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05-08-2017, 09:15 AM   #1
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Suggestions for Yellowstone, please?

We are going there after at eclipse in late August. Any particular tours that you would recommend?

i am interested in landscape and wildlife.

Thanks.

05-08-2017, 12:08 PM   #2
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Wildlife and landscape are just about anywhere. Finding things to take pictures of is not the problem. Having enough time is.
I strongly suggest getting a couple of guide books and reading them thoroughly. I mapped out a day by day schedule, actually hour by hour, of where we wanted to be and what we wanted to shoot. We did not always make our spots and many things we had to forget but at least we had an outline of where we wanted to be. There are a couple of guidebooks that are written for photographers and will include time of day and best location for certain shots.

Keep in mind the park is immense. You will waste too much time going here and then there. If you are not organized and have a plan you will spend most of your time driving aimlessly about.

As to tours, do you mean ranger led tours? If so you might want to think about getting those booked asap as they fill up. I did not take any, just not enough time, so cannot make any suggestions. We spent 10 days in the park and maybe saw 25%. We hit the tourist highlights but much of the back country is accessible only by horse or on foot.

Depending on what wildlife you want to look at it might be in your face, literally staring in your car window or so far away nothing but a 600mm f/4 is going to get you a shot. Lamar valley is likely the best drive for wildlife, but Bison and elk and moose and bighorn sheep will be seen all over the park. Just watch for people with spotting scopes and $10,000 lenses set up along the road. They are not standing there for no reason.

Hope that helps, feel free to ask specific questions. But the best advice is to plan, plan, plan.
05-08-2017, 12:51 PM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by bladerunner6 Quote
We are going there after at eclipse in late August. Any particular tours that you would recommend?

i am interested in landscape and wildlife.

Thanks.
I did 3 nights there in 2011. I stayed at the Old Faithful lodge, Mammoth, and at Yellowstone Lake.

For the scenery, I recommend taking the widest lens you have. I did not have much luck with distant wildlife (though a herd of buffalo passed us on the road), but of course your mileage may vary.

A couple touristy shots near Jackson and Moose.

Chapel of the Transformation.


One of many buildings at Mormon Row.


West Thumb Lake area. The whole area is pretty smelly :-)


I think this is Black Pool.


Old Faithful is a semi-regular event. It was disappointing this first day, photo-wise.


Next morning I went for a trail walk. When I heard the whoosh, I turned and got a good one of OF.


It's very exciting.


Do NOT go off the trail. You or your dog might (seriously) be boiled.




The walkway to Grand Prismatic Spring.




Someone else getting the shot at White Dome Geyser.


North of old Faithful is Firehole Lake.


The buffalo.


Palette Spring. The layers are a foot or two thick.


The old jail at Fort Mammoth. This probably would have been cheaper than the $229 hotel, but lodging choices are limited.


There are other "attractions", such as this petrified tree.


And this trash can at a mountain pass.


Lower falls. A bit of back-and-forth path to get there, but not bad.


A big rock.


Trail people at the bottom of the stairs at Uncle Tom's Trail. It's a tough hike, and if you go down, you must go up the stairs at a 45-degree angle.


On the way to the lake. My feeble distant wildlife shots. I think these 3 shots are near Le Hardy's rapids about 1/2 hour north of the lake.






Dusk at the lake.


I think Wyoming is open carry, but not inside...



If you are a glutton for punishment you can view my entire Yellowstone-Mt Rushmore vacation here (Yellowstone is day 3-6)

Y'stone-Mt Rush 11 by SpecialK

.

Last edited by SpecialK; 05-27-2017 at 07:16 PM.
05-08-2017, 03:45 PM   #4
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Yellowstone is a can't miss, there is so much there, you really don't need to be on any tour. A few of the photos Kyle displayed were actually in the Grand Tetons, just South of Yellowstone, which is also nice if you have time. As John said, Yellowstone itself is immense and you will not have enough time. You want to head out before daylight and get back after the sun sets, but be careful in the dark, I stood on my brakes to miss and Elk by inches, they can come out of nowhere. The river valleys are abundant with wildlife. Buffalo are everywhere, and they use and own the roads. We wasted time to watch Old Faithful, but there are some other really interesting geothermal features nearby.

This yellow-bellied marmot was along the Yellowstone River Valley


This buffalo was also along the Yellowstone River Valley, he had been rolling on the ground to scrape off the winter fur.


My nephew and oldest son on the Beaver Ponds Trail. This was one of the worst parts of the Yellowstone visit, We saw no wildlife up there but ducks and butterflies. We found out after that there are no beavers up there. It was still good though with plenty of "vistas", wilflowers, butterflies, etc.


This bull elk was somewhere between West Yellowstone and Mammoth Spings


Uinta ground squirrels along the Madison River


Madison River:


05-11-2017, 01:59 AM   #5
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In the national parks guide you will find a couple of photo tours. I did one that left from the Lake Yellowstone Hotel. You can also find and reserve this tour through the Yellowstone national park website.


05-11-2017, 03:09 AM   #6
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we will be there arriving at Jackson June 1 in Yellowstone June 2 through June 11 for our first trip

we have a float trip in Gran Tetons on June 1,

Yellowstone:

private tour scheduled for June 4 and several park tours scheduled.

we will be staying at Canyon, Old Faithful Inn, Lake Yellowstone and Roosevelt,

however I don't think you can wait for my report because things do book up

If you are doing park tours, try to get in the smallest group possible.

Hayden and Lamar valley is supposed to be best for wild life but they are big

one advantage to tours - you are not trying to drive and spot wild life at the same time

_______________________________

do you like to research

go to the web and the National Park Service resources

go to the library or buy

Photographer's Guide To Yellowstone and the Tetons, 2nd Ed, by Joseph K. Lange

Photographing Yellowstone National Park by Gustav W. Verberber

National Geographic Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks Road Guide Revised and Updated by Jeremy Schmidt and Steven Fuller

For Everything There Is A Season by Frank C Craighead

Roadside Guide to the Geology of Yellowstone County by William J. Fritz

get maps

_________________________________________________________________________________________

remember you get around Yellowstone on a two lane road , on foot or horseback or boat

have fun and please post some of your photos.

Please remember these are wild animals don't approach closely The rules and regulations are to protect you, the wild life and preserve the parks for all of us please follow them

Last edited by aslyfox; 05-11-2017 at 05:14 AM.
05-27-2017, 05:25 PM   #7
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Thanks everyone for your help. My wife got us a couple of guidebooks.

06-13-2017, 03:30 AM   #8
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PM me if anyone want a detailed report of our trip 6/1 - 6/12 of Gran Tetons and Yellowstone NPs

I have specific recommendations of guides and tours to take if you are interested.
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