[ Beneath the Waves ]

Drive 2009 Part 2 - Day 02

article and photographs by Ben Lincoln

 

As noted in the introduction, the first day of this drive was the eleven-hour-plus trip from Seattle to Bozeman. I got an early start on the second day, and was well on my way to the West Entrance of Yellowstone by the time the sun came up.

It was too early to book a campsite, so my first stop was along the Madison River. As I was taking the various exposures for this first photo, I noticed a single bison ambling slowly along the road in my general direction. I hoped he would stick to the roadway itself, but it soon became clear he was going to wander onto the grassy area where I had my camera gear set up, so I had to quickly (but calmly) disassemble everything and get into my car. As a result, there's no ultraviolet version of this image.

Madison River 1
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
     

While I was shooting this, a lone buffalo wandered through the area, and I had to retreat to my car. Consequently, I didn't obtain an ultraviolet version of the shot.

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2010-01-24
Version: 1.1

 

For those who haven't seen one in person, bison are enormous; males can weigh over 800kg (1800 pounds). Most of the time Yellowstone's bison are calm, but (as visitors are frequently reminded) they are wild animals, and if they feel threatened they can (and do) attack humans in self-defence. One of the most common signs at Yellowstone depicts a tiny, gored human being thrown through the air by the force of a charging bison, but unfortunately even this blunt warning is not 100% effective at convincing people to keep their distance, and so every year there are bison-related injuries within the Park.

I saw this particular animal several times during this visit, and nicknamed him The Loneliest Bison because he was always far away from the big herds. By the time he'd moved to a safe distance, the sun would have been shining right into my camera, so I turned around and shot in the opposite direction.

Madison River 2
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-R-UVA ]
NIR-R-UVA
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour

 

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-11-28
Version: 1.0

 

By this time, the campsite at Madison River was open, so I reserved a spot and then got back to taking pictures. I started at the nearby West Thumb Geyser Basin, but was only able to capture one set before rainclouds moved in.

West Thumb Geyser Basin Pool 1
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ NIR-Grey ]
NIR-Grey
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-R-UVA ]
NIR-R-UVA
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
     

 

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-11-28
Version: 1.0

 

While I waited for the bad weather to pass by, I made my way to an area which was sunny at the time - the section of the Yellowstone River at Fishing Bridge.

Yellowstone River 1 (Fishing Bridge Area)
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour

 

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-11-29
Version: 1.0

 
Yellowstone River 2 (Fishing Bridge Area)
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-R-UVA ]
NIR-R-UVA
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
   

 

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon AFS-DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 EDII
Filters: Standard set for larger diameter lenses
Date Processed: 2009-11-29
Version: 1.0

 

Making my way back to the West Thumb Geyser Basin, I shot quite a few more sets of the pools. The water in these pools can be quite hot - the delicate blue colours at the centers of many are the result of heat-sterilization. However, at the edges the temperature drops enough to support microbial mats that thrive in the warm conditions. These mats are the source of the orange, red, and yellow colours in the geothermal areas of the Park. A few range into green and other colours. I suspected these bacteria would appear even more interesting with the inclusion of near-infrared and ultraviolet-A photos, and attempted to collect at least one such set of exposures in each major area of Yellowstone.

Somewhat to my surprise, I discovered during processing that bacteria mats which appear the same shade to human eyes vary dramatically in multispectral images. The most dramatic contrast is between Mammoth Hot Springs (which I visited on Day 4) and Midway Geyser Basin (near the end of this article) - both of them are a rusty orange to us, but the Midway mats have a dazzling ultraviolet-A reflectivity that the Mammoth Hot Springs microbes seem to lack. Other sites exhibit similar (if less-pronounced) variations. If anything, I didn't take enough photos, assuming that one orange bacteria was the same as the next. Determining how much coverage to get of a set of related subjects is always one of the big challenges (at least for me) of shooting in bands of the spectrum that we can't see directly. It's also one of the greatest rewards - due to the frequent surprises - but because time is limited there's always a tradeoff in terms of which photos are taken and which are mentally bookmarked for another day (or year).

West Thumb Geyser Basin Pool 2
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-R-UVA ]
NIR-R-UVA
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour
     

 

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-11-29
Version: 1.0

 
West Thumb Geyser Basin Pool 3
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-R-UVA ]
NIR-R-UVA
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour
     

 

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-11-30
Version: 1.0

 
West Thumb Geyser Basin Pool 4
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-R-UVA ]
NIR-R-UVA
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour
       

 

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-12-01
Version: 1.0

 
West Thumb Geyser Basin Pool 5
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted RGB ]
Tinted RGB
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-R-UVA ]
NIR-R-UVA
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour
 

This is Abyss Pool, so named because its depth makes the bottom invisible.

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-12-02
Version: 1.0

 
West Thumb Geyser Basin Pool 6
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-R-UVA ]
NIR-R-UVA
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour

 

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-12-05
Version: 1.0

 

This first major set of imagery made me even more appreciative than usual of my WhiBal grey card. The blue tones of the hottest pools are notoriously tricky to capture, and I think they came across very well as the result of proper white balance.

The next time I shoot in this type of environment, I plan on bringing the polarizing filter which I left at home on this trip. I'd be very interested to see further into the pools if at all possible.

West Thumb Geyser Basin Lake Shore
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-R-UVA ]
NIR-R-UVA
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour

This last shot of West Thumb Geyser Basin shows the edge at which the hotspring bacteria meet the cooler water of Yellowstone Lake.

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-12-05
Version: 1.0

 

The rainy weather had passed well to the west by this time, so I backtracked to Black Sand Basin.

Black Sand Basin 1
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-R-UVA ]
NIR-R-UVA
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour

 

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-12-05
Version: 1.0

 

Just as I was finishing the first shot, I heard my car alarm go off, and walked back to discover that it had made friends with a pair of ravens. They were quite loud themselves, and did not seem bothered at all by the alarm.

Black Sand Basin Ravens 1
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
   

 

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E 70-210mm f/4
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-12-06
Version: 1.0

 

A little while later, it became apparent that they had not picked my car by random chance, as evidenced by their next choice.

Black Sand Basin Ravens 2
[ Birds of a feather... ]
Birds of a feather...
       

 

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: HTC Dream / T-Mobile G1
Lens: Unknown
Filters: None
Date Processed: 2010-01-17
Version: 1.0

 

Black Sand Basin is one of two areas in which I noticed an intricate pattern of thin terraces created by the bacteria mats (the other is Midway Geyser Basin, below). Similar to the variety of multispectral colours, it seems that different microbes produce different physical structures. Mammoth Hot Springs' bacteria produce terraces as well, but on a much grander scale.

Black Sand Basin 2
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-R-UVA ]
NIR-R-UVA
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour

 

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-12-06
Version: 1.0

 
Black Sand Basin 3
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ NIR-Grey ]
NIR-Grey
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-R-UVA ]
NIR-R-UVA
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour
       

 

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-12-08
Version: 1.0

 

I completed my backtrack by revisiting the section of the Madison River closest to the West Entrance. I had wanted to reshoot my first photo, but oddly enough couldn't find the same spot again.

Madison River 3
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-UVA ]
NIR-R-UVA
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour
 

 

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-12-09
Version: 1.0

 

In the last light of the day, I stopped at Midway Geyser Basin.

Midway Geyser Basin Waterfall
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted RGB ]
Tinted RGB
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour
       

How's this for an illustration of the potential power and beauty of multispectral photography? Many of the bacterial growths in and around Yellowstone's hotsprings show variation in colour to our eyes, but here it becomes plainly obvious that there is much more to be seen.

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2010-01-17
Version: 1.1

 

This area of the Park is home to Grand Prismatic Spring, a truly titanic hotspring. It is so large I couldn't think of a way to capture a good wide-angle image with the equipment I'd brought, so I opted for a pair of close-ups. I was particularly pleased with the first; the striking pattern made by the bacteria in the near-infrared is completely invisible without this type of imaging system, and looks like a strange alien lace or the webbing of veins on a placenta.

Grand Prismatic Spring 1
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-R-UVA ]
NIR-R-UVA
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour
 

Once again, the already lovely colours of Yellowstone's hot springs become breathtaking just beyond the range of our vision.

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-09-07
Version: 1.0

 
Grand Prismatic Spring 2
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-R-UVA ]
NIR-R-UVA
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted NIR Colour

 

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-12-10
Version: 1.0

 

When I saw the first processed results of my multispectral photos, I thought they looked familiar, but I couldn't quite put my finger on why. Then it hit me - the colours were like NASA's images of Io (Jupiter's violently volcanic moon). For some examples, see Io in true colour, Io in NIR-G-V[iolet] false colour, and Io in unspecified false colour.

Astrobiologists seem to think it's unlikely that Io is home to even bacterial life (possibly due to the extreme radiation in the area), but I was inspired to see if there was a "sulfur cycle" analogous to the "carbon cycle" most people are familiar with on Earth, and there is. In fact, some of Yellowstone's microbes are among the bacteria that make use of the sulfur cycle. It may be a coincidence - I'm certainly no biologist, astro- or otherwise - but I wouldn't be at all surprised if simple forms of life existed on Io. I do think that Europa is a safer bet (others have commented that the material in the cracks on Europa's surface looks a lot like algae - especially in the near-infrared - and I agree), but I hope NASA takes a chance on sending a probe to Io's surface too.

Right before the sun set completely, I took a final set of photos of the section of the Firehole River which passes by Midway Geyser Basin.

Firehole River
[ R-G-B ]
R-G-B
[ Tinted RGB ]
Tinted RGB
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted NIR ]
Tinted NIR
[ Tinted UVA ]
Tinted UVA
[ NIR-R-G ]
NIR-R-G
[ NIR-R-B ]
NIR-R-B
[ NIR-R-UVA ]
NIR-R-UVA
[ NIR-G-B ]
NIR-G-B
[ NIR-G-UVA ]
NIR-G-UVA
[ NIR-B-UVA ]
NIR-B-UVA
[ R-G-UVA ]
R-G-UVA
[ R-B-UVA ]
R-B-UVA
[ G-B-UVA ]
G-B-UVA
[ NIR-RGB-UVA ]
NIR-RGB-UVA
[ NIR Luma / RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted RGB Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted RGB Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour ]
NIR Luma / Tinted UVA Colour
[ UVA Luma / RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / RGB Colour
[ UVA Luma / Tinted RGB Colour ]
UVA Luma / Tinted RGB Colour
[ FC-UVA Luminance-Tinted UVA Colour ]
FC-UVA Luminance-Tinted UVA Colour
     

I managed to capture this set of exposures just before the sun went completely behind the horizon.

Date Shot: 2009-08-31
Camera Body: Nikon D70 (Modified)
Lens: Nikon Series E (unknown focal length)
Filters: Standard Set
Date Processed: 2009-12-10
Version: 1.1

 
Map of Day 2
[ Map of Day 2 ]
Map of Day 2
       

 

 

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