The suspension bridge over the Ohanapecosh River, Grove of the Patriarchs Trail, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson

It’s 2020 and time to start thinking about, and planning for, national parks to visit this year. Continuing a tradition I started with the Traveler a few years ago, I want to look back at the national parks to which I traveled in 2019, show you my 10 favorite photos (in no order), and explain why I like them so much. Yes, I have 10 photos this year, instead of the usual 5 – 7. I can’t help it! Narrowing down to even 10 favorites was pretty darned difficult.

The suspension bridge over the Ohanapecosh River, Grove of the Patriarchs Trail, Mount Rainier National Park

Suspension bridges are fun to walk on but not so much fun to photograph from because of the constant jiggling motion. So, I opted for a leading line shot from the riverbank showing the length of the bridge over the cool, clear water. That, along with the dappled sunlight and bright spring colors make this a favorite composition. It’s also an HDR image. If you read this article I wrote for the Traveler back in 2013, you’ll know that HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, and you’ll have discovered tips on how you can achieve an HDR photo.

A noontime view at the Diablo Lake Overlook, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, North Cascades Complex

A noontime view at the Diablo Lake Overlook, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, North Cascades Complex / Rebecca Latson

I know! An image captured at noon! Photos taken during midday are usually flat and overly bright, because there are no defining shadows. The atmosphere tends to be hazy as well. Yet, here is this bright, glorious image of Diablo Lake and surrounding North Cascades mountains, with saturated colors on a beautiful, sunny day. This shot highlights the amazing turquoise-hued water of the glacier-fed lake, which was exactly what I wanted. I used that large rock as a foreground object and kept the negative space to a minimum with the sky.

Sunset’s afterglow at Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park

Sunset's afterglow at Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park / Rebecca Latson

I’m a sunrise gal, myself, but I made sure to stay out long enough to capture some awesome sunsets at Olympic National Park, like this one at Ruby Beach. I was hiking the trail back up toward the gravel parking lot, when I turned around for one last look. I can’t believe I almost didn’t follow my own advice, which is to stick around after sunset to capture the afterglow, when a last-gasp explosion of light and color shines up from below the horizon. This shot even has people in it. They give you a sense of scale for the scene, don’t they?

Sol Duc Falls on an overcast morning, Olympic National Park

Sol Duc Falls on an overcast morning, Olympic National Park / Rebecca Latson

It’s the most photographed waterfall in this park, and for good reason. To beat the crowds for a non-peopled shot, you need to start out on this .8-mile trail early in the morning, maybe around 6:30 a.m. You’ll be rewarded, even on an overcast day, with an inner glow emanating from the entire scene and the flowing water is perfect for practicing your silky water technique.

The geometry of tall trees along the North Fork Sol Duc Trail, Olympic National Park

The geometry of tall trees along the North Fork Sol Duc Trail, Olympic National Park / Rebecca Latson

Last year, I wrote an article about finding the geometry of nature in your compositions. I'm fascinated with finding lines, arcs, circles and angles in landscapes. This shot shows the parallel lines of the tall trees in the Sol Duc Valley, right off the road at the trailhead. I wanted to capture not only the straight lines of the trees but also the saturated greens of the damp ferns and moss on the forest floor as I looked deeper into the forest interior. Sometimes, it pays to look *within* a landscape for your shot.

Lamar Valley landscape, Yellowstone National Park

Lamar Valley landscape, Yellowstone National Park / Rebecca Latson

I never had the chance to see the Lamar Valley until my last full day in the park. Entranced by these rugged, snow-dusted mountains in front of me, I kept trying to find the perfect composition to complement those peaks. I finally found it when I pulled into a large parking lot where lots of people were pointing their big honkin’ lenses and spotting scopes across the river and valley in the opposite direction. I took my gear and hotfooted it across the road to where I could compose an image of the scrubbrush meadow with those two trees framing the mountains. Returning to the car, I noticed a number of people watching me as if I was some crazy person choosing to photograph the scenery instead of whatever tiny dots of wildlife were in the valley. I dunno. I don’t think I was crazy for getting this shot.

Late-afternoon scenery at Swan Lake Flats, Yellowstone National Park

Late-afternoon scenery at Swan Lake Flats, Yellowstone National Park / Rebecca Latson

Upon my arrival in the park, I’d driven that narrow winding road up from Mammoth Hot Springs, leveling out on the area known as Swan Lake Flats. I saw these mountains and I knew I had to stop for some photos. What a welcoming sight those dramatic clouds and landscape made for my first extended visit into this national park. Since the sun was at an angle to my camera, I used a circular polarizer (CPL) to bring out the color and texture in the clouds and mountains.

Morning Glory Pool on a snowy autumn day, Yellowstone National Park

Morning Glory Pool on a snowy autumn day, Yellowstone National Park / Rebecca Latson

Morning Glory Pool is a relatively small view area, and there are only so many spots from which to take in an unfettered view of this gorgeous hot spring that doesn't include the fence railing. Still, it’s one of my favorite places to photograph. I used a wide-angle lens and the polarizer, rotating that outer filter ring until the glare disappeared and I could see down into the water's saturated green and yellow depths. The snow rimming the pool and covering the trees and ground beyond made for an interesting contrast to the non-snowy portions of the area, in addition to highlighting that leading line of water from the spring in the background. Once again, the clouds made for a great dramatic sky on that very cold day. I’ll never tire of this vibrantly-colored hot spring in Upper Geyser Basin.

Grazing in an autumn snowstorm, Yellowstone National Park

Grazing in an autumn snowstorm, Yellowstone National Park / Rebecca Latson

I was just a few miles away from the Old Faithful Inn when I ran into a light snowstorm. A herd of bison placidly grazed in the golden meadow and the steam in the background grew heavier with the increasing snowfall. I used the rule-of-thirds technique to isolate that one grazing bison to the side of the composition. While I had to keep the shutter speed a little on the slow side because the day was beginning to darken and I needed to lighten up the image, but it was not so slow that you couldn’t see separate little dots of snow on the dark brown of the bison.The image looks a little grainy and I wanted to keep it that way, to emphasize the tough lifestyle of a bison in autumn. This photo sort of feels lonely, doesn’t it? Or maybe timeless? That bison and its herd will continue to graze there, no matter what the weather or circumstances.

An Artist Point view of Lower Yellowstone Falls, Yellowstone National Park

An Artist Point view of Lower Yellowstone Falls, Yellowstone National Park / Rebecca Latson

Instead of the rule-of-thirds technique, which I utilize quite often, I kept that powerful waterfall and it’s squiggly line of frothing, teal-colored water smack dab in the middle of this composition, framed by the trees, colorful canyon walls, and snow-covered rock formations. The sun was beginning to rise behind and to the side of me, so I used my CPL filter again to bring forth the texture and color in the clouds, canyon, and waterfall. This image was especially lovely to me because the day before, the mist and snowfall were so thick that I could not see the scenery behind the waterfall, and the day itself was muted and dull, compared to this crisp, clear, freezing, sunny morning.

There you go, my 10 faves from last year. What are your favorite photos captured during your own national park adventures in 2019? I’ll bet you have more than 10 and it was difficult to single out just a few of those favorites, wasn’t it? Why do you like the photos you chose? Was it the overall composition, the color, pattern or texture, the specific wildlife, or the story each image, told along with the wonderful memory of getting the shots? Take those reasons why they are favorites and apply them to the photos you plan on capturing during your 2020 national park adventures.

Happy New Year and Happy National Park Photographing, Travelers!