During this night in Yellowstone I had only a short window of clear sky, so I photographed Old Faithful during one of its nighttime eruptions. In some images (Image 1, Image 2, and Image 7) the geyser is captured at the peak of its activity, when the steam column rises very high and fills much of the frame even with a wide-angle lens. In the other photos the geyser shows its normal continuous steam, which is still bright and impressive at night but not as large as during the peak. After the strongest burst, the dew and moisture were so intense that I had to warm the lens before continuing photography.
All images were taken with the Canon 60Da and the Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM wide-angle lens — an excellent combination for night landscapes and astrophotography thanks to its bright aperture and clean optical design.
Image 1 – Peak Eruption (Horizontal)
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| Yellowstone Night Landscape Geyser eruption Canon 60Da |
Camera Canon 60Da; Wide Angle Lens EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM; Exposure 30.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 4000
This horizontal image captures Old Faithful at the peak of its eruption. The steam column fills most of the frame, showing how large it appears when photographed up close with a wide-angle lens.
Image 2 – Peak Eruption with Milky Way (Vertical)
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| Yellowstone Geyser eruption and the Milky Way |
A vertical composition taken from the same location as Image 1. The strong eruption rises upward, and a portion of the Milky Way appears beside the plume. Through the steam you can see the silhouette of a nearby hotel building.
Image 3 – Three Geysers + Pleiades
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| Yellowstone night sky Geyser astrophotography Canon 60Da |
From a different angle, this photo shows three geysers: the main plume, a smaller geyser, and a tiny third one. Above them shines the Pleiades star cluster (Seven Sisters).
Image 4 – Black & White Astrophotography + Airglow
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| Yellowstone night photography - black and white - Old Faithful Geyser |
This long-exposure black-and-white image shows how differently a camera sees the night compared to human eyes. A camera can expose for 30 seconds or more, while our eyes collect light for only a fraction of a second. The bright green airglow seen in photos appears as white or grayish clouds to the naked eye.
Image 5 – Steam, Trees and Milky Way
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| Milky Way Galaxy Over Yellowstone National Park Starry night Sky Astrophotography Canon 60Da |
A different angle introduces trees in the foreground while the Milky Way rises behind the drifting steam.
Image 6 – Milky Way, Airglow and Water Reflections
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| Yellowstone Park Milky Way Galaxy Geyser Airglow Night Sky Landscape Astrophotography |
A beautiful combination of the Milky Way, glowing green airglow, geyser steam and water reflecting light on the ground.
Image 7 – Peak Eruption + Pleiades
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| Yellowstone eruptions and Pleiades seven sisters M45 Astrophotography |
A strong eruption reaching upward with the Pleiades star cluster clearly visible at the top of the frame.
Image 8 – Forest Background + Pleiades
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| Pleiades and geyser Yellowstone night starry sky landscape Canon 60da |
In this composition the forest becomes visible behind the geyser field, and the Pleiades star cluster appears clearly in the night sky.
Image 9 – Distant View with Foreground Trees
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| Yellowstone starry night astrophotography Canon 60Da |
This final image is taken from a distant position. Trees in the foreground add scale to the geyser steam rising into the night sky.
Camera Equipment
- Camera: Canon 60Da astrophotography DSLR
- Lens: Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM
- Aperture: f/2.8
- Exposure: 15-30 sec
- ISO: 3200-4000
- Mode: Manual, tripod mounted
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