ShalamarImages Landscape Photography

Lava Canyon Mt St Helens

2011-09-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

Laurie and I finally had a chance to make it up to" Lava Canyon " on the Southwest side of Mt St Helens. Last year, road #83 was closed due to slides. I can highly recommend the Lava Canyon area near Mt St Helens if you are looking for a short interesting hike and breathtaking views of the South side of the mountain. The parking area is well kept and will accommodate approximately 25 cars. Expect this area to be crowded during periods of nice summer weather. There are toilets here that look nice, although the forest service doesn’t see the need to have them pumped regularly…yuck

The trail starts out as an interpretive trail that is partially paved and wheelchair friendly. I wouldn’t recommend small children to this area if you plan on making the loop hike as there are many areas that have sheer drop-offs and several deaths have been reported in the area. I have pictured here a very cool well built suspension bridge that is fun to cross and affords great views of the canyon below. The " Loop Trail " is relatively short about 1 mile. There are other options that will allow a longer hike, up to 6 miles if you are looking for more exercise, just take Lave Canyon trail #184.

If time permits after your visit you have the option to continue on 52 more miles up to Hurricane Ridge and the visitor center to take in more grand vistas of this ominous mountain.. To get to Lava Canyon- Driving Directions:From the town of Cougar, drive east on Forest Road 90 just 1 mile beyond the Swift Dam, and turn left (north) onto FR 83. Drive 12 miles to the road end and you will see the nice paved parking area. * Note- Lava Canyon is 10 miles east of the turn-off for Ape caves..

The Alvord Desert Road Trip

2011-03-12T20:15:00.000-08:00

After talking about the Alvord Playa with my wife for 2 years now ad nauseam, and she insisting I should just do it, I finally made the long drive down the to the region. Located in a very remote area of Oregon about an eight-hour drive from the Portland area. I knew this time of year is one of the worst in terms of visiting the area but I don’t always get the vacation time I would like. The plan was to take my Boxer dog Scout with me in my 4Wd Montero. I finally figured out the seats in this vehicle will fold down flat including the back jump seats making an incredible bed for a tall person and that I would be totally sheltered from the elements and feel much more secure than being in a tent.

When photographing the Playa (dry lakebed) it is preferable to go during dryer months so that the cracks that develop will be the most spectacular, and that driving out and even camping on the Playa will be possible. Well I can report that none of the above happened for me. The forecast was calling for 20% chance of snow and low temps around 27 degrees- Yaaah…Wikipedia says that this region only gets 7 inches of annual rainfall, I think 1/3 of that fell while I was there.

When I finally arrived there around 2:00pm after leaving my home in Clackamas at 4:30am very tired but excited to scout the area. This is one remote area I never saw another human other than one guy on a tractor meandering down Steens Mt. Rd. For being such a remote area I was totally shocked when my wife called me that afternoon, cellular service was crystal clear giving me more peace of mind should any thing happen. Driving down Steens Mt Rd towards the playa, the snow capped Steen Mountains were towering above me to my right and eventually I could see this huge light colored expanse on my left that I knew had to be the Playa that I drove all this way to see.

I noticed that there was a lot of water in places sitting on the Playa and I was not hopeful at all about driving out on it. I found only one spot that cars could access the lakebed, I drove with caution to the edge. The water was several inches deep, I decided against trying to drive out on it at that point. After making my retreat I continued heading west for several miles until I reached the end of Steens Mt rd and the beginning of Fields-denio rd, which also marked the end of me being able to flank the playa. I noticed some faint 4WD roads that skirted the upper portion of the west end of the Playa. I thought at the very least I could catch a view of a grand vista or a nice camping spot. At this point the storms were coming in one after another rolling right over the Steen Mountains. I really had a mixed bag of weather including snow and fierce sustained winds of around 40mph gusts to 60mph, not exactly photography weather.

As you can see from the photos I got what I was after, and a whole lot more. The view from above looking down on the Playa was spectacular; the wind, not so much. I also noticed that I had a flat tire on my brand new Les Schwabbies presumably from one of the sharp rocks, it slit the rubber between the treads. During my research of the area I had read accounts of the people getting numerous flats out here and sure enough I was also a victim. Now I know why people buy off-road jacks, they are much easier to use than crawling under a vehicle to prop up a 11/2 ton hydraulic car jack that only raise the tire about 5 inches. It took about one hour for me to change that tire and boy was I glad I brought a shovel. I just could not get that spare on without some excavation work.

I was determined to set foot on the Playa and try some photography after driving all that way, Scout and I headed down a very steep hillside that would allow some access to what looked like a dry section of the lakebed. Distances are very tricky out there with no discernable landmarks. It took twice as long as I would have thought to reach the playa. The photography gods smiled on us for a brief time allowing for a little photography that you can see here. I was also pretty impressed with the cracks, if only I could keep scout from running in circles in front of my comps with his muddy paws and ruining my shots.

After returning up the hill and to the car it was nearly 4:30pm and I decided to wait and see what kind of sunset might transpire in terms of a lightshow or lack thereof. I waited patiently and watched the storms continue to come, finally the weather broke and I was able to set up the tripod and make an attempt at an image. Cloud cover mostly obscured the sun and the sunset was, for the most part a bust as you can see in this photo.

Camping in this area was totally out of the question the wind and rain was so intense it ripped the shovel off of my luggage rack that I had attached with bungees. I knew I wanted to go home via an alternate route that would take me into Nevada and then onto Lakeview Oregon via Hwy 140, then through K-falls and Medford and up I-5 to home. I got gas at a place called Denio Station for about $5.00/ gallon I'm not really sure what I paid I just know I told the guy $40.00/worth. At this point in the evening it was clear and cold, I was exhausted and needed to find an area to camp for the night. I drove about twenty more miles and found a very small rest area where I promptly pulled over. I ripped every thing out of the vehicle so I could make the sleeping configurations with the seats, then blew up the therma-rest and pulled out the 0-dgree bag. We spent 11 hours in the car getting up several times two warm up the car. It got very cold that night and it snowed on us as well. The photo you see below is Hwy 140 after the snowstorm. Needless to say that the 100 miles to Lakeview were a little hairy.

It took about five hours to reach Medford from the Alvord Desert. All in all I drove 1100 miles in about 38 hours. If I ever decided to come back to this area again I would prefer to go in the late summer, maybe September. I will also bring two spares, it is unnerving to have already used your spare and not have a backup in such a remote area.

If you plan on coming to the Alvord Desert the best and shortest way from Portland is to come through bend then onto Burns. Take Steens Hwy out of burns #78 south; turn right on to Steens Mountain Road it is well marked. This road will take you to the Alvord desert. Another option is to go south out of Burns on Hwy #205 towards the town of Frenchglen. This road eventually turns into Catlow Valley Rd. It takes just over two hours from Burns with this option. Enjoy..

Note* For higher quality images of this area go here.

Landscape Photography FAQ

2011-02-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

How important is camera choice in my landscape photography?

Whether you decide on shooting film or digital media, camera choice has very little to do with your ability to convey a well composed dramatic image. Some of the finest photographs hanging in museums around the globe were shot using the most primitive of cameras. The only thing to consider is budget constraints vs. the medium you will choose to display. For Web based applications any thing above 6mp will serve you well. If you plan on displaying in a Brick and mortar gallery I would recommend 10mp and above or shoot medium format film.

How do I select my composition and subject matter?

Landscape Photography is very subjective however there are things you can do to improve the appeal of your photos. Is the subject matter interesting? Do people care? What do you want to communicate to the viewer? Sometimes it’s a good idea to compress a landscape with a Telephoto Lens in order to isolate the important elements. It is often a good idea to follow the rule of thirds so that your images are more aesthetically pleasing. Make sure you exclude the elements that are distracting. Choose a pleasing foreground if possible.

How do I handle harsh or extreme lighting situations?

Lighting will always make or break a photograph, try to avoid shooting in the harsh light of midday and concentrate on early morning pre-dawn and sunrise as well as late evening twilight and sunsets. The greatest and most dramatic light will occur during these times. The use of polarizers and neutral gradient filters is imperative for Landscape Photographers to overcome the deficiencies between extremely bright sky’s and dark foregrounds. Always expose for the highlights, as they cannot be brought back in post-processing. Another technique for handling harsh light is to shoot two photos exposing for the shadows and then another shot exposing for the highlights, merge the images later with your favorite processing software.

How do I keep challenging myself photographically?

Always seek out knowledge by reading everything photographic from: Photography Blogs, E-zine articles, magazines,photography forums, ect. By learning from others and utilizing new techniques in the field you will be able to improve your skills with every outing. Try different locals that provide atypical images. In the harsh winter months when you may be homebound or subject matter may be limited go to your digital darkroom and rework older photographs from earlier in the year. Shoot mushrooms in the fall or maybe put your fast telephoto lens on and shoot some extreme sports or a local event like a marathon run.

How do I carry all my photographic gear?

Very rarely do I see the need to carry your full arsenal of gear to any one shoot. I select the photography gear the shoot will warrant. For backpacking I usually pack my wide-angle lens and a lightweight slow mid range telephoto lens as well as my smaller Manfrotto tripod. I strip down the camera removing straps and battery grips and place in bubble wrap in the top portion of my Gregory Pack. For day trips when I will carry more gear I love my Tamrac 5275 Expedition 5 Photo Backpack (Black)

What tripod should I buy?

There really isn’t one answer here when choosing a tripod as this depends on so may factors including personal shooting preferences. The prevailing wisdom suggests buying the heaviest tripod you are willing to pack around. Carbon Fiber Tripods are extremely popular for the strength and load bearing capabilities vs. weight but tend to be fairly pricey. I personally use the Induro Carbonflex 8x Tripod CX-214
as my workhorse. Considerably less money than the venerable Gitzo brand. I also own a Manfrotto 785 Modo Maxi Photo Video Grip Head Tripod
for small cameras and when on long hikes or backpacking. I really like the clip style leg extensions that all Manfrotto Tripods incorporate.

What about a tripod head?

Most Landscape Photographers I am aware of predominately choose a ball style tripod head for reasons such as fluid movement and little maintenance. I chose the the Giottos Pro Calibrated Ball Head w/Quick Release 1/4IN. Thread MH647; Tension Control; Load 25 Lbs. - Giottos MH1300-657
and have been very happy with it.

What filter system do you recommend ?

As I have stated before the use of graduated neutral density filters is a must for Landscape Photographers but the question is, what system will hold those filters in front of you’re lens in a secure manner. I use threaded screw on style circular polarizers along with neutral (no effect on color) density filters. When it comes to graduated filters I like the Cokin Filter Holder for Z Series Filters
. Cokin makes several systems but it’s important to remember that when using wide-angle lenses that vignetting can be a real problem. The Z pro or the X pro are designed for such wide angle applications. I have heard great thing about the Lee Foundation Filter holder as well.

Which are better filter materials glass or resin ?

Cokin uses an organic glass called CR39 however this material will scratch if care is not taken. Other filter manufactures like Lee make a glass filter LEE Filters .9 ND - Filter - graduated neutral density soft
that will also fit in your Cokin holder and as an added benefit they are 100mm long and easier to place or even hand hold and will never scratch.

Replacing A Sky, The Controversy

2011-02-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

For many Landscape Photographers the idea of replacing a sky in Photoshop is considered taboo. For the most part I completely agree that we Landscape Photographers should try to replicate a scene as closely as possible to what the conditions were at the time we snapped the shutter. We also know that Mother Nature often will not cooperate with us on our photography outings. On many occasions it simply isn’t possible to return to an area over many times to re-shoot the same scene in hope of getting that beautiful sky we all hope for. We photographers end up with a dull gray bland sky that simply ruins the feeling we are trying to communicate.

I find it permissible for the purposes of Web display to show photos that have been altered especially when posting a Blog image. I would not advocate selling a gallery wrap or framed print that had an altered sky. The techniques for changing or replacing a dull sky are many and varied. It can be fun and challenging as well to practice different methods. Some of the easiest images to alter a sky are ones that have a very simple transition line between the foreground elements and the sky, void of trees and or other distracting elements.

If you search sky replacement techniques on You-Tube many results will come up, with great tutorials. One of the simplest methods is to make a selection of the sky you want to discard then grab the selection of the new sky from another image and paste into selection of the first image. Another simple method is to simply drag the photo of the undesirable sky over the preferred sky image and using the eraser tool carefully erase away the sky portion of the image until the new sky has emerged. You can also do the same thing with a mask being very careful when erasing around the transition points. Depending on the image one of the hardest thing for me is making the initial selection, in some cases I just won’t attempt replacing a sky as it is just to obvious.

Here are two shots I took at lake Billy Chinook near Madras Oregon on a very dull day. These two images have had skies added to them. If you look at the Billy Chinook Falls image at full resolution you will see an example of the very poor transition line and the terrible selection job I did resulting in an unfavorable image. The other image of Lake Billy Chinook had a much smoother transition line and although not a great job it looks a little more natural than the first image.

SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 II APO EX DG MACRO A Personal Review

2011-01-26T12:08:00.000-08:00

www.digitaldepot.co.uk/

I am giving a Sigma Lens review for my Sigma 70-200 mm F2.8 II APO DG Macro Lens with a Pentax “ K“ Mount that I purchased about one year ago. If you are looking for a more detailed tech heavy Sigma Lens review then I will steer you to a better sight for that later. I am not trying to re-hash facts that are already on the web but rather give my personal experience with this Sigma Lens.

I love Sigma Lenses for the following reasons:

Great packaging
Well built and sturdy
Economical in comparison to Canon and Nikon
Shipped with a great case with strap
Responsive auto focus and tracking
Large smooth focus and aperture rings
Lightweight
Manual/ Auto focus button on lens
Alternative focal lengths from Pentax
Tripod mounting collar

I initially bought this Sigma Lens for the sole purpose of photographing my daughter’s high school dance competitions. I really needed the F2.8 aperture for the poor lighting that is in most gymnasiums. The Sigma Lens worked very well for this intended purpose; although I still had to crank up the ISO to 1600, which enabled me to stop the action I needed. Here is an image from one of the competitions.

As I continued to use my Sigma Lens I grew to love it more and more. I have used this lens to photograph The Upper Clackamas River Whitewater Festival with great success. Here are some shots from that event. Another great uses I found for my Sigma 70-200 mm Lens is photographing the Portland Zoo. This Sigma Lens aloud me to isolate zoo animals and block out distracting man made objects giving a much nicer natural look at these animals. Take a look at this small gallery I took at the Portland Zoo.

I have used this lens for Macro Photography as well. With a minimum focusing distance of 100cm I was able to get some very nice shots of mushrooms at Silver Falls State Park. This Lens is also great for floral or insect Macro work, as this focal range will give you more working distance from your subject.

This Sigma lens is priced at around $800.00 US; compare that to a Canon 70-200 that sells for around $2,200.00. I will say that this Sigma Lens is not as sharp as the Canon or Nikon lenses in this category it is a great alternative for the budget minded hobbyist or budding pro. Get your Sigma Lens here.
*NOTE* For a detailed review of this lens heavy with all technical data go here.

The Right Snowshoe

2011-01-08T14:20:00.000-08:00

Lets go snowshoeing, remember there are many types of shoes to choose from. Buying the correct snowshoe is dependent on many factors including terrain, size and weight of purchaser and budget. If you are any where north of 200 lbs and plan on strapping on a large backpack you must get shoes that are rated 275 lbs and above to have the flotation needed to hit the backcountry. I really like these Tubbs Mens Mountaineer shoes..

As you can see from the video Tubbs snowshoes have some great feature like heel support for steep inclines and torsion side flex frames. I really like the crampons they use it's like wearing two styles at one time. The 6000 aluminum frame keeps these beauties at around 1lbs..
Snowshoeing just may allow you to get into that remote area that holds an epic landscape image that may define your image galleries.
You can get these snowshoes here..

Mozy Online Backup

2011-01-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

Do you worry about losing data or even worse thousands of precious images? Maybe you are a professional photographer with many client portfolios. What is your backup strategy? You can do what most people do; buy an external hard drive to keep your backups on.I recently started using Mozy Online myself for the main reason that my external hard drive did fail and there was no way to recover it. I became complacent in thinking I had nothing to worry about. The problem is pretty obvious, these devices fill up and more importantly they fail. This just happened to myself yesterday,I turned my back-up drive on only to hear the click of death. The heads went out of alignment and it tries to re-start from the beginning over and over again. I am currently trying to have the data recovered by professionals it may cost up to $500.00 to have the data restored if at all I just need to ask myself is it really that important to me..
Don't worry I have a great solution, online backup. There are a handful of companies that provide this service, however from personal experience I can definitely provide a positive testimonial about Mozy online. Mozy online is very simple to set-up and very affordable also at less than $60.00/year; you will have total peace of mind. Currently there are two plans based on how many gigabits you need protected. Mozy works in the background and once installed you don't even notice it performing it's background tasks. If you lose data you can go online and recover a single file or a complete backup set.. I really recommend this product over some of the competetors out there like carbonite, box.net and TrendMicro. Mozy Online Backup - $5.99/Month

Pentax K5

2011-01-01T12:11:00.000-08:00

Thinking about a new camera for the new year ? I certainly am considering a new purchase this year. I currently shoot with a Pentax K10d and while it does a fine job it has become quite dated now and I really would like some added features like: 16.3 mp, improved metering,refined LCD screen, live view, faster burst rates and improved ISO performance. Although I certainly cannot afford to get every new model that comes out I think Pentax has finally enticed me with there latest offering the Pentax K-5 16.3 MP Digital SLR with 3-Inch LCD (Black Body Only)
If you consider yourself a proud Pentaxian or maybe just want to step up to an advanced mid-level DSLR then I would urge you to take a look at what the K5 has to offer. Certainly a well built and completely weather sealed chassis, this camera is built to last and take on the elements. For an in depth review I recommend DP Review the go to resource for all things photographic.

California Redwoods Photography

2010-11-25T15:51:00.000-08:00

Whenever I have an opportunity to visit the California Redwoods I do; and this trip to San Francisco was no exception. Ideally the optimum time to visit these parks would be in late may an early June. The classic shot that includes rhododendrons still eludes me to this point. I prefer the Northern Redwood forests especially the Lady Bird Johnson Grove near Crescent City as pictured here on a Colorless November day.

On our return drive home from San Francisco we visited Muir Woods National Monument, named after famed conservationist John Muir. I was somewhat disappointed to the extent that there was so much under growth and that it is very confining to stay on the trails; some of the trails are actually wood planks. There is a $5.00 entrance fee and parking can be a real issue here as well.

California Redwoods are some of the tallest living things on our planet. I was interested to learn that they can achieve heights of nearly 400 feet whereas the giant sequoias of Yellowstone won’t achieve quite that stature, topping out at around 310 feet. Giant Sequoias are however in terms of total volume the largest living plant on earth.

Many people including myself wonder about the lack of red color that traditionally has been associated with this species. Most images I have seen of these giants lack considerable color. The moisture content of the bark is really the key ingredient in bringing out the reddish tones. The longer it has been raining the more color will be seen.

Photographing the redwoods is challenging and humbling, as settling on a good composition is tough. I try and look for an open area clear of undergrowth with several large trees. Also trying to give a sense of scale is hard as well. One of the finest images I’ve seen was from Landscape Photographer Floris Van Breugel titled
“ Life Among Giants “ not only is this image aesthetically pleasing and beautiful with Dogwoods in the foreground, a pair of deer in the lower left hand area give this photograph scale. My next trip down to this area I hope to visit Humboldt Redwoods State Park, which contains some of the tallest specimens around.

Shore Acres - Angry Ocean

2010-11-21T13:37:00.000-08:00

There is an area on the Oregon coast where the oceans fury can really show her stuff, especially in the winter stormy months. Shore Acres State Park is just such an area. There is an iconic shot that I am after that has eluded me on previous trips to this area. Shore Acres can be accessed from the Coos Bay, North Bend Area Via the Cape Arago Hwy. As you travel west you will pass through the town of Charleston then You will have the opportunity to visit three state parks in succession; Sunset Bay State Park, Shore Acres, and finally Cape Arago State Park.

I was mainly concerned with visiting Shore Acres because I knew what I was after. There is a $5.00 parking fee here, but well worth it in my opinion. You get an added bonus at this park; the Botanical Gardens are truly beautiful during the spring and summer months. In the winter months the gardens are transformed into a holiday light spectacular; a tradition started by the Friends Of Shore Acres in 1987. Here is a link for detailed info on this event.

Now back to the photography. The seas were moderately angry and I did see potential for some good wave action. I proceeded to mount my Sigma 70-200 2.8 lens and secure it to the tripod before leaving the parking area. The skies were unstable and squalls were threatening to roll in overhead. The park has constructed a nice viewing structure when conditions get to stormy to stay outside, I did use it to dry off myself and equipment a couple of times. As I shot I knew I needed to stop the wave action with a fast shutter speed so I left off the polarizer and set my camera to fire in burst mode. I spent the next 45min shooting three shot bursts and waiting for the sun to show. Out of the 100 frames I took this is really the only shot I was marginally happy with, the waves can get twice as high under the right conditions. Another point I will make is lens selection. The 70-200 was the wrong lens for this shoot and my 16-20 would be to wide. Ideally a 24-70 would be perfect in my opinion. I will definitely shoot this area again. It is exhilarating watching the waves and trying to capture that perfect shot.

Bandon Oregon A Photographers Dream

2010-11-21T12:43:00.000-08:00

I’ve seen such beautiful photography come out of the Bandon, Oregon area; yet I’ve never accessed the beach the several times through the area until recently. Bandon is a very small community with only one public beach access sign from Hwy #101. What make Bandon’s beaches so photogenic are the numerous sea stacks that are tightly bunched in this one stretch of beach. As I approached the beach from Hwy #101 the first area I came to was called Oregon Islands; an area I had never heard of before. I didn’t recognize this area from photos I’ve seen during my research for this trip.

It was getting late in the day and the wind was blowing hard at 50mph gusts. I scouted the area for a short while and then we called it a day and proceeded north to Coos Bay to stay the night. That next morning Laurie and I drove back to Bandon on a much calmer day, also there were patches of blue sky with fluffy clouds. I was getting somewhat hopeful for a good shoot. As we arrived at Oregon Islands once again we simply drove south on Beach Loop Dr. for ¼ mile and arrived at Face Rock State Park. I immediately recognized this area by the many sea stacks as the area I had seen, and wanted to shoot. I donned my extreme weather coveralls, rubber boots and wool hat; grabbed my tripod and camera bag and set off for some fun. There are so many compositions to be had here I could spend several days at sunrise and sunset staying very busy enjoying this area in the future. I noticed some very nice rental homes overlooking the area and thought of a future 3-day weekend here would be great.

Mossbrae Falls The Complete Story

2010-11-20T12:15:00.000-08:00

For quite some time now I’ve wanted to visit Mossbrae Falls. Even though this is not an optimal time to visit California waterfalls I still could not pass up this opportunity. I knew we would be going through Dunsmuir on our way to San Francisco to visit our son, who has recently moved there after joining an accounting firm.
We left Portland at 4 PM and stopped to stay the night in the town of Weed, Ca. The next morning I had profiled 3 waterfalls I wanted to visit before we proceeded south. Since Dunsmuir is only 20 minutes south I thought this would be no problem. The first stop, Hedge Creek Falls

are right off of I-5 on the corner of Dunsmuir Ave and the freeway off ramp. There is a large sign that denotes the trailhead here as well. The falls are found just a few hundred yards down 3 switchbacks. These are very different looking falls in that the rock formations are so rectangular it gives a modern look to the area if that makes sense. It also struck me that it looked like man placed large slabs of cut rock into the area and placed them next to the falls.

Mossbrae Falls were next and less than 1 mile by car to the trailhead. Simply take Dunsmuir Ave south for .7 miles then make a very sharp right turn on Scarlett Way also signed as (Shasta Retreat). Drive over a small bridge and railroad tracks then try and find a parking spot.

I often feel after reading accounts by other people that have visited areas before me that they are very light on giving details about what to expect, and this is a prime example. Let me paint a clearer picture of what to expect in this area. First off there are no signs for these falls nor are there any parking spots. As a matter of fact the railroad has clearly discouraged access to these falls by blocking the gravel parking areas next to the tracks with large concrete barricades. Also there are several no trespassing signs posted, additionally there is a sign that states no access to Mossbrae Falls. The instructions I had stated that I should walk upstream about 1.25 miles to the falls. I was under the impression that there is a trail that parallels the RR tracks, this is not the case at all. You will walk right on the 4-inch ballast rock and directly on the track itself at times…. There is no trail. I was very nervous a train would come through while I was on the narrowest parts of the track. I could hear the Sacramento River below as well as the sound of an active sawmill cutting would and would constantly think a train was bearing down on me. Also walking on that rock played havoc on my feet and ankles.

After about 20 minutes of walking I finally caught a glimpse of the magnificent weeping walls of Mossbrae Falls and I started to get excited about the possibilities that awaited me. I also had the place to myself; if only I was here in late October it would have been that much nicer with the full glory of fall color. I got off a few shots but before too long a couple of decked out fly fisherman came right into my composition and proceeded to make casts right in front of me. At first I was a little miffed but then realized what a great image it would make to photograph these guys casting right in front of the falls.

The third falls on my list was called Shasta Spring Falls and at the time I didn't realize that all I had to do was walk upstream an additional .3 miles from Mossbrae and I would have witnessed a beautiful 100 ft cascade. Unfortunately I will have to save that for my next time through this area. I highly recommend Mossbrae Falls it looks different in every season and I can’t imagine not making the effort every time I come through this area.

Cedar Creek Grist Mill

2010-10-10T16:28:00.000-07:00

I drove out to the Cedar Creek Grist Mill today during a heavy downpour. I was prepared with coveralls and rubber boots however I got lucky and the rain let up as I arrived. If you haven’t heard of this place it is a wonderful spot for photography. My objective was to capture the quintessential fall shot of the mill in all its glory. It looks like I was foiled again. I have looked at others who have shot this area near the end of October and had great success with the foliage. As my luck would have it the trees were already bare and way past their prime in terms of color. I suppose any time of year is worth the short trip up through Woodland Washington and 8 miles up river through the Lewis river watershed. Just take I-5 exit #21 Woodland and immediately turn right crossing the Lewis River then turn left onto Hayes rd which will become Cedar Creek Rd. Follow this upstream for about 7 ½ miles, a brown sign marked for the mill will guide you the final few tenths of a mile. This historic landmark is open all year for tours and also makes a great spot for a picnic. Enjoy..

Billy Chinook Falls

2010-10-03T15:58:00.000-07:00

We recently took a 400-mile road trip this first weekend in October. Mainly I was in search of fall color Near Willamette Pass and also was looking forward to some Aspens near Black Butte. Neither of those images came together for various reasons. We did however manage a nice lunch in Sisters and made a large loop through Redmond and back over Mount Hood. Took a short detour through Lake Billy Chinook in hopes of finding Billy Chinook Falls and any other interesting comps of the reservoir. This is what I came away with. If you ever want to drive through the area you may want to know that continuing on towards Pelton Dam and lake Simtustus makes for a nice scenic drive and really doesn’t ad much more mileage as you will T-bone right into Hwy 26 just South of Warm Springs.

Sahalie Falls Willamette National Forest

2010-09-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

During recent months I have noticed an increased number of folks using the search terms Sahalie Falls or Sahalie Falls Mt Hood. I then realized that there might be a little confusion on these falls. Yes there are two separate falls named Sahalie in Oregon the lesser-known one is located on Mt Hood, which I have already Blogged about in the past. The larger and much better know Sahalie Falls is located just off of Hwy #126 in the Willamette National Forest near Clear Lake. If you are in the area I highly recommend a trip to these falls which have the added bonus of seeing the rather spectacular Koosah Falls a mere ¼ mile away. You may also wish to make a short side trip by car to visit Proxy falls Located on the Old McKenzie River Highway #242 about 9 miles from Highway #126.

Note: as of June 2010 when I was there Highway # 242 is blocked by a snow-gate at the 11 mile mark. You can photograph the falls but will have to double back if proceeding on to Bend or any points East..

Beacon Rock and Rodney Falls

2010-08-28T15:37:00.000-07:00

If you’re looking for a short excursion near the Portland area that includes minimal hiking and two waterfalls try Beacon Rock State Park located in the Columbia River Gorge about 3 miles west of the Bridge of the Gods. I have been to this park a couple of times and my interest this time was to photograph Rodney Falls and Hardy Falls. A mere 1.25 miles from the trailhead you will come to Hardy Falls and let me say that they are not worth the short stairs that lead down to them I didn’t even bother to take a photograph. On the other hand I was fairly impressed with Rodney Falls and spent quite some time below the falls trying different comps out. On this day it was tough to find a time when I had the area all to myself. This is a popular trail and people generally seem to mill about the falls area making photography tough.

If you have the energy there are several things to explore while in Beacon Rock State Park. The two waterfalls I’ve already mentioned as well as a more extensive hike up to Hamilton Mountain. Additionally you may choose to climb to the summit of Beacon Rock itself via extensive scaffolding like steel stairway complete with fencing and handrails that are securely built right into the rock itself.

Panther Creek Falls Review and Directions

2010-08-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

Panther Creek Falls really must be seen in person, a photograph really doesn’t do it justice. To find these falls traveling from the Portland area simply cross the Bridge of the Gods,( a $1.00 toll bridge) or you may prefer to head east on Washington’s hwy 14 until you reach the town of Carson. Head north on the wind river Highway for 5.9 miles then turn right on Old State Road follow this road for a short while until you see signs for Panther Creek Campground. You will now be heading north on Panther Creek Road. Follow this road for 7.3 miles passing the campground along the way. There isn’t signage for the falls however just pull off and park in a large gravel turnout on the right side of the road. You will find the trail on the opposite side of the turnout about 200 yards downstream from your car. The falls can be heard almost immediately and the upper viewing platform can be reached in just 300 yards. Finding a way down to the base of the falls is quite possible but it's very steep terrain. I happened across a knotted climbing rope that a previous hiker had left that greatly improved my safety getting down.

If you start your day early enough there will be time to bag another nearby waterfall named Fall Creek Falls. Located another 10 miles up the Wind River Highway. These falls do require a more robust hike of 1.75 miles each way.

Salt Creek Falls, One To Remember

2010-06-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

The most visited natural attraction along Oregon’s Hwy# 58 better known Willamette
Highway No. 18 is Salt Creek Falls.

The Parking area and restrooms with flushable toilets are located 60 miles East of Springfield or 38 miles NW of Chemult Oregon. When you arrive you will have access to a kiosk that shows the history of the area as well as maps and trail descriptions. The falls themselves are breathtaking on two fronts the sheer vastness of the canyon with the creek below and of course the huge volume of water that flows. These falls have the highest and most consistent volumes of water in any of the Southern Oregon falls. The forest service claims this is the second highest falls in all of Oregon; Watson Falls come in a close third.

I found these falls a little tough to photograph especially when there is strong sunlight causing exposure problems. The second thing that makes photography tough is that the entire upper viewing area is protected by a high guardrail that runs the rights flank of the falls. There is a small lower viewing platform that allows for a frontal shot. I had to go way off trail to get the vantage point you see here. The spray is very powerful and carries downstream for a few hundred yards. I took a dozen shots and all the while had to keep wiping my filters off, I really only came away with one semi clean shot.

If you feel the need for more exercise there are two more falls here that can be accessed by foot, Fall Creek Falls and Diamond Creek falls. If you don’t care about the exercise than I might skip the 6 miles of hiking, as these falls will be a bit of a disappointment.

Tumalo Falls In Depth

2010-06-20T12:04:00.000-07:00

Bend Oregon is truly a magic place but especially so if you happen to be an avid landscape photographer. First off the central Oregon locale is a great launching point for many nearby shooting locations and the town is clean, well kept, and has every thing one would need in a small town. For me being partial to waterfalls the crown jewel in the area is Tumalo Falls. A mere 10 miles almost due west of the city these falls are a must see. Tumalo falls is not a state park so please do not confuse this area with Tumalo Sate Park located off of Highway #20 also right outside of Bend. Tumalo Falls and the creek that feeds it are part of the Bend watershed but the public is welcome. There is a medium sized parking area complete with toilets when you arrive. There are two viewing areas for the falls including a perch that overlooks the top. The area seems to be popular for mountain bikers and cross-country skiers in the winter months. Besides hiking to the top of the falls you can continue on another 4 miles to Happy Valley.

The perspectives of the falls that you see here required me to go off trail a bit trying to tread lightly respecting the ecosystem.

For a bit of history on the area you will learn that there was a very destructive fire that occurred in 1979 that destroyed the area including Tumalo Creek. Only recently in 2004 there was a concerted effort to re-build the area by excavating and reshaping the natural flow of the creek as well as hand planting 700,000 trees. You will notice how young the forest is surrounding the falls and it really makes for a unique landscape.

Getting there: From 3rd St. in Bend (ie. downtown Bend), turn west on Franklin Ave. Drive 1.2 miles (past Drake Park) to Galveston Ave. (also signed as Tumalo Rd). Turn right and drive 10.8 miles along Galveston (which turns into Skyliners Rd.). Immediately after crossing Tumalo Creek, turn left onto Road 4603. Drive 2.5 miles to the Tumalo Falls parking area. The road 4603 is closed in the winter so hiking in is the only way to reach the falls.

Directions are courtesy Leon Turnbull of waterfallswest.com Thanks Leon...

Fort Rock In Oregon’s Outback

2010-06-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to visit Fort Rock State Natural Area for some time now and we recently had a chance to get out there. This volcanic landmark located just West of Christmas Valley in Oregon's outback is known as a Tuff Ring. This huge mass is even more impressive in person as you catch the first glimpse. It was formed during the last ice age when lava pushed through the Brothers Fault Zone and into what was once an ancient lake covering some 900 square miles and reaching depths to 150 ft.
For me the best image to take of this immense landmark is a frontal shot taken along county road 5-10 with ample sagebrush as a foreground. If you have the time and energy you can access the parking area via Cabin Creek Rd to explore the rock on foot. There are fairly clean bathrooms here as well as some plaques telling the history of the area. Apparently some of the oldest human sandals were found in nearby Fort Rock cave that were made from sagebrush. The trails here will take you all through and around the rock; it really is something to see up close. Be somewhat wary of the fact that there was a cougar encounter here just a few months ago.
There are a couple of more points of interest in the area as well albeit a bit of a drive. You may wish to check out Hole-In-The-Ground, Crack-In-The-Ground as well as the Lost Forest.

Toketee Falls Re-Opens

2010-06-20T08:42:00.000-07:00

For nearly two years the Toketee Falls trail has been closed due to severe blow down caused by powerful winter storms. As of May 28^th of 2010 Toketee Falls is now open to the public. I recently was able to see the falls for the first time myself, and let me tell you these falls are stunning.

The trailhead to Toketee Falls can be found off of Highway #138 23 miles West of Diamond Lake or 41 miles East of Glide Oregon. There is room for about a dozen cars here and yes there is a couple of pit toilet style bathrooms.

The trail to the falls is a mere.4 miles and is very enjoyable hiking along the creek. What is noteworthy about the trail is the nice stone stairs that are built into the ground in spots and the many well constructed wood stairs that assist you in getting to the final viewing platform. These steps that I speak of are almost a work of art as you take different elevations of steps and sturdy black metal handrails, and the way they are situated along sheer basalt cliffs in places. The really cool part is the final viewing platform sits amongst the trees and gives the feeling you are in a tree house.

As for the falls they are definitely in my top 5 of the most beautiful falls I’ve seen. This is a two-stage waterfall dropping 120 feet into an opal pool and surrounded by sheer basalt walls and dense forest; the only drawback for photography is there is only one composition here unless you bring rappelling gear. That is why almost every photo you see from this location is relatively the same. I highly recommend a trip to this area. If you are new to Southern Oregon you will be in for quite a treat if you start in Roseburg and work your way towards Crater Lake. There are 25 waterfalls to photograph along the Umpqua Highway some of the falls you will encounter are: Fall Creek, Watson, Susan creek, Whitehorse, Grotto, wolf Creek ect..

Central Oregon Points Of Interest

2010-06-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

Laurie and I just got back from another 900-mile road trip taking us through Central Oregon and Christmas valley. I came away with many great images including Fort Rock and several noteworthy waterfalls. I will break down the trip with separate blog postings on specific areas of interest. The next few blogs will be related to this recent trip so stay tuned. I had specific areas in mind and mapped them out before leaving and was able to get to all of them except for “ Crack-In-the-Ground “ and the” Lost Forest “. I hope some of the information you get here will be a help to you on you’re travels.

" Sahalie Falls Mt Hood "

2010-05-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

There really are not very many waterfalls on Mt. Hood. This is Sahalie Falls and for my first two attempts to locate these falls I had no luck. From my research I read that these falls a well signed and can be located off of Hwy # 35 on the East side of Mt hood. To this day I have never seen a sign for these falls. These are not the most beautiful falls I have seen but I was committed to photographing them.
If you’re are interested in finding these falls they are actually in the closest proximity to you’re’ vehicle than others on the mountain. Basically the falls are located right off of Hwy #35 just North of the Mt Hood Meadows Ski Area and just South of the Meadows Nordic Area. You can access these falls from three areas: 1. When snow is not to much of an issue take the Meadows Ski Area turnoff and look for an access rd that goes North just prior to entering the Meadows parking area, this will lead you to the old hwy and the falls. 2. If you’re looking for a bit more exorcise then continue North on Hwy #35 and take the Elk Meadows turnoff traveling to the trailhead and work you’re way back south to the falls.
3.
The absolute quickest and most direct way I have found is to simply park in a wide turnout on the West side of #35 just slightly North of the Meadows turnoff. The wide spot isn’t very wide so I would suggest parking you're vehicle facing uphill or south so you can open the drivers door without it being up against the guardrail. As you park you will be able to see an arched over pass that was once part of the original Highway. You may now step over the guardrail and work you’re way up the creek two catch the double tier of the falls or you can climb straight up about 300 ft to the falls. You will be standing on the old highway overpass when looking at the falls. The compositions are slightly limiting here as well.

What type of camera do you use?

2010-05-11T18:22:00.001-07:00

A Pentax K10d

Photography Questions you may have

formspring.me

2010-05-11T18:13:00.001-07:00

Photography Questions you may have http://formspring.me/ShalamarImages

Golden And Silver Falls Park Profiled

2010-05-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

If you’re looking for a couple of unique waterfalls off the beaten path then I have the answer. Golden And Silver Falls State Park contains two stunning waterfalls with drops of nearly 200 feet respectively. Each of these falls can be photographed after only a very short walk from the parking area. Total hiking trail length in the park is about three miles, however that’s only if you wish to take the upper trail to Golden Falls and back. The lower and shorter trail will yield some great compositions of the falls.

I guess the only downside to this park is the is the journey there, often times traveling over very winding and narrow county roads. We encountered very few cars but did have a couple of loaded log trucks come at us on sharp turns. There are many spots on this road near the end that won’t allow two cars to pass, so be careful.

Getting There: Heading South on US 101 go completely through the town of Coos Bay. When you see a 7-Eleven on the left take a left turn at the second light. This exit will say Coos River- Allegany. Once you take the exit you will immediately cross a bridge over the Coos River. From this spot set you’re trip odometer as it is exactly 24 miles to the park from here. You will pass through the town of Allegany at the 14-mile mark. Just continue on for 10 additional miles, the last 4 – 6 miles are gravel but it’s not a bad ride as gravel roads go. When you reach the park you will find a rustic outhouse and hiking instructions to each of the falls.

Good Luck.. Shawn

Abiqua Falls Complete Review And Directions

2010-05-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

For the longest time I have heard tale of this elusive waterfall called Abiqua Falls. Iv’e seen it profiled on a couple of blog’s and seen many photos of it on Flicker Ect..
I recently made the trip over to Scott’s Mills Oregon and finally got to photograph these falls. I have yet to see anyone give a very detailed account of what to expect and give precise directions.
Ok here is the skinny on what I experienced. Getting there: Take Hwy #213 or the Cascade Highway to the town of Markum. When you see the Markum Inn you will turn off onto S Nowlens Bridge rd, it only go East. Take Nowlens Bridge rd approximately 2 miles until you T-Bone into Crooked Finger Rd NE, turn left. At this point reset you’re trip odometer. You will now travel exactly 9.5 miles until the road ends or at least the pavement ends. Reset you’re trip odometer once again and travel exactly 1.4 miles. Turn right onto Cf300, a very illegible white sign on a tree on you’re right will denote this road as well. You will basically travel as far down this road until you cant go any further. You will pass several clear-cut areas and intersections; always go straight and downhill through these. The road will deteriorate as you get further down and some say passenger cars can make it. I would strongly discourage any thing other than a high clearance vehicle with 4wheel drive. When you come to an old yellow locked gate you have reached you’re destination by vehicle . Park in a small turnout just prior to the gate; there is maybe room for three vehicles here.
Don’t do what I did and travel by foot beyond the gate and down the road, I added about 4 miles of unnecessary hiking to my trip. To find the trail, I mean goat path to the falls simply walk up river or the direction you came for approximately 300 ft. You will see a fairly heavily used footpath heading down towards the river. You will also see two large white No-Trespassing signs that warn against hunting and firearms ect.. posted on trees at the beginning of the trail.

Did I mention goat trail? The path down to the river is steep and fairly treacherous. There are lots of possibilities to turn an ankle or slip and maybe damage yourself or equipment Be Careful.
Once you reach the river you will have dropped maybe 1000 ft or so, head upstream the best you can until you reach the falls. It’s only about a 5-7 min walk once you have reached the river.
The falls are beautiful and well worth the effort; however I was struck at the size of the area I was expecting it to be much larger. A wide angle lens is a must, I shot with a 16-45mm on an APS C censor and could barely encompass the whole scene. Those of you shooting full frame or one of the 10-20mm will have no problem. Also keep in mind the spray factor; I was constantly wiping my lens or filters off. If you come in late summer then you’re options open up quite a bit as you can wade across to the other side or stand in the stream to avoid the composition obstacles I faced.

Happy Adventures Shawn..

Photogaphy Paintings

2010-04-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

A technique I’ve been having fun with lately is that of impressionistic photography or digital painting. I first heard about this technique in a recent article in Outdoor Photographer. I really loved the painterly fell to the images, but it was more than that; something unusual and very different than a painting, painting with light

I recently got the chance to try out this method on a large tree farm near Umatilla Oregon. The trick for making these images work is the exact amount of blur and that can really only be achieved by trial and error. There is no exact blueprint for every situation.

The ideal equipment for this upward panning technique is to have a tilt and pan tripod head, giving you more control over lateral movement. I only have a ball head and have done the best I could. Typically here is the rundown: 1. Find a subject with vertical lines preferably 2. Mount camera on tripod and set a 2 second timer. 3. Using a neutral density filter and a relatively small aperture to achieve an approximate 2-3 second exposure 4. Depress the shutter button and anticipate when the shutter will open, then begin panning skyward during the entire exposure. 5. Check the LCD for the results and repeat if necessary.

I hope you give it a try it’s a lot of fun..

Shawn..

Palouse Falls Adventure Awaits

2010-04-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

For quite some time now I’ve wanted to head over to Eastern Washington; specifically the Palouse agricultural region and of course Palouse Falls. I recently had a few days off and our Boxer Dog " Scout " and I headed from the Portland area directly to Palouse Falls State Park. I had fairly low expectations considering it was raining here and the forecast wasn’t much better where I was going. 300 miles later " Scout " (the Boxer) and I arrived at the park. I was surprised at how well kept this campground was. There are 10 campsites at Palouse Falls State Park each complete with picnic tables and plenty of fresh water pumps. There is no electricity or full hook-ups for the RV'ers,; however there are a couple of really clean porta/toilets.
Palouse Falls can be seen immediately as you drive into the campground ; in fact you can hear the cascading water while in your tent along with other sounds like the coyotes howling in the distance. You will find unique wildlife in the area such as: Coyote, Mule Deer, Raptors,Rattlesnakes, Jack Rabbits and hundreds of Marmots to name a few.
Palouse Falls are quite breathtaking and very photogenic as well. You may not always be blessed with beautiful clouds but there are many wonderful compositions as well as trails that will take you most of the way around the canyon. Finding a unique perspective is always a challenge; most photographers choose to incorporate the falls and the down stream portion of Palouse River in their shots.

The next day the plan was to drive over to Steptoe Butte State Park where one can take in grand vistas of the Palouse region. If you are planning a similar trip keep in mind the time of year and what to expect in terms of crops. I was a little early to catch the rolling green hills I was expecting. Apparently the fall harvest is a great time to visit as the hills come alive with the amber glow of wheat. Also keep in mind the vastness of the area, it is nearly a 2-hour drive from Palouse Falls Park to Steptoe Butte State Park. Anyway as my luck would have it when I arrived at Steptoe butte the weather was looking very nasty. I made my way around and around the spiral road to the summit of the butte only to be completely inundated by a super storm cell with high winds, visibility was almost non-existent and no images were recorded for my efforts.
Overall it was a memorable trip although I would love to visit again right before the fall harvest. Maybe I’ll have that Pano Head by that time.

Until next post, hoping you all find the sweet light.
Shawn..
Recommended Book

Snoqualmie Falls And The Salish Lodge Review

2010-03-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

Laurie And I recently got back from a stay in the Salish Lodge in Washington State. One of the draws for me besides romance and relaxation was the added bonus that the lodges sit atop Snoqualmie Falls. These falls are a huge draw for tourists to the area, over 1.5 million visitors per year. The falls are quite impressive and have a vertical drop 100ft higher than Niagara Falls.

If you have come to photograph theses falls, compositions are surprisingly pretty limited. Most of the shots you see are taken from the upper viewing platform or anywhere along the upper guardrail. There is a snack shop / souvenir store with restrooms at this location as well. Additionally if you feel like a somewhat steep hike down to the base and through the Puget Sound Power Plant you will find more up close and personal compositions. The conditions you find below are directly related to the amount of flow the power plant is releasing. At times you will find a full lake with very little foreground element and other times you will see a boulder-strewn landscape. Spray from the falls is always an issue. At times the spray is so powerful you can feel it from the upper viewing decks.

I highly recommend the lodge for a short stay and also recommend the photography. When you first arrive at Salish lodge you will find the valet staff promptly greets you. The mandatory valet parking is a little excessive for my taste considering they are only parking you’re car a mere 20 or 30 ft away. I guess some folks really consider it a luxury however I find it a bit of a nuisance. If you want to get something out of your own car you must first hand in the valet tag to get you’re keys and then hand them back when you are finished. Then there are the etiquette rules about tipping. I kind of felt like that was a little Vegas-like.
The lodge has a wonderful Day Spa that is complimentary for all guests. Complete with mineral soaking pool, large hot tub with water feature, steam and sauna rooms as well. The staff doesn’t allow anything above a whisper inside the spa area and the hot lemon tea is a nice touch as well. For you gamblers the Snoqualmie Casino is very impressive Picturesque and clean and only 5 min from the lodge. The Falls are located just off I-90 about ½ hour East of Seattle. Situated between the towns of North Bend and Fall City. If you are in the area for the dinner hour I can highly recommend the Fall City Roadhouse, Located in Fall City about 5 min from the Lodge on Hwy 202; the food is fantastic..

Noise Reduction Software Reviews

2010-03-03T15:59:00.000-08:00

As photographers we strive for a certain identifiable style that we can call our own and to that end we look for the tools that will help us achieve the best results in the digital darkroom. One of the biggest issues we face in postproduction is that of digital noise which is inherent to today’s image sensors and there limitations.

Most image editing software come with there own noise reduction solutions some better than others. I recently purchased the plug-in version of Imagenomic’s Noisware software. I am very pleased to say the least. The program is fully customizable but also has presets for Landscapes, portraiture ect.. The beautiful thing is that Imagenomic make a free Noisware Community Edition that works quite well. The only drawback is that you cannot save you’re work as a 16 or 32 bit T.I.F.F.

Don’t’ get me wrong I do believe that there are other fine noise reduction software out there like: Noise Ninja, NIK Dfine 2.0, Neat Image, Alien Skin Image Doctor, Fred Miranda ISOx Pro, and the list goes on and on. For me I truly believe this is a quality product that works. After all balancing the noise and sharpness while retaining color saturation is a real balancing act that requires the correct algorithms. Here is a comparison between Noisware and Noise Ninja.For more comparisons of many other software go here. Imagenomic make other great products as well and even offer a bundle that includes: Portraiture, Noisware and Real Grain.

Photographing The St Johns Bridge

2010-02-07T14:44:00.001-08:00

Many Oregon photographers enjoy shooting our local bridges, and you will find no finer bridge than the St Johns Bridge in North Portland. This bridge has frankly been shot to death but having said that there’s nothing like having your own files and also to enjoy the experience first hand. I have seen this bridge shot from so many perspectives over the years but one caught my eye especially from a great local photographer named Jesse Estes. His night shot is truly spectacular. This renewed my interest in this bridge and wondered how he got that particular vantage point. Well it turns out it’s really quite simple to find, although I made it extra tough on myself by taking the long way up the ravine and cross country with dog in tow.

If you are heading West on Hwy #30 and take the St Johns bridge exit to climb the steep road to the bridge entrance you will see a turnout about ¾ of the way up on you’re left. Park here and proceed West on foot approximately 1000 ft until you come to a series of steep concrete steps that lead to a landing with a hand rail. Continue west a very short distance until you come to a wood footbridge that overlooks the bridge and that is relatively free from blocking trees. This will be your tripod spot.

After shooting here and arriving back at you’re car feel free to cross the Columbia River on said bridge and proceed to Cathedral City Park located at the foot of the bridge on the North side.

You will find many compositions in this area as well.

Cape kiwanda Photography

2010-01-24T17:20:00.000-08:00

All I can say is wow! What a photographers dream. I’m talking about The Oregon coastal hot spot of Cape Kiwanda. I have seen so many wonderful dramatic images from this area but personally have never explored the cape before yesterday. Laurie and I drove up to catch the sunset and get the dog out for some exercise. As I started climbing the cape I instantly knew I was in for a real treat photographically speaking.

The compositions are endless the weather is ever changing and the wave action can’t be beat. The reddish sandstone cliffs are beautiful as well.

To top things off the Pelican Brewery is only a stones throw from the parking area. Great food and even better selection local Micro Brew. They serve breakfast lunch and dinner. I highly recommend the restaurant.

Now back to the cape and the photography. If you’re coming from out of town you can stay at the Inn at Cape Kiwanda . This will allow you to chase the sweet light morning and evening. One day is not enough in my opinion to truly capitalize on the possibilities here.

There are restricted areas that are somewhat cordoned off but most people disregard the warnings and proceed anyway. Be careful near the cliffs but especially watch out for sneaker waves if you’re shooting near the ocean on the north side of the cape.

Very near to the cape is Bob Straub State Park where you will have distant views of Haystack Rock and lots of grasses that always make a great foreground element.

Getting there: From Lincoln City, follow U.S. 101 North through the town of Neskowin and follow the signs to Cape kiwanda. From the Portland area take Hwy 22 through Salem then tie into Hwy #18 west. Take a right turn in the town of valley junction onto Hwy #22 Tillamook/ Hebo and follow this winding narrow road until you see a left turn off for Pacific City, you will now be on Hwy #130. Follow this straight into Pacific City..

Just a quick side note about Haystack Rock; yes it’s true there is more than one Monolith off of the Oregon coast with that name, in fact there are three. You will find one haystack rock in the town of Cannon Beach another in Pacific City and the final one is located outside of Bandon on the Southern Oregon Coast.

Moulton Falls County park

2010-01-13T15:37:00.000-08:00

After doing a little research on the web trying to find the whereabouts of a certain bridge that I've seen photographed a few times, I was finally successful. the wooden footbridge you see pictured here is located in the heart of Moulton Falls county park in SW Washington state. Situated along the East Fork of the Lewis River, there are several water features along the drive including Lucia Falls, Moulton Falls and Sunset Falls. I recommend the venture for hikers and photography buffs. Be advised however that the parking areas are closed this time of year for unknown reasons to me. Parking is very limited on the roadsides due to a lack of a wide shoulder.

Getting There: Drive Sate route #503 north through the town of Battleground and make a right turn on NE Rock Creek Rd just past 319Th. Once you have made you're turn you will follow Lucia Falls Dr. to a signed parking area for Lucia Falls. Next stop will be Moulton falls about 1 mile further, parking will be on the left at the falls. The Footbridge and hiking trails are directly across the street via the upper parking area. If you wish to continue you may visit Sunset falls state park just 7 miles up NE Sunset Falls Dr.

HDR Software Reviews

2009-12-10T17:42:00.001-08:00

Are you ready to try something a little different this winter? Does the weather have you home bound or just uninspired photographically. This time of year is when most landscape enthusiasts are able to spend more time on the computer finishing the backlog of shots that were taken in the preceding months.

I currently use HDR(High Dynamic Range) software for finishing landscape images where my cameras sensor can’t pick up the many stops of light in a dynamic scene. Recently however I've begun using HDR simply as a tool to render surreal and sometimes otherworldly images as strictly an independent art form…..Bye the way, it’s also quite fun.

I will introduce you to a few programs out there including freeware, shareware and trial software that you will pay for later. Each program has it’s pro’s and cons and little quirks as well. The program that is the most recognized starts out our review at no (1) Photomatix Pro is a plug-in extension for Adobe products such as Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 , Apple Aperture 2.1.1 and Adobe Photoshop CS4. The Pro version can be purchased as a stand-alone program for those using other imaging software. Version 3 is currently out and can be purchased for $99.00 from Amazon.com. I recommend getting the free trial version before laying out the cash.

At no. (2) on our list is called Easy HDR written by Bartłomiej Okonek or (Bartek). I personally purchased this software and use it primarily for my landscapes. You can check out the flickr pool of shots here. Easy HDR by its namesake is very simple to use and provides great online tutorials.

Currently I use a free program called Qtpfsgui it also makes no. (3) on our list. A great program for deep manipulation as seen above with the F-14 Tomcat image.

Here is a great site to see a list of free HDR software
I can highly recommend the following two HDR books...

Little Zigzag Falls Directions

2009-10-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

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 Sahale Falls accessed just past the Mt Hood Meadows ski area off of Hwy #35.

Custom White Balance Suggestions

2009-10-03T13:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

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 !!

2009-08-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-26T16:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-18T15:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-28T16:18:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

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.

Point Defiance And NW Trek Reviews

2009-06-25T21:03:00.000-07:00

Laurie and I just got back from a mini vacation up to the Seattle area where we had a light itinerary planned. On our first full day we took a short drive over to Tacoma to visit the somewhat acclaimed Point Defiance Zoo And Aquarium

I feel like going on a rant at this point but will keep this review tempered and concise. First off let me say that Point Defiance Park is quite picturesque and well kept giving us hope for a fantastic zoo visit. Weather was not an issue it was a perfect day for being outside and especially for photography, which is always my interest. Entrance fees to the park are in line with what you would expect to pay $13.00/adult.

The one thing that struck me from the moment I entered the park was that young children seemed to abound in every direction. Strollers were ever present and there wasn’t any sight of animals. We made our way down the paved paths that our map told us to follow until we came to different areas that supposedly housed animals, but they were few and far between. Every animal we did see was caged in what looked like an animal prison. There was glass or bars in front and a net covering almost every habitat.Photography was out of the question; I did not take more than a handful of photos throughout the entire park. We came away pretty disappointed and felt as though the park planners could have done a better job of give the public a better Zoo experience.

There is a very nice caveat to be told however and now here is the rest of the story. On the back of the zoo entrance ticket there is print that reads 2 for 1 entrance to the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park.
The park is in Eatonville approximately 30 min drive southeast from our location.

We made the drive and arrived at 2:00 pm. The park closes at 5:00 pm. We were pleasantly surprised at the vastness of the park as well as the well-kept forested grounds. This park is unlike the Wildlife Safari In Winston in that you park you’re car and walk the grounds visiting the animals in natural habitats. Photography is fantastic in this park as the animal areas are unencumbered with fencing netting or wire, provided you are standing in the viewing area. Needless to say I was able to start ripping that shutter and came away with some nice photos.

The second ½ of this park is equally as nice as patrons are given colored tokens when they arrive so they may enter the wildlife tram at a prescribed time. The tram has three open-air cars that resemble ones you might ride on the back lot of Universal studios. The tour lasted nearly one hour and is quite relaxing except for the constant narration of the driver. Many photo ops here as well.

The second day of our mini Vacation will be divulged in the next Blog entry.

Gorge Hikers Beware !!

2009-06-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

Just got back from another Waterfall Photography trip with with two of my sons today.The goal was not overly ambitious as seems not to be the norm whenever I go out. We hiked up to Ponytail falls from the Horsetail Falls trail head. I spent 20 min or so photographing and then we proceeded another 1.3 miles to photograph Triple Falls. For those of you planning a trip in the are be forewarned that the bridge just beyond Triple Falls on trail #424 that crosses Oneonta Gorge was damaged and has been removed. The Oneonta Gorge is impassable at this time. This makes a loop trip impossible. As a matter of fact you cannot access Triple falls or beyond to Larch mountain from The Oneonta Gorge Trail #424 at this time. The bridge is budgeted and slated to be replaced this year 2009. Another note able about the area is the fact that there is a sizeable log jam at the entrance to Oneonta Gorge. For those of you including myself this only means that there will be a Little more adventure involved when we decide to don our Tevas and wade up the slot canyon and through the water. for any reason including magnificent photo ops. I hope this helps.. Happy Hiking, Shawn.

Waterfall Photography Tips

2009-06-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

Waterfall photography is both rewarding and challenging. If you’re’ anything like me and enjoy getting outdoors to hike and explore having a goal or a destination like a lake, waterfall or mountaintop to photograph is a must.

Waterfall photography especially has technical obstacles that always present themselves. In direct contradiction to other landscape photography you may often welcome the harsh midday sun that may filter it’s way down through the tree canopy and illuminate the falls. Access to the down stream section of a particular falls may be quite hazardous as the steep canyon walls may prevent the ideal vantage point. Particularly high falls often prevent photographing their full length even with the widest of lenses.

It may be possible to explore the technique of a vertical panarama. Exposure problems are another issue as you may be dealing with many stops of light that the camera cannot deal with. I often revert to HDR to deal with this issue.

Admittedly not all the waterfalls you see here are worthy of a frame and I will admit that looking at endless shots of waterfalls can be quite uninspiring; however I hope you will judge each photograph as a separate canvas and realize that I have photographed many falls for documentary reasons.

More waterfalls can be seen here
You may be wondering how to find obscure waterfalls and maybe wish to find a comprehensive list of Northwest Waterfalls. Well I have to give credit to Bryan Swan who authored the Northwest Waterfall Survey.

So You Want To Hike Opal Creek Huh !

2009-05-24T13:18:00.000-07:00

Opal Creek located in the Elkhorn Valley recreation area is one of the most beautiful river hikes you will ever experience. Opal creek feeds the Little North Santiam River that is equally clear and pristine however opal creeks color is unmatched and truly lives up to its namesake. I suppose you could use emerald to describe the watercolor as well.

If you want to experience the hike for yourself here is a link for great driving directions. I guess the only downside of this hike is the 2.2-mile hike down a gravel-logging road to reach the actual trailhead. This hike is suitable for small children and is classified as easy with an elevation gain of only 200 feet. I would caution parents to be very watchful on a couple of bridge crossings and on section of trail where there is no rail to protect from a substantial fall.

The area attracts extreme kayakers as well as backpackers. There are several wonderful campsites along the river although campfires a prohibited. If you have come for merely a day hike you may opt for the 7.5 mile loop that will take you through Merten mill and Jawbone Flats an old gold and iron mill that operated from 1929-1932. This loop will also take you to Opal Pool, another attraction that will take you’re breath away. If your feeling energetic you can continue past Opal Pool another 1.5 miles which will take you past Cedar flats (ancient Red Cedars) and several small water features. Happy Hiking !!

Clackamas Whitewater Festival

2009-05-16T23:06:00.001-07:00

Anyone that had the opportunity to witness first hand the 2009 annual Clackamas Whitewater Festival experienced great weather and some fantastic race events, and of course a few spills. For those of you who missed it I took some photos of the race that you can see here.The annual festival is run strictly by volunteers with the help of a few sponsors. They have a dedicated Website if you wish to learn more or even enter the race next year.

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens

2009-05-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

Photographing Zoo Animals

2009-05-02T16:26:00.000-07:00

     Going on a photographic safari in Zaire or maybe the Okavango Delta is probably on the short list of many amateur photographers. But lets be real; an extravagant safari across the globe probably won’t happen for most of us. There is something special about photographing animals in their natural environment that words can’t really convey.
    If you’re’ like me and enjoy capturing images of animals regardless of the venue then a local zoo may have to suffice. Zoo photography can really be quite rewarding in that you never really know what you will bring home on that media card, as every outing will undoubtedly find animals in different states of lethargy or lack thereof.
    First and foremost I would suggest several visits a year to you’re local zoo as the experience and results will be different every time, also it’s a great way to support the animals. Try to visit on weekdays to avoid crowds. I generally just use one lens and bring a backup. The lens of choice for me is the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 DG HSM II Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
There are times that more focal length would be helpful but more importantly the F2.8 speed is a huge asset in the very dimly lit exhibits and give a very shallow depth of field for blurring out obvious zoo backgrounds.
    To make you’re photographs stand out from the rest it is important to isolate an animal and not try to encompass an entire scene. By doing this you can come up with very unique perspectives of animals not usually seen. If possible take an unconventional route through the zoo based solely on the suns trajectory. By doing this you can use the natural spotlight effect the sun provides in able to highlight an animal’s face.

    In regards to indoor exhibits and dealing with glass enclosures this creates another set of obstacles. Depending on your particular camera and it’s ability to control noise will determine a ISO setting that will suite the noise threshold that you can personally accept in you’re photography. Photography of reptiles and the like will require shooting through thick glass. I look for the cleanest spot and then remove my lens hood; this enables me to virtually press the lens against the glass and avoid angle glare. Here is an example
of a gator I shot through thick glass and I found it looks as though I had an unobstructed view.
    Have fun exploring you’re local zoo and best of luck capturing unique images of the animals. To see a few more of the animals in the Oregon Zoo, go here.

Backlink Builder

2009-03-29T19:34:00.001-07:00

Quality Backlinks are extremely important in improving your search ranking and placement within Google and other search engines. Here is a great tool that You can place on a web page or blog that will allow you're visitors or you to create great back links that are keyword generated and are within the same genre of you're website. Here it is:

Backlink Builder

Enter Keyword (Theme)

Heres what it looks like on my website. If you would like the snippet of code for your'e own site here is the
link

Picasa Features

2009-03-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

Being an amateur photographer I definitely have a need for a good photo management program to sort through all my images. I chose the totally free program called
Picasa from a little company called Google. I have tried several programs including the adobe products but just seem to love how Picasa will search you're hard drives for every image and catalog them. Later you have a chance to input keywords so that you may find photos using Googles powerful search technology.

Picasa also has some other cool features like image adjustments, red eye removal, B&W conversions and filter effects. Lastly I like the ability to make a contact sheet or collage as you can see in this example I used in my other Website Nwlandscapes.com. Give it a try you have nothing to lose.

Free Website

2009-03-15T16:52:00.000-07:00

Want to Build a free website ?

For those of you who do not have a web presence whether you have a product to sell or just want to share thought images and ideas. I recently stumbled upon a great site called Yola formerly Synthasite.

There is no catch with this site absolutely zero hidden fees. However they will put a small ad at the footer of you're index page. This Is what I put together in just a few hours. What I like about it is the fact that you can use your Google Ads here to generate income without a web hosting expenditure. You can also sell products here using Paypal

Sure there are drawbacks like a slow server lack of scripting choices and the use of widgets gives the sites a somewhat unprofessional appearance.

I recommend this site if you truly want to build a free Website for yourself or small business.

Oregon Photo Ops

2009-02-22T18:15:00.000-08:00

I have found another opportunity for Photo Ops on the Upper Clackamas River photographing the onslaught of rafters and whitewater kayakers that come down. This is a great opportunity to get great action shots from the bank and to practice and hone you’re skills for action sports. If you check various sites like the Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival They have an annual whitewater event that brings many photographers out.

Widgets

2009-02-22T10:28:00.001-08:00

I stumbled upon this pretty cool site that allows the user to choose from several different widgets ( a portable chunk of code) to display photographs in a fun clean artful way. All widgets are free but allow only limited photos. You may purchase the Widget for a nominal fee in order to display many more images. The site is called goodwidgets.com and you can also customize size, duration, and accent or background colors to blend with and post to your website or blog. Give it a try it's pretty fun.

Creative Photography Lighting

2009-01-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

As the rain and winds of late have kept me homebound and unable to seek out natural landscapes of Oregon I find myself experimenting and looking for different ways to communicate something photographic. The photo you see here of the chess set was a culmination of creating an improvised setup then finishing the image in Photoshop.
For the setup I simply balanced my glass chess set between two speaker stands and the provided a black foam board as a backdrop. Next I used a lamp without the shade to place directly underneath the table with a 100-watt bulb. Finally I look for color by finding a glass vase that fit over the bare light bulb to diffuse and disperse light upward. Placing My Pentax K10d on a tripod fitted with a 16-45mm f4 lens I was able to take several second exposures allowing the sensor to pick up all that color. I worked the levels and saturation in PS Elements. I only wish I would have photographed the setup for demonstration purposes. I like the results, as the set almost looks cartoonish. Other perspectives of the board including a monochrome version can be found at ShalamarImages.com. This is proof positive that you don’t always need a flash unit or a strobe to take interesting indoor images.

Christmas wishes

2008-12-20T20:58:00.000-08:00

Well as I sit here in my home in Oregon us Oregonians are going through one of the worst snow storms in years. It's really quite beautiful and treacherous at the same time. Once things calm down I hope to get out and take some photos to document this historic event. I just wanted to wish all a wonderful Christmas season and warmest regards. We at ShalamarImages hope all of you can be with friends and family this year enjoying this wonderful time. Let's not forget however those who sacrifice everything for us on the battlefield. Please keep our soldiers in your prayers and that everyone can come home soon.
Merry Christmas

Blurb Online bookmaking Reviews

2008-12-14T16:34:00.000-08:00

As promised I am now ready to make an honest assessment of the services offered by Blurb.com. After receiving a copy of my book I was somewhat disappointed. I do realize that this review might be counter productive to my book sales but the truth must be told.
First off for those of you wanting to display photos for artistic and not editorial reasons I would order the largest book size that Blurb offers. Having said that, for me cost was a factor as I find these books quite pricey. Go to Costco and you can pick up a massive coffee table book for under $50.00.
The cover was nice although it was a bit sloppy and loose and will move around while trying to examine the pages. I only wish that the Content pages were of higher quality and had more of a glossy look to them. My photographs didn't look nearly as nice as when printed on My Epson home printer. Note however that there is an option to order upgraded paper with more weight and sheen to them, which I simply forgot to check when ordering, so I can’t really speak to that end.
The binding seem adequate and solid just like most store bought books. Shipping time was average about 7 –10 days for standard rates. I really liked the software and templates called book smart. It was very simple to use.
I've done some research and found that they are several companies providing online book making for the masses but couldn't really say which stands out as the leader. One of the big names seems to be Shutterfly Photo Books. All of these companies price point seems very similar and a little expensive.
To recap I would recommend Blurb to you if your willing to spend more on your book than seems reasonable and would recommend the largest size that fits you're budget. Don't forget to check the box for upgraded premium paper it's only a few dollars more and worth it. Just don’t expect to sell many books at such a high price point. Blurb does not make public its sales figures and therefore I don’t know if any books are selling through the blurb bookstore. All in all it is fun and rewarding to create a book with your own images it makes a great conversation piece. No matter which company you choose and even if to show only to friends and relatives I would recommend making your own book. Take care

New Oregon Landscape Book

2008-11-30T19:39:00.000-08:00

We just published a new book using blurb.com . will give a recommendation after receiving the first copy. Until then you may preview and purchase this all Oregon hardcover coffee table book for yourself or a gift.

All Oregon

From Sea To Mountains

By Shawn Martin

Book Preview

Shroom Season

2008-11-10T13:20:00.000-08:00

For all you photographers out there who may be in the doldrums this time of year now that we are between fall color and heavy snow fall, I offer you an alternative to your regular landscape photography. Yes it is shroom season between September and the first substantial snowfalls. Pull out you're favorite macro or any suitable lens to find theses sometimes hidden gems in the forest. I recently got back from Silver Creek State Park primarily to shoot waterfalls. The weather was a misty rain and heavy fog which enabled me to divert my attention to the forest floor. This is something very new to me but I can really see pursuing Fungi and mushrooms as a subject for the camera. As I am always looking for color the Amanita Muscaria is more along the lines of those I would prefer to shoot. You know the one, it's bulb shaped with a red top and covered with white flakes. I won't attempt to identify everything I shoot in that there are thousands of species in North America alone. I did find it interesting to learn from different Mycology websites that mushrooms are really the flowering part of Fungi and that the latter is mostly found underground.

Oregon Fall Color Report

2008-10-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

For most landscape photographers and nature lovers the the change of fall foliage represents an exciting time. Oregon has far fewer deciduous trees and therefore will not display quit as dramatic change of seasons as lets say New England. Having said that you won't be disappointed if you know where to look. I routinely make trips through the Oregon coast range and find that there is a dramatic change in color this week mid October as opposed to just one week ago.The seasons have definitely changed and been pushed back from years past as summer hangs on much longer now.Our trip to the Japanese Gardens proved to be quite a disappointment as my earlier blog mentions.The Hoyt arboretum at Washington Park continues to be a perennial favorite where you will find some 8000 different planted species. You may also find a great show along the banks of the Columbia river and the eastern part of the Gorge. Catherine Creek Wayside on the Washington side is very popular as well. Although I did not make the trip this year The Indian Heaven Wilderness is one of my favorite places in any season with 20,000 acres of pristine wilderness dotted with small alpine lakes and beautiful meadows. Another option would be the Oregon Garden near Silverton.It is a fantastic place with many varieties and water features. Don't get bogged down always looking for that grand landscape to show off the changing seasons. I'm guilty of this as much as the next photographer. Simply pull out that macro lens from your bag and a whole new world will open up allowing you the photographer many more ways to communicate this colorful time of year. Happy fall, From Shawn at
ShalamarImages.com

Portland's Japanese Gardens

2008-10-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

Laurie and I recently took a trip to Portlands Japanese gardens. A place to which niether of us had ever been despite living in Oregon for several decades. We thought october would be prime fall foliage color but come to find out that early november is a much more colorful time to go. There is a sense of serentity as you walk among the maples and rock gardens ( the Zen thing I guess). We would recommend a trip there but plan it carefully if your looking for fall color. Admittance is $8.00 and there is a $2.00 dollar tripod fee for those so inclined.

Covered Bridges Of Cottage Grove

2008-10-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

Well I guess not all photo ventures can be fulfilling. Looking for fall color in Oregon, Laurie and I set out for cottage grove to experience and photograph old bridges along the covered bridge tour route. To say we were disappointed would be an understatement. Heading south from the Portland towards Eugene the clouds began to thicken to the point that the sky became a drab shade of cement. We came to our first of seven bridges and noticed that you don't actually drive through these bridges at all, in fact there all just sitting next to modern day asphalt roads which takes away the historical feel right away. Some of the bridges were somewhat dilapidated and covered with graffiti. I would have thought that these bridges would fall under some historical jurisdiction and would require that they be kept up. The nicest one we saw was the Dorena Bridge that you see above. As for the fall color all we saw were ugly yellows browns and mostly just dead non inspiring foliage. Unfortunately I can't say that we would recommend this trip. Very anti climatic and uninspiring.

Dahlias In Bloom

2008-09-08T15:43:00.000-07:00

Laurie and I decided to go out to the Swan Island Dahlia farm in Canby Oregon today and maybe capture a little color.
apparently this particular farm is the largest grower of Dahlias in America with over 40 acres planted. We were astonished to see how many varieties were planted. The color and visual impact really rivaled that of the tulip farms we visited months earlier.You can check out a few more shots on the website. Dahlias will look great up to the first frost of the season, so if your looking for a hearty flower for your own landscapes you can check out their websiteHere .

Toketee Falls Closed

2008-08-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

Laurie and I recently got back from a mini trip to visit the many waterfalls of route #138 North Umpqua Hwy. It was somewhat successful however the biggest draw of the trip for me was the anticipation of seeing Toketee Falls. Unfortunately the trail going in is blocked by crime scene type tape complete with photos of a massive tree that has fallen this past winter. So for any of you planning to see these falls it won't be happening. I can't figure out why they haven't worked to open up this trail before now being that this summer is almost over.
You wont be disappointed if you decided to make the trip anyway. there are 15 waterfalls between glide Oregon and Diamond lake. The north entrance to the magnificent Crater Lake is only 6 miles from Diamond Lake. this is a must see wonder of the world, it will take your breath away.
Coming home we came through bend and visited Smith Rock State Park. we came away with some spectacular images of the park as well as up close photos of the rock climbers. you can see more of those images on the web-site .
ShalamarImages"

Finishing Your Images

2008-08-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

(Insights into today's digital darkroom)

I'll never forget those times many years ago spent with my father in his darkroom. I remember to the dismay of my mother a conversion of one of our 3 bathrooms to a darkroom and the trouble my father went to making it completely light proof. It wasn't ideal and was quite cramped but was functional. Later on we moved across town to a larger home. This new home afforded my father the opportunity to realize his dream. The plan was to take one section of the three-car garage and convert it. Yes he went all out, with finished walls carpeted floors, plumbing, and electrical and even air conditioning. We spent hours in that masterpiece of a darkroom enlarging, dodging and burning and developing primarily black and white photos of family outings. There was a certain mystique about entering that dark room filled with the glow of amber light, the negatives hanging off the line, the smell of developer wafting in the air. I couldn't get enough of it.

Unfortunately today's digital darkroom doesn't offer that same ambience. In fact the whole experience has come down to you your computer and whatever software you have chosen to finish your images with. Don't dismay however because things are good in the world of digital. For those of you who take your photography seriously it is important to finish your images with software. Remember that finishing an image is not the same as correcting a bad image. This is the subject of an entirely different article. Even if the changes are subtle finishing steps you take will result in an image that others will marvel over and you will be proud of.

At the very minimum every photo will benefit from some slight sharpening techniques as well as minor tonal corrections. We can do so much more with the many software programs out there, whether it be Photoshop Elements, CS3, Capture NX for Nikon users, or any number of free or shareware programs out there. You have the ability to manipulate the color curves, shadow and highlights, correct color casts, mimic various filter effects, fixing digital noise or grain and the list goes on and on. With more advanced programs like adobe CS3 one is able to utilize layer masks which allows you to combine photos with different exposures and come away with an evenly exposed photo with definite blacks, subtle highlights and detail in the shadow regions.

I suggest spending the money on a good companion tutorial for your software. It is almost essential as a reference guide as these programs have a steep learning curve. I can recommend books published by New Riders and authored by
Scott Kelby for those of you who use any Adobe product. They publish a reference book with every new edition and they are written in a straightforward explanation style of writing.

When finishing your images I suggest you never work on an original file, always make a duplicate in case you destroy those pixels. Here is my typical workflow for one image: (1) open image in Photoshop at %100 viewing size then I scan the entire image visually for blemishes which is usually dust on the sensor. I then utilize the Healing brush and make those items vanish. (2) I reduce the photo to standard size and resolve any colorcast issues. (3) I then move to color curves and make small adjustments in mid tone brightness, saturation, (watch this as it is easily overdone) contrast and shadow detail. (4) Finally I adjust sharpness, this should be done at %100 and I suggest keeping your radius down and threshold at about 1. I usually bump up the amount to around %150. This setting works well for most photographs but undoubtedly you'll find methods and settings that work best in your workflow. (6) All that's left to do now is to save your work. For photos that I would sell or otherwise be proud of I save one copy as a TIFF file and another as a JPEG file. My web host doesn't allow TIFFS to be uploaded. It is important to remember that if you only save images as JPEG files this is a lossy compression method and you will lose some of the original pixels, which may affect color rendition. On the other hand the TIFF file is a lossless form of compression, which saves all your layers. Be aware however that TIFFS are really large hard drive eating files anywhere from 50 to 90mb.

In closing lets recap the main points (1) All digital images can benefit from some finishing techniques (2) Choose a photo editing software that suits your needs and budget (3) Shorten the learning curve by investing in a good companion text (4) After your adjustments are made make sure and save your work as a TIFF so you do not lose any pixel data.

I hope this article helps those of you fairly new to the process of digital imagery. Thanks for reading and most of all have fun with it.

Shawn Martin ShalamarImages.com

Some Thoughts On Night Photography

2008-08-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

Taking photographs at night can be quite rewarding for the avid photographer to add to their collections. Night photography using a digital SLR camera is one of my favorite genres of photographic imagery for the following reasons: (1) The night shoot opens up a whole new world to your eye as subjects are obviously lit by artificial or natural moonlight and just seem to beg being captured on digital media. (2) It can be quit cathartic to be out an about when most are sleeping while you seek out targets of opportunity to shoot. (3) Long exposures can render really cool effects i.e. lights from moving automobiles, amusment parks, boats on the water ect..

What makes an interesting night image is really subjective; subject matter can really be anything that may stir some emotion in the viewer. I typically look for extreme contrast, color, unique lighting and drama. Here is an example of a LDS temple in Oregon that I took one chilly evening that looks so much more stunning at night than it ever did in the daylight.

For those of you that have never ventured out in the early pre dawn hours to search out great photo opportunities I can offer a few pointers. (1) Remember how much the temperature will drop as that night gets long so bring ample clothing. Time seems to fly when your actively seeking new subject matter or having to get in you car going to new locals you can easily burn 5 or 6 hours. (2) Equipment you may need includes: A solid tripod with a good head on it ( I prefer a ball head), a photo backpack where you may place you camera body a couple of lenses like a wide angle and a medium range zoom telephoto. It is also good to have a cleaning cloth for lenses, LCD screens and eyeglasses to take care of condensation on cold nights. One of the most important things I carry is a backpacker’s headlight for obvious reasons.

Here are some techniques to use at night versus shooting during daylight hours. (1) You’ll obviously be using your tripod on every single shot but remember that were talking 3o second to several minute exposures and you must control camera shake. Think about attaching a weighted bag to your tripod hook to add stability. (2) Turn on your cameras noise reduction software; it will be in menu section most of today’s DSLR’s . (3) Be very aware of stray light sources and how they will affect the final image. (4) Do play with your cameras white balance setting as you can achieve artistic effects from changing from lets say a cloudy to a tungsten light setting. Here is an example (5) Take a lot of captures and experiment with exposure times especially when trying to achieve the perfect motion blur or the silky look to a city fountain perhaps (example).

I hope you will enjoy night photography as much as I have.

Shawn M ShalamarImages.com

Framing Fine Art Photographs

2008-08-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Now that so many are on board with digital imaging many of you are looking to print and frame your own work. I have some experience with this as I run a small photography website and offer signed and matted prints for you to frame yourself, although I do frame for friends and colleagues.
Printer technologies have become so good that they can match the quality of a professional lab. A good large format printer can be had for around $500.00. The smallest version of large format printers gives you the ability to print a 13x19 inch print or 44 inch panorama if you purchase photo paper in roll format. There will be many of you who are quite satisfied with ordering your prints from a professional lab. Here are a few that do fantastic work: Costco, Walgreen's and Walmart

The dilemma is that the images that come out of today’s cameras come out in different formats than standard Matt and frame sizes that have been the norm for years in the art world. To counter this problem one must crop his/her work to conform to standard sizes or re size the photo with an appropriate software program like Photoshop. The 3 most common standard sizes that most people will display on their walls are: 8 x 10, 11 x 14 and 16 x 20. This means if you have your photographed matted for 8 by 10 then you would display it in at least an 11 x 14 frame. Following this rule as you display larger art.

When I want to take advantage of my large format printer to print what comes out of my camera I’ll stick a sheet of Epson premium photo paper luster in and print it, not worrying about resizing because my solution is to custom Matt the photograph for a Standard size frame. I have found that a 13 x 19 inch photograph looks really nice displayed in an 18 x 24 inch frame. This will leave a nice 2-½ inch border that is aesthetically pleasing.

I use the Logan Simplex Plus mat cutter. A really good medium priced cutter that allows full control. I look for a cutter that has a hinged arm that will hold your stock steady while cutting. All the Logan cutters come with instructional videos that are done quite well. You can also see how-to videos on youtube.com . I have found that there is no substitute for hands on training. Many of your local art retailers will put on a mat cutting clinic for a nominal fee.

I’m sure many of you have heard about archival inks and papers and that most big name paper manufacturers guarantee against fading for up to 100 years. I have a different take on this archival business. The longevity of you’re art depends wholly on all the components of the framing process. When you buy a frame in the store it usually is shipped with the absolute lowest grade glass from China. You owe it to your investment to upgrade the glass to a U.V. protection at a minimum. Most art supply houses or craft stores offer 3 grades of glass up to museum grade quality albeit quite expensive it does a great job of protecting your art from harmful damage caused by the sun.

The next component to talk about is the backing. When you open up your $40.00 frame from the craft store it will undoubtedly be packaged with cardboard backing that you should immediately put in the recycle bin. I use 3/16” foam core backing that is rigid and will serve as the new back plate for my frame. I throw the store bought one away. The way I hold that foam core backing in place is by the use of offsets which you can buy in any hardware store. They come in various sizes depending on the thickness of the foam core or mat you are holding down.

Choosing your Matt stock is just as important if you wish to continue the process of doing everything possible to ensure long life for your art. The best kind of mat stock is cotton rag made from cotton fiber pulp and is acid and lignin free.

You can see that if corners are cut in the framing process that your art may fade prematurely. This is where I part ways with that thinking I am not ready to spend 3 times the money on the framing as I did on my initial purchase. In most cases the photo can be reprinted for a fraction of the cost of trying to preserve it for 100 years in glass. If the photograph was hung in the direct sun too long and your black mat is now gray then simply have it re-matted.

When photos are matted by a professional they use archival hanging techniques that are non destructive to the art, the T-hinge and the V-hinge are the most common. Making it very easy to re-matt.

For those of you wishing to make a small investment and start custom matting and framing your own work I hope you have been able to glean some helpful advise from this article.

Shawn M. ShalamarImages.com

" My Favorite Trail "

2008-08-03T20:02:00.000-07:00

The Eagle Creek trail in the world famous Columbia River Gorge otherwise known, as trail #440 by far is my favorite hike in Oregon. Try to get to the trailhead early as the upper parking lot fills quickly and the hike is so enjoyable without the heavy crowds that will inevitably come later. Within a few hundred yards you know you’re in for something special as you began to walk along and above eagle Creek. There are sheer walls of Basalt to one side and 1000 ft drop to the other in places. To this end I would not recommend this hike to small children.

After approximately 1.7 miles you are rewarded with the beautifulMetlako Falls. Only a short walk later at the 2.1 mile mark you will catch the first glimpse of the famous Lower Punch Bowl Falls . you will have a chance to see theses falls 2 more times from different vantage points. The High Bridge comes soon after at 3.5 miles which is elevated some 150ft above the gorge below. For you photographers and sightseers you’re in for a third and beautiful waterfall called Tunnel falls where the trail leads you behind the cascading water.

For those of you to make a moderate trip or one night backpack there are several camps along eagle creek designated for that purpose i.e. Wy’ East Camp or the 7.5 mile camp. For the more hardy of you go ahead and continue to the 13.2-mile mark and the end of the trail where you will camp at Whatum Lake. I remember doing this hike as a teen many years back. A friend and I got snowed in at Whatum Lake, had signs of hypothermia and were tent bound for 17 hours.

Other hiking options include: 1. Linking up with the Eagle-tanner Trail #433 and continuing on to Tanner Butte . 2. For the really adventuresome of you with young legs try this option: At approximately 5 mile look for the Eagle- Benson Cutoff trail that will lead you straight up to Benson Plateau and allow you to return to your car via the Ruckle ridge trail. I warn you however that this is a tough loop with a very faint trail at best lots of elevation gain ect.. The Benson Plateau is a fantastic place to camp with plenty of water running throughout the area.
Happy hiking..