Spring Moments near Quileute, Washington

The headlands are usually the last to relinquish their fog from the warming sun. It's best to try to get out early when the weather is good, as it may be gone in just an hour. I saw that it was already dissipating as I walked to one of my favorite and oft visited areas over many years. It's a place of solitude and beauty.

In spring this area is truly a wild place, where few visitors are seen. The weather is capricious and one has to be careful with the wave and surge action, especially when completely alone.

The sun was blazing but the fog held. Tide was approaching, so I had my back to the waves, which always makes me a little more than nervous. It was amazing. The sun through the trees was splitting the light into many fragments. I took a few photographs of the rays. Then  I moved back (closer to those waves) so a light curtain of beams covered the shore. It was magic and unusual.

Beautiful Light Beams

Another day I was kayaking with a friend on the Quillayute River near La Push on another beautiful sunny day. After taking photographs of at least 20 eagles, we took a break and were presented with these radiating cirrus clouds right over Little James Island. Flowers were blooming. It was Spring in full measure.

Waves forming a V and Radiating Clouds

 Link to more photographs on my website>

A Short Addendum to the Olympic Workshop, May, 2016

After returning to the cabin at 11pm after a very long but fine day of instructing, driving and dinner making, it seemed like a good idea to get in some photography before ending the day. There is little or no personal shooting while teaching, but the night sky was interesting and it can be very peaceful and relaxing shooting at night....

Retrieving my camera and tripod and heading to the shoreline, there was an amazing glow of lights over Pyramid Peak. It was very bright and beautiful, but my first thought was the military was doing some kind of odd testing. Part of the display was a giant beam of white light that one normally does not see in these latitudes.

Aurora Borealis, Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park. Byron Will, ©2016

 Rushing to the shore, the light was changing subtly every moment. It was quite spectacular. One detail that was missed was not fully tightening one section of the tripod leg sufficiently. While taking an exposure with the waves pounding right next to me, I heard the dreaded sound of my camera landing in the water. It was so dark, it fell over without me even seeing it fall. The cable release was just long enough to give a tug on my hand.

Aurora Borealis, Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park. Byron Will, ©2016

Completely upset and tired, the camera and lens were promptly tested (comatose), so were placed in a warm oven to (hopefully) revive. By the next morning (with not very much sleep for me), they came slowly back to working order. A big sigh of relief!

Aurora Borealis, Lake Crescent, Olympic National Park. Byron Will, ©2016

Long Awaited Olympic Photography Workshop, May 2016

After being in many beautiful areas of the Olympic Peninsula over a 40 year period, a way to share  some special places has been a goal for some time. One very important aspect in making it possible is having a small family cabin to act as a base for our workshop on the shores of picturesque Lake Crescent.

Thursday evening we gathered for a small briefing and dinner at Lake Crescent Lodge, and then headed into the old growth forest along Barnes Creek. Using a beautiful grove of ancient Cedars as our base, we explored this forest and creek with the goal of sharpening our seeing and relaxing from the driving and the pace of the city.

Forest and Barnes Creek. John Camp, ©2016

Friday morning we headed to the land of the Quileute tribe on the Pacific, hiking Rialto Beach in the morning mist. Solitude and an eagle were our companions as the low tide slowly advanced into the exposed rocks. The sun was working on clearing the mist and we were working on various compositions of rock, sunbeams, trees and driftwood. We continued down to Hole in the Wall, with limited time to shoot before the tide advanced. We headed back to a fine lunch in La Push.

Get up close to the driftwood at Rialto Beach

Walking back on Rialto Beach as the tide approaches. Thanks, Connie

 In the afternoon we had a 2 1/2 hour Lightroom review and develop session. After dinner at the Lodge, we explored the rough coast along the Strait of Juan de Fuca at Salt Creek. Sunset was quite pleasant, and there was some very nice wave action on the rocky shoreline.

Saturday was a very full day as well. Early morning we headed back to the coast to catch low tide at Second Beach. No mist this morning! The sun was in complete command of the day, with the light already quite strong by 10a. The sea stacks are always very stately as the tide advanced. We elected to have another lunch in La Push at River's Edge.

Walking along the textured sand at Second Beach

After a break another Lightroom session was held at the cabin. It's always highly instructive to share each others work right after a photo session. My wife Cheryl and I then prepared a locally caught white salmon dinner which was a real treat.

The first clouds we had seen for a few days had sneaked in, with the possibility that our trip to Hurricane Ridge might be clouded in. Evidence of better weather was not apparent as we drove up, but we continued to the Ridge to find the sky breaking in places and a nice view to the north towards Victoria and Vancouver Island. We then hurried back to shoot the beautiful light and clouds over the Bailey Range, with long bands of color and clouds. The afterglow light was also quite beautiful. A very satisfying end to our workshop. We arrived back at 11p after a long day!

Sunset over the Bailey Range from Hurricane Ridge

Participant photographs from this workshop can be seen here>>

A Break in the Northwest Storm Parade

Finally able to leave the confines of the Portland metro area for a few days, we headed to the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula. Knowing there was going to be a series of storms marching through, we were prepared for rain and wind inside our trusty cabin on the shores of Lake Crescent.

With a break coming in the storms, we headed to the Pacific coast. My wife read her book in the River's Edge Restaurant in La Push (lovely setting, friendly people and nice food) while I headed to Second Beach. Been coming here for 40 years, revisiting the beautiful and ever changing familiar features, as well as discovering new and unexpected beauty.

With a building wind and incoming tide, I headed north towards Quateata, the final headland on this beach. The sun was already low in the sky at 3p. Had some nice sun and interesting darker clouds. Scattered on the beach was an array of well worn sticks. I loved the remorseful, bone-like features randomly strewn on the beach.

Bone like sticks on the sand

Shifting patterns with each wave

 As the tide approaches and the sun appears and reappears, present new water and cloud patterns. The wind is now approaching 30 knots from the south.

The "bones" are now washed into the sea

 

Waves of Clouds

Time to find some shelter from the wind, so headed into the wind to a favorite resting spot.

Pools and Sculptured Rock

A brief clearing and some sun gave some hope of a colorful sunset, but it was short lived as the clouds quickly moved in. Another wonderful time at the dynamic and beautiful Pacific coast.

Olympic National Park New Year 2015

Winter is a relatively quiet time on the Olympic Peninsula. The weather gods can change their mood overnight, but on this occasion, after some light snow, it was calm and somewhat cold for a week.

Lake Crescent is a restful and beautiful retreat in winter. There was a slight wind this evening, so with a long exposure with the camera, the lake appears to be covered in ice. New snow, lit by moonlight, adorns the ridges, with the summit of Storm King Mountain veiled with a thin line of mist in the background. The distant lights below Storm King are from Lake Crescent Lodge, with the lights from our cabin to the right.

Lake Crescent in moonlight

Second Beach is always a place of beauty.  The feeling of summer was here on this visit. The normal winter surf was absent, a clear sky at sunset, and completely calm.

Calm waters after sunset

As darkness approached, sunlight was exchanged for moonlight reflecting off the beach. A few fine clouds added to the beauty of the sky and the stars. In the photograph below, this portion of the Milky Way, featuring Cyngus, the Swan, while overhead in summer, was now descending in the Northwest. The sea stacks and water were illuminated by the rising moon in the SE. The sea spread across the shallow beach as the tide rose. A tranquil evening, alone, surrounded with beauty.

Sea Stacks lit by the moon, framed by the Milky Way

 We have a small tradition, weather permitting, of visiting Hurricane Ridge on New Years Day. There was just enough snow at this elevation to have a wintry feel. A lovely sunset with warm skies and and very blue light from the east lighting the east side of the Olympics made for a beautiful color contrast on the peaks.

Lovely light after sunset highlights Boulder Peak

 If you would like to see larger photographs of these and others, please visit my Destinations>>

Racing Clouds and Tides on Olympic Beaches

 Life in profusion drapes the rocks at Shi Shi Beach. Heavy layers of mussels await the returning tide. Shi Shi is a cacophony of beautifully sculpted rocks and a steep shoreline that the sea nests against when the tide returns. To the south, a wide crescent beach sweeps to the distant and rugged Point of the Arches.

Spring Blooms

Due to a number of very dedicated people, these areas are set aside for posterity and saved from the continued taming of the wildness of our coasts. There are few visitors here for much of the year, but as the weather moderates, these beaches are greatly enjoyed by many. It's heartening to see many families backpacking here to enjoy this heritage. 

Wind and Sea

In spring, the weather changes daily, often hourly. One need only wait for change from sun to rain, with rainbows seemingly pressed against the cliffs towards evening. An eagle glides by. The rapid and humorous call of two oystercatchers landing.

Sweeping Waves

Another long beach expands to the south at Second Beach. A simple name for a magic place. The Quileute name is Quateata. The hillsides along the beach show the difficulties of winter, with offset and jumbled trees from land sliding toward the sea. This day was restful and calm.

Waves and Rialto Beach Beauty

Sometimes, it's not a simple walk on the beach at high tide in winter here on the Pacific. Thankfully the sun graced the skies for another day of exploration and photography, this day at Rialto Beach. Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park, is just north of the Quileute Tribe's village and fishing harbor of La Push. From Rialto Beach, there is nothing but wild beaches 40 miles north to Cape Flattery.

 James Island was a refuge for the Quileute when attacked by other tribes

Rialto Beach consists primarily of stones of various sizes. The water is also quite deep close to shore, so the roar of crashing waves from the west, pounding and pushing massive amounts of stones, makes quite an intense and powerful sound. Waves were washing up into the huge debris field of driftwood. This is no ordinary driftwood, as many of the trees here were old growth beauties, now worn down, sometimes thrown on top of one another during the big storms and waves at high tide.

The beautiful sea stacks and dark beach near Hole in the Wall (far right)

It was high tide as I made my way dodging waves and driftwood to the sea stacks at the north end of the beach. The waves keep me close to the shore, but it was a pleasant, slow walk with just one creek to ford. Sunset was imminent as I approached the sea stacks.

 "Split Rock" sea stacks at sunset

 Last light on the sea stacks with a short-lived ethereal sky

The walk back was gratefully easier, as more beach opened as the tide retreated. The light was quickly retreating as well. If I can see stars, the camera can capture many more. This time of year the summer Milky Way is in the WNW, with Cygnus pointing down to the horizon. A 30 second exposure captured the scene. In the far lower right, you can see the glow of crab boats as the crab season was just opened.

 Sunset Glow and The Milky Way

If you would like to view more images from this collection, and at a larger size, please visit my Website/Recent Work> 

Mountains of Snow

 The weather Gods smiled again this year in allowing a visit to Hurricane Ridge for the New Year. The winds howled last year, but there was a limited amount of snow. This New Year Day we were greeted with stillness and mounts and drifts of snow everywhere. The trees were beautifully coated with snow.

Subalpine Fir coated in snow

The landscape had a near black and white tonality, which contrasted well with the warm tones in the sky, created from the sunlight's low winter trajectory filtering through the altostratus clouds.

Mt. Olympus (left) and Mt. Carrie

Looking South, the peaceful Elwha Valley and the Bailey Range

Happy New Year!

Second Beach Light

The rain and clouds of autumn on the Olympic Peninsula make it a guessing game when to go out and attempt to capture the beauty of the coast between storm fronts. At our cabin at Lake Crescent, there is no internet access, so those fronts are even more elusive. Weather can also vary quite a bit location to location, and change in a matter of an hour.

The main players at Second Beach are the sea stacks, from large tree covered mini islands to just the bare rock towers, and the very long slope of beach. At very low tides, you can walk nearly a 1/4 mile from shore. Sunset is most dramatic. At this time of year, one can be quite alone here.

The north end of the beach, with it's famous sea stack, is a beautiful and active area. Luck was with me, for after searching for sea otters earlier this year, two appeared in this channel. I was away from my camera, and they disappeared in minutes after spotting me. The last photo was taken just before leaving.

 Last Light

 Afterglow and Cirrus Monster

Fading light on the beach

In Search of the Elusive Sea Otter

Although rarely seen, there are sea otters on the Washington coast. I have seen them in the past, but haven't spent dedicated time to find them. One goal of this one day hike north of Rialto Beach (near La Push) was to see if any sea otters were floating merrily in the kelp. It was more an exploratory hike than a photo shoot. No tripod along.

We headed out to Johnson Point during a low tide. Once you are north of the popular Hole in the Wall, the true, rugged nature of the Washington coast becomes apparent. Rocks, kelp, and boulders are more the norm than beaches.

 Pelicans Resting and Prining 

Johnson Point is about 3 miles from the parking lot, but the terrain makes for slow going. Some areas had beautiful boulder fields or eroded sandstone. 

 Beautiful Anemone surrounded by pink

Upon reaching the bay, the only mammals in sight were a large group of seals resting on the rocks offshore. With the advent of the returning tide and nightfall, we headed back. Kayaking may be the best way to see this area, but it requires certain special conditions, namely calmer seas and low wind. We had those conditions on this day, but not the kayaks!

One added bonus was the atmospheric conditions at sunset. Due to distant but numerous fires inland, and an offshore breeze, the sunset was especially unusual and beautiful.

A Busy Spring

Wow, certainly been away from my blog for awhile, but have had a very busy 3 months. Getting out is always a pleasure, and I have found time to shoot, primarily in the Columbia Gorge, at the Oregon Coast and in the Olympics.

The Northwest has gone from the colds of winter. Snows greeted the end of March in the Olympics, all the way down to sea level. Quiet, restful days of roaming the rainforest, surrounded by beautiful moss and drippy sounds in the stillness.

A Fresh blanket of snow and storm clouds

The Oregon coast did not experience too many strong storms this spring. Some days were remarkably balmy and beautiful, with warm, strong offshore winds. 

Sunset near Cape Falcon

Spring came a bit later to the Columbia Gorge. It was quite wet, with quantities of snow and rain filling the streams and waterfalls. Spring also came in fits and starts, but the Balsamroot and Lupine made quite a fine show near the end of April.

 Beautiful Cirrus clouds with Balsamroot and Lupine

A Few Days in the Olympics

Winter is a generally quiet time here in the Olympics. There are always a few hardy souls about, but the rain can be quite unrelenting. One has to come prepared for a wide variety of weather. Upon arrival after dusk, snow was falling quietly at Lake Crescent. The moon was near first quarter phase, so did a beautiful job of lighting the ridges and clouds at night during our stay.

Beautiful morning light lasting less than a minute

New Year's Day opened with this beautiful but brief sunrise, and the day looked like the clear weather was going to hold for a bit, so we headed up to Hurricane Ridge. A strong east wind was blowing and patience (and warm attire!) was needed. The patient part was waiting for lulls in order to capture the action and lovely light on distant peaks with my telephoto. Below are two shots about 1/2 hour apart of the same basic scene with rapidly changing conditions as sunset approached.

Mt. Olympus with Mt Carrie in the foreground. Huge clouds of wind driven snow.

Warmer, darker tones 1/2 hour later

Rain dominated the rest of our stay, but this is an expected part of the beauty here. No one on the trails, rain and green dominate the forest.

Patterns of the colorful Pacific Madrone tree

Moss delights in the damp air near Marymere Falls

The last evening was very stormy, with strong gusts at the lake well over 50 knots!

Olympic National Park, Klahhane Ridge

I always try to return to the Olympics in October. It's one of the most mist/fog/cloud filled times of the year. It's also not too cold (yet) and the snow just graces the upper peaks.

The clouds in the lower valley were very thick, so driving had to be at a slower pace, but I was greeted with clearing skies on arrival to Hurricane Ridge.

It was a wonderland of swirling clouds, light wind with occasional vistas peeking through. Just a few folks at the Ridge, unlike the hordes in the summer. The clouds continued to clear as I hiked towards Mt. Angeles. Unlike last year (see post), there were no deer or mountain goats around.

Rainbow light surrounds my shadow in the mist

The views from this area are some of the finest in the Olympics. Many of the Park's highland features are visible from this Ridge, with 360 degree views. Most of my shots in this post will concentrate on the variations as the sun set.

Looking back towards Mt. Carrie and Mt. Olympus

A close-up view of Mt. Olympus, later in the day, near sunset

A view of the ridge, The High Divide and beautiful evening clouds

Moon Glow and last light

It was a very slow decent driving down, as the fog was so thick at times I could only see the strip on the side of the road!

Spring at Second Beach

With the moon nearly full, morning promised a low tide at La Push. Mornings are not my prime time, but determined to get on the beach with high pressure building in, there was hope of good light.

Second Beach is very shallow, so when the tide is low, it recedes a fair distance from shore. This photo was somewhat inspired by the rocks in the Portland Japanese Gardens, with the small rocks "facing" the main monolith. The sun was coming out between the receding clouds, so I waited until the rocks were in the shade and the large stack was lit up, to give depth and interest while having the sun at my back.

Morning Light and Parting Clouds

After shooting the morning light, I have been concentrating on late morning and later afternoon shooting, the goal is to use longer exposures, and processing with black and white or monotone images.

Incoming Tide

More Spring 2011 images of Second Beach and Lake Crescent can be found here>>