Gibbon Falls

Gibbon Falls is a broad, cascading waterfall tucked into a canyon along the Gibbon River, and its wide curtain of water set against dark volcanic rock makes it one of the more photogenic and undervisited falls in Yellowstone. A paved pullout gives you an elevated side-on view of the falls, but the best compositions come from working your way down the informal trail toward the base, where you can fill the frame with the full cascade and use the river in the foreground for depth. Shoot in the morning when soft, diffused light filters into the canyon and avoids the harsh shadows that midday sun creates. A wide angle lens works well to capture the full width of the falls, and a polarizing filter helps cut glare on the water. A slow shutter speed will smooth the flow into silky streaks. (Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States)