Forever Yellowstone

Story

There is no greater place for wildlife than Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park. When you’re high up a mountain, your gaze takes you over vast, soaring landscapes, which seemingly go on forever. Add in a snowy winter day and a few iconic bison, and you have all the ingredients needed to create Forever Yellowstone.

This photograph, to me, represents Yellowstone perfectly. The immensity is overwhelming, and everywhere you look, the landscape goes on and on. The bison herds roam throughout the park, just as they have for countless generations. This is their home, after all, and they know each hill, mountain, valley, and vale. They know where the best forage is, and they know when to be there.

But occasionally, the bison are in no hurry, and this photograph brings us one of those moments. These males are lazing through a winter day, working their way across the park to whatever destination they have in mind. And, in so doing, helped create a magnificent photograph, Forever Yellowstone, that encapsulates the spirit and the essence of the park.

To this day, I look at the photograph and am taken back to that timeless moment.

David’s Notes

This is a deeply personal photograph to me. It is, in fact, the photograph I’d set out to create on my Yellowstone adventure. For me, the overall vibe of this photograph shows off Yellowstone perfectly. The wildlife is, clearly, the focus here, but also the vastness and endlessness that defines the park.

The weather on this day creates an exceptional atmosphere for the photograph. I didn’t want a bright and sunny day, but nor did I want it to be totally overcast, either. I needed, and found, something in the middle. The distant, heavy clouds threaten more snow. Which, here, is a very good thing. But the sun is out, too, threading the needle nicely.

So, too, the bison work exceptionally well in this photograph. There is action here. Three of the bison have decided to head somewhere else, and are slowly working their way elsewhere. They are in no hurry, and have all the time in the world. One is simply standing there. And two are butting heads!

It’s the two butting heads that provide the crowning touch for me. This is nothing serious, to be sure, and they lightly jostled each other on and off throughout the afternoon. It’s this natural behavior which I am privileged to bring to you. Hours upon hours of standing in the cold paid off at this exact moment.

And today, when I look at this photograph, I am reminded of the immensity of Yellowstone and its bison herd.