Fresh morning snow graced this lone lodgepole pine overlooking Porcelain Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. The contrast of the snow and ice with the often-dramatic tones of the geyser basin provides endless landscape compositions. The turquoise pools in the middle of the composition made for an excellent midground subject.

This basin is part of the Norris Geyser Basin, the park’s hottest, most dynamic geyser basin. It includes Steamboat, the world’s tallest geyser.

This morning when I walked the loop trail around the basin, the temperature hovered below zero degrees with blowing snow. I was part of an organized snow-coach photographic tour of the park over five days. This year had heavier snow and colder temperatures than usual, so walking the icy walkways required constant alertness. If you haven’t been to Yellowstone in winter, you are missing out on a transformed landscape and views of mammals not seen in the summer months.

Manual Exposure. Processed in Lightroom with Fujifilm Velvia Profile