Yellowstone National Park is a beautiful place – hardly anyone would ever argue differently.  But from a photographer’s perspective, those magical clouds of sulfuric steam that create such a surreal atmosphere to park visitors can be anything but magical when trying to capture the spirit of the park accurately.  Who wants to look at flat, lifeless photos of a gray haze with a few semi-obscured trees peeking out?  Enter HDR processing, cutting through the steam to reveal the true landscape of Yellowstone and make those bright colors come back to life.  None of the following shots are “true” HDRs, meaning each photo was a single exposure toned in Photoshop rather than combined multiple exposures, but I hope you’ll enjoy the collection nonetheless (click on the images for larger versions!).

Steam rises against a stormy backdrop at Grand Prismatic Spring

Rolicking geysers at Fountain Paint Pots

Serene meadows along Yellowstone's loop drive

Left: What’s a Yellowstone album without at least one shot of Old Faithful? | Right: It may look like the right color for swimming, but this geothermal pool at Fountain Paint Pots would be a heck of a lot more painful than your average dip.

Park visitors are treated to steam-cloud baths at Grand Prismatic Spring

The Yellowstone River roars by at the top of Lower Falls

Boiling water gushes into the Yellowstone River at the entrance to the Grand Prismatic Spring boardwalk

Heavenly rays break through the storm clouds

Near-yellow stones at Yellowstone

The trees may be unhappy, but the visitors admiring the landscape certainly aren't!

More HDR photos:
The World in HDR (part I)
The World in HDR (part II)