Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway

I told a friend in the gym that I had recently driven the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway and while it was not completely open – snow removal still ongoing – it was wonderful to get out in the mountains. I needed that as I have been in a bit of soul drought lately. His comment back was ‘”it is really beautiful up there!” He was sure right about that.

To get to the intersection of the Byway with the Crescent cutoff you first need to travel east on Highway 58 – Willamette Pass. I always seem to stop at a pond along the Wicopee/Fields road east of Oakridge and while it is never the same – adjusting to the seasons – it never fails to offer an interesting image. The start of Spring and the remains of Winter. Almost makes a natural abstract.

Once you make the turn it is currently about 35 miles to the gate ending your time on the Byway. I went back down the road to Forest Road 42 and followed it across toward Highway 97. There is a very interesting crossing of the Deschutes River and of course I had to stop to see what I could frame up. Took this with a 6 stop ND filter on my Canon 24-70mm f2.8 lens and Canon R5 camera.

Looking forward to a full around trip in the next month as the crews get the road open. Still was fun day and much needed. Click for a larger view and I welcome your comment.

Flowers and Fog

Lots of folks start their Sunday mornings in a house of worship, be that Catholic or Buddhist, and I certainly salute them for doing that. Not sure that God takes attendance so I have opted for a mid-week Mass and to spend my Sunday mornings out in the church of nature. Such was the case last Sunday as I drove out to the West Eugene wetlands to check on the status of the Camas lily. I found fields of them north of the access road and the horizon blanketed in fog. What a treat. This image was created using focus stacking and it was hand held. Sort of astounded that it turned out as sharp as it did. Click for a larger view and thanks for looking.

Back in the Hills

This will be a simple post. The first image below is the view that you get from the access road as you start up the hill to the overlook. This is a stitched 4 shot panorama and looks good as a larger view.

From the overlook there is a well maintained trail that leads up the hill and offers some really nice views and potential compositions. I was sitting at a bench near the top and I just wondered what Georgia O’Keeffe would do with this landscape – certainly different yet as dramatic as her home ground at Ghost Ranch.

These really do look better as a larger screen view. Thanks for looking.

The Painted Hills …

… are located east of Prineville in Central Oregon and are a unique geologic formation managed by the BLM. Spent Wednesday over there with my friend Leslie from Sisters – a first time visit for her – and there was a blue sky that set off the color in the hills. It takes some moisture to really make the color pop and we certainly have had that this Winter and Spring. The color tends to to get less intense as the landscape dries over the summer. The image below is one of the main hills. There are rows of small yellow flowers that fill those gullies and really make them dramatic but it was a bit too early so maybe next month when I am pretty sure they will be out. I have many more images to work up over the next few days.

Following a less than restful night in Sisters at a local motel I left early and started toward home over Santiam Pass and came across the following image as the sun began to fill the mountains with light.

Love to have you comments and as always click on the image to get a larger screen view.

Spring runoff

Went up the Row River on Sunday morning especially a major tributary – Brice Creek. With the wet cold Winter and similar early Spring we’ve had I was sure the streams were full of water playing joyfully over the bed material. Such was the case. Lovely day. Spent some time along the tributary in the first image – almost meditative with a musical background.

Just across the road was another small tributary and I decided to see what I could do using Intentional Camera Movement or what I call WMCAS. (Waving My Camera at S**T!)

I continued up the road past the Trestle Creek parking area and came to a small but named waterfall – Evergreen Creek. Actually rather surprised that it was named but it is a lovely little drop. The road got more and more compromised with down trees and snow and turning around seemed the best option – almost got stuck in the snow – that would not have been a good thing as I was the only car I saw all morning up there so not much available in the way of help.

Love to have your comments and as always I am grateful to you for taking the time to read and look.

Spring hillside

Went up the Row River this morning and found this wonderful hillside with a pattern of brush just about to break bud and a stand of conifers toward the top of the hill. I tried to shoot this same hillside in the autumn and got nowhere so am happy with this one. Click for a larger view and I welcome your comments. Streams were running full but those images will have to wait til tomorrow.

Frozen pond

A frozen pond near evening during the latest ice storm.

Second Winter

I have heard that term ‘Second Winter‘ applied to the current cold snap we are having in the PNW. It was snowing lightly when I left my house at 0615 and I knew that if it was snowing in town it would be coming down in the hills. I went up McGowan Creek and it was snowing hard enough to create an abstract across a meadow when I first started into the hills.

Snow got deeper as was expected and I finally got to a meadow where one of my favorite scenes always seems to offer a good image.

Sure was a nice way to start the day. Love to have your comments. Both of these are better as larger screen views so just click on them. Thanks for looking.

Intense storm

Photographing along the Oregon Coast is always a treat no matter the season or the weather there is always something that will catch your eye. I spent a couple of days in the Pacific City/Lincoln City area with some old friends. It was a treat to see them all again. After a late morning catch up I headed out to see what I could find to focus my lens.

There is a little bay with a wonderful coastal scene just as you enter Lincoln City from the south and this is that scene. I spent quite a bit of time composing and thinking about how to present the image below. {100mm Canon R lens, ISO 100, f18, 10 stop ND filter, 30 second exposure}

As you can see in the image above the storm was on the way. It was not bad until I went south with the plan to spend a few hours shooting at Boiler Bay – it is certainly well named.

When I got to the parking area – which was pretty much empty – the storm had set in – rain and wind like I have never photographed in and it was starting to get dark. It was challenging– wet camera, wet photographer — Intense storm. The surf was pounding the rocky shore and the rain and wind just found their way into every nook and cranny in my rain gear. I stayed out for over two hours but the wet cold finally won out and I headed back up the hill to my dry warm car.

I took the image below from the headland at Boiler Bay. Many more breaking surf images to work up but just thought I would share this one. {100mm Canon R lens, ISO 100, f9, 1/200 second exposure}

As usual you can get a larger screen view by clicking on either image. Also I sure do welcome your comments here or via email. Finally I want to thank my friends for organizing this gathering – much appreciated.

Leaving color

There is a certain grace in decay. The colors become soft and quiet – almost monochrome. Shot this last November on Fuji film with 35 mm camera. Got the film back this morning. Such a treat to open the disc. Love to have your comments. Click for a larger screen view.