Christmas Eve Disappointments?

Wow! Talk about disheartening. I decided to take Christmas Eve off so I could explore the waterfalls of southern Washington, along the Lewis River and beyond. I would camp near the river but the campgrounds in the area were already closed for the season. I checked the road on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest site and there were no updates. However several descriptions said the trails I wanted are accessible throughout the winter. And there are private campgrounds in the area. Worst case, I could always just sleep on the side of the road. I had done my research and was looking forward to a weekend of photography.

Sunday morning, I picked up my dog and set off along I-5 to Vancouver. My first stop was 40 miles east of Vancouver for a collection of falls that I had been wanting to visit since the spring. I saw them in my head with traces of snow and knew they'd be gorgeous. Were they? I don't know. I will have to wait for another trip for there was far too much snow to drive any further and with the fast approaching darkness and more snow falling I decided to not chance the drive or the hike along 5 miles of road. I turned around and started back to Vancouver and continued to Woodland. The rain mixed with snow proved too much for me after the long and unproductive day. Time for a cheap motel that would accept Zillah.

We awoke the next morning to partial blue skies. All I needed to do was reach one of the trail heads for the Lewis River trail & I'd be set for the day. Excitement for a long deserved winter hike sped me along the road. Not even the gathering clouds & fog were going to put a damper on my day. A sign stated that forest road 90 was open. YES! But then I got to the turn-off. Nope not open. The snows over the past few days hadn't been cleared. If I wasn't alone in a sedan without cell service, I might have tried it, but my first rule when heading out on an adventure is to not become a headline. So I turned the car around. And stopped.

Dang it! I was not going to waste this trip. Zillah hopped out of the car with great joy and ran though the snow into the forest. I pulled out my tripod - the forest was very pretty with the snow & the moss - and extended one leg of the tripod. Next thing I know, I'm standing with the leg of the tripod in one hand, my tripod in the other and bits of plastic in the snow at my feet. F***! After tossing the tripod back into the trunk, I grabbed my camera & shot a few views handheld, including the blur of Zillah running through the snow.

The rest of my trip to my aunt's house for evening celebrations, was spent looking for images. The image above is from a slight causeway above a damn near the town of Cougar.The low clouds in the dark trees, the almost glass-like surface of the water made me stop. I can't tell you how many times I have driven past this area and never bothered to stop. Those other times, the view didn't speak to me. This time it said, stop - all is not lost - let my tranquility soothe your spirits - let me be the image that redefines your trip to marvelous.

Tunnels of Terror 2012

It was a dark & stormy night. Ok, not so stormy, not really all that dark, and night - well we started hiking at 10 am so kinda not really that either. Autumn finally hit the northwest with full force. Heavy rains brought out the water proof shoes and the gortex. We had been expecting rain on our annual Halloween hike, but instead of rain - low hanging clouds. A nice cool foggy hike worth the anticipation.

Our northwest autumns don't hold a colorful candle to the northeast colors, or so I'm told. I love our autumns here - the Vine Maples turning wonderful hues of red beneath the yellow of the Big Leaf Maple. Red Osier Dogwoods and wild blueberries join in to add their warm tones to the symphony of color and I have in front of me a grand chorale of visual harmony. Add a little fog and I squee like a pika.

I immediately started to lag behind the other hikers. While they laughed and chatted, I stared into the leaves, transfixed on the colors and shapes. While they shared the trail with each other, I started taking pictures to share with others. I finally caught up with them at lunch and we dined on delicacies to make our hike a special one.

But I had already been experiencing a special hike in the colors and weather of a northwest autumn.

Learning Something New

My dear friend Dr. Michelle Mazur of Relationally Speaking recently challenged her clients to do something they weren't good at. In her blog, she spoke of her heinous attempt at art and vowed to take an art class. Michelle will be the first one to tell you she hasn't an artistic or crafty bone in her body.

It's just not her strong suit.

I will be the first one to tell you that I can not take portraits.

I have tried. I suck at it. Being an introvert, it is difficult for me to communicate the desired pose and how I hope it will look in the end result. I barely passed Studio class in school. As a result I like to take pictures of flowers, waterfalls and dogs. Portrait photographers hold a very high esteem for me. They are able to do something I could only dream of.

So when she challenged us to do something we suck at, I knew she was telling me to focus my lens on the human face.

I had some practice before. A few years back I challenged myself and joined a Street Photography group.

I had fun. And produced some show worthy work in the process. But there I could hide behind the camera, shoot from a distance, stay invisible.

Actual portraits? That means an interaction and communication, ideas that incite apprehension and at times fear.

Giving Michelle my goal she reacted with joy. Then I asked if I could practice on her.

"Of Course!" she replied.

I would like to say that I overcame my fear & apprehension. Michelle is a good friend of mine after all. But alas, I was tongue-tied and lost in my directions. I asked her to face a glass wall and she made fun of me while trying to comply (she wanted to know her motivation). I wasn't sure what I was looking for but got something. In her frustration with my direction she began to laugh and there she was - the woman I know she is: fun, happy, confident, strong.

Later she said "Dude, you need to make me look at walls more often." She now uses that image in some of her promotional materials. Plus another image when all I could tell her to do is walk between this spot and that spot.

Her tagline is "What is your presentation destination." An image of her walking near a sculpture at the Olympic Sculpture Park exemplifies the journey to the destination perfectly for her.

I may not have overcome my sucking, but there is hope.

Cabin and Flowers

I had been wanting to head to Mt Rainier's Indian Henry's Hunting ground for several year - ever since I had passed through on my trek along the Wonderland Trail and then later saw the amazing meadows and wildflower display. When I had hiked through, the meadows were still under at least a foot of snow.

No flowers. No meadows. Lots a flies in the outhouse but that's a different story.

That 1st trip, my hiking partner & I sat on the deck of the Patrol Cabin not knowing it's history (it is the 1st such cabin to have been built in the park). We admired the view of the mountain rising from the cabin's "back yard", imagined the flowers that would appear later that summer.

Nothing would prepare me for the wildflower images I would see after the hike. Those images inspired me to plan another hike to this wonderland.

When a buddy of mine expressed a desire to be at Indian Henry's for the wildflowers and shoot star trails over the mountain, it gave me the perfect reason to head back up.

We opted to camp at a cross country zone behind the cabin and Mirror Lakes so we'd be close to the area we wanted to photograph, thinking that Devil's Dream Camp was too far from the meadow. Just remember that the hike to the cross country zone was heinous - trail was unmaintained and at points dangerous in the dark.

We set up camp and decided to stay put through sunset and stars. Too tired to explore.

The better time to photograph the historic cabin and the meadows would have been in the afternoon on the way in. The sun would have lit up the cabin set back in the trees and I really wanted to get that image.

On the way out, I stopped to take the shot I had missed on the way in even though I knew the lighting just wasn't what I wanted. The cabin hid from the scene in the shadows of the tree. I started planning on the hike out which Photoshop actions I would use to make the image something reminiscent of the history the cabin has experienced.

The right time, The wrong light

When it comes to Photoshop, I've heard it all. Is that real? Did you Photoshop that? Using Photoshop is lying. I especially love the last one. Since when is photography not lying or distorting what is seen. We compose in camera, use certain lenses and filters to show the viewer only what we want them to see. I could go into a dissertation as to the similarities between digital post-processing & analog post-processing, but wouldn't want to bore you.

Saying that, I have one confession to make. Yes, I use Photoshop.

I use Photoshop to enhance images. There are not many images I create that are not put through my Photoshop workflow. And since I shoot in RAW I really need to have a workflow in digital post-processing.

Most images don't need much work. Others however, as shot are not what I envisioned as my final image. I knew at shooting that I would be adjusting colors, enhancing contrast, removing that little distraction I just can't seem to get out the frame.

When I showed up for a sunset shoot near Eunice Lake in Mt Rainier National Park, I had grand hopes of glorious alpenglo on The Mountain.

What I got was drap.

Boring, even.

So I knew, when I got home I'd be playing a little in Photoshop. And play is what I did.

I had taken several exposures for the light tones, dark tones & mid tones in the scene knowing I would blend them later. This process often brings out the colors. But my image was still a little lackluster. Not at all what I had wanted.

Now in the old days, I could have added a colored graduated density filter to add more color to the mountain. Now, with Photoshop, I don't need all those expensive camera filters. Photoshop has them pre-programmed for me.

I chose a nice purple lens filter for the mountain.

I like purple.

And it enhanced the mountain to a vision. A piece of art.

I was able to take drab light and still make a nice image.

And now you know the truth.

A Hike for my Mother

The Canadian Rockies. My father was drawn to the monolithic mountains between British Columbia and Alberta. Every few years, he'd pack up his "4 girls" and head north in search of photos & wolverines. My mother's searches in the Rockies were far more simplistic. She really only wanted 3 things to make her vacation a true vacation from all the cleaning & cooking.

A day fishing without her squabbling daughters, an amazing blue tartan skirt, and a hike to one of the teahouses near Lake Louise.

Dad was able to give her the day of fishing, at least one a trip. The skirt she saved for months to buy. But the trip to the teahouse was made.

So on a recent trip to the Canadian Rockies in pursuit of my own photos, I decided to make a trip for my mother to not just one teahouse, but both of them. The trails interconnect to make a wonderful trip through forest, past lakes, over glacial moraines and views of mountains close enough to touch.

The Lake Agnes teahouse is perched on a ridge overlooking both Lake Agnes' turquoise blue waters and the views down the Bow Valley. I could almost feel my mother as I climbed the last of the steps and hear her gasp at the beauty unfolding before me - golden larches reflected in the smooth lake surface, mountain peaks towering into the sky all around. Tears flowed as I took several images of the lake and reflections, knowing mom would have been sitting on the porch with her cup of tea an murder mystery, patiently waiting.

After composing myself, I hiked around the lake and over the Beehive to catch the trail to the Plain of Six Glaciers and the teahouse there.

By now the afternoon sun was beating down on me and I knew mom would have been struggling against the heat as I was. But I continued on, looking forward to the cup of tea I would have for my mother and maybe a treat? The trail was dusty and the meadow dry as I entered the courtyard, an assemblage of natural pavers leading the way to the two-story structure.

Sitting on the balcony, I chose the ice wine tea. Not something my mother would have chosen, but she would have appreciated the novelty. And perusing the menu, a Gluten Free brownie? Oh yes, I would get a treat as well. The waitress brought out my tea cup, a lovely little porcelain type cup with pansies. Mom loved pansies. I felt her smile and her hug as I sipped my tea and watched the afternoon slip by.

Fear Doesn't Live Here

I have this fantasy of myself. I like to pull it out once in a while and play with the fantasy, but really the reality of chasing my fantasy frightens me. I like to think sometimes that I am a mountain climber, scrambling up rock and ice to stand on a great pinnacle of the earth. I will view imaginary images of myself in glacier glasses and parka, skin weathered by the elements smiling for the camera. But I have this slight fear of stumbling and falling to my death or a rock slipping from under me and I fall to my death.

It's a fear that sometimes stops me from going further up the mountain.

It's a fear that keeps me from standing on a pinnacle, smiling for the camera.

Several years ago, I decided to do something that frightened me every year. Generally "the event" takes place on near my birthday. Several years ago I crossed a crevasse on my way to spend the night at Muir Camp on Mt Rainier. The next year I scrambled up loose dinner-plate sized shale to a view, just short of the top, of the Goat Rocks Wilderness. After that, my non-competitive self decided to run my 1st triathlon.

Through all I realized my fears were nothing to be afraid of.

Then I found myself hiking up to Tooth Saddle on my way to scramble Bean Peak. The final scramble was an option. I didn't have to go and thought that I wouldn't. I even voiced that I might just stop at the saddle. I'd have great views.

But then something inside me said why not?

Each step, each climb got me closer to the top. I stopped once & thought "I still have to come down this." A fleeting thought that was gone as quickly as it appeared.

Then it was one last wedge of the foot into a crack, one last handhold, one last movement - my arms, legs and body moving in unison to gain the summit.

The summit. I stood on a pinnacle of the earth enjoying the view, but oops, forgot the picture. Did get a pic of Trail Turtle though.

Winning isn't Everything.

I love this image - it is one of my favorites, where all things came together to make beauty. I was on a backpack a couple of years ago with friends. We had set up camp in the Goat Rocks Wilderness of Washington, near the PCT and spent the early evening meandering the trails through the flower-filled meadows as the light faded around us. I had been hoping to get a low shot of flowers in foreground of a landscape with Mt Adams and as we explored, I noted a few nice clumps of Western Pasqueflower alongside the trail. As my friends headed back to camp I stopped at this little patch, but it was too close to the trail to get the image I had in my head . . . there was a ditch on the other side of the trail. Sure enough, lying in the ditch with my tripod made the camera angle low enough to capture the scene. A few hikers passed, at first startled by my seat in the ditch then appreciative of the scene I was capturing.

In the end I took 3 exposures to blend together and knew I had a good image. I entered it into a few photo contests - one a local photo club where it took top honors plus it was selected for their calendar. Another was for a web-based company where I again took top honors and a t-shirt. I also entered it into photo contests sponsored by the Mountaineers and the Washington Trail Association. My amazing image didn't even make the finalists of either contest. I wondered if they even got my submission.

A few months after I submitted the image to WTA, I got a call from a friend congratulating me on my image being published in their magazine. Really? I rushed out to get a copy and sure enough in the table of contents was my image, enticement to read further the article detailing the joys of hiking Pacific Crest Trail. Pretty darn snazzy, I thought. May not have won the photo contest, but this was a win no matter.

Then came the announcement a few months ago for the next Mountaineers Photo Contest. I didn't pay much attention to the announcement as the categories weren't anything I had readily available (ie, don't shoot a lot of). Then I hopped online to look for an outing or two and wait! What was that? That looked like my pic! I flipped back through the images on the main page and yep, that is my image. Title, credit, wow! Can you guess why they were using it? To advertise this year's photo contest! But my image never made the finalists. Wouldn't they want to use the winning image from last year? Nope, they wanted to use mine. Double win!

So for a little ditch-sitting, I got a calendar, a t-shirt, a magazine and advertisement. Yeah, I call that a good thing and my self-esteem takes a happy hit.

Playing by the Rules

The last weekend of June is spent on the border of Idaho and Montana, a special place in the world and US history - Lolo Pass. This is the place where Lewis & Clark crossed the Bitteroot Mountains. Here lie meadows filled with camas, meandering streams between forests of dark green seemingly at the top of the world. My organization sponsors a race on the forest roads behind the visitor center and I look forward to photographing the event every year. This year was no different I was even going to do a little backpacking on the way home, but snow levels on my intended route sent me home early.

So as I drove the Palouse in southeast Washington, I thought why not take my time heading home? Stop take some pictures. Afterall, I do have a new camera and I'm ready to make it pay for itself. I passed one picturesque barn because I needed to find the restroom. Passed another because it came & went before I had a chance to "see" it. Then along a stretch of highway I saw this little beauty. The clouds? Perfect. The greens? Perfect. The barn? Perfect. (Except a friend says it needs to be red - I like the grey.) I quickly pulled over, hopped out with my camera. The composition already in mind.

This scene is perfect for the Rule of Thirds where an image can be separated into a tic-tac-toe grid and the  important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections. I knew I wanted the cloud-filled sky to dominate, so I placed the horizon line along the lower third of the frame. The face of the barn seemed to be looking left so I put it into the lower right corner so that it would "look" into the frame. I also had to be concerned where the peak of the roof fell - i didn't want it to intersect with the horizon - and wanted it to rise above the horizon to connect the sky & fields.

I only needed to shoot off one or two shots. I knew before I even lifted the camera to my eye that this would be a great image. Previsualize, and follow the rules at least until they need to be broken.

Seeing the Unexpected

I needed to go backpacking and had looked at a trip offered by the mountaineers but it was full with a wait list. The trip, Cape Alava, a favorite early season hike of mine, but I hadn't been on the trail for years. Then a few days before the group left, a spot opened up. I quickly grabbed the spot and was so happy to be getting out on a great weekend. Only one problem surfaced as I was heading to meet my carpool - I forgot my tent. UGH! It wouldn't be the 1st time I slept out under the stars on the beach but as the group pooled our equipment, we were able to come up with a plan that had me sleeping in a tent & not under the stars. Although the stars would be nice.

We started out in cloudy and a little drizzly weather, but we entered the old trees of the forest quickly and were protected from most of the wet. I do like hiking with groups especially when we can chat throughout the hike which makes the miles slip away. In no time we were hearing the waves along the beach and looked through the trees with anticipation. We set up camp in the trees and sat back to watch the tide recede to expose the rocks & tide pools.

Cape Alava is an interesting area of the coast. It's lined by rocks farther out from the beach, protecting the beach and the tide pools from crashing waves. When the tide is out, rocks and great varieties of seaweed are exposed. I can only imagine the forest of seaweed when the tide comes in. An underwater oasis for small fish and sea creatures. This area also lends itself nicely for calm reflections of the off shore sea stacks. But it wasn't reflections I was looking for as I meandered down the beach with my camera - I was looking for that sunset light and color.

And as it often happens along the coast, a bank of clouds rested upon the horizon obscuring the last light of the day. I continued to shoot even without the amazing colors. I have had sunset shoot like this before, no color, no drama yet came out with images I loved. Besides I wasn't ready to go back to camp even with the scent of campfire drifting down the beach.

I wandered out to a little spit of sand quickly being devoured by the incoming tide and saw what I had not seen before. Pastel colors reflected in the still water, a mirror image of the sea stack, the ripples of sand under the water. I was able to get off a couple of quick shot before the tide took over my viewpoint. What I came away with will again be one of my favorite images although not exactly what I was looking for.

Lake 22

Every now and then I have the opportunity to take someone onto a trail and help them gain a new experience and add to their self-confidence. A recent trip to Lake 22 gave me just this opportunity and a somewhat new hiker an experience that left her grinning at the end of the hike.

I warned my hikers on this trip that the last mile or so would be in snow, upwards to 8 feet in some places. But enough people hike this trail even in the snow that I thought it would be quite doable for my hikers. Little did I know, one hiker had no experience in snow. I advised trekking poles and traction devices like Yak-Traks or micro-spikes. I find the poles helpful in keeping my balance and the traction devices in keeping my self confidence. Sometimes I just need a little extra traction to feel comfortable on the snow and advised them for my hikers for this very reason.

As we reached the snow several hike members stopped to put on the traction. I and a few others opted out until we got further along. One hiker, Marie, didn't have traction devices and watched as her team mates prepped for the snow. Once ready, we started off again. The snow was hard-packed and I felt comfortable on it, but I noticed almost immediately Marie was falling behind. I stopped the group and we waited. But Marie continued to fall back and I began to get somewhat concerned. First for Marie, I didn't want her to get discouraged by her slow progress, but I also needed to keep my group moving so as to not get too cold.

I decided to get the rest of the group to the lake, settle them in and give them a few safety ground rules, then went back for Marie & my Tail-End-Charlie. Marie was indeed getting discouraged, but with encouraging words from myself & Jane, bringing up the rear, she plugged on. As we crested the last slope, I stopped Marie & told her to look up so she could see Mt Pilchuck towering through a break in the trees. Her face lit up!

We chatted a bit at lunch when she told me that this was the 2nd time she has ever hiked on the snow. I was so proud of her that she didn't give up and offered up my Yak-Traks since I wouldn't be needing them. She gladly accepted them. I then asked another of my hikers who had hiked with me often and is trusted to lead the group out as I brought up the rear behind Marie. We chatted & laughed until we ran out of snow. Her sense of accomplishment when we got back to the cars was priceless to me.

Daffodils

In April, the Skagit Valley is awash in color as tulips of every shape & color fill the perfectly tilled fields. But I was not here in April, I was here in March when the daffodils filled the valley with a yellow as vibrant as the sun. It was late in the day when my friends & I arrived as we headed to Mt Baker for a weekend of snowshoeing & photography. This side trip seemed like a perfect way to start off the weekend and take a break in our drive.

Late in the day, the sun angled nicely over the daffodil fields highlighting the rows of flowers. And yet in the background off towards the mountains storm clouds turned a dark grey in contrast.This is March in the northwest, bright afternoon light through cloud breaks we call sucker holes while the morning rain clouds push against the mountains dumping heavy spring snow on the slopes. This combination makes for a dramatic composition.

Squatting, I realized I couldn't quite get low enough to make the composition work as I had envisioned. I would have to lay in the mud. I am never opposed to lying down to get the image I see in my head, but now I had to look for an area with the least amount of gooey mud. Finally finding my spot, I angled the camera up to include the dark grey sky against the bright yellow flowers. The flowers seemed to be soaking in the last rays of sun for the day, happy that the storm had passed.

Lyle Cherry Orchards

The vision was in my head. I knew what I wanted in my photograph, but would I be able to catch it? I knew that from where I stood, the sunset would be truly amazing. The real question was did I have the fortitude to wait for it? One more frigid blast of wind gave me my answer - I would come back some other time.

I had climbed to the Lyle Cherry Orchards late in the afternoon with the plan of sitting & waiting for sunset after exploring the "orchards." Ok, there are really only about 3 cherry trees left of the century old orchard, but the views they have a stunning. High above the Columbia River looking east towards The Dalles, a homesteader with a great eye for the dramatic planted a cherry orchard. Today the homestead is nothing more than a clearing with a few trees left, the surrounding oak forest fast encroaching upon the scene. (OK, not that quickly, not as we would judge.)

I had picked the spot for my perfect sunset image. But I had misjudged both my time and my perseverance to endure the icy wind.. I tried, I really did. But that last blast shook the desire right out of me - I wanted something hot to eat & I wanted it now! Forget the sunset & forget hiking down in the dark. I rounded a switchback & stretched out before me was a golden light over the bench below, filtered by the clouds. I quickly shot a few images then continued my hike down towards hot food.

Maybe I didn't need to stay for sunset after all.

Waterfalls & Wildflowers

I needed a break. I had received some not so great news earlier in the week which could have restricted my ability to head out to the Columbia River Gorge. But I was not to be deterred. I had been looking forward to this trip for over a month and the journey had been close to cancelled several times. The first group I was to head out with changed to the weekend prior, but I was already booked to go to Mt Baker. The second group ended up cancelling on me as they needed to finalize a few things in town. Then I was hit with a financial restraint. But I wanted to head to the gorge and explore a few waterfalls and trails I had never been on. So I packed up my tent, my camera & my determination to not let bad news spoil my life and drove south.

There are two times of the year that I love the gorge - Spring & Fall. I'd love to head down when the waterfalls are frozen, but have yet to make the time. Fall is great as sunlight glitters through the golden leaves of maples & alders, their brilliant colors reflected in the tumbling streams and rippling pools near the waterfalls. Spring brings great sprays of power of waterfalls gushing over the cliffs and wildflowers. Two of my favorite things to photograph, moving water and colorful flowers. It would be a perfect destination for me.

I took no time after setting up my tent in Ainsworth State Park before I grabbed my camera, put on the diopter filter and began playing with the flowers surrounding my camp: bleeding hearts, trillium, herb robert, spring beauty. I even focused in on leaf & fern details. I just wanted to immerse myself in my photography, forget about my troubles for a few days. My camp neighbor invited me to share his campfire with himself & his 3 sons as night approached and I gladly accepted. As the night wore on, I began spilling my troubles to him and began to feel relieved and thought his presence in my life for this one evening was no accident. 

The next morning he & his boys broke camp while began my day of hiking. I decided to head out from Ainsworth and connect with the Gorge trail which would lead me past several waterfalls and into Oneonta Gorge to Triple Fall - my destination for the morning. I hiked through sweet green light of the sun streaming through the new spring growth of the trees covering me, trillium & calypso orchids glittered beside the trail like jewels. I first came to Ponytail Falls - a horsetail fall spraying out over columnar basalt. A cave behind the falls gave me an interesting perspective to photograph. Oneonta Falls & Triple Falls were next but the smaller falls along the trail were just as marvelous. I spent all morning and most of the afternoon hiking, photographing, and chatting with the other hikers. All of us in good company enjoying the beginnings of spring in this place, filled with waterfalls & wildflowers.

Cowiche Canyon

When you live on the wet side of the mountains like I do and go through a cold wet winter like we did, the dream of spring comes with the 1st day of March. And so it was that I sat daydreaming out a rain soaked window wishing for sunny skies & wildflowers when my partner in hiking emailed that she would love to have me co-lead a Conditioning Hike in Cowiche Canyon. I of course said "Well, Heck Yeah!" Cowiche Canyon is near Yakima - on the sunny dry side of the state & we can usually find wildflowers aplenty in March.

However, when it came time for our hike my friend showed up sick and begged me to take over for her. Well, that is why I was there - as her backup plan. We left her behind & drove through showers & snow to arrive in Yakima to partly cloudy skies. Oh Hallelujah! Just what I had been daydreaming of, now if only we'd find the flowers too.

We started off in the canyon marveling at the columnar basalt and lichens, crossing over Cowiche Creek several times. A few flowers were blooming. We made it to bridge 8 and started our climb out of the canyon along the uplands trail. And sure enough, we were soon greeted by Yellow Bells, Grass Widows, Prairie Violets and other small lovelies.

Lunch was eaten on an outcrop overlooking the canyon & out of the wind. Then we crossed back over bridge 8 to climb the vineyard trail to the wine tasting room on the other side of the canyon. In the rocks as we hiked Yellow-Bellied Marmots played. It was with some regret when it was time to head home - the sun was so warm & lovely on our faces.

Mima Mounds

Washington has some amazing landscapes. From our snow-capped volcanoes to the channeled scablands, a photographer will never lose variety and inspiration in our scenery. And so it was this idea that brought me to the Mima Mounds for the first time several years ago. I had heard of vast meadows south of Olympia filled with native wildflowers and odd mounds.

The first time I visited, I had just missed the peak of the wildflowers. The next time I was there just before the peak. And always at mid-day. Even though on some days I visited the skies were overcast, I never truly got images I was pleased with - images that showed the beauty & mystery of the mounds.

Then finally it came to me - visit the mounds when I hear that the flowers are blooming and after work so I could hit the Natural Area during the golden hour. I was but one of 3 cars in the parking lot as I arrived and began my meandering through the mounds which geologists are still trying to understand. The camas fluttered in the breeze, a coyote trotted off into the distance. And as the sun began to set, the sky lit up. I took several exposures to blend in photoshop later and capture the true beauty of the scene.

Revisiting Photos

There are times where I just can not make myself dispose of an image. Even if it doesn't thrill me at the time, I wonder if there is a way I can "play" with it later to make the image more interesting and affective. I will see potential in an image and save them for later. So I tuck them away for a cold and dark wintery evening. After a blog post by Moose Peterson about converting what he thought were lackluster images from Monument Valley into Black and White, a light went on in my head.

I flipped through my southwest folders looking for images I had put aside. I may have already played with them but they just didn't work well for my eye. They seemed dull, the geologic striations blended together, the sky was just there - it didn't pop. But I held onto the images in hopes that I would find a way to make them look as I felt was I was shooting. And I did.

Using the Black & White layer in Photoshop CS4 and the preset for high contrast blue filter, I found that the marvelous geologic striations became more pronounced & even took on a life of their own. The wispy clouds in the sky became noticeable. In the end, I came away with an image I am extremely happy with - one that captures the essence of the place.

Finding Inspiration

I recently went on an evening photo shoot with friends at the Pike Place Market & Post Alley in Seattle. I love the lights of Seattle. And I love Seattle nights - although they can be bitterly cold in the winter. But the wind & cold would not deter us as we explored the street & neon signs near Seattle's iconic market. We had postponed our trip once before because of weather that didn't turn out to be so bad, so we weren't going to be fooled again.

The sunset glowed as it set behind the cloud-shrouded Olympic Mountains and we lined up for the quintessential image of the neon coffee cup and the Public Market Sign along Pine Street. A crowd gathered to catch the sunset behind the signs. Then we stopped for a cup of hot coffee to warm up our hands. Did I mention it was cold.

From here we could explore Post Alley and Pike Place Market as the night progressed and night lights created a different Seattle. I was taking a picture of the Post Alley sign above my head when I lowered my gaze to the alley across the street. My gaze stopped at the little corner cafe, golden light illuminating the sidewalk and outside seating area. The Edward Hopper painting Nighthawks suddenly came to mind - A "simple" painting of people sitting in a corner cafe in the evening, the lights of the cafe lighting up the city street outside.

For me this is the image that made my cold fingers & nose worth it.

Swirling

While on the Oregon Coast last month, one of my self-assignments was to photograph moving water with slow shutter speeds. I love the effect this creates - smooth silky water. I love the sense of motion within the image especially when photographed against solid objects. And what better place to play with water & slow shutter speed than the Oregon Coast.

We were down in the Newport area and decided to stop by Seal Rocks State Park. There are some lovely rock formations in the bay - sandstone, so they have worn away into some magnificent shapes. While most of my group focused in on the waves against the rocks, I went another direction. I began exploring the upper beach taking simple images of sandstone and pebbles until I reached the south end of the beach and smiled with delight. There in the sand, was a row of sandstone exposed by the waves. The stone had been smoothed by waves over the years: dips, crest, crevasses - perfect for parting & catching waves and foam then slowly releasing them back to the ocean.

I set up my tripod, first trying to get a good wide angle with the beach & bluff behind. But the day was a normal northwest kind of a day with heavy flat overcast skies that became unattractive in the scene. So I moved closer, composing on the rocks with the surrounding beach. But this still didn't seem to depict the motion I wanted - too much was distracting from the scene.

Finally, I stood on top of the rocks, hoping my boots would keep out the water, and focused more closely with an interestingly shaped rock in the foreground and composing with another along the line to draw the eye into the scene. All I had to do after that, was wait. And my patience was rewarded with a nice low wave coming up over the rock then down the other side. My shutter speed of 5 seconds was long enough in the low light to catch what I had hoped for - an interesting rock with silky foam & water cascading off & swirling around.

St. Mary's by the Sea

Along the Oregon Coast there is a little church tucked up along the sand dunes away from the highway. It sits back a little way from the beach yet the beach is ever present in the sanctuary. This is a church built by & for sea-faring folk. Those whose lives and often deaths were influenced by the ocean just beyond the dunes. A bench for contemplation sits at the top of the dunes. I like that bench and took my turn at photographing it but it was the warmth of the church that attracted me.

The door to the sanctuary was ajar so I coaxed my friend to peak inside. Being braver then me, she did & immediately called back "You have got to see this." As I walked into the sanctuary, I became breathless with excitement. The glow of the windows we had seen from the outside filled the church. We meandered throughout the little church taking pictures of details colored by the golden light from the windows.

But my favorite image remains this first one, taken as I entered the sanctuary, my breath still as I looked at the glory of it all. The pews lined up, light falling on them and dark shadows defining their shape. The geometric shapes of the golden windows shining brightly from the darkened walls leading your eye to the light on the red & white flowers on the side alter in the distance. Brought to me the quiet stillness I love so much in churches when it's just me and my reverence.

One for my mother

My mother loved owls. I never really knew why. I was barely out of my teens when she died and hadn't yet gotten to the place where my mother was at all interesting. But I knew she loved owls and most of all she loved Snowies.

Snowy Owls are a rare occurrence in the Pacific Northwest - they rarely migrate this far south, but every few years one or two can be spotted in some areas around Seattle & the coastal areas. But this year seemed like a bumper crop of Snowy Owl sightings. They were sighted in & around Seattle and reports were coming in from Montana & North Dakota. But the Boundary Bay area in British Columbia was the most interesting for birders - up to 20 Snowy Owls could be seen sitting on the drift logs at any time. Photographers & birders "flocked" to the area.

I was thrilled when a birding acquaintance told me she would be leading a Mountaineers trip to Canada to see the Snowy Owls and other birds at Reifel Bird Sanctuary. I wanted to try & get a picture of the owls.

My mother had been on my mind a lot lately - just the stresses of life and how I remember her warm & loving hugs. One day while shopping, every rack of shelves held an owl something: a figurine, a cup, a candle holder. So when the opportunity to photograph one of her beloved birds came up, I couldn't say no. Even as the weather looked bad, I knew I would go. My back account was stretched thin before payday, but I took out the cash to pay for gas. There wasn't a question in my mind that I would go.

I hoped the birds would be close enough for me to see and photograph. I don't classify myself as a wildlife photographer, so don't have all the fancy equipment to capture animals at a distance. But I needn't have worried, the owls were lined up on logs not 20 yards from the trail sitting, watching, grooming. Camera lenses and birding scopes in a line pointed at them and I set up along with them all - focusing on one large fluffy bird on an interesting stump hoping he might do something more interesting than stare at us.

Then he did. He twisted around to start grooming, lifted his head feathers outstretched and I got a picture my mother would have been proud of.

Walking with Rangers

The Mt Baker-Snoqualmie Forest offers guided snowshoe hikes at Stevens Pass & Snoqualmie Pass on weekends. I had been reading about them for a couple of years & advising people to go on them but had never gone on one myself. So when my friends, the Mountainettes, decided to go I just had to sign up.

The day started out cold and shady. We'd be in the trees most of the day. Not like the previous day's snowshoe when we were on the ridge most of the day. But we were excited about a day of sun anyway. Our Rangers, Chuck & Cindy, got us off quickly after a few jokes & introductions. Ranger Chuck was in the lead and would stop every now & then to point out a view or some trace of life in a winter forest. We talked about winter travel safety and history. We took photos, told stories and laughed.

By the end of the day we were happy, tired, and ready to go again.

Happiness is . . .

I had gotten an email from a friend Friday morning wanting to know what I was doing on Saturday - the weather would be fabulous & she knew I was one of only a few friends who wouldn't complain if she wanted to take the 5:35 ferry out of Edmonds to go on a snowshoe adventure. However, I had committed myself to a snowshoe event with my sister. It would be a great day for the views at Hurricane Ridge & not the tromping through the trees at Stevens Pass for the event. Luck would have it though, the event was funding Susan G Komen Foundation and after the flap earlier in the week regarding funding of Planned Parenthood, my sister & her friends were done with their support of Komen. She cancelled. And I was waking up at 3:30 to go to Hurricane Ridge.

The trip really only hit one snag, a car sized boulder in the road that closed the road for and extra hour. But we weren't bothered by this - a quick trip back to town for second breakfast and a cup of coffee later and we were on our way again. The parking lot at the visitor center was already filling up, but there was still plenty of room as we parked our car and started of on our day.

We weren't in a hurry to get anywhere. In fact we didn't relly care if we got to the top of Hurricane Hill at all. We meandered along the snowy road, heading off into the woods anytime we thought we might see a view or just for a small change of pace. Some of the snow was just too much to resist and I threw myself into a snow bank, on Mary's recommendation, to make snow angels.

Once we hit the end of the road, the "work" began - a steady and often steep climb up the first knoll to the ridge. The rest of the climb to Hurricane Hill would follow the ridge. The views we had been admiring all morning became even more incredible as we climbed. We stopped for a while taking pictures until we couldn't stand the biting wind anymore and continued on our way. It was too far past the first hill that we came to a section of trail that cut into the snow along a cliff. I didn't like the looks of it, even less so when as I watched a group go by one of their number slipped. Nope I was done.

Mary & I started back to the visitor center for some hot cocoa before calling it a day, smiles on our faces.

Kissed by the Setting Sun

When heading out on a photo trip, I will sometimes set myself an assignment - work on macros, play w/ depth of field - whatever might work for the destination. If I'm heading to a mountain meadow, I might play with macros for the wildflowers or I might play with depth of field highlighting one flower with soft focus all around, or sharp focus for the whole scene. For a recent trip to the Oregon Coast, I set myself an assignment of playing with shutter speed and the waves. I love the look of smooth waves that you get when you have a slow shutter speed and the Oregon coast is perfect for that. I will share some of my images from that self-assignment in another post. What can also happen while I'm out shooting is that I'll give myself another assignment - one I hadn't thought of previously. This second assignment was capturing sun stars.

Another photographer in the group was working on capturing sun stars which gave me an idea. While waiting for the ideal light just after the sun sets, why not see if I could create sun stars? I had already positioned my camera well before the sun came close to the rocks, but as I watched its progression along the sky I began to get more excited. Will the sun really "touch" top of the sea stack? Could I really be that fortuitous? I waited, I'd like to say patiently but I wasn't. I watched the sun's progress, the waves swirl around rocks below, a sea lion's head popped out of the water, a seagull flew between the sea stacks. Then finally! The moment I had hoped for - the sun began to slide behind the top of the sea stack. I had already set up my camera for the shot.

I knew from lectures and articles that sun stars are created when you stop down your aperture as far as you can. The star is made from the high amount of light -it leaks through the leaves of the aperture itself. The farther your aperture is stopped down the more intense the sun star. So I closed my lens down to f/32 and set my shutter speed to compensate. I metered off the clouds as they were the closest to middle grey in the scene.

I ended up adjusting my exposure slightly as the sun went down, but the end result was something I had hoped for and luckily got.

Haystack Rock

As I look at the massive basalt sea stack called Haystack Rock, I can't help but hear my co-workers joke about the plethora of images online of this iconic image of Cannon Beach. "Hey look! Another image of Haystack Rock. I was beginning to worry as we hadn't seen on in the past five minutes or so." But there is good reason for the amount of images of this feature. It sticks out of the waves like an intertidal Mt Denali. So massive it dwarfs the other sea stacks nearby. Add to this the fact that Cannon Beach is a popular tourist destination with thousands of people visiting each weekend, you end up with a lot of images online. So it is very hard to find a new & fresh look at Haystack Rock to photograph.

I was somewhat disappointed about heading to Cannon Beach on a recent photo trip. But as the other participants in the group were excited about going, I decided why not add one more image to the mix. I mean, look at how many pictures I've taken of Mt Rainier from all the overlooks & trail heads.

So here I was on Cannon Beach bouncing on my toes to stay warm on a January pre-dawn morning, looking at Haystack Rock and wondering how my co-workers would haze me about my subject choice. I evaluated the scene - including the moon would be nice, I also liked the rocks to the south. The reflection in the sand could be interesting. Just before the sun rose above the coastal mountains behind, the wispy clouds lit up.

The scenes had an other-worldly look to it - pink clouds in a purple sky, the moon shining through over a barren looking landscape. I loved it. So here is my addition to the numerous Haystack Rock images out there. I hope you enjoy at least one more.

A long time has passed

It's been quite a while since I last posted on my blog & a lot has happened. The biggest would be that my husband & hiking partner split up to follow our own directions. I almost quit leading hikes . . . and at times almost quit most everything I enjoyed in my life. But through the love and support of my friends I regained the confidence in myself I once had and added to it. I am back!

I want to restart my blog, but add to it also. Not only do I want to share my experiences on the trail & through my adventures, I will add the background information for some of my photos - inspirations and technical details. I'll also include issues and trends in both the outdoor world and photography.

I welcome you back and hope you gain insight & inspiration from my blog.

Thank You!

Heidi "Adventure Girl" Walker