Dawn Patrol, Schwabacher’s Landing, Grand Teton NP
I visited Grand Teton National Park the first week of October, 2026. Unfortunately, it was unusually warm and almost entirely devoid of clouds and dramatic weather. This particular morning was my only opportunity for a dramatic sunrise, as the forecast called for clouds. So, I woke early and arrived two hours before sunrise in order to pick my spot and beat the onslaught of photographers and “Instagrammers” that flood the parks these days. The long, happily lonely wait paid dividends. While the only cloud that morning dissipated at sunrise, it put on quite a show 30 minutes before sunrise. The wind patterns draped the cloud into an arc over the Tetons and the pre-dawn atmospheric glow turned the clouds a dramatic magenta hue that reflected onto the landscape below. The still air allowed for this 15 second long exposure. The relative darkness offered a rich saturation of reflected light from the sky upon the landscape. This is THE SHOT from my trip, and my first offering from this iconic spot.
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Enjoy The View!
Jon Paul
Details:
Location - Grand Teton National Park
Camera: Fujifilm GFX 100s Medium Format Mirrorless Camera (102mp)
Lens: Fujifilm GF45mm F2.8
Really Right Stuff Ball Head
Gitzo 1325 Tripod
ISO 50
F-20
15 second exposure time
I stitched together three vertical images to create this ultra high resolution horizontal panorama.
This image is available printed on aluminum or Photo Paper in numerous sizes.
Photographer’s Note:
I am often asked why I use multiple overlapping frames (which I stitch together) to create my panoramic images when I have adequate resolution in one frame to produce the image. There are two reasons:
1) I prefer to have as much resolution as possible to create the most detailed large scale fine art prints I can.
2) If I crop a panorama from a single image captured with an extremely wide angle lens, the subject matter is minimized in the scene and can feel distant. Using a longer focal length lens allows me to draw my subject matter, like the Grand Teton Mountains, in toward the viewer to maximize the impact of the scene. I create a more dramatic composition which provides the feeling of standing within the scene, as opposed to viewing from a distance. Ultimately, it is my artistic choice, which also happens to maximize the quality of my fine art prints.