Telling the Story: Grand Vistas

OH MY!!!!  The beauty of Glacier National Park and the Sun Road was almost overwhelming.  My husband and I were there in August 2004, and had set aside the whole day to drive this famous road from the east side of the park to the west side, where we would be staying that night.  We stopped at the top of Logan Pass to walk the trails and take in the unstoppable beauty.

Vista at Logan Pass

Sometimes, the feeling of being overwhelmed with vistas like this takes over the camera and produces mediocre photographs that are nothing like what we are experiencing.  When that happens, it is important to recognize the process and stop for a minute.  Evaluate what you are seeing and the story you want to tell.

Visitor Center Trails at Logan Pass

Clearly the subject of Logan Pass is the sharp, well-defined mountains with the steep valleys below.  Both of these shots have elements of that story, but the one on the left tells it in no uncertain terms.  You can feel the razor-sharp edges of the mountain range, and the size is accentuated with the forest below, miniscule by comparison.  The shot on the right has too much information and attempts to tell a much different story – that of the trails around the visitors center, with the mountains as an afterthought.  The story of the trails is a good one to tell, but would be better shown with more emphasis on the trails and less on the mountains in the background.