2914, Day 301 - Threading

Walking through the wood, the patter of rain drops on the leaves, the earthy sweet smell of the damp earth and the fallen leaves, the slight bite of the weather on your cheeks; this is fall in Oregon.  Things slow down a bit with reasonable caution as the ground gets a little bit slippery and, with that relaxed pace, we take in the change of seasons.  While the aspens have lost their leaves weeks ago the maples are climbing to their foliage, unwilling to admit defeat.  I like their defiance but am ready for a bit more color so until then I am focusing on black and white.

Fuji X-E2, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
20mm, f5.6, 1/125 sec @ 1000 ISO

2014, Day 299 - Tower of light

I've had friends visiting this weekend and the forecast led us to believe that it would be nice this morning with rain this afternoon.  Given that information we headed out to the Columbia River Gorge to spend a little quality time outdoors.  Unfortunately the reality was the opposite of the forecast but it was still nice to get out into nature.  This is the bridge near Latourelle Falls and with the infrared conversion the trees are so bright and light and beautiful.  I'm still learning to anticipate how landscapes will look in this spectrum but not knowing has led to some exciting results!

Fuji X-E2, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f5.6, 1/125 sec @ 400 ISO

2014, Day 121 - Meadow

It was scorching today, almost ninety degrees and with only minor air movement.  Still it was nice to get out and see the blue sky and enjoy the shade of the large maples.  Plus the bright light can be an opportunity to fun photography as well.  Here in the Pacific NW we have a giant diffuser most of the time in the form of clouds but direct sun can be a fun challenge.  I like the bright warm spots it creates and the shadows look all the more inviting for their coolness.  Plus the flowers are blooming everywhere as a reminder why we tolerate the long wet winters.  But this won't last, it never does and rain will return again soon giving us a little taste of the summer to come.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
28mm, f5.6, merged layers of 1/320, 1/160, 1/80, 1/40, and 1/20 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 114 - Stand with your friends

An early morning walk through the park, the earth smelling of sweet and musky, wildflowers swaying in the breeze, and the sun breaking through the clouds momentarily to throw their darkness into relief...

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f5.6, 1/1250 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 57 - Entombed

This was once the temple city of Pre Khan and at its peak perhaps one hundred thousand people lived here to serve the needs of the temple and its rulers.  Now it is a ruin, the jungle has returned and that which it cannot tear down it encapsulates.  Where once there was a thriving city the sound of the drone of the cicadas and the song of the birds is broken only be the wind rattling the leaves and chirping of bats that now roost in the remaining structures.  It is beautiful place that reeks of adventure; I can still remember the excitement of my visit and the awe I felt at this amazing place.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f8, merged layers of 1/30, 1/15, 1/8, and 1/4 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 42 - Conquered

Today I decided to return to Cambodia and the awesome temple that is Beng Mealea.  There is something magical about this place, the jungle has returned and reduced a large portion of this once beautiful site to rubble.  But somehow it still manages to be enchanting.  Out of the ruins of the temple are giant trees with extensive root systems that have torn apart the heavy stone blocks.  I love this return to nature and today I wouldn't mind the balmy warmth of the jungle either.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
22mm, f2.8, merged layers of 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, 1/60, and 1/30 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 6 - Siphon

The cenotes in Mexico are amazing.  This one, on private property down a long bumpy road hidden away, was paradise.  We had been out visiting Tulum in the morning and the heat was tremendous.  Our reward was this little oasis.  To get here we climbed down a ladder to a small wooden dock and explored a large enclosed pool.  Swallows darted in and out and scuba divers passed thirty feet below us from time to time.  Otherwise we had the place to ourselves; all you could hear is dripping water and it was cool crystal clear water.  As we swam the ceiling got lower and after a while it opened into a large open cenote where I took this picture.  In the middle there is an island of jungle growing out of the rich silty soil.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f4, merged layers of 0.4, 0.8, and 1.6 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 296 - Meandering

There is a worrying pattern that we perpetuated today, getting a later start.  Because we were checking out of our room we decided that we wouldn't need to be out the door until eight o'clock.  That was because there would be breakfast and packing prior to our departure.  Given that it was our last morning in Suchitoto I got up early and wandered around the town when it was still half asleep.  There were women walking down the cobbled streets with baskets of fresh baked breads balanced on their head, dogs were napping in doorways, and people were cleaning the central square.  It was beautiful and tranquil.

I returned to our hotel a short time later to have breakfast with Francene.  Once we had eaten I headed back to the room to finish packing but got sidetracked by a couple of jumping spiders.  Fortunately the call of nature needed answering and kept me from too much distraction.  I answered and finished packing just as Robert arrived.

We packed up the truck and headed to our first stop, El Salvador's only UNESCO World Heritage site, Joya de Ceren.  It is a Mayan farming village that was buried in ash after a volcanic eruption in the year 590.  That ash fell quickly and covered some areas up to eight meters deep; these conditions helped to preserve their community very well.  Fortunately they have found no bodies which suggests that they had plenty of notice and were able to evacuate before the eruption.

Next we made our way to Cerro Verde National Park.  It is at the top of a volcano and is covered in dense jungle.  When we arrived at the top there was a thick layer of clouds obscuring the view.  Undeterred we went on a short hike to the abandoned hotel and restaurant and the accompanying viewpoint.  It was a neat place, very obviously built in the fifties with some impressive modern architecture.  Francene and I explored the area which Robert tried to keep an eye on us so we just split up and frustrated his efforts completely.  It was beautiful to walk through the rainforest as it was obscured by the clouds, that is what is pictured below.

From there we started our journey along the Ruta de las Flores, the path of the flowers.  It consists of a series of mountain communities with some distinct features but united in their proliferation of flowers and for coffee cultivation.  Given that we were on a bit of a time crunch we stopped first at Juayua which is known for its weekend craft festivals and for their black Christ in the community's largest church.  After we stopped in Apaneca to appreciate some amazing views and we ended up in Ataco where we toured the brightly-color city and were able to purchase some of the local coffee which is supposed to be the best in the region.  Before hitting the road again we stopped off at a restaurant called Portland after our fair city that is owned by a gentleman who lived there before returning to El Salvador to get a little refreshment.

Our next stop was San Salvador and on our way into the city we stopped off for dinner.  I had a very nice meal of pupusas, stuffed tortillas that are lightly fried; the ones I ordered were filled with a combination of beans, cheese, chiles, leafy green, and a local squash.  All were excellent and I already know I will miss them when we leave.

Once we filled out bellies we proceeded into the Zona Rosa where Tim's apartment it located.  It is in the nice part of town and his place on the twenty-second floor has an incredible view.  So we unloaded our bag, bid farewell to Robert, and settled in for the night.  Tomorrow will, with a little luck, be a more leisurely day but I am going to get some rest.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f5.6, 1/4 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 267 - Wooded

I love the thickly wooded forests of evergreens in the Pacific Northwest.  They have an amazing smell; sweet earth, the sharp scent of the needles, woody decomposing leaves, it is magical.  Now that fall is here mushrooms will be breaking through the litter on the forest floors.  I cannot wait for the foggy mornings that lend that crisp mineral smell of water to the mix.

Fuji X-E1, Fuji 35/f1.4R
35mm, f2, 1/75 sec @ 320 ISO

2013, Day 258 - Hillock

There were stormy skies most of my way south to Ashland today and with such dramatic skies I couldn't help but make a couple stops.  This was from a two minute stop just off of an offramp to no community, just a service station.  It was pretty and despite the ominous appearance of the sky it didn't rain at all.

Fuji X-E1, Fuji 18-55/f2.8-4 OIS
39mm, f8, 1/750 sec @ 320 ISO

2013, Day 233 - Solitary

Back to my morning adventures in California.  I was trying to find a little visual interest to anchor the wispy clouds and this lonely tree was perfect.  It was still early and there is a blush of sunrise color on the horizon.  These kinds of morning are rare and I am so happy I was there to enjoy it!

Fuji X-E1, Fuji 18-55/f2.8-4
26.5mm, f5.6, 1/280 sec @ 200 ISO

2013, Day 152 - Convergence

While wandering down the path at Silver Falls State Park a few days ago with Nicole Young I saw this dead tree as I was looking wide-eyed above me.  It was fairly early and the sun just came into sight and I loved the way the moss covering the tree glowed.  I was hoping to capture that ethereal quality in the photo and, shooting almost straight up, I love how the trees towers above converge.

I've always said that Silver Falls is a magical place and even though I've been over a dozen times I always find something new and exciting.

Canon 1D X, Canon 24-70/f2.8L Mark II
24mm, f5.6, merged layers of 1/80, 1/40, 1/20, 1/10, and 1/5 sec @ 100 ISO

2013, Day 150 - Climbing fungus

It's all about the details.  That's why I love photography, you can make a big deal out of a small detail.  Nicole and I found these mushrooms growing out of the side of a mossy tree and I couldn't help myself.  I love mushrooms, not to eat although I like them that way too, I just think that they grow in special places where gnomes live and them my imagination runs wild.

Canon 1D X, Canon 24-70/f2.8L Mark II
24mm, f8, 1/320 sec @ 200 ISO

2013, Day 12 - Hidden

There are so many hidden gems in Portland.  The city is dotted with parks and a ten minute walk up the trail and you feel like you are removed from the world when it is really just behind a screen of trees.  It is so refreshing to walk among the trees, to hear the breeze sighing through the branches, to watch the ferns bob as the air passes over them, and to be regaled by bird song.  The closeness of nature while living in the city is one of the biggest advantages to life in the Pacific NW.

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 24/f3.5L TSE Mark II
24mm, f5.6, 1/6 sec @ 200 ISO

2012, Day 360 - Winter's touch

The year is coming to an end, winter's grip is tight and the nights are frigid.  White plumes declare each exhalation and grass crackles underfoot.  It is beautiful but loveless, the peace if refreshing...

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 50/f1.2L
50mm, f1.2, 1/6 sec @ 800 ISO

2012, Day 353 - Winter paradise

I am rather in love with being home again after my tropical adventures in Cambodia.  This is another photograph from Mount Talbert, I love the richness of the greens and yellows.  It is so lush and vibrant and ever so slightly primeval.  You can smell the rich earth with that slight tinge of sweet decay from the littered maple leaves and hear small bird flit in and out of the shrubs while the wind sighs through the trees.  It is beautiful and serene.

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 24/f3.5L TSE
24mm, f5.6, 1/20 sec @ 200 ISO

2012, Day 350 - Ruined

Beng Mealea was probably the most exciting temple that we visited in Cambodia.  The architecture is quite similar to Angkor Wat but the temple layout, a series of galleries on a single level, is vastly different.  Beng Mealea is probably the most significantly damaged of the jungle temples but the authorities are quite permissive in allowing exploration.  Tumbled stones create somewhat precarious steps to the top of walls along which visitors are free to walk.  It truly feels like exploration but I expect that in the relatively near future access is going to become more limited.  The stress of people climbing through the ruins is threatening the integrity of the site which leaves me with mixed emotions.  I am glad that I got to experience this magnificent temple the way that I did but there is a lingering guilt that I have contributed to the degradation of their amazing place.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
35mm, f8, merged layers of 1/13, 1/6, and 1/3 sec @ 100 ISO

2012, Day 334 - Just a facade

Tonight we return to Beng Mealea.  I can't get enough of this temple and the more I look at the images the more enchanted I become.  This is a small courtyard outside one of the large antechambers.  Tumbled stones are littered across the ground and trees have a death grip on the buildings but I still marvel that a structure built in the 12th century is still so intact.  Beng Mealea was abandoned to the jungle for hundreds of years and except where the trees have demolished sections the walls still stand straight and true.  There is no discernible settling even though it stands on silty soil and is surrounded by a lotus pond.  The architects and builders of these temples possessed a skill equal to our own the the kings that commissioned these holy sites possessed the patience required to ensure that they would last for centuries.

When I look at this photograph I can feel the humid around me, smell the damp earth that gives the trees and moss so much sustenance and the mellow scent of decaying wood, and hear the steady drone of the cicadas punctuated by the calls of birds.  If you have the opportunity to visit these temples I urge you to go, once you've been there the experience will be emblazoned on your mind forever.  These are living places with their own heart beat and if you listed carefully you can hear it but only if you allow yourself to be lost in the moment, to truly experience the place and not just see it.  To only see Beng Mealea or any of the temples is like that door, it is artificial, there is so much more than what you see, you need to allow yourself to take  in the whole experience otherwise it is just a facade.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f5.6, HDR of 1/50, 1/25, 1/13, 1/6, and 0.3 sec @ 100 ISO

2012, Day 333 - Light at the end

Tonight I share an image from our tomb raiding at Beng Mealea.  At seventy seven kilometers from Siem Reap it may be one of the temples furthest from the heart of the Angkor complex but it is now well visited.  It is only second in size to Angkor Wat and combines Hindu and Buddhist iconography in the carvings.  The construction of this temple is a bit different from many of the others, the overbuilding that was so common is lacking here as was observed by Araceli, an engineer and one of my traveling companions.  The result is that the jungle's attack of this structure has been more devastating than at the other jungle temples.

Below you can see one of the few intact hallways.  We had to slither down through rubble and squeeze past an obstructed but intact doorway to get to this section.  A tree's roots have broken through at the corner of the hall but it hasn't yet demolished the structure.  In time it would no doubt reduce this area to match the rest of the grounds but with careful tending it will be allowed to thrive in harmony with what is left of the temple.

If you were able to look through the window on the left you would find a small courtyard.  Inside there are a couple of trees and surrounding those trees are large sandstone blocks that have been ripped from adjacent rooms and hallways.  A thin carpet of lush green moss covers the stones and small flowering plants have taken root in the meager accumulated soil.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f5.6, HDR layers of 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2, and 4 sec @ 400 ISO

2012, Day 285 - Fall of summer

It seems that fall is here.  The leaves are changing and tomorrow we're supposed to get the first real fall rain. I was hoping that the weather of the last few weeks would last forever.  Cool nights, comfortable days, and sunlight.  We know for certain that the days will be getting shorted and soon it will be dark when we get to work and dark again when we leave.  But at least it makes for beautiful night photography!

Canon 5D Mark III, Canon 24-105/f4L IS
24mm, f8, 1/50 sec @ 400 ISO