Oxbow Splendor - Oxbow Bend, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Wyoming Dreaming

A few weeks ago, my great friend, Steve Somers posted a series of his memorable trips to Alaska and Yosemite. Inspired by Steve, I am dedicating this week’s posts to one of my favorite states, Wyoming.

If you mention Oxbow Bend to any serious landscape photographer, they know exactly where it is, even if they have never been there before. It is one of the most photographed landscapes in the western US, photographed millions of times. Standing anywhere along the shoreline of the Snake River or from the road above, Mount Moran is always present, towering above everything. I have been lucky enough to stand there many times in the past fifteen years, and I will say that every time the scene is different. Contributing to the variety are the clouds or lack of clouds, the time of day (sunrise is the best time to shoot there), the stillness of the water, the presence or lack of wildlife, low-to-the-ground fog or lack thereof, and the season of the year (ice and snow-covered peaks and/or fall foliage). Suffice to say, for some, visiting this majestic location moves you in ways that you never expect.