Oxbow Bend in Fall - Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park can be an incredible place to visit in the fall.   The crowds have diminished, the colors are poppin', the elk rut is on, and bears and other wildlife are commonly seen as they prepare for the winter months.

Colors peak anywhere from the last week in September to the first week in October, typically.

There are many favorite places to photograph fall colors within the park.  Most popular are Schwabacher Landing, Oxbow Bent (pictured here), Snake River Overlook, Mormon Row and Blacktail Ponds Overlook.  You will rarely be alone at any of these locations.

The image above was taken at Oxbow Bend.  Early morning promotes calm water on the Snake River, helping to capture the reflection of Mount Moran in its waters.  Sunrise is best, and requires arriving well before sunrise to stake your spot along the shoulder of the road before the crowds arrive.

This image was recently leased to appear worldwide on an editorial news website.  It has been a very popular image for me.  I hope you enjoy.

As always, thanks for visiting!

Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park

Mormon Row is located just off Antelope Flats Road, and consists of four abandoned old barns. The barns serve as excellent foreground material when photographing the Cathedral Group of the Tetons, which consists of Grand Teton, Owens and Teewinott.

Spring is actually considered to be the best time to photograph these barns. The mountains still have interesting patches of snow on them, and the side lighting is stronger for better detail. Autumn sees much flatter light at sunrise.

Of course, my visit took place during autumn, so I had to deal with the hand I was dealt. I still enjoyed photographing from this location - enough so that I returned for sunrise after shooting in late-morning the previous day. The barn up top is probably the most photogenic of all the barns, and makes a great sunrise to mid-morning subject.

I found mid to late morning to also be quite interesting, and for more than just the barns. There are also numerous fences, gates and corrals available to frame the Cathedral Group with.

One can easily spend a full morning at Mormon Row, and still have reason to come back. Maybe you will photograph the barns on the north side of Antelope Flats Road one day, and the ones to the south on another day. Or maybe you will simply return with fresh ideas to try after reviewing your initial images. However way you choose to explore this historic area of Grand Teton National Park, enjoy!

I have recently completed my new Grand Teton National Park gallery, and have made it available for viewing. It includes my visits to Schwabacher Landing, Oxbow Bend, Triangle X Ranch, Mormon Row, and many places in between!

Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park

Oxbow Bend is considered to be one of the prime photographic destinations within Grand Teton National Park. Located just 3 miles inside the entrance, it's still waters can offer a beautiful reflection of Mount Moran and surrounding peaks, and can be the scene of dramatic sunsets should clouds be present in the evening.

This body of water was formerly a portion of the Snake River that has been bypassed and has formed a lake. The results are very pleasing to the eye and attract photographers and tourists alike!

Photographers would do well to arrive early for sunrise. After my experience at Schwabacher Landing the day prior, I made certain to arrive at Oxbow Bend 1-1/2 hours before sunrise. I was alone much of this time! I would still recommend an hour early (as I would with any sunrise). The great thing about Oxbow Bend is that it offers a very large area for photography, unlike Schwabacker Landing. Photographers can set up in the parking lot or along the 1/4 mile of road to the west. Personally, I recommend staying close to the parking lot. I also found my best shots to be from mid to late morning. Early morning light in autumn is very flat here.

Plan on spending much of the morning here as there is a lot to do! After first light on Mount Moran, you'll have some dead time until the foreground begins to light up. As the morning moves on, I recommend moving further up the road.

There are many other posibilities as well. Above the road to the north is a trail that is frequented by horseback riders. Wandering along and near this trail offers all kinds of compositions not available from the road.

If your lucky, you might even come across a guided horse tour as I did. I created several compositions of the group of riders, but really like the isolation of this lone rider.

There are many other wanderings available in the area as well. Don't be in a rush to get back to camp!

When you are done, don't miss driving 1 mile further up the road to Jackson Lake Junction and visiting the viewpoint. While it doesn't offer much for photography, it's a pretty incredible panorama.

Next up: Mormon Row!

Buck-and-Rail Fences in Grand Teton National Park

There is a lot of history still present within Grand Teton National Park. Heck, this was cowboy country and the tradition is still carried on for commercial purposes within the park's boundaries.

Part of the photogenic history within the park can be captured by incorporating the ever-present buck and rail fences into your composition. These fences can be found in several locations, but are most abundant along Highway 191. Here the fences line the west side of the highway and make excellent forefronts for the majestic Teton Range towering above.

One of the best locations is near the Triangle X Ranch turnoff, where the fence descends into a gully and back up the other side. This adds for some intriguing and attractive diagonal elements to your composition of the Cathedral Group.

There are many other scenic locations along this highway to include the fences in your composition as well, including a spot just before reaching the Cunningham Cabin turnoff. Here, several groves of aspen add attractive color in autumn. There are many cottonwoods that also grace the west side of the highway.

Granted, I haven't visited this area in the spring, but I found autumn to be my personal favorite season for photographing this area with the dried brown grasses and yellow color in the shrubs and trees. OK, so autumn is probably my favorite time to photograph the park in general!

Mid to late morning serves as the best light for photographing this area as the light can be quite flat in early morning. Also, keep a watch out for horseback riders, which can add a new element to your composition. With all the ranches nearby, trail riding in guided tours is quite popular, and offers an historic story to your images.

I hope you get a chance to enjoy this magnificent area sometime soon. It really is a special treat.

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!

Schwabacher Landing - Grand Teton National Park

Schwabacher Landing in Grand Teton National Park offers excellent reflection shots at sunrise and late morning (early morning finds the light rather flat).

It's also on nearly every photographer's radar, so don't expect to be alone! I arrived over 1-1/2 hours before sunrise, only to notice headlamps already descending the trail from the parking lot. Upon arriving at the pond I wished to shoot from, a few photographers were already set up in total darkness, certainly having scouted the location the day prior (having arrived at the park late the previous evening, this was not an option for me).

I set my tripod up next to them in the dark, unable to see anything - including my subject! I quickly became involved in conversation with them, and much joking and camaraderie ensued. In fact, I ran into one of the photographers again at Oxbow Bend later in my trip, and then again in Yellowstone the following year!

While we photographed first light on the Tetons, the droves began to arrive (I've never understood late arrivals). Though I've found most photographers to be very courteous and respectful, you do run into a bad apple now and then. This was one of those times. Though the photographer next to me and I had our tripod legs intertwined so nobody could get between us, a late arrival still repeatedly tried and we were forced to take issue with her. She was part of a workshop - an irresponsible one.

The morning that unfolded before us was a beautiful one, and I felt fortunate to have been a part of it. Fall colors were peaking during my visit, which did not come by accident. I had actually delayed my trip by a week at the last moment when I realized they were running later than normal. This preparedness in my trip planning did not go unrewarded!

I will have many more trip posts from this magnificent national park as I prepare my new Grand Teton National Park web gallery - stay tuned!