Mineralized Trees: Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park

The mineralized tree trunks in this photo seem to lie at a boundary between a waning hellish landscape, the last of which trickles in orange rivulets, and a lush, green horizon so far untouched by the fiery streams. Much of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is paradoxical in that sense, some areas highly active while others stay dormant and are given the chance to resume tree growth. What’s really striking is that the balance is always shifting and boiling holes can open up in the middle of the forest. But even the most dedicated nature photographer wouldn’t want to be there for that…