Little Zigzag Falls Directions

Here’s my take on this little charmer, one of only a few waterfalls on Mt Hood, the little Zigzag Falls are not a disappointment. The very short hike will reward you with the 75-foot drop high volume falls. The Little Zigzag Falls on the West side of Mt. Hood has very easy access.

Getting There: Head East on Hwy #26 after passing the towns of Rhododendron and Zigzag on you’re way towards Govt. Camp and as the road starts a continuous uphill grade start looking at road markers on the left. Approximately 4 miles East of Rhododendron you will turn left on Road #39; a large sign that directs you to the Mt Hood Kiwanis Camp also denotes this road. After turning onto Road #39 drive until the road ends ½ mile past the Kiwanis camp. There is a large turnout and a clear marked trailhead. The falls are a mere 1/3 of a mile upstream.

Other falls to consider while up on the mountain are: Tamanawas Falls located just past Sherwood Campground on Hwy #35 also you may enjoy Sahalie Falls accessed from the Mt Hood Meadows area.

Custom White Balance Suggestions

As a landscape photographer you may never have thought about introducing a custom white balance to you’re workflow in the field, but you may wish to try this option after reading further. I’ve always known about the option of custom white balance in my cameras menu, however never gave it much thought. A fellow photographer who shoots primarily outdoor portraits opened my eyes to this option and made me take a second look at the technique.
Most photographers agree that white balance issues are quite correctable in post processing whether shooting RAW or JPEG. Correcting an entire photo is one thing but nailing the white balance in a specific area is quite another. For instance you may wish to have perfect white balance on foreground elements and let the rest of the photo take on characteristics from an unusual colorcast on water elements that add to the visual impact of the scene.
There are several tools that allow one to achieve perfect white balance read from surrounding light specific to a scene. From a simple Grey Card to a fitted white lens cover; one company makes a lens cap that will replace the factory cap and will provide perfect white balance. In my estimation the best tool on the market and not surprisingly the most expensive tool is the ExpoDisc made by Expo Imaging. It is the painstaking way that the ExpoDisc is constructed of high optical grade plastics that provide perfect neutrality and diffuse the light before it hits the image sensor. The results are stark and for me a game changer.

Using the ExpoDisc is quick and simple. Go into the custom menu of you’re DSLR and then into the custom white balance turn it on place the ExpoDisc on the front of you’re lens and depress the shutter release to set the white balance for that scene.

Other tools with great fanfare are the Lastolite Ezybalance collapsible grey and white panels. They are washable and stow easily and will double as a reflector or hood shade.
Also the “ Digital Calibration Targets “ From Photovision Products can be used on the back end providing a perfect white section, 18 % grey in the center for nailing exposure. A black section is also included on the same panel for you’re eyedropper tool in P/S to dial in a true black that may be lacking in you’re composition.

Just because you may not be a portrait photographer don’t be shy about using custom white balance tools for landscape and Macro work. Happy shooting Shawn…

Note: Photo provided by expoimaging.net

Elowah Falls Info And Directions

Took another trip to Elowah Falls Today …trying to capture a full-length shot of the drop. I took “Scout “ our new boxer puppy that is about three months old now and seems to love the trail. Anyway the crowds were low at least in this area, and so by the way was the water level. The low flow of the falls allowed me to climb up the right flank that would otherwise be a misty soggy treacherous and somewhat dangerous climb. As you can see I achieved my goal of photographing the entire falls although I’m not thoroughly happy with the composition. I tried a couple of comps from stream level but nothing really inspired me.

For some reason these falls give me some trouble and present challenges that other falls don’t. At any rate you can expect a different look from these falls every visit and it's such a short hike 1.4 mile R/T from the parking area that many visits may be warranted.

Getting There: Heading I-84 Eastbound take the Ainsworth park exit the proceed further East on Frontage Road approximately 1 ½ miles to the John B. Yeon State park turnout. There’s room for about 15 cars and there are no facilities." Note " You can also access McCord Creek Falls from this parking area.

Eastern Oregon,Hells Canyon and the Painted Hills

Laurie and I just got back from an Eastern Oregon road trip that encompassed the entire northeast region of the state. It’s hard to believe we traveled over 900 miles and never crossed state lines and really only scratched the surface in terms of exploring Oregon in it’s entirety.

The trips conception was certainly based on photographic pursuits as well as seeing areas of Oregon that were new to us. On the short list were of course the Painted hills, Hells Canyon, and the Wallawa Mountains to include Wallawa Lake.

We traveled over Mt Hood through Maupin down in to Shaniko, Fossil and finally reached Clarno. The first of three visitor areas that make up the John Day Fossil beds
National Monument. There is little to see here except for some ancient rock formations that were formed 55 million years ago. Just three miles east of Mitchell Oregon we found the Painted Hills Unit. These are spectacular and quite stunning to see first hand. A photographer’s paradises indeed as you catch the first glimpse of color in the hills. However it’s not just the color that makes this place so special; but also the perceived texture of the formations that give it that otherworldly feel. The formations look like velvet but are actually made up of hard clay, Siltstone and Shale.

Approximately 1-hour east near John day are the Sheep Rock Unit and more fossil beds. This area was a bit of a disappointment. We were to late to enter the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center, which houses all of the regions Fossil collections. Also the formations were jagged and a bluish green in color. If we had more time I would have liked to take in a couple of the nearby hiking options to explore further.

We spent the first night at the Best Western in John Day knowing full well we had a huge day ahead of us in the morning. After several hours of wandering through vast uninhabited regions of the northeast we stopped in Baker City to refuel ourselves as well as the car. The next objective was to head into the Hells Canyon region of Oregon to catch a glimpse of the Mighty Snake River. It turns out that the wild Snake River is considerably north and down stream of the Hells Canyon Dam. We never did see any beautiful scenery of the Snake River and decided to cut our losses and take the only road over towards Joseph and Wallowa Lake. Yes it is a 64-mile wild ride of twists and turns that takes you past the Hells Canyon Overlook. It is quite a vista and deep gorge and yet the Snake remains elusive even here.

When we finally reached Joseph we were somewhat weary travelers at this point and decided to book a room only minutes from the lake. Stayed in a old but quaint motel called the Indian Lodge Motel. New mattresses and fire hydrant like water pressure in the showers were a couple of nice attributes. The town of Joseph is very nice and is bolstered by a huge art community that has donated many works to the city, which are displayed along the streets. Apparently there are three bronze foundries in town as well. The town takes on a wonderful vacation feel in the evening hours as many of the business are creatively lit which ads to the warmth of the town. We took an evening stroll after enjoying a fireside outdoor meal at the Embers Brewhouse.

I awoke early, pre-dawn in fact to photograph Wallowa Lake; however that magic moment never materialized and I was disappointed with all of the images. The sweet light doesn’t always happen especially on a cloudless Eastern Oregon morning.

The next day took us through Tollgate Oregon and up and over the Blue Mountains where we visited the Anthony Lakes area. We then came through Pendleton and linked up with I-84. It's a 200-mile trip through the Gorge to home so we stopped off in the Dalles for a Mexican dinner at El Mirador.

Great trip as always and I thank Laurie for all the safe driving and companionship.

Oneonta Gorge Adventure Awaits You !!

Have you wanted to go on a really cool little adventure? Well I have the answer and it may come as a surprise how relatively easy it is and within such a close proximity to the Portland area. I'm talking about Oneonta Gorge located just east of Multnomah Falls on the Historic Columbia River Highway.

The adventure part comes in when you're hiking trail is a stream and you must negotiate a huge log jam; other than that it's a piece of cake in terms of outdoor photography outings. You see over the course of a couple of extreme winters and subsequent flooding huge amount of deadfall and lumber have piled up in the mouth of Oneonta Gorge. Once the logs have been crossed it's an extremely easy stroll through the creek less than ½ mile to the Lower Oneonta Gorge waterfall.

The water this time of year was extremely comfortable and the deepest pool went up to my waist. I'm 6' 3" and so I may not recommend this hike for smaller children. I chose to wear my Hodgman Wading boots with the felt sole, worked like a charm. Get there early to avoid crowds if you can. I arrived at 8 am and had the Gorge to myself, any earlier and lack of light would be an issue. You also may be wondering if there are dry spots to set you're gear down and set up shot and yes there are plenty of dry areas that are exposed this time of year.

Getting There: Coming from Portland take the Bridal Veil Exit off of I-84 then proceed East passing Multonmah falls by approximately 1 mile. The parking area is well marked on the right side of the road and is denoted by a large sign reading Oneonta Gorge as well as a large wood pedestrian tunnel.

Happy adventures, Shawn…

Heceta Head Lighthouse And The Legend Of The Lady In Grey

Most of the Family and I just got back from a mini trip to the central Oregon Coast. Florence to be exact where we rode Quads at
Winchester Bay in the heart of dune country just south of Reedsport Oregon. I highly recommend this activity. If you are a first timer and want to get an idea of the sport there are many rental options in the area. I recommend Dune Country ATV rentals.

One of the main attractions of the trips for me was to visit and photograph the nearby lighthouses. The Umpqua lighthouse is located virtually next door to the previously mentioned Dune Country and in the heart of Discovery Bay. The Lighthouse itself sits amongst the Coastguard barracks and housing making photography very uninspiring. The lighthouse is well kept and has been freshly painted. The only good vantage point for photography is from out in the dunes area looking back at the lighthouse. You may be able to eliminate most of the distracting elements from this vantage point.

Next we set off approximately 1-hour north on the #101 to visit the Heceta Head Lighthouse. Just prior to reaching the parking area you will be rewarded with a spectacular view of the lighthouse from a roadside viewpoint. Once inside the parking area there is a self-pay area that you will need to purchase a $3.00 parking permit from. There are nice well maintained trails that take you right up to the lighthouse where guided tours are available for those that are inclined to walk inside and hear a little history about the area and the adjacent
haunted lightkeepers house. The legend of the Gray Lady.
As far as photography goes, there are many compositions to choose from and as a matter of fact a trail will lead you directly behind the lighthouse so you may get this vantage point.

Ideally the best scenario is to sit patiently behind the lighthouse looking west and wait for that incredible sunset and capturing the glow of the Fresnel lens as it makes it’s revolutions. This would require some planning and walking out in the dark of night.

I wish to make a trip back to do just that and in addition would spend several hours at the
Cape Perpetua Scenic Area. Along with “ Cooks Chasm “ and “ Spouting Horn “ the park offers so much photographically in terms of big waves and lava formations. It should be on the short list of every landscape photographer.

Happy shooting. Shawn….

Lewis River Falls Hike

The Northwest landscape never ceases to amaze me, as each subsequent trip seems to be more picturesque than the next. Laurie and I recently got back from another great photo/hiking excursion. Our original intentions were to access Lava Canyon via rd 83 on the south side of Mt St Helens, which I believe, is now open after some major storm repair. However according to the US Forest Service web site the actual lava canyon trail is now under going several weeks of renovation as of July 2nd. Luckily I usually have an alternate plan and we ended up at Lewis River campground. We arrived at the campgrounds around 9am with perfect light hitting the lower falls that were located only ¼ mile from our car. Had a wonderful time photographing the falls from many different comps and hesitantly agreed we should continue upstream to witness the middle and upper falls. All in all we hike approximately 7 miles through some beautiful riverside terrain. I highly recommend this hike for everyone in the family.

Getting there: From I-5 drive to the town of Woodland Washington and take exit #21. Follow the signs for Mt St Helens and Lava Canyon via State route #503. Drive approximately 46 miles until you reach the small town of Cougar. Continue straight on spur rd #90. Just past the Pine creek information station turn right on what continues to be rd #90. Drive an additional 14 miles until you reach the Lower Lewis river recreation area and campground. Proceed to the day area and park near on of the restrooms Go towards the raging river and follow signs to the lower falls viewing area. The profiled hike will follow the river upstream for 2 ½ miles reaching the upper Lewis River Falls.

Coming from I-84 take the Hood River toll bridge through White Salmon then continue north passing through Husum, BZ Corner and finally Trout Lake where you can tie into forest rd#90. Additionally coming from the West Gorge you can travel through the town of Carson and up the Wind River .

Some additional photos from the trip are found here.

Happy Hiking, Shawn…

Top Portland Photo Outings

I am profiling great photographic trips based out of the Portland area that have an approximate two hour driving radius. They are in no particular order.

1. Waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge

On any given day you can bag several waterfalls in any season of the year. Many waterfalls are located within short mileage of the trailheads. I suggest making a detailed itinerary of you’re day and be conservative with you’re expectations. Remember that there is always tomorrow and you may get fatigued much sooner than it may look on paper. I research and then make list complete within good directions before leaving. I then pack the photo bag with only what will be needed for that day. As a resource I use
The Northwest Waterfall Survey

2. Rowena Plateau

If you are going for wild flowers late April to mid May is you’re best bet. The Rowena Plateau is Located at exit #76 off of I-84 the exit sates Rowena/Mosier. There are grand vistas that overlook the Gorge below as well as very unique and photogenic
roads. Other options for this outing include photographing wind surfers out of the Hood River area. You may also cross the Hood River Bridge or the Bridge Of The Gods (toll Bridge) out of Cascade Locks and Visit the Columbia Hills and Then Beacon Rock on the Washington side.

3. Clackamas Whitewater Events

Grab you’re long glass and practice honing various sport photography techniques. Any event on the upper Clackamas or nearby river will do; however the annual
Clackamas Whitewater Festival is the best. For a sample of what you may find click
here. The festivals website.

4. Wild Horses On The Warm Spring Reservation

This should rank as one of the top outings and is really enjoyable. There are many wild horses on the Reservation but you will probably want to find the large herd. It may be difficult to locate the herd at first but if you are lucky they will be located near the north Kah-Nee-Ta entrance. Mt Hood and Mt Jefferson serve as incredible backdrops for horse photography in this location of the reservation. You can go any time of year and in fact snow on the ground really adds a great element. The horses are quite skiddish and I would recommend working with a partner to really get great shots.
Here are a few shots I took from some past trips.

5. Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens

Many of you local Oregonians living near Portland may be unaware of the beautiful park that we have right in our midst.
I'm talking about the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens located across from Reed College and adjacent to East Moreland Golf course. For you photographers there are many prospects here. This is a romantic park with many trails and water features. Free admission awaits those that can visit any Tuesday or Wednesday. For more information here is the website.

6. The City of Roses

What a magnificent city we have in terms of photography; from many unique bridges to uncompromising architecture, a mountain backdrop city fountains and of course the Willamette river. Morning is the ideal time from my perspective as the water is often calm and the sun illuminates the city from the east. Once the sweet light has faded you are now ready to get up close and personal with fountains, people, architecture and art.

7. The Annual Tigard Balloon Festival

Launched out of Cook Park In Tigard this annual event draws large crowds. The great thing is that you can get really close to the action, which makes up for the dismal landscape and venue. I suggest a fast 2.8 lens as the first launch takes place in the pre dawn hours. More info can be found here.

8. Covered Bridge Tour Of Cottage Grove

Truth be told I personally wasn’t that inspired the one and only time I took this tour; however I have seen some magnificent photography out of this area and think it deserves a spot on the list. Fall is the ideal time to visit these historic and preserved covered bridges from Oregon’s past. For more info on details about this tour click here.

Ramona Falls Review And Directions

My youngest son Chase and I just got back from a fantastic hike to
Ramona Falls Ramona Falls is by far the most popular trail on Mt Hood for many reasons. The 7.1 mile round trip is moderate and the scenery is magnificent especially when the Rhododendrons are blooming during late June and early July. This is probably the most moderate and enjoyable 7 miles you will experience on Mt Hood. Be prepared for heavy crowds during the peak months. The Ramona Falls trail is mountain bike and Horse friendly as well, so be prepared to share the trail.

A *note for first timers to the area: Be aware of the river crossing at approximately the one mile mark from the trail head. Look for a white sign on a tree that instructs you to go left to the river. Here's where you will cross the Muddy Fork of the Sandy River. The forest service places a well-constructed portable bridge every spring to aid hikers with the water crossing; usually around the third week in April. They will remove the bridge in the fall to prevent it from receiving storm damage.

After the river crossing you will cross the
Old Maid Flats a huge expanse of boulders and debris initially caused by a massive mudslide that occurred over 250 years ago. This area of Mt Hood is ever changing as the harsh winter storms play havoc on the landscape. A few more tenths of a mile will bring you to a junction where the hikers notification box is placed and also allows you the hiker to make a decision. You see, the Ramona falls hike is not only beautiful but it has the added bonus of offering a loop hike, which is always a plus in my book. Go straight which is the right fork to stay close with the Sandy River and to see more Rhododendrons or go left and take a trail that follows a meandering stream and be witness to grand cliffs and boulder fields. Either option offers great scenery and will take you to that ultimate goal which is the falls of course.

As the falls come into earshot you will have to pass through a horse corral of sorts and blockade that keeps those large equine away from the fragile plant life around the falls. Shrouded by the thick canopy of the forest above, the falls are in complete shade and typically it is considerably cooler in this area The falls themselves are a great spot for a picnic lunch or photography

Other hiking or backpacking options include: linking up with the Timberline trail which is the 42 mile loop that circumnavigates the mountain, or you may head up to Yocum Ridge or nearby Bald Mountain.

Getting there is quite simple really. From the town of Zig Zag Highway 26 Mt Hood turn on to East Lolo Pass Rd and drive exactly 4.2 miles turning right onto forest rd 1825 where you will cross the sandy river on a steel bridge. Go an additional 1.8 miles as you pass McNeil Campgrounds and the Riley Horse Camp signs respectively. As the road narrows to one lane keep to the left which is Forest road 100. Go an additional ½ mile to the huge gravel parking area for Ramona Falls. Recently the forest service has placed two nice clean portable toilets for you’re convenience. An additional note for travelers to this trail head is that a forest service permit or pass is required for parking. Get your daily $5.00 pass or a yearly one at any local forest service office; Fred Meyer has them as well. The parking area will not have a self-pay area that many of you may be used to.

Happy Hiking, Shawn..

Mt Rainier Waterfall Photography

Day two of our mini vacation was packed with hiking and driving. We left our hotel in Sumner Washington and proceeded east on the 410 through Enumclaw on the heading for Mt Rainier and beyond. The goal for me was to bag a couple of waterfalls that I had recently found out about and then post on the website. I told Laurie that there would be no hiking and that both falls have roadside viewpoints.The 410 becomes "Mather Memorial Highway" and we eventually came to the Skookum falls turnout. All I had was 200mm focal length I could have used 300 more effectively but I went to work setting up a shot and trying to find a worthwhile composition. As you can tell by the lack of a posted image of Skookum falls I wasn’t altogether happy with my results.

Only ½ mile past Skookum was the trailhead for the much anticipated
Snoquera Falls. After some additional reading of my notes on the falls I realized there would be a short hike involved including elevation gain. Laurie as is almost always the case agreed to make the hike with me even though she was feeling ill with a chest cold. The greatest wife a man could ask for is one that wants to see her husband’s happiness and is willing to sometimes forgo here own misgivings so that we can pursue an interest that we may be so passionate about.

The trail up to the falls can be misleading at first because of two sections that have multiple forks that are unmarked. Fortunately I had great notes. A few switchbacks later we rounded the corner to see the magnificent site that is Snoquera Falls. My favorite shot was taken right from the trail and is literally the first glimpse a hiker will see of the falls. I proceeded to get closer to the falls and ascended the terraced rocks below the falls in order to get up close and personal for my second series of images.

The rest of the day consisted of driving up and over Chinook Pass with grand views of Rainier and beyond. Coming off the mountain we headed east and were flanked on our right side by the picturesque Naches River. We drove into Yakima and finally stopped in for dinner at Miner Famous Burgers Nothing special and darned expensive, $ 27.50 for two burger baskets with shakes, WOW!!

On the road again we linked up with hwy 97 south and proceeded to Goldendale Washington. The Wind turbines caught our eye so out came the camera for a couple of photos.

Finally we reached Oregon and I-84. We filled up in Hood River then continued south up Hwy 35 towards Govt. Camp and beyond. The sun was fading fast at this point and the sky looked angry. I was hoping to get a dramatic sunset shot from the Trillium lake vantage point. The clouds never did cooperate and the photo gods didn’t smile on us so we headed for home, reaching Clackamas approximately 11:00 pm.

I would say we had a full day and a nice mini vacation together.