Outdoor Photography In National Parks
Top Ten Spots and Tips
Edited by Jennifer L. Price
The National Park Foundation is proud to release their
annual ‘Top 10’ list, a photography guide highlighting the very best Fall photo
experiences in America’s national parks and public lands. This list was
developed by experts from The National Park Foundation and Ford Motor Company to
serve as a travel and how-to guide for shutterbugs to share the experience of
visiting national parks and recreation areas.
The “Top Ten Parks and Public Lands Photo Tips” range from
capturing the rich history of Jamestowne, Virginia, to watching alligators glide
through the swamps of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. These tips invite
amateur photographers to examine some of the hidden gems that get overlooked
within the nation’s diverse parks and public lands system.
This year, the National Park Service and the National Park
Foundation teamed with Ford Motor Company for the official “Share the
Experience” photo contest. Amateur photographers are encouraged to enter their
favorite photos taken in America’s national parks and public lands. Winners are
eligible for a variety of prizes, including a 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid and
vacations to federal recreation areas. The “Share the Experience” photo contest
benefits America’s Federal Recreational Lands managed by the Bureau of Land
Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Forest Service.
So grab your camera and head to one of these top spots:
TOP 10 PHOTO TIPS
 1. Historic Streetscape: Historic Jamestowne, Virginia
Recently celebrating its 400th Anniversary, Historic
Jamestowne offers visitors the rare opportunity to walk in the footsteps of
Captain John Smith and Pocahontas as they explore our nation’s early beginnings.
Today at Jamestowne, the story of the people who founded
the colony is told through film, gallery exhibits and living history. Costumed
interpreters lead tours through the winding streets of Historic Jamestowne,
tracing the colony’s beginnings in England and describing the cultures of the
Powhatan Indians, Europeans and Africans who converged there in the 1600s.
With visually inspiring streetscapes depicting the stories
of our ancestors, it is no wonder that Jamestowne is a haven for photographers.
Among the highlights are, The State House, The Meeting House, The Statue of John
Smith and The Glasshouse and Loop Drive.
FORD PHOTO TIP: Historic Jamestowne is a very popular
destination for tourists. As a result, the park is photographed frequently,
making it more difficult to capture a truly original picture. The best advice
for photographing Jamestowne is to consider variety. Include people shots, close
ups and wide angles. Try taking photographs in good weather as well as bad. An
interesting photo of a street lamp could have greater impact than a picture of a
building.
 2. Spectacular Rock Formation, Bryce Canyon National
Park, Utah
Bryce Canyon National Park, famous for its unique geology,
consists of a series of horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters carved from the eastern
edge of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah. The vast and austere landscape
is one of the world’s most scenic backdrops. Its awe-inspiring canyons and
cliffs embrace a spectacular array of geological wonders. This high, rugged, and
remote region has bold plateaus and multi-hued cliffs running for distances that
defy human perspective.
The park’s diverse landscape makes Bryce Canyon National
Park an ideal site for photographers to explore the rich color and texture of
rock formations.
FORD PHOTO TIP: Search for details. It is easy to use a
wide angle lens. Unfortunately, these kinds of photos often end up looking
staged. Instead of shooting an entire rock formation, try zooming in on one
small part of it. A shot of the base, indentation, or curve of a rock can be a
more powerful image.
 3. Picturesque Forest, Olympic National Forest,
Washington
Spanning 633,677 acres across the Olympic Peninsula in
northwest Washington State, Olympic National Forest is a unique geographic
providence consisting of a temperate rain forest, rugged mountain terrain, large
lowland lakes, cascading rivers, and saltwater beaches. The forest is a tapestry
of biological diversity and home to a wide variety of plants and animals, many
of which live nowhere else in the world.
Offering various points of interest, including Lake
Cushman, Quinault Rain Forest, Wynoochee Dam, Seal Rock and eight well-marked
nature trails, the Forest is a wonderful place to spend a day exploring with
your camera.
NOTE: Olympic National Forest surrounds much of Olympic
National Park and the Olympic Mountain range. Both make wonderful travel
extensions.
FORD PHOTO TIP: Nice weather doesn’t always equal good
photos. For a different perspective, try snapping a few shots in the rain
forest. The dramatic skies above, the mist and the raindrops can add a naturally
unique, romantic and even mysterious mood to the picture.
4. Underground Adventure, Wind Cave National Park, South
Dakota
American Indians have many stories about a hole in the
Black Hills of South Dakota that emits powerful gusts of wind. The fourth
largest cave in the world,” Wind Cave” is a 125 mile long complex maze of
geological wonder.
Once entirely submerged under water, Wind Cave is one of
the oldest caves in the world, with portions dating back over 300 million years.
Its outstanding display of boxwork, an unusual cave formation composed of thin
calcite fins resembling honeycombs is rare and found in few other caves.
Geologists believe that the water began slowly draining
from the cave 40 to 50 million years ago. Today the water level is about 500
feet below the surface at an area named "the Lakes." Water, however, is still
changing the cave. Geologists have many questions yet to answer before they can
fully understand the rich, incredible resources found within Wind Cave.
Despite dark conditions, with the correct flash, photos of
Wind Cave illustrate a rare geological experience down into the very “bowels of
the earth.”
NOTE: If you decide to make the trek, be sure to bring a
jacket. The cave temperature is 53 degrees all times of the year.
FORD PHOTO TIP: Depth is an important aspect of any good
photograph. This is especially true for shooting in caves. It may help to add a
tree or person in the foreground to enhance the visual perspective.
5. Dazzling Sunset, Point Reyes National Seashore,
California
Can there be a more perfect display of natural wonder than
watching the sun slide behind the horizon and dip slowly into the sparkling
ocean waters? At Point Reyes National Seashore that breathtaking phenomenon
takes place nearly every night.
From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky
headlands and expansive sand beaches through its open grasslands to its brushy
hillsides and forested ridges, visitors can discover spectacular panoramas, a
tapestry of cultural experiences and over 1000 species of plants and animals.
But one of Point Reyes National Seashore’s most sought
after attractions is its world famous sunsets. Captured with a photographer’s
lens, the magic and romance of a Point Reyes sunset is an image that visitors
will no doubt want to take home.
FORD PHOTO TIP: Sunset photos can be a bit challenging. The
most important factor to consider is the placement of the horizon. Where you
place the horizon in your picture dictates what aspect of the sunset will be
emphasized. Is it the sky that you want to focus on or the sun’s reflection
across the rocks? This is a key consideration.
6. Fall Foliage, Acadia National Park, Maine
The North Eastern U.S. has always been famous for its
autumn foliage and Acadia National Park does not disappoint.
Situated on the rugged coast of Maine, Acadia National Park
was set aside by early Americans as the first National Park East of the
Mississippi River. The park contains more than 120 miles of historic hiking
trails and is home to many plants and animals, and the tallest mountain on the
U.S. Atlantic coast.
Each autumn, as the seasons change, the woodlands of Acadia
transform into a diverse palate of color that defies the imagination. A scenic
journey down the 27-mile Park Loop Road system offers outstanding views of the
fall foliage, ocean shoreline and mountain silhouettes. It is no surprise that
these picturesque settings are ones that park visitors want to capture with
their camera.
FORD PHOTO TIP: Fall colors pop best in early morning or
early evening light. Try shooting at dawn and dusk for contrast.
 7. Diverse Wildlife, Okefenokee National Wildlife
Refuge, Georgia
Encompassing nearly 402,000 acres, Okefenokee National
Wildlife Refuge is a vast bog inside an immense, saucer-shaped depression that
was once part of the ocean floor. The swamp now lies 103 to 128 feet above mean
sea level. Native Americans named the area "Okefenokee" meaning "Land of the
Trembling Earth," referring to the peat deposits, up to 15 feet thick, cover
much of the swamp floor, so unstable in some areas that trees and bushes tremble
from above-ground disruptions.
A journey down Swamp Island Drive, a 9-mile driving, biking
and walking loop, will lead visitors through a diverse ecosystem that is home to
many animals including, white-tailed deer, black bears, gophers, snakes,
alligators, turtles, woodpeckers, wild turkeys, egrets and dragonflies.
This makes Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge a world
class setting for photography enthusiasts to capture the beauty and immensity of
wildlife within the area.
FORD PHOTO TIP: The best way to take a great wildlife
photograph is to be as patient as possible with your subjects. Animals move at
their own pace so take the time to really examine your subject in its natural
habitat before you click.
8. Prehistoric Wonder, Cape Krusenstern National
Monument, Alaska
Far from the hustle and bustle of other Alaskan
destinations, Cape Krusenstern National Monument is a remote, coastal plain
dotted with sparkling lagoons and backed by gently rolling limestone hills.
Nearly 5000 years of prehistory are represented on the 114 well-preserved beach
ridges and some sites on the bluff behind the ridges may date as early as 9,000
years, older than many well-known remains of ancient Egyptian civilizations.
The monument’s rich history, unusual geography and feeling
of seclusion makes Cape Krusenstern National Monument a spectacular site for
photographers to explore and experience. Whether you’re kayaking along the coast
and through lagoons, thrilling your senses on a scenic flight, camping, or
charting your own backcountry trek, the land is ready to experience for those
willing and prepared to enter it.
NOTE: An airplane ride away to the nearest town (Kotzebue,
Alaska), Cape Krusenstern National Monument is not an ideal destination for
inexperienced hikers or families with young children. Access and services within
the monument are limited compared with other National Parks in Alaska. But for
the skilled outdoor explorer, the rich history, magnificent scenery and untamed
nature of this national monument allows you to experience genuine “Wild Alaska”
on its own terms.
FORD PHOTO TIP: One of the best ways to capture the vibrancy of a prehistoric
landmark is to include people in the photographs. An image of a friend or spouse
standing in the same place that their ancestors did more than 5000 years ago,
will give the photo greater impact.
 9. Volcanic Formation, Craters of the Moon National
Monument and Preserve, Idaho
The seemingly lunar landscape of Craters of the Moon
National Monument has been described as "The strangest 75 square miles on the
North American Continent.”
Virtually unknown before 1921, Craters of the Moon National
Monument and Preserve is a geologic wonder cast in a wild and remote landscape.
Its central focus is the Great Rift, a 62-mile long crack in the earth's crust,
the source of a remarkably preserved volcanic landscape with an array of
exceptional features. Craters, cinder cones, lava tubes, deep cracks, and vast
lava fields form a strangely beautiful volcanic sea on central Idaho's Snake
River Plain.
The most recent volcanic eruption at Craters of the Moon
ended about 2,100 years ago but many geologists believe that it will erupt
again. For now, the rugged, undisturbed landscape is an ideal place for
photographers to capture a rare image of our geological past.
FORD PHOTO TIP: When photographing an “unearthly”
landscape, try including a person or identifiable object to give your picture
perspective.
10. Family Photo, Hoover Dam, Arizona and Colorado
Often referred to as one of the “seven wonders of the
industrial world,” it is no surprise that Hoover Dam, located in the Black
Canyon of the Colorado River is one of the world’s most visited man-made
attractions. This concrete structure named after President Herbert Hoover who
was instrumental in its construction, stands tall as a great triumph of
America’s industrial age.
Construction of Hoover Dam began in 1931 with the tedious
process of digging diversion tunnels through canyon walls to redirect the
Colorado River. After four years of hard labor and 3,250,000 cubic yards of
poured concrete, Hoover Dam was completed in 1935, over two years ahead of
schedule.
Aside from the fascinating history of Hoover Dam, its view
of the canyon is incomparable. Offering a seemingly infinite number of
awe-inspiring panoramas, a snapshot in front of, or on top of Hoover Dam is the
perfect photo to end any family vacation.
FORD PHOTO TIP: During your lifetime, you will probably
take more photographs of family and friends than any other subjects. It is for
this reason that original family photos are so difficult to capture. The best
way to take a great family photo is to be original. From the way that your
family is posed in the picture to the angle that you point your camera, an
atypical format can turn a common family photograph into an extraordinary one. |
