Some shots sit on your bucket list for years, and for our team, photographing the iconic Grand Prismatic Spring from the air was one of them.
We had dreamed about capturing the surreal colors and abstract patterns of Yellowstone’s most famous hot spring for a long time, but making it happen required perfect timing, planning, weather, and a bit of luck. After carefully coordinating logistics and flight permissions, we finally had our opportunity and thankfully, the conditions aligned perfectly.
Because drones are strictly prohibited inside Yellowstone National Park, the only way to capture true aerial perspectives of Grand Prismatic was by helicopter. For this mission, we chartered a Robinson R66 and removed the doors to give ourselves the cleanest possible shooting angles without reflections or obstructions.
Knowing how unpredictable mountain weather can be, we intentionally planned two full days in the area in case conditions were not ideal for flying. Fortunately, the weather cooperated for our helicopter flight, but having that extra flexibility built into the schedule took a lot of pressure off the experience and allowed us to make the most of our time in Yellowstone regardless of conditions.
The experience itself was unforgettable. Flying over Yellowstone’s geothermal landscape with the doors off and the smell of sulfur rising from below felt almost unreal. As we approached Grand Prismatic, the famous bands of deep blue, orange, yellow, and green slowly came into view and from the air, the spring looked even more abstract and vibrant than we imagined.
Timing was critical. We had to be precisely on schedule for the flight window we were given by the National Park Service, and once positioned over the spring, we only had about 4 to 5 minutes to capture everything we needed before moving on. Every second counted!
To maximize those few minutes, each of us carried two camera bodies ready to go so we could quickly switch between wide compositions and tighter abstract details without wasting time changing lenses.
Our gear setup included:
Sony a1 II paired with the 70-200mm f/2.8 GM II
Two sets of Hasselblad X2D II with the 35-100 lens
Nikon Z8 with the 28-400 lens
DJI Osmo Action 6
Insta360 X5
RayBan Meta sunglasses
Our iPhone 17 Pro Maxes!
The combination worked beautifully for this type of aerial photography. The telephoto lenses allowed us to isolate the intricate textures, mineral patterns, and steaming details within the spring, while the wider focal lengths helped capture the immense scale and geometry of the landscape surrounding it.
One of the biggest challenges of aerial photography from a helicopter is balancing sharpness while working with vibration, movement, and constantly changing angles. Shooting from an open door helicopter also means dealing with intense wind and communicating quickly with the pilot while staying safely harnessed in. Thankfully, the weather gave us calm enough conditions to work efficiently and safely.
This was definitely one of those moments where preparation met opportunity. The window was short, the logistics complicated, and the conditions needed to cooperate, but in the end, we were able to capture one of the most spectacular natural wonders in North America from a perspective very few photographers ever experience.
Since we had planned extra time in Yellowstone, we also hired a private guide on our second day to take our small group around the park for wildlife photography and to explore more of Yellowstone’s incredible geothermal features. It ended up being the perfect complement to the aerial experience.
We spent the day photographing massive herds of bison, elk roaming through the valleys, and even playful bears wandering through the landscape. Seeing wildlife so freely in such a dramatic environment was an experience in itself. We also visited several thermal areas throughout the park and watched Old Faithful erupt, something that never gets old no matter how many times you see it.
Please reach out if this exclusive opportunity is of interest to you!