Nooksack Valley View

In further anticipation of my trip to Washington state, I am posting another winter photo from the Mt. Baker area in Northwest Washington. I took this photo after a light snowfall last year. After you have spent some time in the south where it does not snow, you come to realize there is nothing like the smell of evergreen trees and the sight of snow sprinkling the trees. I am looking forward to my visit back.

Merry Christmas!!

I wish everyone a happy Christmas season and a wonderful New Year. I will be in Washington state just after Christmas and I am excited about the winter photo opportunities that will be available. I took this photo in November of 05 early in the morning after a light snowfall.

Merganser

This photo was taken on Honeymoon Island State Park. I believe it is a Merganser. These ducks were diving in the water to look for food and I had to try to time their entrance to the surface and get a shot off before they dove again. This particular bird was photographed with a 400mm telephoto lens.

Another Experiment

This is another experiment in composition and exposure on the Gulf of Mexico. I am hoping that my sister, Sarah, will leave my first comment!

A Simple Sunset

This was taken a few hours ago on the Gulf of Mexico. I was trying to keep the elements of the photo as simple as possible. In hindsight, I should have included just a bit more of the sky, but I still like this one. Getting this shot was a bit harder than it might look. I had to bury part of the tripod in the wet sand to get low enough, and my pants got soaking wet from the larger waves that swept in while I was crouched on the sand in front of the tripod. I'm not complaining though :-)

Shells on the Beach

I was able to make it to the beach on the Gulf of Mexico today just after the sun had already set. Despite missing the sunset, I was able to get a few shots decent shots. It was a bit chilly around here for the locals. The temperature plummeted to the frigid 50's the other day so nobody is getting out much. I had the beach all to myself!

It was a challenge tonight to set up a shot in front of some shells. It seemed that by the time I get the composition all set up, a wave would come along and sweep away the shells in front of me. Luckily, I was able to trip the shutter and record this shot before the waves came in.

Canon 20D, Canon EF 17-40mm lens, SS3"2, F20, ISO 200.

Little River Trail

I hiked along this trail about a month ago in the Smoky Mountains. The entire trail was a carpet of fallen leaves and because of the wind and rain that weekend, I was able to have the trail almost all to myself.

I think I may have just missed the peak season for fall colors in the trees - I think I was probably about a week too late. Still though, the colors were amazing and it was great to get away for a bit. The Little River Trail is probably one of the better day hikes I have been on.

SS2"5, f16, ISO 100

Wild Sunflower Sunset

This shot was taken in Okanogan County, Washington, just east of the North Cascades National Park. Eastern Washington is not as lush as Western Washington but it has a different kind of beauty.

This evening there were dramatic clouds in the sky but the sun was still bursting through. The sunflowers hilighted by the sunshine under the dark clouds made for a dramatic moment. My sister was with me on this occasion and we had a great time walking through the sunflowers and appreciating the beauty of the area.

Canon 20D, 17-40mm lens, SS3/10, f16.

Portrait of a Young Deer

I took this photo in Olympic National Park on the Pacific Coast. I was camping for two days in a tent right next to the Pacific Ocean and I went to sleep at night with the sound of the crashing waves in my ears. Although it always rains a little bit when I camp on the Pacific Coast, this is one of the most peaceful areas I have ever been in. There are plenty of deer, raccoons, eagles, and other wildlife in the forest, and in the ocean there are lots of seals and other sea life, including whales. This deer was munching on some grass near my tent when I took a photo of it.

Canon 20D, 70-200mm lens, SS1/320, f6.3.