Swan Dive

This time, I wanted to get closer. The Brink of the Lower Falls trail takes you right to the point where the Yellowstone River disappears over the edge, and standing there changes your perspective completely. Instead of looking across at the falls, you're looking down the canyon as the river races away into the distance, with the edge of the waterfall just beside you.

The mist rising from the falls caught the sunlight and formed a rainbow across the canyon. I loved the way it added a softer, almost fleeting element to an otherwise powerful scene—the river carving its way through the rugged yellow canyon walls, then suddenly becoming mist and light.

I wanted the photograph to convey that feeling of standing at the edge of something immense. You can see where the river is headed, but not quite where it will end up. The rainbow provides a moment of beauty in the middle of all that movement and power, appearing for just a moment before the light or mist shifts and it's gone.