Yellowstone in Winter: Old Faithful Starscape (by Ian Plant)
My trip to Yellowstone was for the most part a struggle against persistent gray skies. But for one amazing night the clouds lifted and the sky was filled with stars. I was staying at the Old Faithful Snow Lodge at the time, so I pretty much had only one choice for star trail photography: Old Faithful itself. This exposure was 2 hours long, and the temperature was -8F. I spent the entire two hours pacing back and forth to stay warm within my several layers of clothing and down outerwear. When Old Faithful went off, I used a flash with a yellow gel to light the geyser, but since it was over a hundred feet away from my camera setup I needed to fire the flash over 50 times to light the steam and water. Good thing that Old Faithful erupts for several minutes!
Looking at the results, definitely worth all that went into this image! That’s a lot of flash fires in those cold temps. The batteries were really put to the test.
I absolutely LOVE LOVE your work!! I bought the 2009 Wild Journeys Calendar the beginning of January and believe it’s the best purchase I have made in quite some time. I myself, am in love with the outdoors/nature and have always had an interest in photography, which dates back to childhood. I probably have 8 photo-albums that are over flowing in my closet! Anyway, I just wanted to let you know how truly gifted and talented you are to capture these images in their true essence. I am definitely now a fan of your work since I stumbled across your calendar in the bookstore! Best wishes to you and your continued passion for nature….there’s not many of us left!! P.S. I too, am extremely LOW TECH, considering I am 28 and never owned a computer, and hate all this new technology they are constantly crafting…. WAY too much to try to keep up with I say! Well, take care and don’t ever stop what you are doing.
Hi Ian.
Stunning long exposure!
The technical quality (and work) you put in this image is impressive and as a viewer it really had a strong impact on me.
Been thinking about using the similar technique myself in Rondane National Park, Norway, but always seem to forget it at the end of the day, whenever I go there.
This image though, reminded me to give it a try as I am leaving for a 3-6 days trip into some wild parts on Rondane mountainrange.
Keep up the good work.
Regards
Seung Kye
http://www.leeseungkye.com