Magic Color

I hope I am not loading y’all up too much with these dogwood images. As you can tell I really love dogwood in the forest and so look forward to shooting them in the Spring.

The Magic continued

Drove up the Mckenzie River this morning early with the idea of capturing a few more shots of dogwood which is in bloom right now forming a corridor of light along the highway.   I did manage to find a couple of images that I think portray the beauty and simplicity of the blooms.  Lights shining under a dark forest.

Not sure how long they will last and if you decide to go the salvage logging continues apace in the area. Helicopters, loaders and lots of trucks.

Dogwood magic

On the road between here and there is a forest.  A pretty mundane forest, really.  But the interplay of springtime dogwoods scattered amongst the conifers is enchanting.  Steps from the road, freshly opened leaves appear almost as a flock of butterflies alighting on the bare branches to keep the flowers company.  Magic beckons.  Darcie Sternenberg

It was an overcast and drizzly morning with pockets of fog as I drove out to visit a spot next to an old cemetary that I vaguely remembered having dogwood in bloom this time of year.  I was inspired to go out there from an article and set of wonderful images by Darcie Sternenberg  http://www.DarcieSternenberg.com  in the latest issue of LensWork magazine.  Below is the magic I found this morning

Spring blooms

Every year it seems that I am drawn to photograph the Spring blooms that fill the town. Did not have to go far to find and photograph these – my front yard. Simple composition, stacked image.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day. 

 

Some experimentation

I have been experimenting with simple compositions for a few days and came up with one that I really like.  Have not printed it yet but may do so soon.  Also it seems like it can form the basis for other compositions which I hope will come along in the next few days.  Love to have your comments.

Connections

These two images are from a small pond near the Mt. Pisgah Arboretum that I visited early this morning – trying to beat the bright summer light and the heat.

The first image is called:  Connecting the Dots.

This next image is a bit of a natural abstract that I found looking at the same pond.  Slowing down and really taking the time to look.

Was a wonderful way to start the day – classical music on the radio and sunshine filling the Valley.  Click for a larger view and as always I welcome your comments.

Time in the Garden

Following my workout I went directly to the Owen Rose Garden hoping for a decent shot of this bloom.  I tried to get one yesterday but the wind just dominated the scene so I got nothing that really worked.  I am not sure of  the name so would welcome an addition to my botanical knowledge.

This is a stacked image created from 14 separate images.  It is the only one that worked for me from the images I collected this morning which just means that I will return soon.  A large view is better so click on the image if you would like to see it that way and I welcome you comments.  Thanks for looking

Spring blooms

As I said in a post yesterday I think the Metolius River is one of the prettiest rivers in Oregon and in the spring the banks are full of wild flowers.  Not just the banks but there are small mid-channel bars that are covered with beautiful bouquets.  Below is one example.

South of the town of Sisters are hillsides that were severely burned a few years back.  Those hills are coming back and are covered with ceanothus that are bloom.

Thanks for looking.  Stay healthy as we move into yet another phase of virus protection.

Desert treats

As you travel south on Highway 31, The Fremont Highway, from the town of Silver Lake, home of the Cowboy Dinner Tree which serves an excellent albeit large dinner, you start a steep climb that takes you out of one watershed and drops you in the Great Sandy Desert.  At the top you can find some petroglyphs left from when the Paiute tribe roamed this country in past years.  I like this one – mother and child – I think I can see antlers so  maybe a deer or and antelope.

After hearing of rain on the desert the week before I went over looking for wildflowers.  The first day I found some Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) – the intense yellow against the gray and brown of the desert makes this plant stand out.

Traveling along I kept my eyes open for flowers and came upon a flat at the base of the hills just north of Alvord Desert covered with blooms.

One more stop on a long day that still had a trip to the Malheur NWR to come.  Love the way a gully like this concentrates enough water to initiate a little garden.

Be sure to click on the images for a larger screen view – especially the last two.  I still have a few more images to work with but as you can hopefully see this was a really good outing.

 

Further into the Desert

Following a quick stop along the road east of Adel – due to about 100 head of cattle being herded down the road – I drove into the beginnings of the Basin and Range country.  As the name describes you travel over some steep ridges with names like Buzzard Gap @ 6,122 ft and Dorothy Rim at 6, 240 ft. and then drop down into almost flat basins.  The image below is from one of the basins.  You know you are in big country when a 14mm prime wide angle lens just seems to be not wide enough.  The road joins Hwy 205 at Denio Junction, Nevada and it was there that I turned north and headed toward the Alvord Desert.  It is always a treat for me to stop and visit with John Simpkins at Andrews.  We were both careful to do our social distancing and to keep the visit short.

I think the Alvord Desert is one of the most interesting places in Oregon if not the whole interior west.  The Playa in late Spring and throughout summer is bone white and very hard.  Going mid-week was a good idea as those I chatted with said that the Memorial Day weekend was very crowded and noisy.  Not something that appeals to me.  I wandered for a couple of hours on the Playa – the reflection of the sun made what was a relatively hot day even hotter.  I love the vastness of this place.   The photographic gurus tell me that one should never split an image down the middle but this just seems to work for me.  Again please click on the image for a larger view.

I have more to post – intimate views of the tiles on the Playa and fields of wildflowers in bloom but will wait a day or two.  Comments always welcome.