more.In my camera bag
Canon T6i body, Canon EFS IS 18-200mm; Sigma120-400mm OS; Canon 10-22mm; a few filters including polarizer, gradient neutral, neutral; MeFoto tripod (not in my bag), extra SD cards, batteries, remote shutter release, etc.Feedback
More advance planning! Had we been there a few days earlier (before the aspens dropped their golden leaves) we would have had the opportunity to go back with good weather (light winds for better reflections) and better light. But some moments are just moments and it's important to be able to capture them when they "happen" - before they disappear. In retrospect, I should have taken the time to get out the tripod and set up the shot more definitively - I could "see" it and knew it was a good shot, but it could have been better with a bit less rush and a bit more planning on the spot. But as I said, it was my husband's birthday and his day, not mine. :)
