46.7

Funny story. I was visiting West Thumb by snow coach, the only way to travel in the park in the Winter unless you cross country ski or snow shoe. My mother was in the coach staying warm. It was about -10 degrees in the basin. I felt very rushed taking this shot,because she was waiting. I had already spend an hour in the basin. This was my last stop. I set up a couple verticals to get the frozen snowy trees over the hot spring. I put a polarizer on and twisted it a bit. I really didn't feel like I had appropriate time to work the shot. I wrapped up taking about five shots.

When I returned home at the end of the trip and proceeded the image I didn't appreciate what I had captured until I saw it on my computer. I had polarized the water in the hot spring so well you could see directly down the side. It really made the shot look dramatic. The trees looked like they were sitting on a big vertical cliff.

Later this image was awarded in a juried competition and took best in show and won the landscape category. Go figure!