Opalescent Pool Photo

Photographer’s Note

The Black Sand Basin was another favorite of mine as we made our way through Yellowstone National Park last October. The weather was questionable but as you see here, the skies turned sunny and the day was bright. I loved the colors here and yes, this is exactly as my camera recorded the moment, quite stunning if I may say so myself. I tried to get a perspective without the foreground dark shadow, but traversing off the designated paths is not recommended, so I settled for this one. Hope you like it.

Black Sand Basin, an isolated group of the Upper Geyser Basin, was originally named the Emerald Group by A.C. Peale in 1878. But turn of the century tourists began calling it Black Sand Basin because of the small fragments of black obsidian sand which cover portions of the basin.

Black Sand Basin contains a small collection of jewel-like geysers, and colorful hot springs. Emerald Pool is the most colorful and famous of these springs. It is a deep emerald green fringed by an outer ring of yellow and orange. Another colorful pool is Opalescent Pool. This recently formed pool inundated a stand of lodgepole pine, creating a stand of white skeletons amidst a rainbow-colored pool. An unusual geyser formed on the bank of Iron Creek. Cliff Geyser formed a rim or wall-like ridge of sinter around its crater from which it erupts 30 to 40 feet high.

OPALESCENT POOL
Temperature 144°F Dimensions 28x55 feet. Depth 6 feet. Opalescent pool has a cooler temperature than other thermal features at Black Sand Basin. Early in its history Opalescent was a boiling spring, surrounded by smaller springs. In the early 1950s it was a small dry pool, then the run-off from Spouter Geyser flowed into it. The increased water flow flooded the surrounding area, killing the lodgepole pine. Since then silica has precipitated upon the dead tree trunks creating the white "bobby sock" trees. This silica, a non-crystalline compound, slowly impregnates the wood and over time, with the absence of oxygen, could eventually petrify the wood.

pauloog, mkamionka, maltese, feather, janusz2054, avene, meltemi, denisn72, BlueRaven, snunney, Dyerco, fulvio52, Wandering_Dan, Cricri, gunbud, jhm, danos, Cretense, jlbrthnn, ChrisJ, PixelTerror has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

pauloog (7101) 2009-01-15 8:25

Hello Gerald,
A bizarre landscape well brought with these orange colours contrasting with the blue reflection i nthe middle.
Regards,
Paul

mkamionka (5028) 2009-01-15 8:29

Fascinating colors.
Very well presented unearthy landscape.
M

Aviller (3148) 2009-01-15 8:30

Great picture. I might have cropped out the shadows at the bottom although that's no huge change. The colors are fantastic and the composition is well thought through.

prashant29 (112) 2009-01-15 8:34 [Comment]

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Nicou (46211) 2009-01-15 8:38

Hello,

Quelle vue, ce couleur sont grandiose, du rouge du blue, ces arbres dénudés, fantastique compo.

bravo et amitié

Nicou

pomarancza (105) 2009-01-15 8:46

cze¶æ,
bardzo dobre ujêcie, doskona³a ostro¶æ i cudowne kolory. uwielbiam po³±czenie kolorów brunatnych/ pomarañczowych z niebieskim. ogromna soczysto¶æ barwy.
Gosia

jonathan_hart (22739) 2009-01-15 8:47

nice one with the blue spot in the middle of the red ground
jc

maltese (21539) 2009-01-15 8:50

Hello Gerald
Des couleurs superbe pour ce paysage envoutant!!
Un point fort avec le reflet du ciel au milieu de la photo et des couleurs ocres.
Très bien vu!!
Amicalement
Hervé

feather (50560) 2009-01-15 9:02

I can vouch for these colours. The Black Sand Basin was one of the first we visited and the colours just blew me away. Here I like the combination of stunning colours, water with reflections and the dead trees.
Kath

dkeus31 (26503) 2009-01-15 9:15

Hi Gerald
saturated colors at their best!
I guess it is your shadow ?
regards
didier

Rafer (4652) 2009-01-15 9:42

Buena luz ,buenisimos colores y acertada composición.....saludos

janusz2054 (1053) 2009-01-15 9:52

Hello Gerald
Excellent composition. Beautiful colors and fantastic depth of field.

Janusz

b021 (500) 2009-01-15 11:30

Hi Gerald,
Nice shot,nice colours
regards
Branimir

avene (11242) 2009-01-15 12:35

hi Gerald,
I was fascinated by this particular pool as well, the combination of rust red, saturated blue and white trees felt absolutely surreal, and you have captured this feeling very well in your shot. excellent work, I like it a lot.

best,
Kristine

fserajian (4619) 2009-01-15 13:42 [Comment]

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denisn72 (7093) 2009-01-15 16:34

Hello Gerald
I like those vivid colours. I'm impressed to see the combination of colours there. The orange tones fits so well with the blue sky. The point of view is excellent as well as the details. You share a really unique and unusual place with us. I really like it. Gook work!
Best regards
Denis!

BlueRaven (35) 2009-01-16 0:39

Hi Gerald,

We missed Black Sand Basin on our trip to Yellowstone (you can't see it all in a few days) but shots like this make me regret that big time. Well, there's always a next time! ;o)
Very well captured, awesome colours (people who haven't ssen them in person usually doubt that they are real) and a great composition. The shadow on the bottom doesn't really bother me, though it might have been interesting to see what the image would look like when you crop it out.

Thanks for sharing (and providing some inspiration for my next trip!)
Claudia

snunney (35840) 2009-01-16 1:56

Hello Gerald,
A great capture of this interesting and forbidding landscape. I like the tonal contrasts and the point of view across the pool with its reflections. Superb clarity. The spindly dead trees are quite spooky.

Dyerco (9396) 2009-01-16 7:23

Hi Gerald
The colours are stunning and the bit of blue sky and sun really show off the opalescence.
Very well done.
Phil

carper (66132) 2009-01-16 7:27

very nice place Gerald,
good landscape shot here, fine composition, nice shadows good balance, a good one Gerald have a good weekend.
regard jaap

fulvio52 (8314) 2009-01-16 9:35

Hi, Gerald.
A stunning display of colors, I'm glad you had a spell of good weather as the opposite is often the rule around here. Well, wou sure made the best possible use of it, marvelous shot! Have a good day, I'll see you soon.
Fulvio.

Wandering_Dan (3329) 2009-01-16 9:43

Hi, Gerald -

This has the look of an industrial waste zone, but it really is all natural. I wish you could have gotten rid of that shadow in the fg, but otherwise it's well composed and good light control. And, no, stepping off the planks into boiling acid is not generally a good way to get a photograph.

Best,
Dan

Cricri (44115) 2009-01-16 11:35

Hi Gerald
Magnifique, j'adore cet endroit a la fois mystérieux, attirant, plein de force, merveilleuse couleurs et lumiére, trés trés belle image
Good evening for you
cricri

Waylim (11339) 2009-01-16 12:02

Gerald,
One of my top 3 favorite national park, so much to see here. I love to go back here one day. I have been here about 7 years ago, before I have a good digital camera. Excellent shot with beautiful and rich colors and good POV and beautiful composition. Thanks
Way

gunbud (28295) 2009-01-16 19:00

Hi Gerald,
What beautiful unique colors you have captured in this hot spring that catches a bit of the vivid blue sky to contast with the varying shades of red.
Very interesting note of this remote spring.
Regards, Tom

jhm (83786) 2009-01-17 1:20

Hello Gerald,

Thank you very much for your excellent note.
Almost a moon landscape with the dry trees.
I love this type picture, good perspective, nice depth and soft for look at.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice weekend,
John.

danos (33730) 2009-01-17 1:39

Hello Gerald,
superb to see this scene from the Yellowstone National Park with the Opalescent pool to steal the show.I like the dead trunks of the trees as the colour tints of the ground.Impressive and informative your note about the black sand basin.Well done.

Have a nice weekend,Danos

Cretense (57564) 2009-01-17 8:30

Hi Gerald!

One more unbelievable photo from an unearthy place, outstanding landscape photography! Perfect framing and composition, perfect light managment, extraordinary colours! Congratulaitons!

Hercules

BoisBarb (9439) 2009-01-17 9:18

Hi Gerald,
Paysage austère et coloré, à la fois inquiétant et magnifique...
Gilles

jlbrthnn (39501) 2009-01-18 1:21

Hello Gerald,
It is not the photograph of a polluted place, but really the image of a superb natural site. Excellent colors, and reflections. Perfect realization of very good quality.
Good Sunday.
Have a nice sunday.
Cordially.
Joël

ChrisJ (70521) 2009-01-18 3:35

Hi Gerald

I had to skip Yellowstone, because of the advanced early winter, that starts in October. So this is nice, to see what I missed. Good sharpness & colour contrasts. Tfs!

MarcT (21105) 2009-01-18 10:12

Hi Gerald,
A typical postcard of the place.
Colors are strong and the contrast is powerful.
Best wishes
Marc

gilou530 (35984) 2009-01-20 8:58

salut gerald
un paysage magnifique avec des couleurs que l'on ne trouvent pas ailleurs, un POV qui nous montre toute la beauté de ce parc un beau travail
amitiés
gilbert

angela926 (1882) 2009-01-23 4:46

Hello Gerald,
Lovely shot of this beautiful desolate landscape, wonderful colors, excellent sharpness and depth of field, good clarity and fine composition.
TFS
Angela

jemaflor (39871) 2009-01-23 10:09

Hi Gerald,
Interesting and beautiful landscape with a nice as usual light capture, beautiful strong colours, well done.

delkoo (35024) 2009-01-26 4:18

hi gerald,
is one of the most photogenic places in this part of the world, and your photo is a good way to probe it. Congratulations.

-didier-

PixelTerror (87195) 2009-01-26 13:13

Hi Gerald
A truely spectacular place and on you rphoto this warm radiation on the ground contrasts against the blue sky in a superb way.
Have a nice day JY

danyy (69929) 2009-01-26 22:34

Un endroit très typique et souvent montré sur TE Gerald,
chacun y allant de son POV et de son cadrage. Un ciel magnifique et des couleurs fortes, ces arbres qui montrent que le sol n'est vraiment pas amical.
Best regards.
Daniel

Essi (26) 2009-01-26 22:41

nice composition, beautiful colors and nice reflection. shadows might be a little bit too dark.

stevesaba (3976) 2009-01-27 20:59

Hi Gerald!
Nice pair of photos from Yellowstone! This one is really well seen, with the wonderful colors, the dead wood,the blue sky and puffy clouds. Quite an array of colors, to make a wonderful and interesting photo. Nice work! cheers,
Steve

banyanman (7739) 2009-01-28 6:03

Yes, you are right, Gerald, the colours are stunning. So many great photo ops in Yellowstone and you found another excellent one here. I agree that it would have been better without the dark shadow in the foreground, but it's not too obtrusive - and better that you didn't get swallowed up in a boiling spring! Cheers . . . David