Photographer sentenced to prison - crossed fence to photograph geyser

The incident took place at Yellowstone National Park, USA, at Steamboat Geyser, which is the world's tallest active geyser known for its unpredictable activity and ability to spray boiling water up to 300 feet high.

A 21-year-old photographer has now been sentenced to seven days in jail for leaving the trail and the platform provided for viewing the geyser, and continued to enter the restricted area to try to take pictures closer to the geyser. In addition to the jail sentence, the photographer received two years of probation and a two-year ban from visiting Yellowstone, as well as a fine of 1500 dollars.

"In cases like this, where we have strong evidence showing that a person has deliberately ignored signs and entered a closed, thermal area, federal prosecutors will seek significant penalties, including imprisonment," the U.S. authorities announced.

The judge also emphasized in connection with the sentence the importance of deterring similar behaviors to protect the park's integrity and the safety of its visitors. The problem of an increasing number of photographers going further to get the best picture has grown stronger in recent years, due to social media such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok and the pursuit of likes.