Kyler Michaelson

The Idaho State University Visual Communication trip to Yellowstone National Park was great. We got to stay at the Research and Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, which made a great base camp. The group was mostly made up of Dr. Terry Ownby’s photography students, and Dr. Judy Morris’ video students. The combination of these two groups was great for me since I participated in both programs while working on my undergraduate degree. We set out for the park each morning and shot the geothermal features as well as any wildlife that we encountered. I got a ton of photos and some video. We saw several bison, deer, elk, and a black bear. We also witnessed a raven unzip and steal items from the saddle bags on a BMW motorcycle in the parking lot at the Yellowstone Lodge.

I made a return trip to get some night shots, and I have to say it is a completely different experience. The geysers make horrific hissing and growling sounds when there are no tourists around to drown them out, and you can feel the ground rumble under your feet when you have the boardwalk to yourself. I would recommend you try some night hiking in the park if you dare!

Here are my favorite shots from the trip. They are in random order, so browse through them full screen by clicking on one. I will post a random video or two later on after I finish editing the clips.

Playing with my lazer

Light painted this rock with my led array and an amber gel while waiting for dusk to turn to night

This awesome feature was glistening in the sunset above Mammoth Springs

Here is the continental divide. You can pee into both oceans from here if you gyrate a little bit

The wind chopped up my mirror, but this beaver dam below the Grand Tetons was awesome

I had to shoot the mountains and stars reflecting off the waters of Grand Prismatic Pool. You can see Mars and just barely make out the Milkyway.

Found this cool spot to shoot the stars, rocks, and peaks in Yellostone National Park

Heard of bison grazing in Yellowstone National Park

Sheepeater Falls in Yellowstone National Park. There was a bear sighting across the river from here

Trees that grew too near to the geothermal features of Geyser Basin back lit by the full moon and light painted with my LED flashlight

The water here is so clear that you can see the bottom of the pond and the reflection of the trees at the same time. Teaming with leeches and salamanders, this is one of the only bodies of water that can empty into both the Atlantic and the Pacific

The steam from a geyser backlit by the full moon and milkyway framed by dead trees that grew too close to this geothermal hot spot.

Here is Geyser Basin from a half a mile away. I love the way the steam was interacting with the storm clouds

Black bear walking around a hill in Yellowstone National Park

Excelsior on a stormy day

This raven was a bad ass. Just chillin in a tree waiting to steal from everybody. We caught him later unzipping and stealing from a motorcycle saddle bag

Light painted this paint pot with my LED flashlight in Yellowstone National Park. This thing freaked me out. It was hissing with demonic howls and the earth was rumbling under my feet. I didn’t notice it during the day with tourists everywhere, but at night being there with just me and Jason Churba was a chilling experience. I truly felt the power of this place

The Grand Prismatic Pool in Yellowstone National Park. I wish it was legal to fly my quadcopter here

The view from the trail downstream from the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone National Park

This is our group at the very spot where Ansel Adams photographed the Tetons and the Snake River

This meadow was a ways off the main road. We hoped to catch a heard of elk moseying through, but instead got this awe inspiring vista

This is my professor Dr. Ownby spotting the next vantage point on the Grand Prismatic boardwalk.

Excelsior feeding her steam to a thunder storm. It was epic to witness this interaction

The trees have grown too tall to see much of the river, but here is my version of the epic and historic Ansel Adams shot

One of the prismatic pools at geyser basin in Yellowstone National Park. I wanted to take a soak since it was a cold day and this seems like a nice hot tub. Too bad it is illegal and would kill you

This is why its called Yellowstone

Shining my blue lazer at the mountain top as a car drives through the scene in Yellowstone National Park

This was a feature on the trail to Morning Glory. I am not sure what it is called, but I felt it needed its picture taken

Had to capture this very meta moment of our video professor Judy Morris capturing the photography group

Green light by Jason Churba, Blue Lazer by Kyler Michaelson

The mighty Tetons and the majestic Snake River

Shadow selfy with a geyer at night in Yellowstone National Park

Another angle of the spring above Mammoth Springs glistening in the sunset. I am digging the crepuscular rays in the sky

The view from the second story balcony in Yellowstone Lodge near Old Faithful

This is where hats go to die. Just down wind from the Grand Prismatic Pool boardwalk

Shot this panorama at Grand Prismatic while wishing I could fly my quadcopter up and get a look at the actual pool. It is pretty much illegal to get a higher vantage point, sorry