Figure 1. Autumn Morning in Yellowstone National Park.
Thermal features such as geysers and hot pools are the main scenic attraction for tourists and the reason why Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872. In addition, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is also a must-see. Most people go to the northeastern part of the park for wildlife such as grizzly bear, wolf, elk, bighorn sheep, moose, and pronghorn.
After I spent more time between Tower Junction and Canyon Junction, I have very good feelings here when I drive on the road. While it is not as exciting as seeing geysers and the Grand Canyon, the huge space makes me feel relaxed and comfortable. If geysers and Grand Canyon are entrees like steak, this part would be salad or veggies. It also diversifies the experience of touring Yellowstone.
This shot was taken when I drove from Canyon Junction to Tower Junction and was somewhere between Chittenden Road and Tower Fall. It is a partly sunny morning in early September. The sun was blocked in most parts of the sky, but still found some holes to peek through. While most of the time I enjoyed taking a shot on a sunny day, I like this shot very much, even after two years.
Typical autumn shots tend to emphasize the color of leaves. This shot is not in this style but still suggests strong autumn feelings. The lighting works very well along with the color combination. I left the sky to the minimum on purpose as I believe leaving too much sky would weaken the picture. In my co-authored book Yellowstone National Park: Past and Present, we use it as a full page photo to showcase the scenery between Tower Junction and Canyon Junction. It is not easy to get a strong photo for every part of the park. I am glad I've got one before I know some day I would write a book about it.
