In Yellowstone... Jerry Mercier

A while ago I spent an afternoon at the Lower Geyser Basin in Yellowstone Park.

I followed the boardwalk to Clepsydra Geyser just before sunset.

The boardwalk was empty and I had the place all to myself.

I used slow shutter speeds so steam flowed across the images.

A brisk northerly breeze kept the spray and steam moving across the frame.

As the sun got closer to the horizon the colors got even better.

Clepsydra Geyser erupts almost continuously so I always had plenty of water and steam to work with.

It was just a question of composition and then enjoying the evening.

Another beautiful day in Yellowtone.

Before I knew it the sun had set and it was time to leave.

Going back... Jerry Mercier

With temperatures in the 50s the ice shoves along the shore of Lake Superior weren't going to last long.

I was hoping for some better photos so I wore chest waders this time and went back before it all melted.

I spent the next hour kneeling in shallow water along the shore of the Chequamegon Bay.

At times I had to break through ice sheets an inch thick so I could get to the spots I wanted.

The point being. The water was really cold.

At one point I stopped to warm my hands, looked over and an adult beaver was in the water only 4 feet away from me. I said 'hey' and it just looked at me before swimming off.

The beaver didn't seem bothered the water temperature at all. But I was getting cold.

So I made a few more images just after sunset and called it a night. 

It's all about the light ... Jerry Mercier

There are certain places in the American west where all you need is sunrise or sunset light to strike the rocks and they seem aglow. 

Badlands National Park in South Dakota is one of those places.

Just after sunrise the colors are beautiful.

Though you have to work fast before the colors start to shift.

Just a little cloud cover or a slight change of angle between photographer, rock and sun can make a lot of difference.

It's compose, focus and shoot. As the clock is always ticking.

It's a lot of fun working with the light, shadows and shapes.

After less than an hour the sun was high enough that the colors had changed dramatically and everything looked very different. I used the self timer then tripped the shutter release and dashed over 35 yards to put myself in the photo before I left.

Having success with the last image I thought I'd do it one better. So I tripped the shutter and sprinted, then scrambled up the eroded formation in front of me only to almost run right off the top. I came to a stop and threw my hands in the air just before my 10 seconds were up. it was a steep drop on the other side and I was relieved I hadn't gone off the edge.

Another beautiful morning in the badlands.