10 Tips for a Grand Teton National Park Visit
Tips for a better visit from a 31 year resident and local photographer.
1: Do some pre-trip planning!
- The good news…Grand Teton National Park is open all year! Summer visitors have access to most roads and facilities. It’s beautiful here all Winter, but you’ll find fewer roads and access.
- Grand Teton National Park is home to many species of wildlife, however you might need to time your visit based on what you are hoping to see. For example, bull Moose will not have antlers from late January through mid-August. Many mammals will be shedding winter fur during the Spring months, but those months are the best months for the babies. Remember, some of the wildlife migrates out of the region while others hibernate during the Winter months.
- Weather can be an issue at any time of the year. It helps to bring warm clothing at all times of the year. Temperatures can drop to below freezing overnight, even in the summer, yet warm up to comfortable temperatures by afternoon. We have experienced heavy snow on July 4th!
- You’ll know you are in Grand Teton National Park via a few entrance signs, however much of the Park lacks clear signage identifying its boundaries. This is especially true on the East side of the park. Pick up a Park map as soon as you can, or visit click the link below to view the official Park map. Note: Visitors entering GTNP via Yellowstone pass through a gate a Moran Junction, then enter the highway. Many believe they are out of the Park, yet they are still well within Park’s boundaries. Check the maps before letting your dog off its leash or considering using a drone anywhere in the Jackson Hole area!
- Wildlife viewing rules state that humans must stay 100 yards from bears and wolves, and 25 yards from other wildlife. Visitors must follow the instructions of on-site rangers and volunteers, even if they are are more strict than printed rules and documentation.
- Click Here to view the GTNP Map
Working in 16 Bit Mode
Memory is Cheap — Memories are Priceless!
I typically shoot in 14 bit and process in 16 bit in Photoshop as long as I can. Here’s why…16 Bit Clobber and Recovery
The issue is not what you can see, or what your monitor can display, or what your printer can print—but what is under the hood of the file! I believe you will be amazed by the examples! (For this article, 8 bit vs 16 bit refers to Color Bit Depth while using Lightroom and Photoshop.)
The image above was captured with a Nikon D810 in 14 bit mode. I set that in the camera’s menus long ago and never looked back! The files are much larger, so they fill cards faster, fill the buffer quicker, and possibly slow down the frame rate on some cameras. You might consider these issues up front. You can always “downgrade” a capture during your workflow, but you can’t “upgrade” one. As seen in the screen grab, I export images from Lightroom to Photoshop by selecting the 16 bits/component option. Continue reading "Working in 16 Bit Mode" Beating the Summer Crowds in Grand Teton National Park:
Tips and Strategies to Help Make Your GTNP Visit More Enjoyable!
Visitation at Grand Teton National Park has been on the incline for several years—each one breaking the previous year’s totals. We are likely on a similar pace this year, and that’s not taking into consideration the extra visitors in August for the Solar Eclipse! Air travel is getting more and more difficult—and less fun. It is probably going to get worse with new restrictions on computers and eventually photo gear. Gasoline prices have remained relatively low and there is a renewed interest in the Parks in general.
That’s great for our regional market. It’s great for the tour operators, merchants, galleries, restaurants, dude ranches, and activities! If you are stuck behind a bear jam or waiting to get through the entrance station, it’s not so great! Continue reading "Beating the Summer Crowds in Grand Teton National Park:"