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The Challenges Of Yellowstone

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Salvatore Vasapolli gets off the beaten path, works around the crowds and shoots in fast-changing light. He shares some secrets from his 20 years of photographing this jewel of the American park system.


By William Sawalich; Photography By Salvatore Vasapolli

This Article Features Photo Zoom


challenges of yellowstone
The brink of Lower Falls, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River
Salvatore Vasapolli has a long list of photographs in his stock library, but one place that continually has inspired him for more than 20 years is Yellowstone National Park. The reason is simple, he says: It’s unlike any other place on earth.

“One reason that I love Yellowstone is that, out of all the parks I’ve been to, it’s the one park where geology actually lives,” says Vasapolli. “You could stand in front of a glacier all day, and it’s not going to look like it’s moved much. Whereas in Yellowstone, you can go to the geysers and hot springs and actually see the park itself being active. There’s an interaction with the land and the sky and the wildlife. That’s what attracts me to the park; it’s constantly changing.”

Looking back over two decades of photographs, it’s clear to Vasapolli how much the park has changed—both from the influx of tourism as well as the general activity of the region’s geological wonders.

“In Yellowstone, things change dramatically,” Vasapolli explains. “One photograph, Minerva Hot Springs, has been one of the most unique hot springs in Mammoth Terraces. It has moved over the hill, at times up to 100 feet from where it originated. The last time I checked, for the last several years, it has been gone—totally underground. It’s somewhere, but not on the surface. [In the photograph] that formation is probably only a few months old.


challenges of yellowstone
Bison herd at an erupting Old Faithful Geyser, Upper Geyser Basin Minerva twilight, Mammoth Hot Springs

“Tourists can be intense,” Vasapolli says of the park’s evolution. “There are locations, the many tourist areas, where at certain times you have to keep away from them. Crowded. In some areas, you’re shooting from a boardwalk, and if a person is walking on that boardwalk—and they could be hundreds of feet away—you get the vibration. It becomes difficult.”


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10 Comments

  1. John makes this comment

    What I like most about Salvatore's landscapes is the sense of movement he gets in so many of them. It really conveys the sense that the land in YNP is alive. If you haven't seen it yet, he has a very nice book of Montana landscapes called "Montana". It is well worth picking up.

    Thu Oct 9 01:10:25 2008

  2. Alice B makes this comment

    Salvatore's photography of Yellowstone has got to be the finest that I have ever seen our america's first national park. I once took one of his photography tours of the Greater Yellowstone. He only works one on one with his students examining the weaknesses and strong points. He took me from being a average photographer and helped me become to create the professional images i thought I could never achieve. He's not cheap and doesn't hold many tours, but if your portfolio passes his review, he might allow you to take one of his custom tours.

    Thu Oct 9 00:36:33 2008

  3. Mitchell makes this comment

    I live out side the park we go there almost every weekend, i agree yellowstone is constantly changing there are so many new little geysers that weren't there last year. That just means new photographs

    Fri Sep 26 16:02:32 2008

  4. Chip makes this comment

    That is amazing. I used to live in Wyoming, but I never went to yellowstone. Now I live in a small town in Missouri. I love the art of photagraphy and I thank you for posting these photos.

    Fri Sep 19 23:00:25 2008

  5. Salvatore Vasapolli makes this comment

    Another note: I've been photographing Yellowstone for 30 years. It's only that the last 20 was as an professional. Remember, its illegal to boil yourself alive by jumping in the hot springs! Salvatore

    Thu Sep 18 22:38:24 2008

  6. Tony Barros makes this comment

    Great article right on! We need more articles like! Yellowstone is such an iconic place that even beginner like me can end up with great shots! Yes patience and waiting or being at the right place at right light would make the shots! On my first trip I took the Xanterra Photo Safari it helped me a lot. I want to share my humble shots with all! http://www.panoramio.com/user/308245.

    Thu Sep 18 18:44:11 2008

  7. Salvatore Vasapolli makes this comment

    sorry for the marginal information on some of the images and equipment list, but we only had limited time to do this interview. Many of the 35mm images of which there is only one: "Hot spring along Ferris Fork Creek" was captured with my backcounty 35mm Rebel X body w/ ultra lite 35-80mm full carbonate lens. Along with a full backcountry backpack with a week's worth of food plus a field camera and two-three large format lens full gear is heavy enough! Here is brief list of 35mm equipment: Eos bodies: 1-n w/E1 Booster Drive, 620 and 630 Lens: 24mm f2.8, 50mm 1.8, 50mm Macro, 28-135mm f3.5/5.6 IS USM, 35-105mm f3.5, 100-200mm f2.8L, 100-300mm f3.5-5.6, 300mm 2.8L, 1.5 extenders. Luna Star F and Luna Lux handheld meters pentax Spotmeter V Tripods: Gitzo Mountaineer and Bogan 3046 w/ 3047 Head Silk standard Ball Head II and thank you for the compliments!

    Tue Sep 16 02:28:24 2008

  8. Russ makes this comment

    Thank you for your timely article on Yellowstone. Next week will be my first time to venture out West with my wife to Yellowstone for a pictoral holiday. Your images are both breathtaking and inspiring.

    Sat Sep 13 21:41:37 2008

  9. Gary makes this comment

    Thanks for sharing your photos, Mr. Vasapolli. Having photographed Yellowstone for over 30 years I, too, have some very spectacular pictures of the park, but am reluctant, as you, to divulge the locations of the best places. But the incredible light of the high country and a good dose of luck will get one the pictures one desires. Oh, by the way, a bit of patience doesn't hurt either.

    Sun Sep 7 00:44:59 2008

  10. Maureen makes this comment

    Thanks Salvatore Vasapolli for such a great article. The photographies are just breathtaking. Also thank you for telling us where you took the photos and what cameras you use.

    Wed Sep 3 16:11:23 2008

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