National Monument & Preserve
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CRATERS of the MOON National Monument & Preserve |
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Photography
North Crater Flow Trail
When you are taking photos that emphasize the sweeping, scenic vistas of the monument include a smaller subject in the foreground of your shot. By including the Triple Twist tree in your photo, the scope of the lava flows and North Crater Cinder Cone will be much more evident to people viewing your photos.
North Crater Trail
When photographing the lava flows from above, such as from the trail on the side of North Crater Flow, be sure to include a small amount of sky in your view finder. By doing this, features on the horizon will appear as silhouettes and give depth to your photo. Including a bright wildflower in the foreground will make your "lava flow" photos much more appealing.
Devil's Orchard
Good photographs of wildflowers require a camera equipped with both a macro lens and a tripod. The macro lens allows you to get very close to the wildflower and still be able to get the subject in focus. The tripod reduces any movement of the camera that often ruins close-up photographs by causing them to be blurred. Generally, wildflower photos need to be taken early in the morning or late in the evening. These periods of the day are often the only time when the wind is calm and not constantly causing the fragile stems of the plants to move.
Inferno Cone
When photographing sweeping horizons such as the Snake River Plain, waiting for clouds to form during the warm afternoon will provide a much more striking photograph. Using a polarizing filter darkens the sky giving greater contrast to cloud and landscape formations. By including clouds, otherwise mundane, washed out photographs suddenly become very dramatic compositions.
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Spatter Cones/Big Craters While the tendency is to take distant photographs of the large volcanic features like the spatter cones and cinder cones, don't ignore the smaller details when looking for good subjects. A close-up of the blobs of lava that form the spatter cones or the gas bubbles in the colorful cinders at your feet make interesting photos and help give viewers back home a better feel for the terrain. |
Lava Cascades/Big Sinks When the subject is "rivers of lava," there are several tips for producing photographs that provide a sense of molten, flowing rock. Consider using a wide-angle lens and turning the camera so you take vertical photos. When possible include a secondary subject in the foreground by including a small patch of lava of a different hue, the folds of the pahoehoe lava, or a plant. The sweeping feeling of the flow can be enhanced by taking your photos from a level very close to the surface of the lava. |
Tree Molds and Wilderness
When shooting a subject as peculiar as a lava tree or tree mold, the best way to capture the essence of the subject is to take a series of photos from different distances. Take a distant photo of the subject to show its relative size and relationship to the landscape. Take a medium distance photo to show the entire subject and a close-up that will record minute details. Including a person, a person';s hand, a backpack, or a set of binoculars in the photo also helps to give the viewer a feeling of the relative size of the subject.
Caves Area
Obviously, taking photos inside a cave is a very different challenge. In the caves that are completely dark such as Boy Scout, a flash is a necessity and a great deal of practice is usually required to produce good photos. Shooting in the subdued light of Indian Tunnel often produces better results. When shooting be sure to take several photos of the same subject and vary your exposure settings each time. This may be the only way to get a good photograph when you have a wide range of lighting conditions in the same photo. Including a person in the foreground is almost a necessity if you want to provide a good sense of perspective for a future viewer.
