Bison have roamed in Yellowstone National Park since Prehistoric times; indeed they thrived in an Ice Age that claimed both the mammoth and the horse. That is why I am drawn to Yellowstone in the winter as it is their stoicism in extreme weather that defines them.
The photograph is certainly up there for me, so many variables came together at 25 degrees below zero in the Flood Geyser section of the Park. Finding a large frost caked bull bison early in the morning is always a good start, but then to find him close to geysers is a bonus.
These geysers normally omit a steady flow of gentle steam - a bit like an outdoor hot tub in a luxury ski resort - and when I gingerly approached the bull, that was my contextual background. Nothing too dramatic, but the steam evoked a sense of occasional geological activity and gave an emphatic nod to the location. There is a restlessness to the mood.
But then after three minutes lying on the frozen ground, the geyser in front of me erupted, spewing water and steam 100 meters into the air. To give this context, the spectacle doesn't happen every day and, on this occasion, the early sun was offering a generous level of backlight and the bison and I had front row seats. It was my very own Field of Dreams, albeit a little troubling as I had no prior knowledge of the radius of the thermal water. I relied on the bison as he had better info and seemed quite calm.
I care so much about the background layer in my work; it is pivotal to the art of storytelling. Sometimes it is entirely in our control, but on this occasion, it was a pure stroke of luck. Arguably I have never worked with a more spectacular backdrop in my career. It was akin to a Game of Thrones mood board.
We are left with a timeless freak of a photograph that pays homage to the raw wonders of this planet. It is primeval to its core and a celebration of one of the most untamed parts of the world. It was an honour to see it all unfold on my own at 8.15am that January morning.
I am reminded again that “the early bird catches the worm”.
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