Snake River Overlook - Grand Teton National Park

The Snake River Overlook in Grand Teton National Park is a grand panoramic view of the range, made famous by a fantastic image captured by Ansel Adams. At that time, the full "S" of the river could be viewed. Today that is not possible with the growth of the trees, but is still a very worthy place to set up your tripod.

This particular morning started off on the wrong foot. I lost my watch the previous morning while shooting at Oxbow Bend, and borrowed a watch to wake up with. Little did I know, its batteries were dying. Waking up to the sound of other people in your campground is never a good thing for a photographer!

Once I realized what had happened, I raced off to the nearest location from camp - Snake River Overlook. Granted it was a place that interested me and was in my plans to shoot, just not this day! I arrived in plenty of time for sunrise, and was surprised at how few people were present. In fact, there was only one other photographer there when I arrived - a stark contrast to Schwabacher Landing.

Pre-sunrise conditions were quite nice here, however early morning light is flat. This is a better late morning destination when shadows add some depth to your composition.

Snake River Overlook is also an excellent place to capture dramatic sunsets. Unfortunately, I was awarded clear blue skies each evening and was unable to capitalize on this knowledge. Next time!