Quick Shoot...And A Pizza

I was stuck at home on Tuesday waiting for UPS to deliver a package because I was too cheap to pay the fee to schedule a delivery. Mercifully, they arrived at 3:15 which left me exactly one hour til sunset for a shoot. I never gave my destination choice much thought because Picnic Point on the Puget Sound is only a couple minutes from my house. The light was soft and pastel, and the water was glassy and calm. I hung out for awhile and watched the light fade away, then picked up a pizza on the way home for the family. Sausage and peppers if you want to know.....Life is good!

Picnic Point County Park, Snohomish County, Washington

Vernal Falls

Vernal Falls in Yosemite National Park a couple of years ago.....OK a couple of decades ago. This was actually shot on.....

Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's
a sunny day
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away......

But they did!!

Well thanks to Paul Simon for immortalizing the film inside the little yellow box that I cut my teeth on.

This Is Oregon?

If you don't live in the Pacific Northwest, you may think the entire area is moss and waterfalls. In fact, over half the region could qualify as desert by most accounts. The top of Steens Mountain in Eastern Oregon is a fantastic treeless wonderland. At over 9000 feet, it frequently catches the very last light of day skimming through the atmosphere creating some unworldly colored light.

Steens Mountain, Oregon

Rocky Beach

Since my wife had to work today, my son and I spent the afternoon wandering around Whidbey Island. We played at some playgrounds, explored the dark passageways at Fort Casey, threw rocks in the water, and walked some beaches. The little guy was even patient while I worked through a couple of compositions at Keystone Spit....life is looking up :)

Keystone Spit, Ebey's Landing National Historic Preserve, Whidbey Island, Washington

South Falls

There is nothing like the sound of water throwing itself off a cliff and splashing in a pool below....unless it is accompanied by the sound of rustling autumn leaves.

South Falls in Silver Falls State Park, Oregon

Day's End

Day's end at Camano Island State Park, Washington

Sit By The Stream

Sit down by the stream and set life aside. Close your eyes and clear your head. Let the negative emotions float away and forget the responsibilities that burden you. Listen to the sound of the water. Hear it dance over the rocks. Feel the damp breeze rushing across the water and caressing your face. Open your eyes and soak in the riot of colors that paint the scene in front of you. Watch the river race past you, seemingly in a hurry to reach some destination, and not even aware of the beauty it's flowing through. Count your blessings and remember...You are alive and here. It is enough.

Sauk River, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington.

Misty Morning

I wanted to be up at Washington Pass as early as possible but this scene made me turn the truck around and spend some time in the ditch by the side of the road.

Rural Skagit County, Washington

North Cascades

I have one minor complaint about the Cascades. The lower slopes of the western side can be....hmmmm...how should I describe it?.....somewhat claustrophobic. You can hike miles through the trees and never see more than the trail in front and behind you. Don't get me wrong...the misty forests have their own charm but if you are searching for views of the peaks, you need to get up high.

How far did I have to hike to arrive at this glacially smoothed wonderland of granite slabs? A body-crunching, mind-numbing, fatigue-inducing total of 100 feet from the car. Nature photography is not always glamorous and it requires an exhausting level of commitment that I'm not sure the average person understands. ;)

Evening light at Washington Pass, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Washington.

Camano Island

Sunset at Camano Island State Park, Washington