Here is the second in my series on natural places in Washington state. The focus is on the Cascade Mountains. Please check it out, and I hope you enjoy. . .
Visiting the Cascade Mountain national parks.
Thanks & have a great day. . .Karen
Category: Location
Sitka Center Rocks!
Just taught at the Sitka Center for Arts and Ecology last weekend. Absolutely incredible venue to teach through. My “Of the Land, Sea & Air – A Coastal Photographic Adventure” filled months ago, and had a waiting list. The students were great, and the wildlife made its appearance. The coastal weather was misty one day, and simply overcast the second day. Overall, a great experience to teach in, and a wonderful school to work with.
The students photographed the Common Murre colony, fledgling Peregrine Falcons, Great Blue Herons, Black Oyster Catchers, Pigeon Guillemot, Black Guillemot and more. One student watched and photographed a Humpback Whale that was breaching.
The following photographs are from the workshop. . .
More Later, and Happy Shooting. . .Karen
Photography Destination – John Day Painted Hills Unit
In the mountains east of Prineville, Or, the small town of Mitchell is located 15 minutes from the John Day Painted Hills Unit. The town of Mitchell has a population of 120 people, and is located directly on Highway 26. The Oregon Hotel offers affordable accommodations, and is pleasant to stay. Main Street is across the creek from the main highway. During our stay, it was quiet and peaceful. Temperatures in the summer reach the 90 – 100 range, and July is the hottest month. With the aspen in the hills, fall would be a beautiful time to catch the colorful hills, and fall colors.
The area is home to three separate units, and all are home to fossils, beautiful landscapes and wildlife. We saw numerous Ravens, Hawks, Falcons, Deer and other wildlife.
The Painted Hills are layers of volcanic ash from the time the Cascade Mountains were young. Today, we see these hills as layers of reds, yellows, whites, blacks and greens. The sunlight changes the colors of the hills throughout the day. The sunlight becomes harsh around 9 am in the summer. It has the best color during the early morning hours, and later in the evening. The photograph below was taken a little after 6:30 am. I polarized filter is very useful in this location.
Besides sweeping landscapes and panoramic, the area lends itself to abstract compositions. The vibrant colors, textures and shapes create a landscape filled with possibilities. The light-colored boardwalk (s) create a brilliant contrast to the colors of the hills. In the photo below, this is the boardwalk through color cove.
More later, and happy shooting. . .Karen
Photography Destination – Fort Casey
Living in the Pacific Northwest offers many beautiful photography destinations. Simply living near Puget Sound, the Cascade Mountains or the Olympic Peninsula give many opportunities for sunsets, waterfalls, tide pools and wildlife. For the urban photographer, there is Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and Bellingham. One of my favorite places is Fort Casey. It is about 1 1/2 to 2 hours from Seattle, and located on beautiful Whidbey Island.
The park is home to Fort Casey, the WWII fort that helped protect Puget Sound from the Japanese. It is one of three forts located at the mouth of Puget Sound. The other two are Fort Ebby and Fort Flagler. Another structural features of the park is Admiralty Head Lighthouse.
The park is home to a lot of wildlife, that are comfortable around people though still wild. I’ve photographed deer, fawns, bald eagles, rabbits, small birds, harlequin ducks and various species of gulls. The cliff top is a large grassy area, surrounded by forest. It overlooks Puget Sound and Port Townsend. There is a trail to the beach, which is cobble stone and sand.
As a photographer, I never run out of subjects to photograph. The concrete bunkers, of the fort, offer line, texture and angles to shoot. The contrast between the concrete and nature is wonderful too. The fort still has one of its large guns on display, and visitors can look at it up-close.
Besides the vistas, wildlife, lighthouse and fort, there are plenty of flowers and macro opportunities.
Happy shooting. . .Karen
Sitka Center: Of the Land, Sea & Air: A Coastal Photographic Adventure
Here is the information on my upcoming workshop on the Oregon Coast. It is on June 30th and July 1st. It would be great to see you there, and feel free to pass this on to other interested people.
Thank, and have a great day. . .
Sitka Center: Of the Land, Sea & Air: A Coastal Photographic Adventure.
Snowy Owls at Boundary Bay
There were at least 22 Snowy Owls at Boundary Bay in Canada earlier this week. The owls were roosting close enough to the dike to photograph with them with a 400 mm lens, and get good photos. Many birders and photographers are visiting the area to observe and/or photograph the white owls.
In this area, weather is an important factor to a successful photo shoot of the owls. The landscape is reminiscent of the tundra, and is wet. The best and driest viewing area is from the dike.
Equipment for the shoot should include a tripod and long lens. The minimum lens length would be a 100 – 400 mm. Many photographers use a 600 to 800 mm lens for this type of shoot.
Visitors can get within 30 to 50 feet of the owls without disturbing them. During the day, the owls are sleeping and/or resting, which makes them easier to photograph. They do startle easily by people coming to close to them. The rules of the area indicate that the owls should not be disturbed, and need to conserve their energy for the long migration back to the arctic.
The owls will be migrating back soon.
Also, the area is teaming with Bald Eagles, Hawks and other raptors.
More later. . .Karen