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Archive for the ‘The Story Behind the Click’ Category

This morning I had planned on telling a different story, but the photos below captured my attention. The changes in the thermal features fascinate me, and the record keeper part of me wants to keep finding and pairing up these types of images. They aren’t stunning images that will take your breath away, but sometimes the story they tell or the record they keep is the focus.

Another change in a thermal feature – I think. I had asked a couple of more knowledgeable folks about Variable Spring (in the Upper Geyser Basin – it’s located sort of ‘behind’ Grotto) when I was there in June.  This year it had a small bubbler next to it. I’ve searched my photos, but haven’t found another one with the exact same view. The folks I talked with in June weren’t sure if that was new or just larger, but we all noticed it.

Here’s how it looked in 2009:

And here’s how it looked this June:

Then I enlarged the area in question. Here’s the 2009 photo cropped:

Is that depression there a small spring already? Maybe. Maybe not. Here’s that same area in question from the June 2010 photo:

Sigh. I’m not sure if we’ll ever really know for certain, but if I can get back up there before the snow flies this year, it’s one thing on my list to check on again.

OH! And speaking of changes…there was an email yesterday saying that a disturbance is going on over at Norris Geyser Basin. That means there’s more activity and things that haven’t been erupting now are. No idea of how long it’ll last, but if you have a chance, Norris would be more fun and interesting to visit right now.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Photography – it leads you down some darn interesting paths.

Yep, that’s a guy, in a skirt running through a mountain stream barefoot. But that’s only the beginning. He’s also suffering from Brain Injury where he really only remembers days back before details fade completely, leaving him with just the concepts. AND has intense vertigo. Yep, he runs trails that have steep drop offs.

Meet Deacon Patrick.

I met up with him because he wanted some photos for his website of him doing his barefoot or primal running. He walked up to the truck where I waited – wearing a skirt. I’ve known Patrick for awhile now and honestly, it really didn’t phase me. I knew there was a reason for it. We talked for a bit, but I noticed he wasn’t able to follow the conversation well – something was distracting him. I hoped it wouldn’t call off the photo shoot.

“Are you wearing perfume? Used flowery soap? Something scented?”

“No – I go as scent free as possible.” I said.

“Well, you smell very…flowery.”

I know Patrick is sensitive to various things – sensations that rob him of his brain energy, and it can be something as small as flickering light, or an uncomfortable chair or a scent. It’s what makes photographing him interesting because you can only use natural or steady light – no flashes. He stopped and investigated, going over to more closely smell the petunias about 10 feet behind me. I couldn’t smell a thing.

“That’s it!”

He identified the smell and we continued on. We took a few shots near a small lake and then headed up to the trailhead. Well, he headed up – I wimped out and went back to get the truck. I started up the hill and soon realized I’d not make it without shifting into 4WD.  He actually just ran up – like it was nothing. hmmm – I said, thinking of how I really need to get in better shape.

Why barefoot? I’ve been reading the fascinating book, The Brain That Changes Itself, and it makes sense. What he’s effectively doing is using his feet to tell his body which way is up. There’s an early chapter that talks of using the tongue to replace the part of the brain that tells you how your body is positioned on this earth – letting gravity be the sensation to tell your brain which way is up (turn your head to the side and pay attention to what gravity does to your relaxed tongue).

Patrick lets his feet figure it out – they feel the land beneath him as well as the center of gravity of Patrick’s body above them and his feet communicate with the rest of his body and it works – he stays upright. The photo above was of a stumble he took. I gasped after taking it, thinking he would fall, but he had told me that his body just takes care of it and it’s many steps later that he realizes he may have stumbled – if he notices it at all. And that’s exactly what happened. He just kept on.

So, why the skirt? Again – sensations that take over his brain. He’s tried various outfits, but the skirt (he often wears – and looks fabulous in – a kilt) gives less sensation which in turn allows him to run farther. And for him, it’s all about what works to let him live life as fully as he possibly can.

THAT’s Living Deliberately.

Taking action, no matter what, to live your life as fully as possible. Do what works. Figure it out. Don’t let anyone convince you it’s not right if it works. Ignore critics. Sweep the stumbling blocks out of the way. Find the joy.

I have to say that the progress he’s made in the past year or so based on paying attention to God’s Engineering really wakes me up to find that I need to pay attention a bit more. My fibromyalgia has taken a toll on me lately – and so much of what he writes about on Mind Your Head Co-Op applies to me as well. I think it’s time that I start formulating my own long term recovery from FM.

You can read more about his amazing story and his latest project (to run 20K for 20 days – check out the video of him running barefoot there ) on his website – which I manage for him (disclaimer).

Success begets success. By co-creating with God, we connect with our God-given worth and that helps us heal all the more.  ~Deacon Patrick

Sponge Geyser – this is about it most of the time over the past few years. It simply cycles between low and high water – ‘a cyclic geyser.’ When at high water, it boils – ‘a boiling eruption.’ When I took these two photos I had a gentleman ask me what it does and upon learning this was it, he was visibly disappointed. The size of the cone does suggest maybe it does something more.

But then when I walked up to Sponge Geyser this year, it was different. Still not big, but different, and those differences capture me. There’s a bench to sit on at Sponge Geyser, and I sat for an hour or so – it’s really a great spot to watch much of the action on Geyser Hill. This time, at high water it bubbled and overflowed. Then as the water level dropped, the boiling began AND water spurted out some side vents I had not seen before. Some eruptions spurted water out these back or side vents fairly high, while others just splashed up a few drops. There might be a pattern to it – or there might not be any pattern. But a change definitely happened. And this change is the reason for the clicks.

Happy (photo) Friday!

Taking a sip of hot coffee freshly brewed, the air was brisk this July morning as I looked out across the Lamar Valley. I had come out to the back deck where the silence of the morning wrapped itself around me to watch the shadow of the Earth set as the fog from the river off in the distance began to lift. I’m a morning person and enjoy taking time to welcome the day. This time between night setting and day dawning pauses like a Gift. I said my quick morning prayer which on this particular morning was overflowing with gratitude – “Glory Be! I’m alive and God has work for me to do today! Thank you, God, for another day.” And then worked to capture the gorgeous scene before me as a means to seal the moment in my mind.

This day I was at Lamar Buffalo Ranch for a class with the Yellowstone Association. Three days to learn and explore a few more creative rabbit trails. The class was a gift from my sister for my birthday – Susan Zwinger‘s Illustrated Journal for Heart, Art and Science. Here I was, on the porch of the Bunkhouse, welcoming the third day.

The class awakened something deep that I’m still getting to know better, but it also gave me definition to how I create with my camera – and that definition gives me a framework and structure to allow the creativity to flourish. As Susan guided us through her process for observing and sketching, I began to see parallels with my photography – how I connect with the subject before me, and then find how to best present it. Here, in the Lamar Valley, it’s easy to connect. Scenes present themselves for easy captures with the shutter release. Distractions are cut to a minimum. No cell phone service. No internet. Regular daily responsibilities are handled. It allows us to just be in the moment.

The trick, though, is to carry that home in the pocket of our hearts. All of us need that centering – and it takes practice – especially when the normal pace we’ve accepted is rocket speed. Since being home, I’ve deliberately taken regular breaks from rocket speed, and I can feel it becoming more comfortable and familiar to do. I just stop for a few minutes here and there throughout the day to connect with the world around me. Giving myself the gift of a rest stop of sorts. Blocking off yesterday and the next hour’s work.

This photo brings me right back to greeting that morning, and reminds me to slow at regular intervals.

Happy Friday!

Good Friday Morning to you!

Last weekend, I finally opened the bird box since I was sure it was vacant. As much as I would have loved seeing the babies I knew were in there, that’s too much stress and I’d rather know that the babies would have a better chance at life and left it closed until now.

This is the combination of two nests. In March, I went on the Hunt for Spring and found the White Breasted Nuthatches taking up residence. Last year a pair of Mountain Chickadees successfully nested here, using moss and dog fur and bits of this and that to create their nest. We left it there over the winter as some birds use the box to stay warm during our cold snaps. I planned on cleaning it out in the spring, but the Nuthatches beat me to it. I watched them clean it out completely, saving the bits they liked by stuffing them in cracks in the tree bark.

Then they started over, using tree bark as a base. I didn’t get a photo of it when they were done as we were in Yellowstone then. And, by the time we got back and I thought about it, a pair of Violet Green Swallows were working on their nest which they obviously just built on top of the Nuthatch creation. In my research on the swallows, I learned they used feathers in their nest – and watched them carry feathers they found into the box.  And I waited. The Swallow babies fledged just a day or two before I left for the class with the Yellowstone Association. That was the same time the young squirrels discovered the bird boxes and were dive bombed by the parents constantly. Not sure if they had fledged or been too stressed and died, I asked Mike to check on the box. They had fledged. I don’t think we really saw them much after that.

Other birds who have successfully nested somewhere around here, though, have stayed close – Mountain Bluebirds, Evening Grosbeaks, Stellers Jays, Pygmy Nuthatches, Williamson Sapsuckers and possibly a Townsends Solitaire – though the T.S. immature (I think that’s what it is) is by itself.

Sitting outside each morning and just watching all the life that surrounds us relaxes and rejuvenates me in a way nothing else can.

Happy Friday! Time for another Story Behind the Click!

We do have Classic Tractor Fever in this house with the tractor my husband is starting to restore – and naturally with small boys around, what better than just use the tractor as a prop and carnival ride? That’s exactly what we did for a 4th of July get-together.

This cutie pie is just beginning to walk on his own and it’s so fun to watch him get better with each passing day. His dad stood him up on the seat and just out of the shot Dad’s holding his legs. With this security, he naturally just grabbed the wheel – but that’s not what I really love about this one. It’s when he stopped looking at me and at the tractor and looked over me and out – with solid confidence. I’ve seen that same look on his dad’s face of knowing exactly which direction he wants to go in life. And I’ve seen it on his Mom’s face, too. I have a strong feeling he’s going to follow right in his parents’ footsteps with that ability.

This is the type of shot that I aim for with kids – ones that freeze those fleeting looks that defines an aspect of their character. To me, this type of photo is one of the best rewards of being a photographer – knowing you nailed it, again.

Happy Friday!

Today’s photo is one from our vacation – at a little spot that serves berry pancakes and has tables that look out over the Madison River. The morning I took this photo there were two fly fishermen having quite a good bit of success in a calm pool on the other side of the muddy and swollen river. Fun to watch while waiting for our breakfast. Talking with Mike over a cup of coffee while on vacation became a moment I wanted to capture for my scrapbook of this vacation. I love the generic aspect of this shot. A common American moment that could be just about anywhere. While I can ‘see’ the rest of the scene, this shot focuses on the heart of what I love about our vacations – which isn’t the rest of the scene – it’s just being with my best friend, the man I love.

Have a great day!

Happy Friday!

I’ve been up to my elbows in processing images this week from our vacation. Since my mom always wonders just how many I take, I took 5118 photos while wandering. Many are comparison photos of the thermal features (geysers and hot springs) – not all are stunning, but they work for my ongoing collection. Others are like the one I shared last week – of people out in the geyser basins. I think the more I visit, and the more I learn about the geysers and hot springs and such, the more I start to really see them. And the more I see them, the more I work to find different shots to take of them. In fact, I find enjoy the small geysers just as much as the large ones – sometimes more when looking at them through the lens.

This week’s photo is of Grotto Geyser. My husband took a shot last year with basically this view, and gave me the inspiration to try this if the conditions were right. His photo was my calendar/desktop background photo on my computer for June – keeping that inspiration in front of me. I sat on the boardwalk that gives you a view of the “back side” – or at least the opposite side from where the typical photos are taken of it – waiting in hopes of a photo of a Rocket Major – that’s Rocket Geyser behind it in the photo.

While Rocket splashes a lot during a Grotto eruption, an hour or two (or a bit more) into Grotto’s eruption, if Grotto seems to slow a bit,the energy may shift to Rocket and Rocket might give a tremendous burst – a major eruption. As time passed this day, the clouds moved in and the light for the shot I want of Rocket disappeared. But as the temps cooled slightly, the steam from Grotto increased and I started to see the shot I hoped for of the splashes from the backside of Grotto. In the end, I have about a hundred shots of Grotto from this short time there. A few slight tweaks to curves and a small increase in vibrance and this photo reached what I had hoped to capture. It’s now my current favorite from this trip – but I’m not done processing yet.

I hope you enjoy it, too. It’s also the photo of the day over on my P365 blog – I have one I like of Chinese Spring up there as well.

Have a great day!

Happy Friday!

Now that I’m settled back at home and working regularly on processing the photos from the trip, it’s time for another Story Behind the Click.

If you follow this blog regularly, you know I generally hang around the thermal features when I’m in Yellowstone. And I always keep an eye out for interesting scenes of people enjoying the geysers and hot springs. I happened to catch Beehive Geyser in eruption most of the days I was in that area – sometimes from near it, other times, like this, from across the river. Actually, on this day, my husband and I were on our way back to the car because a thunderstorm was moving in.  However, Beehive’s indicator started just as we had reached the Chinese Spring area, so we walked a bit farther and found a seat on the benches and waited. As always, Beehive is a delight.  I have oodles of photos of it in eruption, but I always look for something more.

This time, that something more showed up and had me grinning from ear to ear. A grandfather made an amazing memory for his grandkids. A few minutes of their life I’m sure they’ll never forget. Beehive Geyser’s eruptions can reach heights taller than Old Faithful unless a strong wind chops off the top of the eruption. That water often gets blown across the boardwalk. By the time it reaches the ground, the air has cooled it to the point where you literally can stand in it – and get completely drenched. A poncho or umbrella is a handy thing to have with you.

That grandfather may have known about this – or maybe he just had the umbrella with him since rain was predicted, but what a thrill for those kids to have one of those moments that will get seared into their memories. An everlasting Gift for all of them. Capturing it is a Gift for me – and, if you’re smiling, for you, too.

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COMING SOON!

(I’m so excited about this!!! Click on the skipping stone to learn more!)

Our pace on this trip has been a bit slower – in part due to rain and cold weather and in part due to just deciding to relax and not push much at all.  So, the number of photos taken is considerably down from last year, but the processing of photos is up.  I also made the decision to hold off and register all of my photos as unpublished rather than doing two sets of registration.  This is ASMP’s best practice suggestion and really, they are right.  It keeps everything cleaner.  This means I need to wait to share a lot of the photos I’ve taken, but it should help in the long run.  So, I thank you for your patience with this.

However, I have registered all the photos taken and worth keeping for one reason or another from last month, so can share a layout I did and belatedly post The Story Behind the Click(s) in this layout.

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The Story Behind the Clicks

There was a brisk wind blowing in off the lake when I was driving back from West Thumb Geyser Basin.  I had gone into Yellowstone, and specifically, to West Thumb becasue the weather forecast said this was the best day of the week, even though snow showers were likely.  And they were.  I was tired from walking around a few times, making sure I had captured all the pools I follow and track changes on, and from the long drive I had taken just a couple days prior from home to Cody.  My plan was to simply drive back – only stopping if I saw a grizzly.  But as I drove along the shore of the lake, the ice starting to break, I was enchanted by the piles of ice that had washed up on shore.  Then the sun came out and shone on Mt. Sheridan in the distance – OK, I knew I could process the difference to make for the photos I saw in my mind.  So, I started to look for a good batch to photograph, and soon found them at Pumice Point. 

An oriental couple had pulled off  before me and were busy taking photos of each other shivering at the end of the parking lot with the ice covered lake behind them.  I bundled up and headed down the shore to the ice I saw before the pullout and started to work the scene.  I knew photos were in there, but the only way I really find them is to keep shooting, keep looking, keep walking up and down until I saw the scene that I knew would work.  I could have stayed another half hour easily, but my fingers had started to stiffen and my fairly fresh camera battery had already lost a bar.  It was time to keep moving. 

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Upon processing, I realized the things that had captured me.  Many photographers talk about deliberately paying attention to the rules of composition and deliberately breaking them.  I’ve tried that, but then my photos don’t capture what I ‘see’ in a scene.  So, I keep adjusting until I see something in the view finder that just ‘looks right’ or catches my breath.  Later I can analyze why it works or why I missed it. Overall, though, I had plenty of photos to work with for this double page layout.

And one thrown in from Steamboat Point which I may swap out with a Pumice Point one for consistency. The journaling went from a long explanation to a few simple sentences – condensing it to the essence of all the writing, but I see now I didn’t change the photo out…

CREDITS:

• Suzanne Walker’s BeYOUtiful Page Kit & BeYOUtiful 2 Page Kit
• Cathy Zielske’s Layered Page Template – part of her Design Your Life class