End of Summer

The last days of summer are upon us.  The days are getting more even and the mornings are chilly and the local apples are ripe and crisp.   Last night I went out to the wetlands, a place I love to photograph.  The sunset was colorful and just filled the sky.  This panorama was shot near official sunset – light dropping fast.  Click on the image for a larger view which I think helps.

Not sure what it is about mud but I found myself stuck in the mud along the bank and once again came home in need of a good rinse.

 

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Out of the Smoke

After what was a miserable afternoon yesterday – heat, wind and smoke – the air started to settle toward the last hour before sunset.  I went out to Shorelane Park to see what the sunset would bring.  Sometimes horrible conditions can make for interesting light.  These two images were shot about 30 minutes apart – the 2nd one right before official sunset time.  Came home with a set of lenses that needed cleaning and a nose that needed blowing!!

Another round trip

Just a couple of lines to THANK YOU! all for the kind and thoughtful birthday wishes yesterday and a special thanks to my dear twin sister for accompanying me on this journey.  You are the best

This image was shot at a little pond along the Willamette Pass highway on my way to SunRiver.  Morning sun  breaking thru the haze.

 

Sunset/Sunrise

“A Repeatable Miracle”

DeWitt Jones

Often referred to by landscape photographers as The Magic Hour it is roughly that half hour before and after official sunrise or sunset.   Magic images can be made at those times but not always.  Still a repeatable miracle just sometimes not as dramatic.

After having dinner in a new brewpub in Bend with four of my favorite people:  Tanner, Jenna, Thea and Riley I headed out looking for a sunset.  Initially I was going to go up to Sparks Lake and the Ray Atkeson Overlook but the haze and smoke building up against the mountains did not look promising.  Instead but mostly by mistake I went up Tumalo Creek and got there just as the sunset color and light was coming on.  The light at Tumalo Creek gave me hope for a sunset at Sparks but when I got on the right road and headed up into the mountains it was clear (no pun intended) that a sunset was not going to develop.

Leaving my motel early this morning (0430) I headed back to Sparks Lake with the hope of a sunrise full of color and drama.  I had hope when I shot the image below that the color would develop but it just did not come around – smoke and haze filled the scene as the morning light came up.  Oh Well, sure nice to be out and about in the mountains.   As always click for a larger view and I look forward to your comments.

 

Shotgun Creek

Shotgun Creek is a small stream near the town of Marcola east of Springfield and this time of year the low water, exposed bed material and dappled sunlight combine to make soft and gentle images.  There is a lot of vegetation along the banks and that can make for cluttered images so I spent time standing in the middle of the stream in my TEVA’s and shorts trying to focus on just sections that would convey what I was feeling thru what I was seeing.   I think of this type of image as an intimate landscape.

I have been rather sick the last week or so with a nasty summer cold so this was a real treat to get out and exercise my eyes and my lenses and let my mind engage with nature.

Any comments are, as usual, more than welcome and I hope to continue recovering and getting out more and more this coming week despite the heat.  Click on the image for a larger view.

 

Summer Doldrums

There are many references in sea going literature to being stranded in the Doldrums – very little movement and the protagonists wonder if they will ever move on – “all the boards did shrink”.  Such has been the case around here for a week or so and I have found little reason to head out with my camera – the sky was flat and featureless – looked like someone had ironed a sheet.  Kept myself occupied with exercise, lawn mowing, weeding, watering and cleaning my house – all of which needed doing.

To my surprise and delight yesterday afternoon the sky filled with some very interesting cloud formations.  I kept watching until evening and headed out to one of my favorite local spots to capture a sunset.   God Speak!  Me and a little golden lab spent time just enjoying the evening.  Finally his owner showed up in a panic to claim him and I loaded the car and headed for home.   Click on the image for a larger view and as always comments are more than welcome.

On A Clear Day

With the thunderstorms moving thru overnight I was hopeful of finding some interesting remaining cloud formations along the top of the 3-Sisters as seen from Scott Lake.  Additionally I wanted to see the results of the fires that were in the area last year.  Well the fires were pretty spotty along the Scenic Highway and the road crews had done a very good job of downing the danger trees and opening the road.  However the heavy rain last night brought down mudslides on the east side and blocked the road from Dee Wright Observatory east.  They said the the cleanup mite be finished this evening.  I think the fire damage was much more extensive on the east side but I did notice some extensively burned areas on the west side further upslope from the road.

I stopped in at Scott Lake and all was well – not great for photography but nice to see no fire damage in the area.  The mosquitoes were quite healthy and hungry.  Still cannot figure out why when he had the chance Noah did not off those two on the boat!!

As I said the photography conditions were poor – aka – boring – but on the way out I happened to notice these wonderful strands of air born pollen and debris along the lake shore.  Made for some very interesting natural abstract compositions.

Always does me good to be in the mountains and it was fun shooting the abstracts in the pond.  Comments are always welcome.

Silence

“Silence cannot hide.  It reveals its diverse nature through masquerade.  It lives in the dawn, pastel and still, or through the breath of trees as they soundlessly reach toward divinity.”           Leslie Schwartz 

I have been reading and viewing the 2017 work by PLAYA residents and the opening words of this essay were running around in my head this morning as I woke early and drove toward Salt Creek near the top of Willamette Pass.  I was met with silence and it drove away any possibility of the loneliness that seems to have  followed me around a bit over the last few days.  Mountains will do that for me.

I got to the trail head and down to the lower viewing area in time to catch the first light skirting the edge of the grotto that Salt Creek Falls empties into.  I was not aware of the roar of the falls and it seems that silence still filled the air.  The hike back up the hill with a full camera bag and tripod was a good substitute for my normal gym workout.

This is a bit of a long exposure due to the darkness still hanging in.

One more thought I had on the road up was that the wild rhododendrons may be in bloom.  I was a bit early for them to be fully out but there was certainly a promise of greater flowering to come.  Perhaps a week or two. I love the way the blooms stand out against the darkness of the old growth forest.  Be sure to click on the images for a larger view and as always comments are more than welcome.

 

Row River/Brice Creek

“happier than a dog at a BBQ for the blind” 

Christopher Moore

That pretty much sums up my feelings about my time along the Row River and Brice Creek this morning.  It was perfect for photographing streams – overcast with a bit of rain resulting in soft morning light – long exposures and wet feet.

Brice Creek is a tributary to the Row River – east of Cottage Grove and easy to find. Had the place pretty much to myself.  There is lots of access to the river combined with plenty of safe pull-outs along the road for parking.  Also right now the wild dogwood is in bloom punctuating the green of the conifers and deciduous trees along the road and the river.  Loved the soft green of the new leaves and I made a vow to come back in the autumn – the color season.

These three images are all from Brice Creek.  The first is a panorama of a large cascade about mid-way along my trip.  (Be sure to click on the individual images for a larger view.

The next image is a closeup section of that cascade.

The last image is of a tributary to the main stream.

Some of you may find images such as these boring but they make me happy so I am not going to apologize for them and will probably keep shooting them.

As always comments are more than welcome.

 

 

 

Magical Places

Over the past couple of months I have been fortunate to visit two magical art and ecology institutions in Oregon.  In February I stopped for a return visit to PLAYA at Summer Lake (http://playasummerlake.org/) in the heart of Central Oregon at the edge of the Great Sandy Desert.  Today I stopped at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology (www.sitkacenter.org)  located on the Central Oregon Coast just north of Lincoln City.  Two very different ecosystems  that share a magic that can best be described only by being there – peace infusion.

I have heard about the Sitka Center from friends here in Eugene who have conducted workshops over there and one who just returned from a 3 month residency.  I have been wanting to head that way for a some time – not sure what kept me from going.  Today was the day – windy and rainy – iconic Oregon Coast weather.  Along the way I stopped at Devil’s Punchbowl between Newport and Lincoln City near Otter Rock.  I had hoped for surf large enough to spout up thru the bowl for a dramatic image but the surf was just not big enough to get that to happen.  So consider this a scouting trip and I will be hawking the websites for a day when the surf comes round.  Still it is always great to be on the Oregon Coast.

The above image is just an overview of the area.  The next image is of the punch bowl.  Would love to see the surf come pounding thru that opening and erupting in the bowl.  Perhaps next time.

I drove on up to the Sitka Center and got a tour from a very gracious young woman named Kimberly.  Great location, studio space, quiet and creatively spacious.  On the way out I stopped to photograph a small stream that crossed the access road. The skunk cabbage is just coming into bloom – love the way they light up the green field.

I think the next trip up there calls for an overnight stay – evening and morning light.  Thanks for looking.