One of the most famous abandoned farmhouses in the Palouse is known as the Weber House, a little north of Pullman. The house is situated on private land but you cannot really get close to the house and need to shoot it from afar like I did in this photo. The house attracts tons of photographers and the majority of them obey the owner's signage and ropes that dictate how close you can get to the house. Of course, a very small minority of photographers are willing to do anything to get "the shot". I have heard that someone actually posted photos taken from inside the house. In any case, our group was on their best behavior while shooting the house. Toward the end of our shoot, a truck approached us and the husband questioned us on how we were doing. Turns out that they are the owners of the house (the wife is a descendant of the Weber family) and they can actually see Weber House from their home. They spent at least a half hour telling us all about the house, their crops and their business. The were the friendliest people that you will ever meet, and would like for visitors and photographers to continue to visit the house. They said that a very small number of photographers have ignored the signs and that the majority are the "good" photographers. All in all, it was a great night learning about the history of what we were shooting.
Coquille Point - Bandon, Oregon
The gem of Bandon is Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint, where there are some of the most amazing sea stacks that you will find anywhere. After visiting there, you might be tempted to go on your way. Don't. A few miles down the road, there is another spot you need to see -- Coquille Point. There is a small parking lot there where you can gain access to a trail that runs north above the beach. The trail weaves parallel to the coast, with beautiful cliff-top grass on either side of the trail. The other choice is to take this great little staircase down to the beach to get up close and personal with the rock formations. I really liked the look of the staircase and used it as the foreground looking south toward the sea stacks.
Blacktail Ponds Overlook - Grand Teton National Park,Wyoming
One of the best things about Grand Teton National Park are the many turnouts and overlooks that have been built along the park's two main roads, US Route 89 and Teton Park Road. These stops on the road provide many beautiful views of the massive Teton Range, which are part of the larger Rocky Mountain Range. I have a particular affinity for the Blacktail Ponds Overlook. Being a sunrise location, you really need to get there early enough to get the morning light as it begins to light up the peaks and work its way down the mountains. Many people leave when the mountains are fully lit but I like staying. Why? The overlook sits high above a valley which, like the mountains, gradually light up as the sun continues to rise in the sky. I like the contrast between the light and the shadow and having a creek acting like a leading line doesn't hurt either.
Canyonlands Beauty - Canyonlands, National Park, Utah
One of the most iconic spots of the American Southwest is Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park. Requiring a short hike, this arch is a mecca for photographers that want to get the iconic sunrise photo of the arch as the sun peaks over the distant mountains. The area where photographers can take this image is quite small -- only 10-12 people can squeeze into it. Get there well before dawn to procure a good spot. It is always hard to know the right time to get there. It all depends on luck. I've been there when there were only one or two photographers. I have also been there when a whole group of photographers had gotten there at 2am, leaving very few spots for anyone else. Once they set up, they don't move until the sun is well above the horizon. So, what do you do when you are unlucky and can't get a good spot? Try other angles that might not include the arch like this photo. Still some amazing shots if you look hard enough.
Haystack Evening - Cannon Beach, Oregon
One of the signature sea stacks on the Oregon Coast, the Haystack Rock towers 235 feet above the beach, seemingly reaching out to the sky from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Along with its proximity to the city of Portland, this rock formation has contributed in making Cannon Beach a tourist destination. It is accessible from the beach and can be walked to during low tide. The saying, "you can look but you better not touch" applies to this iconic rock formation. It is protected, as it is a national wildlife refuge and one of seven protected intertidal areas along the Oregon coast. My favorite time to shoot this icon is usually just after sunrise when the sun clears the cliffs to the east. The beach is usually secluded at that time of day. Shooting near sunset can a bit problematic, as there are usually swarms of people walking the beach. For some strange reason unknown to me, when I headed to the beach one night this past September, there wasn't anyone around, allowing me to shoot some photos in the great evening light.
Full Moon - Badlands National Park, South Dakota
I have visited Badlands National Park only once, but that one visit enraptured me in such a way that it became one of my very favorite places. The landscape has everything that a photographer could ask for: jagged buttes, twisted canyons, rugged spires and rock formations in the shape of domes often striped in different colors. All of these contrast greatly with prairies on either side of the park. The formations and buttes form what it is known as the Wall. It extends for 100 miles. Approximately 31 of those miles are paved and easy accessible on Route 240, otherwise known as Badlands Loop Road. North of the Wall, there is nothing but plains, and the formations cannot be seen. Coming from the south, the formations can't be missed, showing a sort of natural "skyline". This image was taken at Norbeck Pass on the way back to the hotel. It shows the full moon lighting up the night sky.
Yaquina Head - Newport, Oregon
Many of those who follow me are well aware of my love for lighthouses. Living in New England, there are some amazing ones that can be found from Connecticut to Maine. I am always on the lookout for lighthouses wherever I go. My frequent trips to the Oregon Coast has allowed me to find some new gems to shoot. While there are as many lighthouses on the Oregon Coast, the ones that are there are quite beautiful. This particular lighthouse, Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport, Oregon, is perhaps Oregon's most picturesque. The light was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers in the 1870's. The lighthouse tower measures 93 feet tall and is the tallest in Oregon. It is managed and maintained by the The Bureau of Land Management and is not far from the center of town.
Old and New - San Francisco, California
Did you ever have a photo that every time you see it, you say to yourself that I really should edit and post it? This photo, taken in 2013, is one of them for me. I used to travel to San Francisco quite a lot on business (my record was 10 times in one year) and never had a camera with me because I never had much free time. San Francisco has always been my favorite city and, since I retired, I can now spend as much leisurely time strolling its hilly streets as I want. Instead of moving quickly to my next meeting, I now can walk slowly and take in the nooks and crannies with photographer eyes. When I saw this scene somewhere on Market Street, I was taken in by how the four buildings lined up. Even more fascinating to me was the style and age of the buildings, from the look of the buildings in the middle exuding character of old contrasting with two new modern buildings on either side of it.
Cathedral Beach View - Yosemite National Park, California
The Merced River is a 145-mile tributary of the San Joaquin River flowing from the Sierra Nevada to the central valley of California. The most famous section of the river is where it travels through the renowned Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park. The Merced drops over the Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls and passes into the valley, where it flows in the pine forests that fill the valley floor. Visitors to Yosemite Valley can go almost anywhere along the Merced's banks and see the famous granite cliffs and formations. One of my favorite spots along the Merced is Cathedral Beach. Here, one of the most famous rock formations in Yosemite is often reflected in it's waters, El Capitan. It was early morning and the soft light was bathing the formation and the opposite bank. It's no wonder that the Yosemite Valley is one of the most visited national parks in the US.
Mountain View - Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
What can you say about the Grand Tetons that somebody hasn't said already? I am usually at a loss when trying to describe their beauty to someone who has never been there. These craggy mountains dominate the landscape and look different from almost every angle. I have visited these majestic peaks many times before, in all different times of the year. My favorite time to visit is in May, as they are often covered in snow which, in my opinion, makes them more beautiful than other times of the year. For this composition, I wanted to compose this photo in a way that would make the viewer feel like they were standing next to me when I took it. I thought that using the road as a leading line and shooting a bit wide would accomplish the goal.
Merced Tranquility - Yosemite National Park, California
If you do a search on the best national parks in the US or the world, two parks consistently appear in the top two spots, Yellowstone and Yosemite. Both parks evoke imagery that captures one's mind and soul. There is no doubt that these rankings attract hordes of visitors (and photographers) to them. The big difference is that Yellowstone is a lot larger at almost 3.5 thousand square miles vs. 1.2 thousand square miles for Yosemite. Most visitors to Yosemite stay primarily in the Yosemite Valley, which measures a minuscule 5.9 square miles. All this means is that Yosemite is extremely crowded throughout most of the year. When I visited Yosemite last September it was still very crowded, and finding anywhere in the valley where there were no people was hard. If you look hard enough, you can find some tranquil spots like this one near Sentinel Bridge on the Merced River.
The Goal - Mesquite Dunes, Death Valley National Park, California
Death Valley is part of the largest desert in North America, namely the Mojave Desert. Of course, when one thinks of the desert, one of the first things they picture are sand dunes. The one thing that surprised me about my visit to the valley was, while there were dunes, the majority of the park (at least the parts that I saw) was more valley floor and mountains. Fortunately, down a few miles from our hotel, the Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes were there waiting for us to explore. Arriving at the parking lot for the dunes about an hour before sunrise, we trudged out toward the dunes in the distance with our flashlights and head lamps. Along the way, the clouds began to put on a light show, before the sun peeked above the horizon (we were lucky enough to have clouds most of the week, which is most unusual for Death Valley). I shot a number of photos of the clouds, but my heart was waiting for the sun to light up the landscape and the dunes to the west. Once lit up, you could look in the distance and see the highest dune. I looked at my great friend, Jaki Good Miller, and I think we thought the same thing. Climbing to the top of the dune was going to be "the goal". Off we went and made it after a strenuous climb.
Crop Dusting - Steptoe Butte State Park, Colfax, Washington
As many times I have been in the Palouse, I have been very unlucky with seeing crop dusters that I could shoot. On my visit there last month, we saw lots and lots of them that more than made up for previous visits. We spotted them flying overhead, landing and taking off at the small airport, in the distance and, my favorite, looking down on them form Steptoe Butte. The first time I remember becoming aware of crop dusting was many years ago watching Alfred Hitchcock's great movie, North by Northwest. In it, Cary Grant is attacked by an in-flight crop duster. The good news is that none of us was attacked on this trip.
Framed - Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Is this the most photographed barn in the world? Do a search on the internet and you will see that many believe it is. I suspect that this barn has been shot from every angle possible and that there are not any new compositions left. If that is what I believe, why shoot it? The answer is simple. It is a gorgeous scene when the sunrise light hits the front of the barn for about five minutes. To me that glow is worth shooting. There is another reason to shoot it and that has to do with weather, clouds and light. No one day is identical to another. When you get up before dawn, you almost never know what conditions you will experience once on location (I wish I could get paid for being wrong as many times as weather forecasters are). Great clouds? Low hanging fog? Will the sunrise reach the barn? Who knows for sure, but you will find me shooting this iconic barn every time I am in the Tetons.
National Elk Reserve Sunrise - Jackson, Wyoming
Being a landscape photographer, you always have to be ready to chase the light even if you have a different destination in mind. In this case, the light found us. We were up at o'dark thirty and piled into the cars to make the drive to Oxbow Bend. Just outside the town of Jackson, near the National Elk Reserve, we encountered one of the best sunrises I had seen in quite a while. Needless to say, when you see this kind of light, you must stop for it and, stop we did. The clouds were perfect and Flat Creek's surface was a smooth as glass, with the added benefit of a low mist on the water in the distance. The biggest question in my mind was whether I should include the fence in the composition or not. Since digital film is free, I took a bunch of shots with and without the fence. When viewing the photos in the digital darkroom, I opted for the fence, as its silhouette seemed to anchor the composition better.
Saltbox Barn - Moscow, Idaho
The Palouse extends into the western part of Idaho and, while there are not as many photographic opportunities as there are in Washington, there are still a few gems to be found.. This "salt box" barn is one of them and sits all alone in this little valley and stands out primarily due to its bright red color. It contrasts quite well with the surrounding green farmland and blue sky. For those of you who follow me regularly, you know that I often wonder how things got their names. So here are a couple of useless tidbits. The term "salt box" is a reference to the old wooden boxes that were used to store salt (no, I am not old enough to remember them). This style of barns and houses originated in New England, and were built that way so that snow would slide down the steep roofs. The other arcane tidbit is the name of the town that this barn is located in, Moscow. It turns out that one of the original traders was born in Moscow, Russia, and he opened the first trading post in the area. I had never heard of the town before my visit, but was surprised to also find out that it is the home of the University of Idaho.
Emerald Reflection - Yoho National Park, British Columbia
Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park is the largest lake in the park as well as its main attraction. I have always thought the word Yoho was a strange name until I found out that it is a Cree name meaning awe and wonder. That fits the park perfectly. The lake gets its brilliant color from fine particles of glacial sediment suspended in the water. The lake itself is totally surrounded by the President Range of the Canadian Rockies. Unfortunately the mountains were not visible on the morning we visited as overcast skies and low-hanging clouds obscured them. A slight drizzle added to the atmosphere. The lake was unusually still, so reflections were clearly visible. I wanted to get a photo of Emerald Lake Lodge's Restuarant (some mistakenly think it is a Tea House), the Lodge's Boathouse and the bridge connecting the two. To accomplish this, I hiked around to the opposite shore and was able to capture this composition.
American Tuscany - Steptoe Butte State Park, Washington
From mid-May through June, I was fortunate to have visited Grand Teton National Park, The Palouse in eastern Washington, Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. It was a busy time and I am glad to be spending July and August close to home before I hit the road again in September. The Palouse is often referred to as America's version of Tuscany. The main difference is that the miles upon miles of undulating farmland is a patchwork of wheat and soybeans rather than vines. The character of the landscape changes with the seasons. Spring brings us all shades of green into the early months of summer. As summer comes, these hues change into amber waves of grain. The fall brings reds and gold and winter covers the land with a blanket of white. The best place to watch the transformation is from the top of Steptoe Butte. The butte, rising 3,000 feet above the farmland, provides a 360-degree view. My favorite spot to photograph is this scene with a building sticking out from the green patchwork. For many years, I thought the building was called the Whitman County Growers building but have recently discovered that is not the case. I have tried to find out what the building is known as, but haven't been able to. If anyone can name it, I would appreciate knowing its name.
Iconic Oxbow - Grand Teton National Park,Wyoming
What is there to say about Oxbow Bend that hasn't been said before? It is an iconic location that has been photographed millions of times. Every time that I visit there (and there have been many), I am always curious what Mother Nature will show us. Will there be a sunrise that lights up Mount Moran? Will there be great clouds that will light up when the sun rises above the horizon? Will we even be able to see the peaks of the Tetons? Will the waters of the Snake River be still enough to give a mirror-like refection? As you drive from the town of Jackson in the dark, you ponder the answers to these questions during the 45 minutes it takes to get there. As you look to the sky for the answers, you realize that you won't be sure until you actually pull into the parking lot. Sometimes you are disappointed and other times you are happy. That is what makes us photographers keep revisiting this iconic sight and, when it works, any previous disappointments seem to melt away.
Banff Hoodoos - Town of Banff, Banff National Park, Alberta
When one thinks of hoodoos (a tall, thin spire of rock), they imagine places like Bryce Canyon, where it seems that the whole landscape is full of them. There actually are hoodoos in the town of Banff, but don't expect much, as they pale in comparison to what you might think. Instead, take the hoodoo overlook trail to see this view. It is a beautiful landscape that shows the town in the distance, with the fabulous Banff Springs hotel nestled in the center of this photo on the slopes of Tunnel Mountain. In the center in the distance is Sulphur Mountain and Sanson Peak, along with the slope of Mount Rundle on the left. Below is the Bow River, which splits into two and then merges together just before downtown, creating Bow Falls. Looking at this scene from afar illustrates why Banff is a prime vacation spot for people from all around the world. Oh, by the way, you can see a little of the top of the hoodoos in the foreground.