The Seattle area is filled with parks that have great fall colors. The leaves start changing in late September, and usually continue into November. It is dependent on the weather. For the rest of the article and locations, visit this link Best Areas for Fall Colors In Seattle.
Leavenworth is a wonderful day or weekend adventure for all ages. The town schedules year-round festivals, and is located in the scenic eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Highway 2 travels through the town, and is the easiest way to reach this beautiful destination.
On the way to Leavenworth, Stevens Pass is a beautiful area for photography. On the west side, there is Deception Falls, and it is well worth the stop. The trails lead to the falls (which can be seen on the south side of the highway), and along the river. Stevens Pass ski resort is at the top of the pass, and is a wonderful alpine area in the summer months. On the east side of the pass, Lake Wenatchee is about 5 +/- miles to the north, and the view looks into the Cascade Mountains. Highway 2 traverses through Tumwater Canyon, which has several pull-outs for safe observation of the scenery and wildlife.
In the opposite direction, the Olympic Peninsula offers incredible opportunities of photography. This area is home to a large temperate rainforest, Olympic National Park, beautiful waterfalls, Lake Crescent, and the Pacific Ocean. There are many hiking trails through-out the area, including the North-South trail through the heart of the Olympic National Park. Highway 101 travels through the area, and signs show the directions to the scenic areas.
Lake Crescent sits just west of Port Angeles, and has both a campground and cabins/lodge on its shores. It is part of the Olympic National Park, and the highway follows the shoreline of the lake. It’s nestled between tall foothills, and surrounded by forest. There are many pull-outs along the lake to view the area, or hike a trail. The light is incredible during the early or late hours of the day, and it is not uncommon to have overcast/foggy conditions in the area.
Further on, Highway 101 travels through the town of Forks, and onto the Pacific Ocean Beaches. There are several beach back-packing trails in this area, and Third Beach is one of the longest. It is a great way to see parts of the coastline that most people don’t see. There is a lot of wildlife in the area, and incredible landscape photography opportunities.
For more information, visit http://seattle.cbslocal.com/top-lists/best-weekend-getaways-in-the-seattle-area/.
The San Juan Islands sit in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains and receive less rain than Seattle 65 miles to the south. Explore 172 islands, which up the archipelago highlighted by Fidelgo, San Juan, Orcas, Shaw and Lopez. The islands are home to the largest concentration of bald eagles in the lower 48 states, three pods of orca and harbor seals. Explore the tallest peak, Mount Constitution on Orcas Island, or ride the ferry. This is a great time of year to explore and photograph the incredible scenery and abundant wildlife. For the rest of the article, visit http://seattle.cbslocal.com/top-lists/getaway-guide-one-tank-trip-to-san-juan-islands/.
Bird migrations happen twice per year. In the spring, the birds are heading to their nesting grounds. Many of these areas are in the Arctic or inland from the coast. Along the shoreline, these birds are feasting on the spring bounty of food, to make the long flight to their nesting grounds. These birds can travel several thousand miles each spring and fall. For the full article, visit http://www.examiner.com/article/where-to-find-migratory-birds?cid=db_articles
Spring is a wonderful season to adventure out to the coast for a day, weekend or longer. The change from winter to spring is highlighted by spring storms and warmer sunny days. The migratory birds are passing through to their nesting destinations, which include species of sandpipers, seabirds and others.
For the entire article, visit http://www.examiner.com/article/recreation-opportunities-on-the-coast?cid=db_articles
“It was perfect for all levels. It was a great combination of technique and artistry.” Susan H.
We will have minus tides during this workshop, which will allow students to view and photograph tide pools, walk closer to bird nesting areas and marine mammal resting areas. It’s a great opportunity to learn the details of bird and marine mammal photography, and shoot at beautiful locations. The coastal waters are filled with harbor seals, gray whales, and sea birds during the late spring season.
The workshop starts in the classroom, with an interactive presentation about exposure, techniques and equipment. Then, students go out into the field and practice what was learned in the classroom, ask questions and learn how to spot wildlife. Composition is discussed through-out the workshop, both in the classroom and in the field. The workshop is about 30% in the classroom and 70% shooting in the field with instruction.
This last photograph is the students photographing harbor seals in the surf. Most of the subjects can be photographed with a 400mm lens or shorter. It is recommended that students bring a tripod. For more information or to sign-up, visit Sitka Center.
Great Blue Heron are a bird that survives in urban and wilderness areas. They eat frogs, small rodents, fish, crabs, and more. They nest in colonies or rookeries that can be home to a hundred or more birds. These herons are majestic in their demeanor, territorial while hunting, and tolerant during nesting.
The photo below is taken at an urban area rookery that sits near Lake Washington in Kenmore. The photo below shows the entire rookery. Currently, there are about 50 +/- nests in the trees, and 100+/- Great Blue Herons. It’s quite a sight, though challenging to photograph. The wetlands are fenced off, so photography happens from the park-n-ride parking lot, or along the back entrance.
The photo below shows the nesting pairs and their nests. Often, there are single birds vying for the attentions of another bird, or pairs looking for a nesting site. I counted about 28-30 nests in this tree alone. Surprisingly, the colony is relatively quiet. These photos were taken at mid-day, and fortunately, there were interesting clouds in the sky for the background. I’ve photographed this rookery before, I had the fortune of stormy weather and a rainbow.
Tip: Aperture is important while shooting a Rookery. Most of these images were shot with f5.6-f8.
This next image is of a nesting pair building their nest. He is bringing sticks, and she is placing them into the nest. I watched him bring one stick at a time, watch her place it in the nest, and he would preen her feathers during the process. It’s a difficult area to photograph the herons flying into their nesting sites, so scouting the location and planning is a good idea.
Tip: Over-expose the photos, so the details of the birds show in the photographs. Otherwise, the birds will silhouette against the sky.
So, I’ll leave with one last photo. This is a closer view of several nests and herons in the rookery. The Bald Eagles will hunt for un-attended chicks later in the year.
Happy Shooting. . .Karen
From trickles of water to roaring flood-stage torrents, waterfalls are an ever-changing photographic subject. Their structure changes slowly over time, but the water falls differently every second. If one took 10 photographs in a row of the same waterfall, each would look different.
Below is an image taken of a small creek. This small area is isolated by using a telephoto lens, then cropping top/bottom of the image, to create an expansive feeling to the photograph. The motion of the water is in-focus. To accomplish this, the shutter speed needs to be at 1/60 second or faster. It is dependent on the speed the water is flowing. With an image like this, it is best to use a tripod to stabilize the camera and be selective about composition. This was taken on a sunny day, and this portion of the creek was in the shade.
TIP – When using a tripod, remember to turn-off the image stabilization on the lens.
Waterfalls come in all shapes and sizes. What makes each unique is the way the water has sculpted the rocks surrounding it. The image above was a small section of a creek. The image below is much larger, and the first falls above a gorge that ends in a 50 +/- foot waterfall. This was a foggy and over-cast day in Mount Rainier National Park. The water in this image is not crisp, yet the rocks are sharp. To get this effect, the shutter speed needs to be 1/8 second or slightly slower. With these shutter speeds, the camera needs to be stabilized on a tripod or other method of stabilization. The aperture was F22, which created a larger depth of field, in comparison to the image above.
TIP – When a tripod is unavailable, try using a rock, tree or other object in the environment to stabilize the camera and/or one’s self.
Time of year plays a part in capturing great waterfall images. The photos above were taken during the summer months. The image below was taken in the fall. The leaves have fallen from the trees, and offer a full view of the Whatcom Falls. The ground is covered with autumn colored leaves, adding color to the forest floor. This was taken on an over-cast day in October.
The “milking” effect of the waterfall is due to a slow shutter speed. In this case, it was 1/5 second, and a bridge rail was used for camera stabilization. This was shot with a wide-angle lens, and the aperture was F10.
This last image is Snoqualmie Falls at flood stage. The roads to the waterfall had been open a couple of hours earlier. It was flowing at 78,000 cubic feet of water per second, and it was incredibly loud. This was taken with slide film, and scanned to digital.
These locations are great to photograph waterfalls. It takes some planning to capture the photographic image one is seeking. The things to consider are weather, time of year, equipment, and accessibility to the location. In addition, it is good to factor in the costs associated with travel, food and/or lodging. For more tips and instruction, consider contacting me for workshop information.
Happy Shooting. . .Karen
Last Saturday, I spoke at the Historic Concrete Theatre with 30+ people. The presentation went well, and the participants left with a greater understanding of photographing birds. The Skagit Valley from Newhalem in the mountains to Puget Sound is filled with migratory birds this year.
The last of the Chum Salmon run is happening on the Skagit River, and the last eagle count was 121 between Sedro Woolley and Newhalem. The high count this year was around 250 eagles. This area holds the highest numbers of migratory bald eagles in the lower 48 states (US).
There is one last weekend of the Skagit Eagle Festival. This weekend is filled with events. Most are located in Concrete or Rockport, along Highway 20.
The image above was taken this month in the Skagit Flats. These are Trumpeter Swans. This flock has both adult and immature birds. The adults are pure white, and the immature are gray. Currently, the swans are feeding between Highway 20, La Conner and west of the Skagit River. There are many flocks in the area, though not all are easy to photograph.
The Flats have more Bald Eagles this year. They are hunting Snow Geese and other migratory birds. The photo below is showing an eagle feeding on the remains of a Snow Goose. The geese seem to be in larger flocks this year. While we were watching this, two other eagles came in to feed. There was a conflict, though the light was too low to capture the interaction.
There is a visiting Snow Owl this year. This one (photo below) was resting on driftwood on the dike. There are several other birds on the Flats, including Short-earred Owl, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk and various migratory Sandpipers.
The presentation at the Skagit Eagle Festival went well. Here is a link to a short video clip of the photos used in the presentation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sGSOvoIm2Q.
Happy Shooting. . .Karen
The Skagit Eagle Festival takes place during the month of January. The event had many speakers, Native American events, float trips, and more. I will be speaking at the Concrete Theatre on January 19th from 12 pm to 1 pm, on photographing eagles and other wildlife.
This Festival comes at the peak of Bald Eagle migration to the Skagit River valley. The highest concentrations are from Concrete up to Marblemount along Highway 22. The photo at the end of this blog is from the Skagit Valley. Eagles congregate in the 100s.
The photo above was taken on Fir Island. It is where the Skagit River comes into Puget Sound. The Skagit Flats are home to resident Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers, and other birds.
During the winter, the Skagit Flats become home to thousands of migratory birds. These birds include Tundra Swans, Trumpeter Swans, Snow Geese, various species of Sand Pipers, Ducks, and more. Often, these birds can be seen from the road, and at the wildlife refuge areas.
For more information, comes see my presentation on January 19th, or follow my series on The Examiner.
Happy Shooting. . .Karen
