Happy New Year!
With all the shut downs and quarantining during the last few years I made a concerted effort to get out more often to shoot some personal work in the natural world. A couple of these images are older, but most are results of my travels around the Pacific Northwest in the last year plus. Water, or the lack thereof, really shapes the climate and landscape here. As I began pulling together this collection of work it quickly became the apparent theme. I hope it inspires you to go adventure, breath some fresh air, make something just for fun, or just find space that makes you happy. All the best in the new year!
January
Columbia River Gorge, near the John Day Dam
I visited this area regularly while executing a gantry crane construction time lapse on the dam that spanned 10 months. The seasons really transform the landscape here but none were as striking as the serenity of the area found on this trip out in winter.
February
Ryder Creek in Willamette National Forest, near Terwilliger Hot Springs
Shooting with a full spectrum camera (visible + UV + IR light) gave this little clearing a glow, like the scene was being heated by the springs themselves.
March
Panther Creek Falls
If you're looking to avoid the crowds, and for an adrenaline fix, take a white-knuckle drive up the icy logging roads in the middle of winter to these falls.
April
Botanical Beach, Vancouver Island, B.C.
Botanical Beach has one of the richest tidal areas along the west coast, where some marine life looks almost prehistoric.
May
Sandcut Beach, Vancouver Island, B.C.
The falls here make for one of the more unique beach landscapes on the island. The hikes down to the coast through dense temperate rain forests have a primordial ruggedness with occasional tree-root staircases and awe inspiring canopies.
June
Hanford Reach National Monument, Washington
Hanford Reach feels like equal parts national park and dark tourism destination. The massive reactor buildings in the distance haunt what would otherwise be a beautiful bend in the Columbia river.
July
Opal Pool Falls, Opal Creek Wilderness Area
The oldest image in this calendar, sadly this ancient forest was the epicenter of a catastrophic wild fire in September 2020. The satellite view doesn't look good but I can't wait to go back one day and see how the forest has returned to life.
August
Bandon Beach, Oregon
I really appreciate the choices made by the person, or people, who officially named the rock formations on this beach. Also, watch out for the fog here, it crept in from out of now where.
September
John Day River, Central Oregon
The John Day River snakes through canyons of central Oregon near the unfortunately named Priest Hole Recreation Site. The light was great, the company even better.
October
Ramona Falls, Mt. Hood National Forest
One of many iconic Oregon water falls on Mt Hood.
November
John Yeon State Natural Site, Oregon
Away from the crowds at the north end of Cannon Beach I found one of those few lucky sunset days on the Oregon coast.
December
Huddleston Pond, Willamina, Oregon
One more image from years past, this solar eclipse viewed in the path of totality transformed a nondescript pond into something surreal.
