Monday, June 14, 2010

Slough Creek & Sage


Although photographing the wildlife in Yellowstone National Park was exhilarating, the landscape opportunities may have excited me even more.  There is so much vast, natural space spread across the landscape that it doesn't take much work to find interesting compositions.  I could spend a lifetime capturing scenes like this one.  The sage prominently featured here is Atemisia tridentata, big sagebrush.  Each leaf ends in three round bumps or teeth- making the specific epithet tridentata quite a fitting name.  Big sagebrush was the dominant shrub species of the lower hills and valleys.  Viewed at close range, it gives a wonderful texture to the landscape, and from afar, it bathes the rolling hills in solid sage green.

Tom

5 comments:

  1. Very nice image--I can almost smell the sage. The first time I camped in the West, it was in Wyoming at a campsite just outside Cooke City, Montana--the east gate to Yellowstone. I was so impressed with the sage that I brought some back East with me and kept it until it turned to dust.

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  2. What an awesome picture! I love the heavy clouds above...looks like rain. Great shot.

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  3. Thanks for sharing, Tom! Amazing photos-

    Cheryl

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  4. Scott- We ate breakfast in Silver Gate on Sunday morning, and then drove on to Cooke City. The Sage IS wonderful- We actually used some in our meals, and it was fantastic.

    Chris- Thank you. We had threats of rain the entire time we were in the park, and it rained quite a bit as well.

    Thanks Cheryl!

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  5. What an awesome picture! I love the heavy clouds above...looks like rain. Great shot.

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