2014, Day 354 - Refuge

Earlier this week we had a bit of a break in the rain and I've been itching to get out and take some pictures.  One of my old standby locations is Ruckle Creek because there is rarely anyone else there, it isn't too much of a hike, and it is really pretty.  Given that the rain never really stopped, just got lighter, it was my top pick.  I've had an IR converted camera for a while and I've been playing with it quite a bit because, like using a macro lens, you learn to see the world differently.  Greens become brighter in the IR spectrum and blues become more dramatic.  It's a lot of fun to experiment and seeing the world in monochrome is a different kind of experience.

Fuji X-E2, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f11, 1 sec @ 200 ISO

2013, Day 357 - Clear coat

This evening I am dreaming of a white Christmas and am revisiting my trip out to Ruckle Creek a few weeks ago when we had a really good cold spell.  The flowing water froze to the landscape and it became an icy shell encasing the creek.  It was quite magical and I think I am ready for some more true winter weather.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f8, merged layers of 1.3, 2.5, 5, and 10 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 343 - Crisp

As a continuation from yesterday's post, this is the wide shot of Ruckle Creek yesterday morning.  The ice is thick with just a dusting of snow across the top but the mosses and ferns are still bright and green under that layer of frozen spray.  It was beautiful, tranquil, and I ended up staying for an hour despite the biting winter winds.  This kind of magic doesn't last long but it is worth the effort.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f8, merged layers of 1, 2, 4, and 8 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 342 - Translucent lace

Sometimes it is worth pushing yourself.  I woke up this morning at five o'clock warm in my bed with two of the four dogs snuggled tight against me and I asked myself "Do I really want to get up and brave the freezing weather for a few pictures?"  But the freeze is supposed to be coming to an end and I hate having regrets so I got up to take the dogs for a walk before heading out the door.

I drove out to Vista House first.  Lately I seem to be stopping there a lot but we had a dazzling sunrise yesterday and I was hoping for a repeat performance.  It didn't happen.  But I did get some nice pictures and caught the sunrise.

Then I drove out to Latourell Falls where I slid on some hidden ice but got some great views as well.  There were a number of other places to stop but I headed straight for Multnomah Falls.  When I got there I encountered a few other people, almost all with cameras and tripod, and one guy told me he went yesterday morning but it was so packed with people (again, mostly photographers) that he left and returned today.  It was beautiful and the ice buildup was quite impressive.

When I returned to my car it was time for a tough decision, wether or not to go out to Ruckle Creek.  It is a bit of a hike in and the area is so sheltered it might not be that great.  Still, it was only a fifteen minute drive away and another ten minute walk to so I decided to make the most of the morning.  When I arrived I stopped dead in my tracks.

I had been visiting some of the biggest and most spectacular waterfalls in the gorge this morning and Ruckle Creek was by far the most beautiful.  The problem with being so impressive is the volume and velocity of the water disrupts a lot of the ice buildup and the little streams lack the flow to keep them from freezing entirely.  But Ruckle Creek has about the perfect balance of grandeur and with slow enough water movement to have really good accumulation.  I spent over an hour moving around and taking pictures from different angles; each was so different.  Then I had to switch lenses and focus more on the details.  I was wet and cold but completely entranced by the beautiful that I didn't care.

The ice took on a lacy quality.  Thin and going from opaque to translucent, it has so much delicate texture and detail to enjoy.  I love that the rocks were incased in ice and I can't tell if there is more ice forming or if the existing ice was melting but it was beautiful and I am so happy that I decided to leave the comfort of my warm bed and cuddle dogs for a little winter adventure this morning.

Canon 1D X, Canon 24-70/f2.8L Mark II
35mm, f5.6, 1/2 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 289 - Glimpse of autumn

I keep missing fall.  It is completely my fault, it always seems like the ideal time to travel because work winds down as the holidays approach.  Sadly this has led to me missing the fall color and I am about to do it again.  Next week I will be ensconced in the warmth of Central America and while it is sure to be an amazing adventure I will think wistfully of the autumn that I am missing at home.  Until then I had a little preview of color at Ruckle Creek last weekend.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f11, merged layers of 3.2, 6, and 13 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 182 - Longing

I know I was getting tired of the rain but this heat is brutal.  Well, not really that bad, but a twenty degree jump in temperature is a lot to handle.  The dogs hate it and I am such a terrible worrier and that fuss over them.  So I think back to the winter, as the world was turning bright green, and it is refreshing.  I can almost feel the mist coming off the falls and cooling me right now...

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f8, merged layers of 1/2, 1, 2, and 4 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 160 - Gentle roar

I think it is coming to an end.  The season of beautiful soft light.  Clouds are quickly becoming a distant memory.  While it isn't hot yet the sign are there, summer approaches, and that means dappled light under the canopy.  It can be both a blessing and a curse; I know, silver linings and all that, but it does make photography more difficult.  Not impossible and the effects can be amazing but the light has to be just right...

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
19mm, f8, 0.6, 1.3, 2.5, and 5 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 151 - Lush

The Columbia River Gorge is peaking right now.  The flora is showing signs of rampant new growth and everything is a riot of luscious greens.  We certainly aren't done with our wet spring weather but the clouds break every so often and kisses our wilderness.  Now is the perfect time to get outside, I think it smells amazing; it is that rich scent of decaying leaves, the subtle sharpness of evergreen, and the hint of sweetness brought by the blooming flowers.  It is so clean and refreshing, there is nothing quite like it.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
20mm, f11, merged layers of 2, 4, and 8 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 139 - Don't roll

You know the old saying "A rolling stone gathers no moss," well I don't think these stones have moved in quite some time.  It's an odd saying really, like saying someone who moves constantly has no home.  Or  perhaps it means that those who constantly move keep things fresh and new.  Either way, in the lush woods of the Pacific NW you will find moss everywhere like a thick carpet of vibrant green.  Ruckle Creek is no exception and in this image I wanted to include the tall slender trees so that the canopy can be clearly seem.  Places like this make me love my home ever more, I suspect I am starting to gather some moss...

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f11, merged layers of 1, 4, and 8 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 137 - Falling with friends

One of the things I like most about photography is the community.  A few days ago I went out to Ruckle Creek with my friends Nicole and Kurt.  When we arrived at the falls right below the bridge there was another photographer.  Given that no one owns a location we worked around each other and got to chatting.  There is an almost innate bond between photographers and we probably talked more than we took pictures but we all had a great time.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
21mm, f11, merged layers of 2, 4, and 8 sec @ 100 ISO