New Images
There are many view points to observe Seattle. This one is 10 miles from downtown but from this unique vantage point I was able to frame up the buildings against the Olympic Mountains. The moon, of course, did her part too.
Listed as a National Register of Historic Places, Deception Pass Bridge was built in 1934. It's an iconic bridge of the PNW connecting Whidbey Island to Fidalgo Island.
After a late night, capturing the Milky Way over Mt Rainier at Suntop fire look-out, I traveled 4 hours North to join friends at Deception Pass. We hiked, hung out and drank by the campfire. I napped a little from 11pm to 12:30am and it was time to wake up and start again.
I almost didn't do it. I was forcing myself to take advantage of the infrequent opportunity of a new moon. It wasn't fun and I didn't feel the excitement and energy I did the night before.
I drove the few minutes from the campsite to the bridge. I unenthusiastically set my light up and my camera gear. I found the composition that I liked but had to wait for the Milky Way to MOVE into position. The Milky Way wasn't bright here like it was at Suntop and I almost said screw it and packed up.
But hell I was there so I set my camera to continually shoot and set another alarm for 2:30am, when the Milky Way would be at it's peak. I kicked by and slept for 30 minutes right there on the hill side under the star light.
At 2:30 am I woke and saw that the Milky Way had moved nicely into position. I tweaked my composition and waited for a car to drive over the bridge, click.
I got as good as I was going to get under the conditions but at the time I was not impressed. Man, was I nicely surprised once I finally looked at them on my computer!
Pictured here is the Milky Way over Palouse Falls. This scene is so big that in order to capture it did a vertical pano. I held my camera horizontally and then snapped three frames overlapping the previous one so that they could be stitched together in Lightroom.
By far the best Milky Way, I've ever taken.
In the heart of Umpqua National Forest hides the beautiful Tokete Falls. Here the North Umpqua river has carved out a gorge providing an abstract mosaic of columnar basalt rock.
The enormousness of the height and width of the cavern is reduced by my wide angle lens, the falls are over 85 feet tall.
While here I was able to be full present in the moment, mesmerized by the warmth of the sun and the sound of the falls.
This was an exciting morning in Redwoods National Park. The plan was to head into the forest and away from the beach, but I since I was right there, literally, I decided to detour. No rhyme or reason.
The fog was thick, which adds so much mood and changes the scene dramatically. A family was returning from their beach stroll and waved me down. They said there was a herd of elk on the beach, just down the way, and if I hurried, I'd see them.
I headed in that direction and could soon see them. Even with my stronest zoom lens, they were small in the frame. I was able to get close enough before they moseyed off the beach and into the grasslands. Before they did, I was able to capture this moment.
Tip: Because they are very small in the scene, a bigger size will make for a better viewing experience.
I've been fascinated with volcanoes since Mt Saint Helens blew in 1980. Even living in Houston, Texas, over 2,00 miles away, we saw volcanic ash on our vehicles. Now I live within 2 hours from that iconic location. It's one of my favorite hikes and my favorite volcano to photograph.
From Johnston's Ridge, you can capture the Milky Way and it lines up with the volcano. You just have to stay up till 2:00 am to get it.
Watch my photography adventure video to see how I got this amazing shot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_ey370URJw.
The PNW is along the ring of fire. In this subduction zone, where the oceanic crust moves under the continental plate of the U.S. This activity has pushed the active volcano up, making it an ultra-prominent mountain peak, looming over Seattle and the surrounding area.
It's peak reaches over 14,000 ft and has 26 glaciers flowing down from the top. In this Milky Way shot, those glaciers are illuminated only by the star light of suns billions of miles away. If you look closely you can see the headlamps of mountain climbers making their way to the top.
This is by far my favorite mountain to shoot in the PNW. Mt Saint Helens has such character and the terrain is desolate like the surface of Mars.
On this morning I woke up at 4:45am to catch that early morning light hitting the rim of the volcano.
You can see this adventure on my Youtube channel - > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_ey370URJw&t=60s
This is Seattle like you have never seen her., dark, moody, and full of color! Printing on metal, this large ready to hang piece is vibrant. It’s been my desktop image for over a year and I never grow tired of looking at it.
I was out taking photos when a storm blew in. I thought my evening was over but it was ready to begin. It was hailing where I was but then I noticed that over downtown Seattle the sun was still shining. I knew that under those conditions, sometimes there is a big rainbow that stretches clear across downtown. And if I was lucky enough I could capture it.
I speed over to West Seattle and jumped out of my car. The Space Needle had this really cool ray of light, illuminating it. It was very stunning. Before I could get setup, the light had faded. The sun was setting and there was some really nice light on downtown, so I photographed that. It wasn’t terribly interesting so I only snapped a few images and left.
I was almost to my car when I looked back and the light was all of a sudden amazing. The soft light of the setting sun was skimming just above the water and the reflection against the glass was incredible. I ran back to my spot and began shooting in earnest.
I never did see a rainbow, but I’m pretty excited about the results I got!
After the sunsets, the earths shadow moves across the sky. This anti-twilight arch is known as the Belt of Venus. It produces the pinkish orange color you see here.
When I got my new camera, I was excited to get out and shoot with it. So I loaded up my backpacking gear and headed to Spray Park, on the slopes of Mt Rainier. I spent the night there, having the entire back country to myself. It was a warm spring night with a full moon and clear skies. It was an incredibly humbling experience being completely present. I had no fear or expectations. I was 100% in the moment.
The next morning I arose early for sunrise and was greeted by this vista.
Exploring and creating is how we, as photographers, show the world to you. We find new points of view to show it in new ways. In this case I was lying on my stomach, holding the camera 4-6" from the ground. Getting low allowed me to frame the Seattle skyline from this unique POV.
Just feet from the 120 foot drop, Tokette Falls, this peaceful stream trickles a mere 10 feet into the North Umpqua River.