Old Faithful

Black And White Photography, Photography
Old Faithful in mid-eruption

Nikon D90, 18-200 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens at 42mm, 1/500sec @ f/5.6, ISO 160

Old Faithful Geyser is the most popular attraction in Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park. Traveling through the park this summer, my husband and I did our part to contribute to that statistic.

Pulling into the parking lot by the visitor center, we were astounded that we could actually see the geyser. Well, by that, I mean we could see the viewing area. A boardwalk with benches sits 300 feet from the geyser, and as the time approaches for the next eruption, the benches quickly fill. In the visitor center, we learned we had about an hour to spare, so we grabbed some lunch and then decided to find a place further back on the porch where I could more easily capture the eruption in all its glory.

This photo, one of many I took, is Old Faithful as it reached its highest point. The deep blue sky provided a beautiful backdrop for the white of the spouting water, but the multitude of colored t-shirts detracted from the beauty of this natural wonder. To my eye, black and white was the better choice.

Old Faithful erupts every 35 to 120 minutes for 1 1/2 to 5 minutes.
Its maximum height ranges from 90 to 184 feet.

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25 thoughts on “Old Faithful”

  3. I went here years ago with my parents on a US road trip. Very enjoyable and memorable experience.
    Most would like to shoot this scene without the people, but you managed to take a fantastic photo with the tourists included. Adds to the shot and gives some scale, too! Awesome, Stacy.

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    1. Thanks so much, Mike, for such a nice comment. I wouldn’t have known how to go about getting this shot without all the tourists, as they were everywhere. And even if I had had a front row seat, I’m assuming I would have needed a wide angle lens to even think about the possibility of capturing the eruption at it’s highest. In the end, the tourist do, as you say, add scale, and the photo certainly does document not just Old Faithful, but also what people do when they visit. 🙂 It was wonderful to experience!

      Liked by 1 person

  5. When someone said old geezer I thought the meant Joe. ;0) (That’s going to get me barred).
    The shot is wonderful and you captured all the onlookers getting soaked. I like that you darkened the sky a little to contrast the steam.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Brilliant, David! Be careful though; Joe will likely not get even; he’ll get ahead 😉
      Thanks for the nice comment. I tried a number of different settings to find the right balance of the sky and the steam. I appreciate that you appreciated the choice!

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  8. We made it up to Yellowstone park two years ago in November. Unfortunately the park was closed. One day we will revisit- and plan a little better!

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    1. Well, how unfortunate is that 😦 I never really thought about the timing of the park season – I wonder when it does actually close for the winter. When you do get up there, plan more than the one day I had. It was a fanny-buster of a day and we only were able to cover the lower loop (and not everything in it). Photographs just don’t do it justice!

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