A Perfect Morning Drive

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are two of my favorite places in America, especially in winter. I tend to avoid them during the summer and even the fall. As someone who adores the minimalism of winter, I eagerly anticipate returning there with all my camera gear. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t visit Jackson Hole at other times of the year. Just this past week, I went to Jackson Hole with a photographer friend, Rod Clark of Wine Country Camera, to visit another photographer, David Brookover. We thought it would be a good idea to check out the fall colors and wildlife, though we weren’t certain how much of it would translate into memorable photos.

I decided to pack light. Instead of my usual Leica SL2S body, I chose to carry the Leica M11 with three lenses: 21mm, 50mm, and 90mm. For most of my visit, I relied on the Macro-Elmar-M 90 mm f/4. It’s a superb compact 90mm telephoto lens, ideal for landscapes. Given that the M11 camera boasts a massive 61-megapixel sensor, I believed the 90mm would provide enough data for aggressive cropping, if necessary. I will eventually edit the photos and organize my reflections on the trip.

However, on our drive back from Jackson Hole, we encountered a magical morning. As we drove through Swan Valley in Idaho, we witnessed a strikingly low cloud inversion over the rolling fields, with the blue mountains looming in the background. The early morning light bathed the freshly cut fields in a soft glow. The pinks and magentas on the western horizon created a flawless backdrop for the distant windmills, most of which remained still, awaiting the air to warm up before beginning their rotation.

It was such a breathtaking moment that we had to stop and soak it in. Then, I got to work with my camera. I captured the scene with the M11 and wanted to share the experience.