Multicolored Microbes

[Michael Frye]

Steam vents, Yellowstone NP, Wyoming. 84mm, 1/250 sec at f/11, ISO 100.


In Yellowstone, the hot water boiling out of the ground hosts some unique ecosystems. They’re called “thermophilic communities” because only certain heat-adapted species can live there – mostly single-cell microorganisms like bacteria and archaea (ar-KEE-uh).

Millions of these microorganisms can bond together to form dense mats. They’re commonly called “bacterial mats,” though most of the species involved are usually archaea rather than bacteria. But regardless of the name, these mats often form beautiful patterns of color. Each species of microorganism prefers a certain water temperature, along with a particular level of acidity in the water. So one species might grow in the hottest water right next to a boiling pool, then another species in slightly cooler water a little farther away from the pool, and so on, creating distinct bands of color surrounding a pool or lining a runoff stream.

These microbial mats can be visually striking and photogenic just by themselves. In addition, the thermal pools throw off lots of steam, especially on cold mornings. This creates beautiful combinations of mist and color – two of my favorite things. For me, it’s like a visual playground.

That said, these thermal areas can be challenging to photograph. That beautiful, ethereal mist can move this way and that, shifting with the slightest breeze. Often – too often – I’d see some captivating little scene, but by the time I got in position to compose and photograph it the wind had changed and the composition I’d visualized had disappeared. I had to be either really quick to capture something fleeting before it changed, or patient enough to wait until the wind shifted back and re-created the scene I originally saw.

Of course there was never a guarantee that the same conditions would repeat, so I usually tried to move quickly enough to capture something before it disappeared. I’m pretty fast, but sometimes wasn’t fast enough. Nevertheless, I was able to make some photographs of those colorful microbes through the shifting mists that I liked, and here’s a sampling of those.

Most of these images were made with my 24-105mm lens, because it’s so versatile – a key factor in quickly-changing situations. But sometimes I switched to my 100-400mm zoom when the 24-105 wasn’t long enough. And although I was using a tripod, on some occasions I pushed up the ISO a little to get a fast enough shutter speed to avoid blurring the steam.

While the quickly-changing scenes were challenging to photograph, I like a challenge, so that just made photographing all that color and mist even more fun. Yellowstone is a wonderful place.

— Michael Frye


Patterns and cloud reflections in a thermal pool, Yellowstone NP, Wyoming. 101mm, 1 second at f/16, ISO 100.


Microbial mats in fog, Yellowstone NP, Wyoming. 34mm, 1/4 sec at f/16, ISO 100.


Steam and color patterns in a thermal basin, Yellowstone NP, Wyoming. 68mm, 1/15 sec at f/11, ISO 400.


Blue wedge, Yellowstone NP, Wyoming. 190mm, 1/6 sec at f/16, ISO 100.


Blue pools, Yellowstone NP, Wyoming. 146mm, 1/20 sec at f/16, ISO 100.


Steaming earth, Yellowstone NP, Wyoming. 48mm, 1/250 sec at f/11, ISO 100.



Steam and gold reflections, Yellowstone NP, Wyoming. The color in the water here isn’t from microbial mats; it’s from steam overhead being struck by the early-morning sun, turning it gold, and that gold color is reflected in the water. 158mm, 1/60 sec at f/16, ISO 800.




Related Posts: Backlit Steam; A Misty Morning in Yellowstone

Michael Frye is a professional photographer specializing in landscapes and nature. He lives near Yosemite National Park in California, but travels extensively to photograph natural landscapes in the American West and throughout the world.

Michael uses light, weather, and design to make photographs that capture the mood of the landscape, and convey the beauty, power, and mystery of nature. His work has received numerous awards, including the North American Nature Photography Association’s 2023 award for Fine Art in Nature Photography. Michael’s photographs have appeared in publications around the world, and he’s the author and/or principal photographer of several books, including
Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Great Masters, and The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite.

Michael loves to share his knowledge of photography through articles, books, workshops, online courses, and his blog. He’s taught over 200 workshops focused on landscape photography, night photography, digital image processing, and printing.

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