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Greetings,
Last month I lamented the loss of two legendary Seahawks to trade and release. I'm still all in with the Seahawks but I've also been a Mariners fan (baseball for you who don't sport the sports) ever since the team was created back in 1976 (I believe). But these last few years have been tough and with the loss of income due to the pandemic, I cut back on the number of channels we get, and one of those channels is the one that carries the Mariners games. No great loss, considering. But last year they made it exciting again there toward the end.
So after they won their first two games this year, and the fact we signed last year's Cy Young award winning pitcher, I decided to add a sports package so I could catch the games.
They've lost three straight since then (as of this writing). Sigh.
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First Workout for New Tripod
A couple of weeks ago, after the Sol Duc road in Olympic National Park had just opened up, I figured it would be a good time to take that tripod that I mentioned in the last newsletter out for a spin. You can read about it here.
So one day I got myself out of the house early and headed for the park. I started that morning by attempting my Lake Crescent Fantasy Shot™. Those of you who’ve been with me to Olympic National Park are probably aware of this obsession of mine. You see, there’s a great spot near the west end of the lake called Meldrim Point.
(Side bar: Way back in 1929, a young couple were driving from Port Angeles to their home near Forks. They had bought a washing machine and were bringing it home. They never made it home. Their two sons lived and died never knowing what happened to them. The car, with the couple still inside, was finally found in 2002 close to Meldrim Point. You can read more about that here.)
Anyway, I have this fantasy sunrise shot in mind that includes blazing clouds, light beams, fog, unicorns…
As sunrises from that spot go, this particular morning wasn’t bad. It did not fulfill my fantasy, but it was a nice peaceful morning.
Then on to Sol Duc. Since it was so early in the year, I knew conditions wouldn’t be prime; new growth is still to come, some areas still had a touch of snow, and the streams and falls wouldn’t be full yet.
Sol Duc Falls itself looked pretty good and a log that had fallen across the river just upstream of the bridge was now pushed to the side of the gorge so that it’s not as much of distraction.
 But back to the tripod. The reason I got it is because I needed a taller tripod, mainly for photographing auroras overhead. But there are plenty of other situations where longer legs come in handy and I found myself in such a situation. To get the camera where I needed it for this shot, one tripod leg had to reach way below me, down a slope. And the new legs had the length! I wouldn’t have been able to get this shot the way I wanted it without the new tripod. So yay!
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Still room in my Olympic workshop
This workshop is limited to only six participants. That means you won’t get lost in the crowd and it’s less likely that one of your new friends will wander into your shot.
But act fast, the cutoff date for the hotel is approaching quickly.
Besides Sol Duc Falls and Lake Crescent, we'll also visit the Hoh rain forest, the beaches, some more waterfalls, and Hurricane Ridge.
Hurricane Ridge in the spring won't have any wildflowers at the top. What it can have is mountains covered with more snow than you'll find in July. And on the road up we may encounter fog-scapes that can be magical in the morning.
For more information and to sign up, visit my Olympic in May page.
The picture above is from the tripod workout mentioned earlier. That log just right of middle used to be across those rocks just above the falls.
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Only 2 spaces remain in Palouse workshop
The Palouse is on many a photographer’s bucket list. But be warned, visit once and you’ll want to visit again. The area is so vast and there are so many roads to explore that you can never run out of places to discover.
I’m co-leading a workshop this June with Cliff Zenor that is limited to eight participants and has two spaces remaining. That means you’ll get all the help you need, and you’ll be in a small group.
Besides the rolling hills and barns, we'll also visit Palouse Falls, a magnificent leftover of the Great Missoula Floods.
I’ve been able to get the hotel to extend the cutoff date another thirty days, so there’s still time to sign up and be guaranteed a hotel room.
Visit my Palouse page for all the details and sign up instructions.
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Silver Falls State Park and Bandon in October
I’m considering adding an autumn photo tour to two of the best locations in Oregon to visit in October.
It would be in late October to photograph the fall color and waterfalls of Silver Falls State Park (east of Salem) and then move on to Bandon for sunsets and, hopefully, the big crashing waves at Shore Acres State Park.
This trip would likely be the last week in October. In the past, that's when I've found very good color at Silver Falls, though these days, predicting fall color is a crap shoot.
There are also some pretty good high tides that week for the crashing waves. And I've been told by the locals in Bandon that October is the best time for great sunsets.
I've not set specific dates yet but I'm thinking of the 24th - 28th, Monday - Friday.
If this intrigues you or if you have any questions, drop me a line. If there's enough interest in such a trip, I'll put it together.
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End notes
I think that's it. I've been trying to get stuff done in the yard but every day has brought a new adventure in weather. Yesterday it snowed, with flakes the size of golf balls. And it hailed twice. And rained. And it was sunny. Not really sure if winter is coming or going.
But spring is coming. So they say.
Until next month, take care!
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