Old Faithful is an American icon, the single most famous (and most photographed) feature in Yellowstone. It was the first geyser in the park to receive a name. It erupts every 90 minutes, and sends thousands of gallons of boiling water 150 feet into the sky for several minutes. Erupting geysers are exciting to watch, but difficult to photograph for expressive purposes. This image works as expression because it successfully conveys the grandeur of Old Faithful in terms of its scale, energy, light and color. As I waited for the eruption, I studied the cloud formation overhead, and hoped that the geyser’s column of steam would reach high enough to blend with the clouds. And that is just what is happening here. The thrust of moisture seems to reach the heavens. The play of light on the eruption is critical as well – although Old Faithful erupts every 90 minutes, only the eruptions in the early morning or late afternoon will produce images such as this. The low angle of the late afternoon light, along with my selective spot-metering method, creates different shades and textures of white and gray within the spout, dramatically illuminating its strength and thrust, and truly making Old Faithful seem as impressive in the image as it looks in person.