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>>

First Visit to Moab and Arches National Park

After 40 years of thinking about visiting the Colorado Plateau, I signed up for a photography workshop in Moab, Utah in early May. Organized by Bruce Hucko, this workshop, part of the Moab Photography Symposium, was a great way to get a running start there, with folks who really know this area well, as well as a honed, artistic eye. The three day workshop was led by veteran outdoor photographers Jack Dykinga and Jeff Foott.

I'm not an early riser, but one of the first realizations is the need to get in place before sunrise (and sunset). In the morning, especially when clear, it was amazing how quickly the first light lost it's warmth and became harsh right before your eyes. Naturally, clouds could rapidly modify this scenerio and were always a welcome addition.

A flowering Yucca Plant at sunrise with The Organ as a backdrop

Another aspect that was apparent was how well this landscape rendered in monochrome. This led to more exploration in the digital darkroom of Adobe Lightroom capabilities as well as a relatively new tool for me, Nik Silver Efex Pro.

First Light hitting Turret Arch with cirrus clouds

When the sun was out in full glory, the shaded cliff sides were often bathed in a beautiful light reflected off of the surrounding red rock, as well as the light from the blue sky.

After the workshop, it was time to explore on my own. Rising early, with it windy and clear, I returned to places that we had visited. Although Arches NP is heavily visited, once you are away from the main places and trailheads, you can easily find yourself alone with the starkness and beauty. Starting at 5:30a, I explored and photographed until 11:30p.

After sunset, one is treated to a celestial show. With the relatively high altitude and dry air and without the moon, stars are easily seen right down to the horizon. The camera shows many more stars, and meteors. Although the Lyrid meteor shower was probably over, nearly every photo had at least one or two meteors streaking through. The quiet serenity at night, with the rock formations and stars was something one does not soon forget. In May, the Milky Way lies along the horizon after sunset, but there were still plenty of celestial beauty to behold. 

A star show at The Organ

It was enchanting to work here, and I will definitely return. Jack and Jeff were great guides, critics and, most of all, engaging and humorous company.

To see more (and larger) photographs, please click here>

Sun(!!) and Stars at the Oregon Coast

After weeks of rain and cold, the weather finally looked like it was going to break for a nanosecond. It was time to head to the Oregon coast for some much needed sun therapy and hang out in one of my most favorite places on the coast, Hug Point State Park. The thought of having to put on sunscreen actually sounded good.

Although the tide was going out, large wave action was sufficient to make it difficult to round the head and get further north from the parking lot, so I approached the beach from above. Also wanted to get some shots of the caves, but it would have been too risky to venture in there. There were a few loonies tempting fate, but it seemed exceeding dangerous.

Freezing the action with this back-lit photo of Falls Creek Falls

Park-like tranquility above the beach leads to a very active and beautiful interaction between waves and waterfall. The worn sandstone with the basalt make for colorful and warm rock formations. One of the major highlights is the waterfall.

Colorful little rainbows dot the places where the creek meets the beach

The "plan" was to photograph here for some time and then head to Ecola State Park, but the weather was so inviting and the area so beautiful, it seemed better to stay and relax.

After meeting up with family members at Arch Cape, I headed back to Portland. Part of the plan was also to take some photographs with the light of the moon. Although tired, a few stops yielded some nice photographs before the clouds moved in, in advance of the next very wet storm, the very next day ;(

The famous Haystack Rock with the lights of the crabbing boats offshore

Click here to see more photographs of this shoot on my website...