Month: October 2021

The colorful bands of this rock island in Kenai Fjords National Park tell the tale of a cyclic history that has dominated this area for millenia since the last ice age. This last ice age occurred for the extended period between 15,000 and 100,000 years ago. During this period, the average temperature over the entire planet was a chilly 47 degrees Fahrenheit, much cooler than today with its warming atmosphere. The difference in temperature was even more extreme during the ice age in the northern regions, when enormous glaciers carved deep canyons, followed by the great meltdown when many of the deep canyons were submerged back under the rising ocean, forming extremely deep and narrow bays known as fjords, which are located everywhere in Kenai Fjords National Park of Alaska. So this rock island was once a peak that was ground into shape by former glaciers, and then submerged almost to the point of ending up under the water surface. The distant peaks beyond the rock island in the above image are actually several miles away in this enormous wilderness, and the fjord water in between drops to incomprehensible depths. But this is the ocean, so the water surface itself is not always at the same height, but rather varies with the daily tides governed by the moon and the sun. So the bands clearly visible on the rock mark the various levels of the intertidal zonation, the region that exists underwater during high tide, and above water at low tide such as seen in the above image captured by The Wild Images Team during a kayaking trip through the Kenai Fjords National Park. The very bottom brown band represents organisms which flourish underwater but can remain above water for the short periods of low tide, mainly brown seaweed, mussels, barnacles, snails, and starfish. Above that the black band represents organisms that can remain out of water for longer periods of time such as black algae. Above that the green band represents organisms that can remain out of water for even longer periods of time such as green algae Above that the gray band represents organisms that flourish out of water but can remain underwater for the short periods of very high tide, such as lichens. Above that is bare rock due to little access to water, but the rock island itself is topped with mosses, shrubs, and trees. Close inspection will reveal a bald eagle on the rightmost of the tallest trees. The Wild Images Team has captured many other images while in Alaska including the terminal moraines of a glacier winding down from the Chugach Mountains, the many splendid colors of the Sheep Mountain chromatic peaks in the Talkeetna Range, as a seal watches over the thick floating ice in Kenai Fjords National Park, as very fast moving seals cut tracks through the ice, as an entertaining seal strikes a pose on Northwestern Lagoon ice, the many miles of Northwestern Glacier reflecting over the turquoise waters, the awe inspiring rumble when a glacier calves of the cliffs in Kenai Fjords National Park, the moment when clouds crown a peak in Kenai Fjords National Park, the long summer days when fireweed enjoys the land of the midnight sun, and as a very playful Dall’s porpoise breaches the ocean surface in Aialik Bay, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Alaska document the moment we realized that no bananas on a boat is a very serious rule, as our kayak carrying water taxi Michael A launches from Miller’s Landing, the chaotic scene during a feeding frenzy floating island of seagulls, the majestic bald eagle scanning the coastline from a tree, the expansive view of a colorfully banded rock island reflection, the chaotic jumble of very noticeable blue ice of Northwest Glacier, the reflective view over briefly calm waters of the far northern Pacific Ocean under the Harding Icefield, when The Wild Images Team was photographed at the mouth of a glacier draining tunnel, the intimidating view from the snout of a very large and very steep glacier, and when our Coordinator Christina Orban keeps tradition by kissing the snout of this glacier. The Wild Images Team has also captured many photos during our journey up to Alaska through western and northern Canada including colorful canoes standing at the edge of Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, a moment of isolation as a canoe crosses Moraine Lake in Banff National Park, the scene when a grizzly mother is grazing with two cubs, a practically newborn grizzly cub is shorter than the grass, near the Rancheria River where a massive blonde grizzly steps out of the brush, where the remote Liard River wanders through woods and mountains, an action shot when two bison calves are learning to spar, and another action shot as a large bull moose runs through the woods, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from our journey through Canada document the dark background storm clouds while the grain silos shine in the sunlight of Saskatchewan, the sheer terrain of Cascade Mountain towering over the Bow River valley, the velvet covered antlers of an elk as it passes by in Jasper National Park, the welcome sign declaring you are now entering the world famous Alaska Highway, the very iconic mile 0 signpost found at the start of the Alaska Highway, the desolate road of the Alaska Highway drops down into clouds of the Yukon Territory, the very remote road of the Alaska Highway rounds a mountain within clouds of the Yukon Territory, as the Alaska Highway heads straight towards a giant peak along Kluane Lake, the tall snow-capped peaks along the Alaska Highway west of Whitehorse, the shore lining patterned designs of mudflats from the missing A’ay Chu, as The Wild Images Team Photographer Jeremy Robinson hides in the Signpost Forest, and as The Wild Images Team Coordinator Christina hides in the Signpost Forest.

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Up where these thistle plants are located, the brief summer season lasts for two or maybe at most three months before the winter snows arrive again and bury everything in icy white. Anything that lives and grows here must take advantage of this literal moment in the sun to accomplish everything necessary before that next long winter season. But that suits the thistle very well. They have short lifespans, spending the first year warm season mainly growing a taproot deep underground followed by a second year where they grow mainly above ground up to heights of 6 feet, before becoming crowned with the typical pinkish purple florets. This was the moment that The Wild Images Team captured the above photo, during the dog days of summer late July, when even the high altitudes of the Wasatch Mountain Range in Utah warm up in the sun. Thistles are one of the most important nectar sources for pollinating insects, especially honeybees, bumblebees, and butterflies. So it was no surprise that in this thistle meadow on this particular sunny day, it was full of activity. The entire area was humming with the buzzes of thousands of bumblebees and honeybees, while occasional butterflies also came through fluttering from plant to plant. But the party does not last long. Within a few weeks, the pinkish purple florets that characterize the thistle will disappear, to be replaced by downy pappus, with its resemblance to cotton, attached to the seeds which can then be readily dispersed in the wind. This generally completes the life cycle of a thistle plant, as it is highly unlikely to return for a third season. But the brief summer season allows it to reseed the surrounding terrain to ensure that future generations will continue to thrive here. The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos in Utah including the competition between cliff colors and clouds in Zion National Park, the intricate designs of the high altitude patterned wall in Zion National Park, distant rain curtains over the colorful cliffs of Bryce Canyon National Park, cloud shadows defining the colorful pinnacles of Bryce Canyon National Park, the scenic view as the full moon rises over Red Canyon, the Goblin Valley State Park thunderstorm and lightning strike over goblins, the impenetrable colorful rim wall of Goblin Valley State Park, the gravity defying balanced rock with snow in Arches National Park, the moment in Arches National Park when a winter storm clears over pinnacles and the La Sal Mountains, the very bright but fleeting rainbow beyond The Hand in Arches National Park, the instance In Arches National Park when lightning strikes near the Three Gossips, the green slopes of Sandy Mountain guarded by red lichen rock sentinels, the wild clouds over the elevated plains of the Grand Staircase-Escalante, and finally in Midway where the five flags of the military fly over Memorial Hill, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts documenting our time in Utah include the road towards the extremely remote Valley of the Gods, an expansive view of the major formations of Zion National Park, the road winding through Fremont cottonwoods in Zion National Park, the road through intricately carved highlands in Zion National Park, the road through red and white rock cliffs in Zion National Park, The Wild Images Team vehicle on a dirt road in Red Canyon, the high altitude scene where a thistle soaks up the brief summer season sunshine, the moment a snake slithers over water plants in Cascade Springs, The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at the entrance to Cascade Springs, The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome standing proudly in Goblin Valley, The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at The Brick Oven Restaurant, The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park, The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at an overlook of Bryce Canyon National Park, The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome in front of the rock pinnacles of Bryce Canyon National Park, The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at the entrance of Zion National Park, and finally The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome in front of the cliffs of Zion National Park.

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A fiery phoenix streaks across the evening skies over the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park in the above image. Alright, that is not entirely what happened. We have adopted a little poetic license to enhance the moment. However, clouds did form this streaking shape which greatly resembles a majestic bird of flames, which is further enhanced as the clouds are heavily reddened by the setting sun. It was truly an awesome sight to behold and deserves a bit of exaggeration. The majority of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming sits at an elevation of between 7000 and 10500 above sea level. Anyone familiar with terrain at elevation will tell you that the weather conditions can change in an instant. One minute it can be freezing and snowing, and then become sunny and warm. Being prepared with both the right outdoor gear for survival in the harshest environments, and the right camera gear to capture the atmospheric conditions at a moments notice. Here The Wild Images Team was ready with our camera gear when this brief phoenix formed over the backcountry landscape while we were hiking a trail. Looking back at it now, we still feel the same sense of awe and remember back to how peaceful and quiet it was at this very instant, and how rapidly the phoenix disappeared, never to be seen again. The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos in Yellowstone National Park including a Beehive Geyser eruption with a massive rainbow, the world famous Old Faithful Geyser with water textures, a towering Grand Geyser pause burst eruption, a sunset Castle Geyser eruption with a bright rainbow, an afternoon Riverside Geyser eruption with a rainbow, an early morning Lion Geyser eruption with a rainbow, a very difficult to catch Oblong Geyser blue burst eruption, the extremely powerful Artemisia Geyser eruption with deep bursts, the very moment of waves from a Great Fountain Geyser initial eruption, an iconic White Dome Geyser eruption at sunset, the large bursts of a Fountain Geyser eruption in steam, the delicate red light on a Grotto Fountain Geyser eruption at sunset, the defining moment of a Rocket Geyser eruption at sunset, the extremely brief Aurum Geyser eruption with colors, a view through a Cliff Geyser eruption of Black Sand Basin, the colorful patterns of bacterial mats in Midway Geyser Basin, the changing conditions that cause a rainbow to parallel the Snow Lodge, the Biscuit Basin duo of Black Diamond Pool and Opal Pool, the colorfully pock marked waterways of the erupting Blood Geyser, the active steppes of the Mineral Terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs, the distant double rainbow over the Lewis River Canyon, the before eruption reflections of sunset over the terraces of Great Fountain Geyser, the deep colors of sky reflections over Beauty Pool, the thermally induced sunset light filters through the steamy trees, the intense moment of mammatus clouds over the Firehole River, the very early morning fog surrounding Lower Yellowstone Falls, the runoff created reflections over the colorful runoff pan of Constant Geyser, the unworldly terrain of the extensive Porcelain Geyser Basin in Norris, the deeply hued steam over colorful bacterial mat reflections of Grand Prismatic Spring, the contrast of runoff channels surrounding the blue superheated water of Sapphire Pool, differing wave patterns created by the colorful submerged Fishing Cone Geyser, the strong green created by the record depths of mysterious Abyss Pool, the moment the full moon rises over the Grant Village Lakehouse, the cloud symmetry of a sunset reflection over a calm Yellowstone Lake, and moments earlier with a cloud shelf reflection over a calm Yellowstone Lake, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Yellowstone National Park have documented the Old Faithful Geyser eruptions, the steamy Oblong Geyser eruptions, the deep drain Uncertain Geyser eruptions, the steep crater Depression Geyser eruptions, the amphitheater Grand Geyser eruptions, the impressive Fan and Mortar Geyser eruptions, the very quick Aurum Geyser eruptions, the rooster tail Whirligig Geyser eruptions, the series type Lion Geyser eruptions, the tall grotto White Dome Geyser eruptions, the frequent Sawmill Geyser eruptions, the double cone Atomizer Geyser eruptions, the nozzled Beehive Geyser eruptions, the cratered Fountain Geyser eruptions, the deep pool Artemisia Geyser eruptions, the playful Vixen Geyser eruptions, the scenic Riverside Geyser eruptions, the very rare Ledge Geyser eruptions from above, the very rare Ledge Geyser eruptions from below, the gurgling Tilt’s Baby Geyser eruptions, the bursts of Great Fountain Geyser eruptions, the hidden Dome Geyser eruptions, the tilted Daisy Geyser eruptions, the remote Pink Cone Geyser eruptions, the long Castle Geyser eruption water phases, the loud Castle Geyser eruption steam phases, the stark Constant Geyser eruptions, the rim wall Cliff Geyser eruptions, the initiation from Grotto Fountain Geyser eruptions, the continuation of Grotto Geyser eruptions, the defining moment of Rocket Geyser eruptions, the marathon Spa Geyser eruptions, the blue waters of a Spouter Geyser eruption, the isolated Artist Paint Pots throwing mud, the little seen intricate burst of a mud volcano, a view of a dozen visitors under a Beehive Geyser rainbow, the eruption through numerous vents of Fan and Mortar Geysers, the enormous amount of water through the runoff channels of Excelsior Geyser, the otherworldly view of cloudy blue runoff pools in the Porcelain Basin, the moment that a large bison bull rolled in his claimed dirt pile, the rule for the right of way wildlife, the high altitudes where a large raven that perches over the Dunraven Pass, the the day that a phoenix streaked across the backcountry sky, the trail from Grant Village that crosses over this suspended bridge, The Wild Images Team in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, our Photographer Jeremy Robinson shadowed in Morning Glory Pool, and The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at the Yellowstone National Park entrance sign.

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Sgt. William Jasper of the 2nd South Carolina Regiment was a war hero not once, not twice, but three times! And no this was not during the Civil War, but much earlier during the Revolutionary War. It all began in 1776 when the British first attempted to capture Charles Towne (now known as Charleston), South Carolina, a key port in the southern colonies. Charles Towne was guarded by the partially completed Fort Sullivan on Sullivan’s Island in the bay, and a major battle occurred here as British ships closed in and bombarded the fort. Short on supplies and ammunition in the unfinished fort, the troops were instructed to only fire when the ships came close enough. At some point, the Moultrie Flag flying over the fort was shot down and fell into a trench outside the fort. Sgt. Jasper jumped off the wall under heavy fire, grabbed the flag, brought it back to the top of the fort, and supported with a cannon sponge staff. This rallied the troops and the invasion was thwarted. Deemed a hero, he was presented with a sword, which he accepted, and offered the rank of Lieutenant, which he turned down as he felt he would be an embarrassment due to his illiteracy. However, he was also offered a roving commission throughout the colonies which he accepted. During this time, himself and another sergeant captured an entire group of British militia who were holding some of their fellow soldiers captive. He was again deemed a hero due his actions. Later on, he ended up in Savannah, Georgia during the siege of Savannah. Again under heavy fire, he held the flag over Savannah. This time, however, he was struck by a bullet that mortally wounded him. Even so, he continued to hold the flag up, never loosening his grip. In 1888, the monument shown in the above image was erected in Madison Square of Savannah, Georgia, to commemorate his service and heroic actions. The monument depicts him holding the sword that was presented to him in Charles Towne and holding up the flag during the Siege of Savannah. The Wild Images Team captured this photo while exploring the many squares found throughout the Historic District of Savannah. The Wild Images Team has captured many other images in the Historic District of Savannah such as the haunting photo of houses of Calhoun Square through Spanish moss, this view of an ornate house from Lafayette Square, and the mystical aura surrounding the Forsyth Fountain in Forsyth Park, each of which are available for sale in our store. Savannah blog posts have documented as a boat is dwarfed by the massive Hapag-Lloyd Budapest Express, an evening view of the Savannah River terminals and the Talmadge Memorial Bridge, the amazing story of the Florence Martus Waving Girl Statue, the very detailed National Maritime Day Monument and a photo of its associated Propeller Club Dedication plaque, the perfectly framed view of the William Jasper Monument, the very functional historic armillary sphere of Troup Square, a lucky shot of a ghostly woman in a green dress standing in the doorway, an image of the geometric spiral patterns that fill a stairwell, and The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome catching some rays and then doing the backstroke in the rooftop pool. In the nearby Historic District of Charleston, South Carolina, the Wild Images Team has captured many other images including the colorful walkway with lights through humidity, a photo of the ornate house through trees branches, and in the bay where the Schooner named Pride sailed through, each of which are available for sale in our store. Charleston blog posts have documented when The Wild Images Team sought refuge from a historic downpour, which subsequently flooded the Charleston streets, that led to the stranding of our Coordinator Christina, photographed on a humid night as Christina poses in the steamy view, and then on a drier day as Christina rides the ferry to Fort Sumter, which formed these reflective wake trails towards the fort, the Battery District where ornamental balustrades line the street along East Battery, a late night view through the back gate of a house in the Battery District, and then an image of decorative folk art in a courtyard. In the somewhat nearby North Carolina, The Wild Images Team has captured photos such as the Cape Lookout Island scenic backdoor view of the lightkeepers house which is available for sale in our store. Blog posts from North Carolina include the standard vegetation as Cape Lookout Lighthouse is framed by pine trees. In the somewhat nearby Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, The Wild Images Team has captured images including the wispy clouds over ornate Front Gates of the Governor’s Palace and a night time view of Josiah Chowning’s Tavern with waitstaff, each of which are available for sale in our store. Colonial Williamsburg blog posts have documented where dianthus barbatus also known as Sweet William grows in the Governor’s Palace Gardens, the day our Travel Gnome jumped the Governor’s Palace wall, was quickly taken into custody by a guard, and sentenced to serve time in the stockade, to which The Wild Images Team was also sentenced thanks to our Travel Gnome, and during a freer time the moment that a couple is married in a jumping the broom ceremony.

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Dale Chihuly is a master conductor of glassblowing. Through a team of master craftsmen, his creations are usually produced on a grand scale. His sculptures can be enormous in size, but due to the nature of the medium, glass, they can often look very delicate with the extensive streamers and fronds of glass extending outward in a complex fashion from the dense center of a sculpture body. From a distance, his sculptures look intricate in the various ways that the streamers and fronds often curl around themselves. But as a viewer moves closer to the sculpture, the intricacies of the the glass begin to take on a different form. No longer are complexities of the outward shapes the dominant feature. Instead it is the various textures of each glass surface. The long streamers are often ribbed along their lengths, while other sections have concentric ribs reminiscent of a cornucopia, some of the spherical shapes have ridges that give an appearance of a variety of gourds with stem pieces, whereas yet others have serrated edges and openings that are more reminiscent of various seashells. The above close up view of a large Chihuly glass sculpture was captured by The Wild Images Team during one of our visits to the Desert Botanical Garden of Phoenix, Arizona. This gives a unique view into the details taken just to create each little portion, of which there are hundreds comprising the entire sculpture. Another Chihuly sculpture photographed is this sharp glass sculpture with cacti which is available for sale in our store. Some of our other blog posts document the many images we captured of Chihuly glass at the Desert Botanical Garden. There is this multicolored boatload of glass, the mass of blue and white glass atop a wall, this lighted view of purple stem vegetation glass, and this lighted view of red stem vegetation glass. The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos in Arizona, such as the colorful storm buildup in the painted desert, the stark view of an incredibly tall monsoon cloud over desert, the sky covering massive anvil cloud over the mountains, the isolation in the curtains of rain over the Navajo Nation, the deep red lightning scene in the Mazatzals, the moment Zeus throws a bolt over Cave Creek, the network of colorful bolts over the Sedona ridges, the rainfall created colorful dry wash in bloom, the dangerous stripe-tailed scorpion climbing plants, the deep desert late night glowing bark scorpions, the dynamic image of a honeybee on an exotic wildflower, the view of a hummingbird among the thick wildflowers, a lucky shot of a great horned owl roosting in mesquite tree, the evening view of an organ pipe cactus, the serene scene of ocotillos and saguaro cacti, the view from Bell Rock of scrub brush and phenomenally colorful cliffs, this precarious Wupatki box canyon dwelling, a look up at the very majestic Wukoki Pueblo ruins, a chance encounter with a thunderstorm through a Wukoki Pueblo window, and the spiny sharp glass sculpture with cacti, each of which are available for sale in our store. Our blog posts from Arizona have documented the close up of a large stripe-tailed scorpion, the animated behavior of a great horned owl, the nearly daily encounters with the multitude of rattlesnakes, the mysterious darkness created by a very prominent Alexander’s Band between two brilliant rainbows, the crazy late sunset when red rain fell over the Mazatzal Mountains, monsoon season forming rain curtains hanging in front of the sunset, the sunset moment when delicate rain curtains fell in front of a darkening sky, spring rainfall creating a colorful desert bloom in a dry wash, the dynamic view of a honeybee equipped with dual pollen baskets among the blooms, the red sunlit clouds with a rainbow over the foothills of Black Mountain, the massive spectacle of a giant spiderweb of lightning over Black Mountain, near Sedona where red cliffs are framed by cane chollas, the reddish glow of sunset lighting an organ pipe cactus, the precarious location of the cliff edge Box Canyon ruins, the strategic location of the majestic Montezuma Castle Sinagua dwellings, The Wild Images Team Coordinator Christina at a scenic Grand Canyon overlook, The Wild Images Team Coordinator Christina in front of the Wupatki Pueblo, The Wild Images Team Coordinator Christina at the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tombstone and the Original Bird Cage Theatre history, its interior eponymic Bird Cage balcony seats, its secretive hidden door beneath the stage, through which lies the underground hidden gambling room, next to a hidden room for a lady of the night, the OK Corral Morgan Earp, Doc Holliday, Virgil Earp and Wyatt Earp and their gun fight with Tom McClaury, Frank McClaury, and Billy Clanton, the Boothill Graveyard headstone of Lester Moore and the headstone of John Heath, the reflective multicolored boatload of glass, the mass of blue and white glass atop a wall, the lighted view of purple stem vegetation glass, the lighted view of red stem vegetation glass, the closer view of the textures and shapes of Chihuly glass, the overlook view of Comet Neowise with a saguaro, which was brightly shining over the town of Cave Creek, eventually with its bright green coma and tail, as it appears to drop down into a saguaro grove, the day when rare snow fell in the Sonoran Desert and covered Black Mountain in a white blanket, the weeks of a devastating large record setting Bush Fire that continuously raged through the Superstition Mountains, the day when the Aquila Fire burned through Desert Hills causing massive destruction to a few structures, the day that the East Desert Fire nearly burned into the Cave Creek area, and then two weeks later the day when the devastating Ocotillo Fire did burn down into and throughout the estates which were protected by spectacular firefighting around the town of Cave Creek leaving behind this iconic image.

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Glacier National Park is found in extreme northern Montana, along the borders with the provinces of both British Columbia and Alberta, across which the mountainous terrain becomes known as Waterton Lakes National Park of Canada, and where the Rocky Mountains continue northward forming the border between British Columbia and Alberta for hundreds of more miles. Glacier National Park is as stunning as its name implies. There are glaciers and extensive icecaps. But even more noticeable is the effect that the much larger glaciers of the last Ice Age have had on the area. Glaciers consist of tons of ice, what was once snow has been compressed down into much more dense ice, which slowly slides down the canyon gradients created by the melt water underneath and beyond the snout, the downhill terminus of the ice. The canyons there are very steep-walled, forming the characteristic deep U shapes seen in mountainous regions that have experienced heavy glaciation in the past, and a signature of the Rocky Mountains from here northward. The famous park driving route known as Going-To-The-Sun Road is as extreme as can be imagined, especially after it rises out of the McDonald Creek canyon eastward beyond the giant switchback obvious on a map. At this point the road is either not at all guarded from the sheer drop of several hundreds of feet to the distant valley below, or has a low wall that provides little comfort. But the views are completely unhindered, and are breathtaking. Perhaps lesser known in Glacier National Park is the wildlife, which can often be just as dramatic as the scenery amongst which they scratch out a living. One example is the yellow-bellied marmot, pictured in the above photo atop a large rock along a remote section of trail. Yellow-bellied marmots only live in high altitude regions above about 7000 feet up to at least 14000 feet, and in areas that are mainly clear of vegetation, so this was a perfect setting to find one. Due to the harsh winters at these altitudes, marmots generally hibernate for about eight months of the year. The other other four months are spent partially in their den and partially outside, where they become very active. They are known to emit an extremely loud whistle, one that belies their size, though they actually are a very large type of ground squirrel weighing up to 11 pounds or slightly more. The above image was captured by The Wild Images Team just as this large male had been whistling, which was replied to somewhere further down the steep canyon, though in the image the marmot appears to be smiling, as though this was some kind of joke directed towards us silly humans. Either way, the colorful lichen covered rock and background scree composed a great image. The Wild Images Team has captured many other images from Montana such as a group of white mountain goats as they graze the highlands, an expansive view of rocky ridges extending to the horizon, the colorfully massive wall of Hidden Lake, high altitude view of tundra and glacial lakes, a very remote reflective alpine lake covered with rocks, and an ominously approaching heavy downpour over the green foothills, all of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Montana have documented the very deep blue waters of McDonald Creek and the panoramic view of The Wild Images Team at Hidden Lake. In neighboring Wyoming, The Wild Images Team has captured images such as the contrast found in the colorful grasslands and background Grand Teton National Park peaks, the varying landscape of Grand Teton National Park rocky peaks and clouds, the large antlers on display as an elk takes a look back in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, the vertical abruptness as Devils Tower rises above the red rocks and green pines, and the many hues found as the colorful badlands cover over this very remote region, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Wyoming have documented as the rugged snowy peaks rise above wildflowers, and as The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome poses for a picture at the Meeteetse “Where Chiefs Meet” welcome sign. In neighboring South Dakota we have captured images such as the bright flash of a colorful lightning strike over the badlands, the moment that a pronghorn displays its phenomenal physique, and the time that a massive bison bull came meandering past, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from South Dakota have documented the centuries long carving of the massive Crazy Horse Monument, the very majestic Mount Rushmore and the Avenue of Flags, the expansive view as wild burros walk through the rolling prairies, the ever wary prairie dog stands at attention in the prairie, the amazing location of the granite roadways through Custer State Park, when The Wild Images Team encountered a remote end of trail sign in the middle of nowhere, this close up image of textures in a colorful badlands mound, the interesting time when a flock of turkeys photobombed our image, and The Wild Images Team sunset shadows over Badlands National Park. In nearby North Dakota, we have captured images such as the contrast created by the horizontal color bands cross through yellow badlands and the entire herd as a group of wild horses cluster together on a hilltop, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts of North Dakota have documented the herd of bison grazing in the grasslands and the ever changing colorful badland mound that caps a rolling ridge.

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The Wild Images Team spends a large amount of time exploring areas without a definite itinerary. We find this to be especially useful in our quest for great photographic opportunities, since you never know when you may encounter an unexpected scene around the next corner, or perhaps down the path that is not often followed. With that thought guiding us one day, we found ourselves deep in the bayou in south central Louisiana, far west of New Orleans. In particular, this day found us in the area of West Cote Blanche Bay, one of the many marshy bays that form the shoreline to the Gulf of Mexico in this remote part of Louisiana. Coming out of the thick trees, we were surprised to encounter this isolated cemetery. Similar to the land around New Orleans, in this region the water table is also very high, meaning that holes dug around here will immediately fill up with water and become a pool. For this reason, coffins are not placed in the ground but rather they are laid into above ground stone mausoleums, creating a common sight in the cemeteries of southern Louisiana. Seizing the opportunity, we spent some significant time there taking photos of the various features. In this direction we were struck by this view of the white statue through very ornate gates. The gates are of extraordinarily intricate design. Close inspection of the above image will reveal that the flower vines lacing their way through lattice of the the front gates are themselves also part of the iron work! The vines are painted green and the flowers are oxidized into reddish hues. The Wild Images Team has captured many other images in the bayou such as the alligator with cypress tree reflections, a group of alligators with dragonflies, a very large cypress tree and Spanish moss, a thick cypress tree grove reflects in the still water, a large swarm of dragonflies congregate on a marsh plant, a very red sunset through the cypress trees, and a reflective sunset through the Spanish moss, each of which is available for sale in our store. Another image captured further away to the south along the Gulf of Mexico coast is this very remote cemetery near Cote Blanche Bay, and much further away to the north up the Mississippi River is the Myrtles Plantation front yard walkway, each of which are available for sale in our store. We have also documented much of our time in Louisiana in many different blog posts such as in the Atchafalaya Basin where we encountered an open style honeybee hive and Spanish moss and down near the gulf coast with another view of the remote cemetery near Cote Blanche Bay. The Wild Images Team has captured many other images much further away to the east in New Orleans including the prominent Hotel Monteleone and surrounding buildings, beautiful French Quarter ironwork view through the cornstalk fence, intricate designs of a house facade and lamp shadows, nice reflection of a bridge in the Louis Armstrong Park, dynamic view as a Canal Line streetcar passes a St. Charles Line streetcar, the eerie nighttime view of Pirates Alley of the French Quarter, an example of an urban art sign stenciled on the wall, the distant building and colorful lights of the French Market, chance encounter with a teddy bear silhouette in French Market window, more north can be found an ornate mausoleum of Greenwood Cemetery, elsewhere is a heavenly scene over Cypress Grove Cemetery, more south was a sunset over the Mississippi River delta, all of which are available for sale in our store. Our blog posts of New Orleans document the midnight crowd at always busy Cafe du Monde, the dimly lit stocked shelves of Loa Bar in the International House Hotel, the colorful French Quarter Wedding Chapel at night, the happy couple leading a wedding procession on Chartres Street, far down the French Quarter where intricately colorful balconies stand above Chartres Street, the moment when entertainers welcomed crowds to the Jax Brewery, the street performer human statue Uncle Louis poses with a visitor, the pink hues of a rare colorful mausoleum in Greenwood Cemetery, the long shadows of bikes chained to old pump lamp posts, reflections of the bus commuters in front of a St. Charles Line Streetcar, a view of the city reflected in the Steamboat Natchez searchlight, the nighttime view of lighted tugboats along the Mississippi River, the steampunk view of the PBF Petroleum Refinery along the Mississippi River, the St. Charles Avenue Irish House Guinness Toucan Time For A Pint clock, the humorous but serious condominium listing warning that the place for lease is haunted, the listing that creates relief by being not haunted, our always entertaining Team Coordinator Christina in Cafe Maspero, and again our Team Coordinator under the Guinness Toucan clock.

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Here is a view of Mount Rushmore from beyond the Avenue of Flags taken by The Wild Images Team during one of our treks through the Black Hills of South Dakota. Gutzon Borglum chose these four particular presidents, in order from left to right, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln, as he felt they each represented the four most important moments in the history of the United States at the time when the sculpture was completed on Halloween Day eighty years ago, October 31, 1941. It is a curious thought of which presidents would be included if additional faces were carved or if a new monument were to be constructed today. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan all immediately come to mind. Undoubtedly the four presidents that are currently depicted on Mount Rushmore will always remain at or near the top of the list of the greatest presidents to serve the United States. George Washington, known as the Father of our Nation, was appointed by the Continental Congress to be the Commanding General of the Continental Army which found victory in the American Revolutionary War and later presided over the Constitutional Congress that drafted the Constitution of the United States and established its federal government. Thomas Jefferson was the principle author of the Declaration of Independence, served as the very first Secretary of State during the George Washington administration, and organized the Louisiana Purchase that doubled the size of the nation. Abraham Lincoln led the country during its greatest moral and constitutional crisis, the Civil War, delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, and instituted the Emancipation Proclamation, effectively ending the practice of slavery. Theodore Roosevelt established the Square Deal, which included policies for conservation of natural resources including the establishment of the National Parks system, control of corporations such as bad trusts, and consumer protections. The original intent of Mount Rushmore was to carve the presidents from head to waist, but a lack of funding forced construction to stop after their 60 foot tall faces were carved. Even just with the faces being carved out, it required 410,000 tons of granite rock to be blasted off of the mountain. Most of that rock forms the massive rock scree pile that can be seen at the center of the above image just below the carvings, where only a few pines have managed to find stable enough ground to grow on top. In front of the monument itself stands the Avenue of Flags, representing the 56 governed interests of the United States. Out of the 56, most of them, of course, represent the 50 states. But also included is one district, namely the District of Columbia, two commonwealths, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and three territories, the Territory of Guam, the Territory of American Samoa, and the Territory of the Virgin Islands. The Avenue of Flags is organized in alphabetical order with those that begin with A nearest in the above image, finishing with those that begin with W furthest away. Nearby in the Black Hills is the ongoing Crazy Horse Monument, which involves the carving out of an entire granite mountain, detailed in this previous blog post. Work on the Crazy Horse Monument began in 1949, and has continues since, with it expected to be at least another 150 years before completion. Also in the area of the Black Hills is Custer State Park, with its wild burros detailed in this blog post and its granite roadways covered in this blog post. The Wild Images Team has captured many other images from South Dakota such as the bright flash of a colorful lightning strike over the badlands, the moment that a pronghorn displays its phenomenal physique, and the time that a massive bison bull came meandering past, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from South Dakota have documented the centuries long carving of the massive Crazy Horse Monument, the very majestic Mount Rushmore and the Avenue of Flags, the expansive view as wild burros walk through the rolling prairies, the ever wary prairie dog stands at attention in the prairie, the amazing location of the granite roadways through Custer State Park, when The Wild Images Team encountered a remote end of trail sign in the middle of nowhere, this close up image of textures in a colorful badlands mound, the interesting time when a flock of turkeys photobombed our image, and The Wild Images Team sunset shadows over Badlands National Park. In neighboring North Dakota, The Wild Images Team has captured images such as the contrast created by the horizontal color bands cross through yellow badlands and the entire herd as a group of wild horses cluster together on a hilltop, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts of North Dakota have documented the herd of bison grazing in the grasslands and the ever changing colorful badland mound that caps a rolling ridge. In neighboring Wyoming, The Wild Images Team has captured images such as the contrast found in the colorful grasslands and background Grand Teton National Park peaks, the varying landscape of Grand Teton National Park rocky peaks and clouds, the large antlers on display as an elk takes a look back in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, the vertical abruptness as Devils Tower rises above the red rocks and green pines, and the many hues found as the colorful badlands cover over this very remote region, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Wyoming have documented as the rugged snowy peaks rise above wildflowers, and as The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome poses for a picture at the Meeteetse “Where Chiefs Meet” welcome sign. In neighboring Montana, The Wild Images Team has captured images such as a group of white mountain goats as they graze the highlands, an expansive view of rocky ridges extending to the horizon, the colorfully massive wall of Hidden Lake, high altitude view of tundra and glacial lakes, a very remote reflective alpine lake covered with rocks, and an ominously approaching heavy downpour over the green foothills, all of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Montana have documented the very deep blue waters of McDonald Creek and the panoramic view of The Wild Images Team at Hidden Lake.

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A geyser that needs no introduction, the world famous Old Faithful Geyser never ceases to amaze! Does Old Faithful Geyser of the Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park of Wyoming deserve all of the attention and praise that it receives? Absolutely. Why? Because it is easily the tallest, most predictable, and most frequent geyser in the world. It is not the tallest geyser in the world, that title belongs to the mighty Steamboat Geyser in the Norris Geyser of Yellowstone National Park. It is not the most predictable geyser in the world, that belongs to Daisy Geyser in the Upper Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. It is not the most frequent geyser in the world, there are some that erupt every few seconds or are perpetual spouters, geysers that never cease erupting at all. But among the tallest geysers in the world, Old Faithful Geyser is the most frequent performer and the most predictable. As its name suggests, it is very faithful to its timely eruption schedule and it erupts very frequently. Its eruptions occur almost like clockwork, but in what is known as a bimodal distribution schedule, where the interval between eruptions can be one of two possibilities, either 65 minutes or 90 minutes. The duration of the previous eruption will determine which of the two intervals it will follow for the subsequent eruption. The eruption can last anywhere between 1.5 minutes and 5 minutes. Those that last less than 2.5 minutes will predict the next eruption to be 65 minutes later give or take about 10 minutes, and those that last more than 2.5 minutes will predict the next eruption to be 90 minutes later give or take about 10 minutes. Before it erupts, it will begin throwing bursts of water out of its cone. Sometimes it will rise up several tens of feet, before dropping back down again. Eventually it will lock into an eruption, and the water column will rise up to at least 150 feet, often times reaching up to 200 feet, and hold there for several minutes. After this, its height will slowly diminish until it becomes a gently steaming cone. It is a surprisingly difficult geyser to produce a great photograph during the height of its eruption due to the enormous amount of steam that envelops the superheated water column. Most photos of Old Faithful Geyser will appear as just a flat mass of steam. But with the right time of day, usually late afternoon at the earliest though closer to sunset is often the best, coupled with a beautiful sky can create a great setting as viewed from the west side of the geyser. But most importantly, and the one that is often not present, a stiff westerly wind must be present to blow away the steam curtain and expose the fine details of its water layers as seen in the above image and also in this absolutely gorgeous sister image captured moments before that is available for sale in our store. This blog post represents our final entry (though it will appear at the top due to the reverse order) in the Geysers of Yellowstone National Park series that we have been writing over the last several months. In this series we have covered the details of many geyser eruptions that we have had the privilege to observe and photograph while spending several months in Yellowstone National Park each season over the span of 5 years. The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos in Yellowstone National Park including a Beehive Geyser eruption with a massive rainbow, the world famous Old Faithful Geyser with water textures, a towering Grand Geyser pause burst eruption, a sunset Castle Geyser eruption with a bright rainbow, an afternoon Riverside Geyser eruption with a rainbow, an early morning Lion Geyser eruption with a rainbow, a very difficult to catch Oblong Geyser blue burst eruption, the extremely powerful Artemisia Geyser eruption with deep bursts, the very moment of waves from a Great Fountain Geyser initial eruption, an iconic White Dome Geyser eruption at sunset, the large bursts of a Fountain Geyser eruption in steam, the delicate red light on a Grotto Fountain Geyser eruption at sunset, the defining moment of a Rocket Geyser eruption at sunset, the extremely brief Aurum Geyser eruption with colors, a view through a Cliff Geyser eruption of Black Sand Basin, the colorful patterns of bacterial mats in Midway Geyser Basin, the changing conditions that cause a rainbow to parallel the Snow Lodge, the Biscuit Basin duo of Black Diamond Pool and Opal Pool, the colorfully pock marked waterways of the erupting Blood Geyser, the active steppes of the Mineral Terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs, the distant double rainbow over the Lewis River Canyon, the before eruption reflections of sunset over the terraces of Great Fountain Geyser, the deep colors of sky reflections over Beauty Pool, the thermally induced sunset light filters through the steamy trees, the intense moment of mammatus clouds over the Firehole River, the very early morning fog surrounding Lower Yellowstone Falls, the runoff created reflections over the colorful runoff pan of Constant Geyser, the unworldly terrain of the extensive Porcelain Geyser Basin in Norris, the deeply hued steam over colorful bacterial mat reflections of Grand Prismatic Spring, the contrast of runoff channels surrounding the blue superheated water of Sapphire Pool, differing wave patterns created by the colorful submerged Fishing Cone Geyser, the strong green created by the record depths of mysterious Abyss Pool, the moment the full moon rises over the Grant Village Lakehouse, the cloud symmetry of a sunset reflection over a calm Yellowstone Lake, and moments earlier with a cloud shelf reflection over a calm Yellowstone Lake, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Yellowstone National Park have documented the Old Faithful Geyser eruptions, the steamy Oblong Geyser eruptions, the deep drain Uncertain Geyser eruptions, the steep crater Depression Geyser eruptions, the amphitheater Grand Geyser eruptions, the impressive Fan and Mortar Geyser eruptions, the very quick Aurum Geyser eruptions, the rooster tail Whirligig Geyser eruptions, the series type Lion Geyser eruptions, the tall grotto White Dome Geyser eruptions, the frequent Sawmill Geyser eruptions, the double cone Atomizer Geyser eruptions, the nozzled Beehive Geyser eruptions, the cratered Fountain Geyser eruptions, the deep pool Artemisia Geyser eruptions, the playful Vixen Geyser eruptions, the scenic Riverside Geyser eruptions, the very rare Ledge Geyser eruptions from above, the very rare Ledge Geyser eruptions from below, the gurgling Tilt’s Baby Geyser eruptions, the bursts of Great Fountain Geyser eruptions, the hidden Dome Geyser eruptions, the tilted Daisy Geyser eruptions, the remote Pink Cone Geyser eruptions, the long Castle Geyser eruption water phases, the loud Castle Geyser eruption steam phases, the stark Constant Geyser eruptions, the rim wall Cliff Geyser eruptions, the initiation from Grotto Fountain Geyser eruptions, the continuation of Grotto Geyser eruptions, the defining moment of Rocket Geyser eruptions, the marathon Spa Geyser eruptions, the blue waters of a Spouter Geyser eruption, the isolated Artist Paint Pots throwing mud, the little seen intricate burst of a mud volcano, a view of a dozen visitors under a Beehive Geyser rainbow, the eruption through numerous vents of Fan and Mortar Geysers, the enormous amount of water through the runoff channels of Excelsior Geyser, the otherworldly view of cloudy blue runoff pools in the Porcelain Basin, the moment that a large bison bull rolled in his claimed dirt pile, the rule for the right of way wildlife, the high altitudes where a large raven that perches over the Dunraven Pass, the the day that a phoenix streaked across the backcountry sky, the trail from Grant Village that crosses over this suspended bridge, The Wild Images Team in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, our Photographer Jeremy Robinson shadowed in Morning Glory Pool, and The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at the Yellowstone National Park entrance sign.

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The Wild Images Team has often been asked: what are the most difficult subjects you have photographed? We will begin this topic by stating that no subjects that we have photographed have been easy. There is always an entire set of factors that have to be accounted for in order to compose a great image. Lighting is super important, and since much of our photography is of the outdoors, lighting is something that we cannot control other then wait until the moment presents itself. Many days can pass by with flat light due to a thick cloud layer especially during rainy or snowy weather. Then there is the background to consider, which often includes the sky. Depending on the time of day and the angle of the shot, the sky can be washed out from the intense light from the sun. Other times planes will streak the sky with vapor trails that can take forever to dissipate. Wildfires are very common, and if the wind is from a certain direction, the sky can be hazed out for days and days. Then there are the clouds themselves, constantly moving and changing, and alternately covering up the lighting source. Then there is the foreground, which can have plants and water surfaces moving around due to wind or falling debris. Once all of this can be factored in, a great landscape photo or urban architecture photo can be captured. If the subject is wildlife, extra time has to be spent waiting for the wildlife to do something interesting on top of all the aforementioned factors. But for The Wild Images Team, the most difficult subjects of all to photograph are the geysers. Why? Geysers spend most of their time not even being present to capture an image. Some of the geysers we have photographed only erupt once per day, once per week, once per two weeks, or even less. Many will not erupt at all for years. When they do erupt, they are as likely to erupt in the dark of night as they are during the day. And most importantly, when the eruption finally occurs after waiting for days or weeks, it often lasts for only a few short minutes, with some even lasting less than a minute. And all aforementioned factors have to all be met at this very moment. Then, if that is not enough, geysers often produce enormous amount of steam that will often completely cover up the eruption itself. Geysers are our toughest subject to photograph. Hands down. But no single geyser has been tougher to capture than Oblong Geyser, seen in the above image. Why Oblong Geyser? It isn’t a super rare geyser, though it isn’t very frequent either, erupting once every 5 to 16 hours, at least when active. It does become less active or dormant other times. As it leads up to an eruption, Oblong Geyser will cycle through periods of low water below its crater rim, and brief high water pouring out of its pool about every 20 minutes. Oblong Geyser originates from an oval shaped pool, measuring 40 feet by 10 feet, from which it earned its name. It is a fountain type geyser, where the steam originated in vents submerged under deep water and bursts through the surface carrying large volumes of water upward with it. But Oblong Geyser is surrounded by runoff channels and also continues to push out enormous amounts of water during an eruption. With all of that boiling water comes a large amount of steam. As can be seen in the above image, an Oblong Geyser eruption is surrounded by steam in all directions, masking the water texture in its eruption. It took several months of attempts but we finally captured this absolutely stunning Oblong Geyser blue burst image available for sale in our store! It was taken on a different day, actually exactly 19 days later than the image seen above. So there it is, our most difficult subject to photograph, Oblong Geyser. Not the other geysers have been easy either. Even Old Faithful Geyser, with its frequent eruptions, is difficult to capture in a great photo. But we succeeded in doing that in this captivating image of Old Faithful Geyser also available for sale in our store. This required many months of work! The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos in Yellowstone National Park including a Beehive Geyser eruption with a massive rainbow, the world famous Old Faithful Geyser with water textures, a towering Grand Geyser pause burst eruption, a sunset Castle Geyser eruption with a bright rainbow, an afternoon Riverside Geyser eruption with a rainbow, an early morning Lion Geyser eruption with a rainbow, a very difficult to catch Oblong Geyser blue burst eruption, the extremely powerful Artemisia Geyser eruption with deep bursts, the very moment of waves from a Great Fountain Geyser initial eruption, an iconic White Dome Geyser eruption at sunset, the large bursts of a Fountain Geyser eruption in steam, the delicate red light on a Grotto Fountain Geyser eruption at sunset, the defining moment of a Rocket Geyser eruption at sunset, the extremely brief Aurum Geyser eruption with colors, a view through a Cliff Geyser eruption of Black Sand Basin, the colorful patterns of bacterial mats in Midway Geyser Basin, the changing conditions that cause a rainbow to parallel the Snow Lodge, the Biscuit Basin duo of Black Diamond Pool and Opal Pool, the colorfully pock marked waterways of the erupting Blood Geyser, the active steppes of the Mineral Terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs, the distant double rainbow over the Lewis River Canyon, the before eruption reflections of sunset over the terraces of Great Fountain Geyser, the deep colors of sky reflections over Beauty Pool, the thermally induced sunset light filters through the steamy trees, the intense moment of mammatus clouds over the Firehole River, the very early morning fog surrounding Lower Yellowstone Falls, the runoff created reflections over the colorful runoff pan of Constant Geyser, the unworldly terrain of the extensive Porcelain Geyser Basin in Norris, the deeply hued steam over colorful bacterial mat reflections of Grand Prismatic Spring, the contrast of runoff channels surrounding the blue superheated water of Sapphire Pool, differing wave patterns created by the colorful submerged Fishing Cone Geyser, the strong green created by the record depths of mysterious Abyss Pool, the moment the full moon rises over the Grant Village Lakehouse, the cloud symmetry of a sunset reflection over a calm Yellowstone Lake, and moments earlier with a cloud shelf reflection over a calm Yellowstone Lake, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Yellowstone National Park have documented the Old Faithful Geyser eruptions, the steamy Oblong Geyser eruptions, the deep drain Uncertain Geyser eruptions, the steep crater Depression Geyser eruptions, the amphitheater Grand Geyser eruptions, the impressive Fan and Mortar Geyser eruptions, the very quick Aurum Geyser eruptions, the rooster tail Whirligig Geyser eruptions, the series type Lion Geyser eruptions, the tall grotto White Dome Geyser eruptions, the frequent Sawmill Geyser eruptions, the double cone Atomizer Geyser eruptions, the nozzled Beehive Geyser eruptions, the cratered Fountain Geyser eruptions, the deep pool Artemisia Geyser eruptions, the playful Vixen Geyser eruptions, the scenic Riverside Geyser eruptions, the very rare Ledge Geyser eruptions from above, the very rare Ledge Geyser eruptions from below, the gurgling Tilt’s Baby Geyser eruptions, the bursts of Great Fountain Geyser eruptions, the hidden Dome Geyser eruptions, the tilted Daisy Geyser eruptions, the remote Pink Cone Geyser eruptions, the long Castle Geyser eruption water phases, the loud Castle Geyser eruption steam phases, the stark Constant Geyser eruptions, the rim wall Cliff Geyser eruptions, the initiation from Grotto Fountain Geyser eruptions, the continuation of Grotto Geyser eruptions, the defining moment of Rocket Geyser eruptions, the marathon Spa Geyser eruptions, the blue waters of a Spouter Geyser eruption, the isolated Artist Paint Pots throwing mud, the little seen intricate burst of a mud volcano, a view of a dozen visitors under a Beehive Geyser rainbow, the eruption through numerous vents of Fan and Mortar Geysers, the enormous amount of water through the runoff channels of Excelsior Geyser, the otherworldly view of cloudy blue runoff pools in the Porcelain Basin, the moment that a large bison bull rolled in his claimed dirt pile, the rule for the right of way wildlife, the high altitudes where a large raven that perches over the Dunraven Pass, the the day that a phoenix streaked across the backcountry sky, the trail from Grant Village that crosses over this suspended bridge, The Wild Images Team in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, our Photographer Jeremy Robinson shadowed in Morning Glory Pool, and The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at the Yellowstone National Park entrance sign.

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And then there is Uncertain Geyser. Not the tallest geyser, nor the largest, nor the loudest, nor the most frequent. As a matter of fact it, as its name suggests, it is quite uncommon and very difficult to predict. But when it does erupt, it probably takes the cake as the most narrow geyser! It originates from a small hole only a couple of inches in diameter, that is strangely enough locate in the geyserite platform of Sawmill Geyser, of which a very detailed previous blog post was devoted. Unlike Uncertain Geyser, Sawmill Geyser itself is a very frequent performer, at least during times when it is active. Strangely, during the winter of 2016-2017, the entire Sawmill Geyser Group including Penta Geyser, Churn Geyser, and Old Tardy Geyser went dormant, catching everyone by surprise. Only Spasmodic Geyser continued to show any life, though it stayed way below its normal water level and only gently bubbled from a couple of vents as opposed to its usual very vigorous activity in its various vents from which it earned its name. Nearby Tardy Geyser showed some small water pushes, but nothing more. After a few more years of dormancy, it was wondered whether the Sawmill Geyser Group was ever going to erupt again! Going back to the events leading up to the strange dormancy, there were subtle hints that not all was right with the Sawmill Group. Months before the entire Sawmill Geyser Group shut down, Uncertain Geyser had already stopped erupting. Being that it was Uncertain Geyser, and not one of the more active geysers in the group, it was assumed at the time that it was just Uncertain Geyser doing what it does: being uncertain. However, the other geysers also began to show diminished activity, though this was during the late fall and winter months in the high altitudes of Yellowstone National Park in northwest Wyoming, when feet of snow covers the ground and very few observations can be made for a distant and remote geyser group. But it was obvious come that next spring and summer season that the Sawmill Geyser Group had become dormant. Their usually vibrant siliceous sinter platforms and runoff channels covered with colorful thermophile bacteria had all dried up, leaving behind just dull gray crumbling material. During these years since, they have been monitored closely for any sign of activity, with hope that someday everything will return to normal. During the years of normal active eruption behavior, the Sawmill Geyser Group begins with activity from Spasmodic Geyser and continues usually with activity from Sawmill Geyser as a frequent and long lived eruption. Other times it continues instead with activity from both Penta Geyser and Churn Geyser. After hours of eruptions from the group, it will cycle through brief periods of quiet before starting up again. Occasionally the brief periods of quiet become longer by several hours, during which time all of the Sawmill Geyser Group features will drain almost completely. Known as a deep drain, water will barely be visible in the system. It is during these rare deep drain periods that the lone Uncertain Geyser can suddenly spring to life out its small nondescript hole in the geyserite platform of Sawmill Geyser. In the above image, an Uncertain Geyser eruption was captured by The Wild Images Team sporting an early morning rainbow in its steam. In the foreground on the bottom right can be seen the vent of Sawmill Geyser, completely devoid of water during this deep drain period. In the background can be seen steam gently rising from a quiet Churn Geyser vent. So this one thin geyser is stealing the show from the entire geyser group that is almost always found in eruption. By comparison, Uncertain Geyser only erupts once every 2-10 days! The boardwalk in the background heads left towards Castle Geyser, of which was detailed in this previous water phase blog post and this previous water-steam phase blog post. The boardwalk in the background also heads right towards Grand Geyser, of which was detailed in this previous pause burst blog post. It continues on past there and eventually reaches Oblong Geyser of which is detailed in this detailed blog post. A distance beyond there it finally reaches the Grotto Geyser Complex, of which several previous blog entries detail its stages as Grotto Fountain Geyser, Grotto Geyser, Rocket Geyser, and finally Spa Geyser. We are happy to report that just this past summer Sawmill Geyser suddenly sprang back to life in mid-June, with Uncertain Geyser finally making its first appearance on July 31! The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos in Yellowstone National Park including a Beehive Geyser eruption with a massive rainbow, the world famous Old Faithful Geyser with water textures, a towering Grand Geyser pause burst eruption, a sunset Castle Geyser eruption with a bright rainbow, an afternoon Riverside Geyser eruption with a rainbow, an early morning Lion Geyser eruption with a rainbow, a very difficult to catch Oblong Geyser blue burst eruption, the extremely powerful Artemisia Geyser eruption with deep bursts, the very moment of waves from a Great Fountain Geyser initial eruption, an iconic White Dome Geyser eruption at sunset, the large bursts of a Fountain Geyser eruption in steam, the delicate red light on a Grotto Fountain Geyser eruption at sunset, the defining moment of a Rocket Geyser eruption at sunset, the extremely brief Aurum Geyser eruption with colors, a view through a Cliff Geyser eruption of Black Sand Basin, the colorful patterns of bacterial mats in Midway Geyser Basin, the changing conditions that cause a rainbow to parallel the Snow Lodge, the Biscuit Basin duo of Black Diamond Pool and Opal Pool, the colorfully pock marked waterways of the erupting Blood Geyser, the active steppes of the Mineral Terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs, the distant double rainbow over the Lewis River Canyon, the before eruption reflections of sunset over the terraces of Great Fountain Geyser, the deep colors of sky reflections over Beauty Pool, the thermally induced sunset light filters through the steamy trees, the intense moment of mammatus clouds over the Firehole River, the very early morning fog surrounding Lower Yellowstone Falls, the runoff created reflections over the colorful runoff pan of Constant Geyser, the unworldly terrain of the extensive Porcelain Geyser Basin in Norris, the deeply hued steam over colorful bacterial mat reflections of Grand Prismatic Spring, the contrast of runoff channels surrounding the blue superheated water of Sapphire Pool, differing wave patterns created by the colorful submerged Fishing Cone Geyser, the strong green created by the record depths of mysterious Abyss Pool, the moment the full moon rises over the Grant Village Lakehouse, the cloud symmetry of a sunset reflection over a calm Yellowstone Lake, and moments earlier with a cloud shelf reflection over a calm Yellowstone Lake, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Yellowstone National Park have documented the Old Faithful Geyser eruptions, the steamy Oblong Geyser eruptions, the deep drain Uncertain Geyser eruptions, the steep crater Depression Geyser eruptions, the amphitheater Grand Geyser eruptions, the impressive Fan and Mortar Geyser eruptions, the very quick Aurum Geyser eruptions, the rooster tail Whirligig Geyser eruptions, the series type Lion Geyser eruptions, the tall grotto White Dome Geyser eruptions, the frequent Sawmill Geyser eruptions, the double cone Atomizer Geyser eruptions, the nozzled Beehive Geyser eruptions, the cratered Fountain Geyser eruptions, the deep pool Artemisia Geyser eruptions, the playful Vixen Geyser eruptions, the scenic Riverside Geyser eruptions, the very rare Ledge Geyser eruptions from above, the very rare Ledge Geyser eruptions from below, the gurgling Tilt’s Baby Geyser eruptions, the bursts of Great Fountain Geyser eruptions, the hidden Dome Geyser eruptions, the tilted Daisy Geyser eruptions, the remote Pink Cone Geyser eruptions, the long Castle Geyser eruption water phases, the loud Castle Geyser eruption steam phases, the stark Constant Geyser eruptions, the rim wall Cliff Geyser eruptions, the initiation from Grotto Fountain Geyser eruptions, the continuation of Grotto Geyser eruptions, the defining moment of Rocket Geyser eruptions, the marathon Spa Geyser eruptions, the blue waters of a Spouter Geyser eruption, the isolated Artist Paint Pots throwing mud, the little seen intricate burst of a mud volcano, a view of a dozen visitors under a Beehive Geyser rainbow, the eruption through numerous vents of Fan and Mortar Geysers, the enormous amount of water through the runoff channels of Excelsior Geyser, the otherworldly view of cloudy blue runoff pools in the Porcelain Basin, the moment that a large bison bull rolled in his claimed dirt pile, the rule for the right of way wildlife, the high altitudes where a large raven that perches over the Dunraven Pass, the the day that a phoenix streaked across the backcountry sky, the trail from Grant Village that crosses over this suspended bridge, The Wild Images Team in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, our Photographer Jeremy Robinson shadowed in Morning Glory Pool, and The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at the Yellowstone National Park entrance sign.

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No, Depression Geyser is not named for the state of its mental health. Instead, it is a very active and lively geyser named for the deep, vertically walled crater from which the eruption arises: a depression in the siliceous sinter, the material that covers the entirety of Geyser Hill, the prominent hill near the southern end of the Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park of northwestern Wyoming. It is located within sight of the giant Beehive Geyser, of which is described in depth in this previous detailed blog post and also highlighted in an even earlier blog post. In the opposite direction, it is also in sight of the mighty Lion Geyser, the fascinating series type of erupting geyser. More distant away, and not within sight due to the rise in Geyser Hill, is the location of the ephemeral Aurum Geyser of which the eruption is described in depth in this previous detailed blog post. Then there is the high point of Dome Geyser, which is again is distant and out of sight due to the rise in Geyser Hill, but its interesting series type of eruptions are discussed thoroughly by this previous detailed blog post. The centerpiece of Geyser Hill, and a very powerful thermal feature, is Giantess Geyser, which spends most of its time as a large boiling pool constantly overflowing. Even though it is usually years between eruptions, once it does erupt it can continue the eruption for multiple days. There are several other geysers dotting the landscape of Geyser Hill, including Depression Geyser. While its eruptions are much smaller than some of the other aforementioned geysers, it is an entertaining thermal feature to observe, especially in between successive series eruptions of the somewhat nearby Lion Geyser. Like many other fountain type geysers, Depression Geyser continues from a previous eruption by slowly filling its emptied crater pool, which generally takes a few hours. Once full, it will begin cycling between low water, where the water level will sit inches below the crater rim, and high water, where it will begin pushing out significant amounts of water over the crater rim and down the steep runoff channels. The eruption will only begin from an interval of high water, but it is unpredictable during which high water interval it will erupt. The eruption can be anywhere from 5 hours apart to as long as 30 hours apart. Fortunately, the moments of high water are entertaining to observe, even if the eruption does not occur yet. The amount of water that is pushed out of its relatively small pool is quite impressive! Each high water interval lasts for a few minutes and are separated by low water intervals that last for much longer. As the cycles continue, they will begin pushing out even larger amounts of water and will start to show bubbles emanating from the two vents, one on the left and one on the right, both near the bottom of the pool. The eruption itself is always produced by at least the left vent, so bubbles emanating from the left vent can indicate that the eruption is either imminent or at least getting closer. Sometimes the right vent will also join in, but this is not always the case so bubbles from the right vent do not help to determine its activity. Eventually during one of its high water intervals, significant bubbles will begin flowing out of the left vent when suddenly the entire pool will be pushed up reaching heights of up to 10 feet. It will continues for several minutes of periodic bursts rising out of its pool while it continues to push out large amount of water down its runoff channels. As the eruption continues, the amount of water being pushed out of the crater will diminish until the water level drops below the rim of the crater. The heights of the bursts will decrease to just mere inches. However, it is worth the wait for the end of the eruption. The remaining water suddenly drains out through the two vents. If the right vent was active during the eruption, it will churn and gurgle with a sound reminiscent of a dishwasher. At this point all that it left its empty steaming crater, surrounded by vertical walls. The above image was captured during an early portion of its eruption when the runoff water was still significant. The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos in Yellowstone National Park including a Beehive Geyser eruption with a massive rainbow, the world famous Old Faithful Geyser with water textures, a towering Grand Geyser pause burst eruption, a sunset Castle Geyser eruption with a bright rainbow, an afternoon Riverside Geyser eruption with a rainbow, an early morning Lion Geyser eruption with a rainbow, a very difficult to catch Oblong Geyser blue burst eruption, the extremely powerful Artemisia Geyser eruption with deep bursts, the very moment of waves from a Great Fountain Geyser initial eruption, an iconic White Dome Geyser eruption at sunset, the large bursts of a Fountain Geyser eruption in steam, the delicate red light on a Grotto Fountain Geyser eruption at sunset, the defining moment of a Rocket Geyser eruption at sunset, the extremely brief Aurum Geyser eruption with colors, a view through a Cliff Geyser eruption of Black Sand Basin, the colorful patterns of bacterial mats in Midway Geyser Basin, the changing conditions that cause a rainbow to parallel the Snow Lodge, the Biscuit Basin duo of Black Diamond Pool and Opal Pool, the colorfully pock marked waterways of the erupting Blood Geyser, the active steppes of the Mineral Terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs, the distant double rainbow over the Lewis River Canyon, the before eruption reflections of sunset over the terraces of Great Fountain Geyser, the deep colors of sky reflections over Beauty Pool, the thermally induced sunset light filters through the steamy trees, the intense moment of mammatus clouds over the Firehole River, the very early morning fog surrounding Lower Yellowstone Falls, the runoff created reflections over the colorful runoff pan of Constant Geyser, the unworldly terrain of the extensive Porcelain Geyser Basin in Norris, the deeply hued steam over colorful bacterial mat reflections of Grand Prismatic Spring, the contrast of runoff channels surrounding the blue superheated water of Sapphire Pool, differing wave patterns created by the colorful submerged Fishing Cone Geyser, the strong green created by the record depths of mysterious Abyss Pool, the moment the full moon rises over the Grant Village Lakehouse, the cloud symmetry of a sunset reflection over a calm Yellowstone Lake, and moments earlier with a cloud shelf reflection over a calm Yellowstone Lake, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Yellowstone National Park have documented the Old Faithful Geyser eruptions, the steamy Oblong Geyser eruptions, the deep drain Uncertain Geyser eruptions, the steep crater Depression Geyser eruptions, the amphitheater Grand Geyser eruptions, the impressive Fan and Mortar Geyser eruptions, the very quick Aurum Geyser eruptions, the rooster tail Whirligig Geyser eruptions, the series type Lion Geyser eruptions, the tall grotto White Dome Geyser eruptions, the frequent Sawmill Geyser eruptions, the double cone Atomizer Geyser eruptions, the nozzled Beehive Geyser eruptions, the cratered Fountain Geyser eruptions, the deep pool Artemisia Geyser eruptions, the playful Vixen Geyser eruptions, the scenic Riverside Geyser eruptions, the very rare Ledge Geyser eruptions from above, the very rare Ledge Geyser eruptions from below, the gurgling Tilt’s Baby Geyser eruptions, the bursts of Great Fountain Geyser eruptions, the hidden Dome Geyser eruptions, the tilted Daisy Geyser eruptions, the remote Pink Cone Geyser eruptions, the long Castle Geyser eruption water phases, the loud Castle Geyser eruption steam phases, the stark Constant Geyser eruptions, the rim wall Cliff Geyser eruptions, the initiation from Grotto Fountain Geyser eruptions, the continuation of Grotto Geyser eruptions, the defining moment of Rocket Geyser eruptions, the marathon Spa Geyser eruptions, the blue waters of a Spouter Geyser eruption, the isolated Artist Paint Pots throwing mud, the little seen intricate burst of a mud volcano, a view of a dozen visitors under a Beehive Geyser rainbow, the eruption through numerous vents of Fan and Mortar Geysers, the enormous amount of water through the runoff channels of Excelsior Geyser, the otherworldly view of cloudy blue runoff pools in the Porcelain Basin, the moment that a large bison bull rolled in his claimed dirt pile, the rule for the right of way wildlife, the high altitudes where a large raven that perches over the Dunraven Pass, the the day that a phoenix streaked across the backcountry sky, the trail from Grant Village that crosses over this suspended bridge, The Wild Images Team in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, our Photographer Jeremy Robinson shadowed in Morning Glory Pool, and The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome at the Yellowstone National Park entrance sign.

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Roasting hot lava rocks, jagged and menacing, rise out of the ground like spear tips of an army from the depths, ready to cut apart anyone who inadvertently falls among them. Everywhere around are needles, prickles, and thorns. Deadly powerful bolts strike down from above, bringing an explosion of light and sound. Gigantic hairy creatures, covered with eyes and enormous fangs, scamper across the landscape in search of others. Armored beasts hiss in the darkness from mouths full of gnarled and deadly poisonous teeth. Eight legged creatures grasp out with giant claws and enormous tails that end in an incredibly sharp stinger which can kill with one strike. There are the slithering serpents of all different colors, silently coiled in dark recesses, completely camouflaged among the terrain, with fangs that can deliver fatal poison in the blink of an eye. For almost two years, this was the daily reality for The Wild Images Team. This isn’t poetic symbolism for our life during a particularly dark time, though ironically this was during the COVID pandemic, nor is it our epic tale of a descent into the underworld. Instead this is an accurate description of our time spent in the Sonoran Desert, where we hiked daily for nearly two years straight. The hikes here are not for the faint of heart. Daytime temperatures often soar above 115 degrees Fahrenheit, sometimes even reaching up to or above 120 degrees Fahrenheit, baking the rocks and sand that have little shade cover in such a stark land. After the sun sets, the same rocks and sand emit the stored heat back to air, keeping the temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit through the night. The high temperatures create massive updrafts that pull the minimal moisture into billowing cumulonimbus clouds, which flash with bolts of lightning and boom with thunder over the terrain. The surrounding landscape was once covered by active volcanoes. Now the extremely sharp lava rock stands in large veins covering over most ridges and along our trails. Sharp needles, prickles, and thorns cover nearly everything. And yet somehow, a large variety of wildlife eke out a living in such inhospitable conditions. Most are endemic only to desert land, and many are the stuff of nightmares: tarantulas, giant hairy spiders that measure six inches across; gila monsters, giant ten pound lizards with deadly poisonous teeth and a loud, unmistakable hiss; scorpions, with their eight legs, a pair of claws, and a tail tipped with a giant stinger that delivers deadly poison; and rattlesnakes of about fifteen different species, which can remain unseen among the rocks and vegetation, and yet can kill anything with just a single bite. During the heat of the day, most of these creatures remain under rocks or in ground nests, only emerging once the sun has set. And that is exactly the time when The Wild Images Team would head out into the Sonoran Desert. Yes, we encountered all of them on a daily basis with the exception of the extremely rare but deadly gila monster, which we only encountered three times. It is amazing how you become used to the fact that any step may find yourself standing next to or even face to face to a coiled rattlesnake (they are all deadly poisonous), which happened many, many times for us. Or to have tarantulas slowly amble next to you (they are harmless, just creepy), or scorpions (they are all poisonous, some are deadly) scurry into your feet, again a very common occurrence. Why did we do this then? For the amazing photo opportunities of course! The above image is a stripe-tailed scorpion. Measuring a moderate 3 inches long, they are not generally deadly to humans with their poison, but a sting is excruciatingly painful. We captured a beautiful sister image of this stripe-tailed scorpion, which is available for sale in our store. Then there are the deadly poisonous ones. No, not the largest ones. We will detail them in a future blog post. Actually the smallest ones, the bark scorpions. We took this incredible late night photo of bark scorpions glowing in the deep desert, also available for sale in our store. Nicely, we are happy to report we survived without being bit, stung, or struck. On the other hand, as for being pricked by needles, we long ago lost count. Ouch! The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos in Arizona, such as the colorful storm buildup in the painted desert, the stark view of an incredibly tall monsoon cloud over desert, the sky covering massive anvil cloud over the mountains, the isolation in the curtains of rain over the Navajo Nation, the deep red lightning scene in the Mazatzals, the moment Zeus throws a bolt over Cave Creek, the network of colorful bolts over the Sedona ridges, the rainfall created colorful dry wash in bloom, the dangerous stripe-tailed scorpion climbing plants, the deep desert late night glowing bark scorpions, the dynamic image of a honeybee on an exotic wildflower, the view of a hummingbird among the thick wildflowers, a lucky shot of a great horned owl roosting in mesquite tree, the evening view of an organ pipe cactus, the serene scene of ocotillos and saguaro cacti, the view from Bell Rock of scrub brush and phenomenally colorful cliffs, this precarious Wupatki box canyon dwelling, a look up at the very majestic Wukoki Pueblo ruins, a chance encounter with a thunderstorm through a Wukoki Pueblo window, and the spiny sharp glass sculpture with cacti, each of which are available for sale in our store. Our blog posts from Arizona have documented the close up of a large stripe-tailed scorpion, the animated behavior of a great horned owl, the nearly daily encounters with the multitude of rattlesnakes, the mysterious darkness created by a very prominent Alexander’s Band between two brilliant rainbows, the crazy late sunset when red rain fell over the Mazatzal Mountains, monsoon season forming rain curtains hanging in front of the sunset, the sunset moment when delicate rain curtains fell in front of a darkening sky, spring rainfall creating a colorful desert bloom in a dry wash, the dynamic view of a honeybee equipped with dual pollen baskets among the blooms, the red sunlit clouds with a rainbow over the foothills of Black Mountain, the massive spectacle of a giant spiderweb of lightning over Black Mountain, near Sedona where red cliffs are framed by cane chollas, the reddish glow of sunset lighting an organ pipe cactus, the precarious location of the cliff edge Box Canyon ruins, the strategic location of the majestic Montezuma Castle Sinagua dwellings, The Wild Images Team Coordinator Christina at a scenic Grand Canyon overlook, The Wild Images Team Coordinator Christina in front of the Wupatki Pueblo, The Wild Images Team Coordinator Christina at the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tombstone and the Original Bird Cage Theatre history, its interior eponymic Bird Cage balcony seats, its secretive hidden door beneath the stage, through which lies the underground hidden gambling room, next to a hidden room for a lady of the night, the OK Corral Morgan Earp, Doc Holliday, Virgil Earp and Wyatt Earp and their gun fight with Tom McClaury, Frank McClaury, and Billy Clanton, the Boothill Graveyard headstone of Lester Moore and the headstone of John Heath, the reflective multicolored boatload of glass, the mass of blue and white glass atop a wall, the lighted view of purple stem vegetation glass, the lighted view of red stem vegetation glass, the closer view of the textures and shapes of Chihuly glass, the overlook view of Comet Neowise with a saguaro, which was brightly shining over the town of Cave Creek, eventually with its bright green coma and tail, as it appears to drop down into a saguaro grove, the day when rare snow fell in the Sonoran Desert and covered Black Mountain in a white blanket, the weeks of a devastating large record setting Bush Fire that continuously raged through the Superstition Mountains, the day when the Aquila Fire burned through Desert Hills causing massive destruction to a few structures, the day that the East Desert Fire nearly burned into the Cave Creek area, and then two weeks later the day when the devastating Ocotillo Fire did burn down into and throughout the estates which were protected by spectacular firefighting around the town of Cave Creek leaving behind this iconic image.

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The Wild Images Team has spent significant time walking the streets of San Francisco while searching for photo opportunities. We would intentionally plan our routes to take us up and down through all of the major hill districts there, looking for the perfect spots to capture images of scenic views that can only be found in the steep streets of San Francisco, a few of which are available for sale in our store such as this beautiful image of Alcatraz Island and San Francisco Bay captured from the steep portion of Hyde Street as it descends towards the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park or this stunning image of the abrupt drop off of Taylor Street taken from where the street briefly becomes horizontal at its highest point next to the Ina Coolbrith Park, which can be seen as a portion of the green space below the tallest buildings on the upper right portion of the above image. That upper right portion is Nob Hill, one of the most famous hill districts in San Francisco. The most prominent feature on top of Nob Hill is the 22 story, 237 foot tall Clay-Jones Apartment Building that is topped by a 121 foot radio antenna, making it stand at an impressive 358 feet above the hilltop! The RCA radio antenna was included as part of the original art deco building design to provide a clear radio signal to the discerning clientele that were being catered to in this ritzy part of old San Francisco. To this day the radio antenna is still used, no longer for radio programs, but for public safety broadcasts and taxi company communications. This building is located at the intersection of Clay Street and Jones Street, each of which lends their name to its title. To its immediate right, almost appearing connected to it but much lower is the Crest Royal Apartment Building. A little distance to the right is the Bentley Nob Hill Building, another art deco building with a narrow pyramid shaped top which marks its water tower pavilion. The massive darker structure behind both of these is the more modern Comstock Apartment Building, which is located directly across Jones Street from each. Meanwhile, to the left of the Clay-Jones Apartment Building, the next tall structure is the 1200 California Street Building. Next to that, though much lower, can be seen the iconic Grace Cathedral with its 237 foot tall fleche, the thin spire topped by a cross that rises above it. The Wild Images Team has photographed the Grace Cathedral, and will likely feature it in a future blog post. Directly behind Grace Cathedral in the above image, stands the beautifully ornate Cathedral Tower. There is much to see and photograph in San Francisco! The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos from California such as the scene of a blooming thunderstorm over Joshua Tree National Park, the lava flow created streaked ridge in Lassen Volcanic National Park, and the high altitudes where a giant sequoia is larger and redder than others, the steep Hyde Street view of Alcatraz Island and San Francisco Bay, the drastic slope of the abrupt drop off of Taylor Street, the Pine Street colorful terraced houses with background buildings, the historic looking beautiful terraced houses and a Classic VW Beetle, and the Asian inspired intricately ornate Chinatown scene, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from California have documented the long and winding road climb to the giants of Sequoia National Park, the size comparison of The Wild Images Team Coordinator Christina and the giant tree, the massive view where giant sequoias maintain their diameters over hundreds of feet, an overlook into the Merced River Valley with Liberty Cap, the road heading towards the sheer monolith of El Capitan, the road heading towards desolate ridges of Joshua Tree National Park, the location where the road rises out of Bumpass Hell, a beach dune covered view of the secret underground World War II bunker, the reflective tower of the Marriott Marquis over the Yerba Buena Gardens, the distinctively ornate Asian architecture and decor of Chinatown, the musically inspired melting records with album covers mural, the long strange trip of the Grateful Dead Jerry Garcia mural, the places where steep sidewalks have stairs cut into them, the street where a tree gives a sense of the steepness, the expansive view of Nob Hill from Telegraph Hill and the oppositely directed view from Telegraph Hill to the northeast, the descent in the upper portion of the Filbert Steps, followed by the middle portion of the Filbert Steps with a pose by The Wild Images Team Coordinator on the steps, followed by the lower portion of the Filbert Steps, and at the bottom a view up the Filbert Street steps again with a pose by The Wild Images Team Coordinator below the steps. From our travels in the nearby Oregon and Washington, we have captured photos such as the deep blue hues of swirled clouds and rim peaks reflected in Crater Lake, the Hoh Rainforest green moss covers every possible branch, and the right place at the right time rainbow over the Mt. St. Helens remnants, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Oregon and Washington include the sharp looking view through the Lava Cast Forest, the optical illusion of blue waters and white streaks in Crater Lake, the starkly colorful rainbow rises over the devastation of Mt. St. Helens, the moment The Wild Images Team Coordinator Christina is imprisoned by rainforest tree roots, the interesting story of the Port Angeles waterfront Rocktopus Sculpture, and its accompanying bronze plaque of charitable organizations.

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North Dakota is situated in the wild northern Great Plains of the upper interior Midwest of the United States. Together with neighboring South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming, it comprises the four states with the lowest population density in the contiguous United States, with only the giant, far northern state of Alaska being lower. Each of these are some of the last territories to finally achieve statehood. Interestingly, it is unknown which of North Dakota and South Dakota was admitted to the Union first. The papers declaring statehood for each were shuffled by U.S. President Benjamin Harrison before signing them, so traditionally they are placed in alphabetical order with North Dakota being declared the 39th state and South Dakota being declared the 40th state. The Wild Images Team has visited both Dakotas and the surrounding states on many occasions. We have stayed within and explored all sections of North Dakota. Being part of the Great Plains, North Dakota is dominated by rolling prairies through the majority of its area. But as you make you way across the state from east to west, the landscape begins to change into a more wild and colorfully rugged area. These are the North Dakota Badlands, some of the most scenic in the world, home to the rare yellow colored badlands that are the subject of this colorfully stunning badlands photo available for sale in our store. Much of the North Dakota Badlands are located within the three separate sections comprising the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. In this sparsely populated region, herds of wild animals roam freely about, often following the narrow grassland valleys carved through the surrounding landscape by millennia of precipitation. An earlier blog post detailed this herd of bison grazing in the grasslands below the surrounding rugged badlands peaks. Sometimes the animal herds will climb to the top of the less dramatic peaks in search of fresh grasslands, such as what occurred when we captured this beautiful image of wild horses gathered together in a tight cluster on a hilltop, also available for sale in our store. The above photo was taken in one section of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and details the continuing geological process of badlands formation. At the top of the ridge stands a typical badlands peak, almost always distinguished as being very steep-sided, carved vertically down all sides by deep fissures formed by erosive runoff, streaked horizontally with colorful bands of many exposed layers of soil that were laid down several millions of years ago, and almost always completely devoid of vegetation. The surrounding ridges, with a much less dramatic profile, allow vegetation to take root on the more gentle slopes. Close inspection of the above image will reveal further geological processes taking place. Just below the fully formed badlands peak, and slightly to the left, is a series of horizontal bands that themselves are almost completely devoid of vegetation due to their steep sides and vertical runoff fissures. This is another badlands peak slowly being carved out of the grasslands. Over thousands of years, the fissure covered bands will be carved further inward, rendering the landscape to steep to allow vegetation to root, and the bands of vegetation that currently exist will disappear, leaving yet another steep yellow banded peak towering above the grasslands. To its right is yet another peak that is an earlier stage of formation. While some hints of bands can be seen, they are not nearly as steep, nor as prominent. Furthermore, the red rock and soil capping it will eventually itself erode away further before itself becomes a badlands peak. The shallow gully that currently separates the two will likely become much deeper as these evolve further. The back ridge also appears to show some hints of other badlands mound formation, such that eventually this scene will become a collection of bare badlands mounds separated by deep channels where the little amount of vegetation may grow, with the central peak likely retaining its status as the highest point around. It stands to reason with all of this ongoing formation that the North Dakota Badlands will be around for a very long time, albeit in an ever-changing state. The Wild Images Team has captured many other images from North Dakota such as the contrast created by the horizontal color bands cross through yellow badlands and the entire herd as a group of wild horses cluster together on a hilltop, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from North Dakota have documented the herd of bison grazing in the grasslands and the ever changing colorful badland mound that caps a rolling ridge. In neighboring South Dakota, The Wild Images Team has captured images such as the bright flash of a colorful lightning strike over the badlands, the moment that a pronghorn displays its phenomenal physique, and the time that a massive bison bull came meandering past, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from South Dakota have documented the centuries long carving of the massive Crazy Horse Monument, the very majestic Mount Rushmore and the Avenue of Flags, the expansive view as wild burros walk through the rolling prairies, the ever wary prairie dog stands at attention in the prairie, the amazing location of the granite roadways through Custer State Park, when The Wild Images Team encountered a remote end of trail sign in the middle of nowhere, this close up image of textures in a colorful badlands mound, the interesting time when a flock of turkeys photobombed our image, and The Wild Images Team sunset shadows over Badlands National Park. In neighboring Wyoming, The Wild Images Team has captured images such as the contrast found in the colorful grasslands and background Grand Teton National Park peaks, the varying landscape of Grand Teton National Park rocky peaks and clouds, the large antlers on display as an elk takes a look back in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, the vertical abruptness as Devils Tower rises above the red rocks and green pines, and the many hues found as the colorful badlands cover over this very remote region, each of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Wyoming have documented as the rugged snowy peaks rise above wildflowers, and as The Wild Images Team Travel Gnome poses for a picture at the Meeteetse “Where Chiefs Meet” welcome sign. In neighboring Montana, The Wild Images Team has captured images such as a group of white mountain goats as they graze the highlands, an expansive view of rocky ridges extending to the horizon, the colorfully massive wall of Hidden Lake, high altitude view of tundra and glacial lakes, a very remote reflective alpine lake covered with rocks, and an ominously approaching heavy downpour over the green foothills, all of which are available for sale in our store. Blog posts from Montana have documented the very deep blue waters of McDonald Creek and the panoramic view of The Wild Images Team at Hidden Lake.

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The Wild Images Team has stayed in New York City on multiple occasions, usually opting for a hotel in mid-town Manhattan nearby to Times Square and the Broadway Theater District. Such was the case during this visit, when we opted for the Hilton Times Square. Being a Diamond Club member with the Hilton chain brought us several perks, and one of them was the luxury of being reserved in rooms on the highest floors and with the best views. So we were thrilled when we arrived in the evening to find a phenomenal view towering over the Garment District, of which a beautiful image captured during a snow squall is available for sale in our store. While that view is directly south, also from the vantage point of our room, just slightly to the southeast stood the famous Empire State Building, which remained lit through the dark nights. We loved the way that it shone like a beacon during the long, cold winter nights. We even captured images that we will post at a later date of it standing up into the thick clouds, and yet its beam still shines through. The noticeable bright green beams emanating from it mark the original top of the building when it was first built as the tallest building in the world in 1931. The early thirties, as in the early years of the Great Depression. Yes, the tallest building in the world was built during the start of the Great Depression! Naturally, this caused several issues during its construction and subsequent grand opening, not the least of which was the fact that most of the building designed for corporate office space remained unoccupied for the next several years. But the fact that it was the tallest building in the world drew an enormous amount of attention to it, and throngs of people visited it everyday to ride to the top observation decks for a cost of one dollar. The first few years, the revenue generated by tourists visiting the observation decks equaled all of the rent combined! But eventually tenants began to fill up the unoccupied spaces. In 1933, the building became a cinematic and cultural icon when King Kong scaled it to the top with Fay Wray in hand, in a scene that will be remembered forever. The original top, where the bright green beams emanate in the above image, was originally designed to be an airship docking station, where passengers could ascend to the top observation platform and the climb a ladder into the docked airship. However, the first attempt to dock there nearly ended in disaster due to the strong upper level winds that constantly occur around New York City, and the turbulent updraft created by the building itself. After circling around the building twenty five times, followed by the dumping of ballast water to the streets below, winds rocked the airship into a near collision with the Empire State Building, so future plans for an airship docking station were not carried out. Due to some of the unfortunate situations encountered in its opening during the Great Depression, the building did not break even until 1950. It was that same year that the construction of the radio antenna was begun, adding another 222 feet to the structure, and creating the iconic art-deco building that we see today and that dominated our view from our room. As with everywhere else that we travel, we spent our time there wandering the streets by foot. The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos throughout New York such as in the Corning Museum of Glass antique cruets and dishware overlap, then in New York City itself the sudden snow squall over the Garment District, the scene of the Sherry-Netherland towering over a sculpture, and the opposite directed festive view of West 58th Street, each of which is available for sale in our store. Our New York blog posts document the Corning Museum of Glass plate of colorful giant glass fruit, the intricate stained glass vines and bubbles over a figure, and the suspended glass knives in front of a red stack tower, then in New York City itself the Empire State Building shining like a beacon, the perpetual hustle and bustle of Times Square, the impressive bronze Alice in Wonderland sculpture, the memorial bronze statue of legendary Balto and its accompanying dedicated to the indomitable spirit plaque, the animated bronze animals and the Delacorte Clock, The Wild Images Team Coordinator Christina with Spongebob SquarePants, the festive view of a large toy train in Rockefeller Center Station, the late night giant holiday lights on the sidewalks, and the piles of giant holiday ornaments in Liholts Pooley Pool. In nearby Pennsylvania, The Wild Images Team has captured many other photos including the postgame fireworks over the Andy Warhol Bridge, the colorful bursts of Independence Day fireworks over the Ohio River, the view as delicate flowers bloom in the Laurel Highlands, and the very early lantana at the University Park Flower Gardens, each of which is available for sale in our store. Our blog posts from Pennsylvania have documented the Halloween moment when hundreds of witches converged on Mellon Park and then later performed a choreographed dance routine, when The Wild Images Team attended an interfaith wedding ceremony during which our Coordinator Christina Orban was a bridesmaid, a look inside of the ornate St. Vincent Archabbey Basilica, the side yard greenhouse vividly reflecting light displays, the scene dominated by vibrant strands of holiday lights on a tree, the many hues of a very festive holiday house along McColly Street, the colorful view of the Bellefonte Historical Railroad Fall Foliage Train, the burst trails of fireworks over the Allegheny River, the red, white, and blue trail fireworks over the Roberto Clemente Bridge, the palette of colors with fireworks bursting over the Ohio River, the hundreds of American flags flying over Blairsville Cemetery, the fall leaves surrounding the Tyrone Division of the Pennsylvania System World War I Monument, the many colors of a flower soaking up sunshine, and the dichotomy created by a floral battle of yellow versus red.

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