Little Mashel Falls

The Little Mashel Falls hike near Eatonville has been on my radar for some time, and I got the chance to check it out on Saturday. Most of the hike is not particularly scenic, passing through some rather young second-growth forest, but the journey is quick and easy enough. The falls themselves, however, are impressive and were worth the visit. I'd be interested to return here in late spring, when there are leaves on the trees, although by that time of year I often feel drawn to wilder settings deeper into the Cascades.

Three waterfalls are accessible from the hike. The Middle Falls is the most impressive, and my favorite image of the day came from this spot. I like the contrast between the white of the falls and the green on the rocks. Moreover, I think the decision to occupy most of the frame with the waterfall, and exclude its top and surroundings, creates senses of size and closeness. F/14, 0.4 seconds.

Next, two views of the Lower Falls, set against mossy trees and branches. I am not sure which I prefer - the branches are interesting in the horizontal composition, but I like that the vertical composition includes the plants and rocks above the falls. Both F/14, 0.6 and 0.5 seconds, respectively.

Baker River Fall, Again

The only thing better than visiting the Baker River trail once in a season is visiting it twice in a season, I say. I hiked the trail on Monday, and enjoyed excellent conditions for hiking and photography: light winds, shade from the valley walls to create times and places of gentle lighting, and clear skies for mountain viewing. While the image I was most excited about - a view from the end of the trail with Mount Shuksan in the background - didn't turn out well, I was able to find some other interesting perspectives of the forests and river.

First, a forest view, with mossy trunks and branches prominent. In the late fall and winter, I tend to shy away from compositions involving the forest floor or understory; bare shrubs and branches can make compositions too busy (unless there's a mitigating factor like fog or snow). In this case, though, I think the fallen leaves form a color zone distinct enough to make the composition work. F/18.

Next, a shot of some colorful leaves with part of the Baker River itself behind them. This is similar in concept to some compositions from a trip I made to the area last November, but the shaded conditions this time created a different mood. F/16.

Finally, some red alder trunks with other leaves of various kinds and colors in the background. This composition is a bit busy, but I like the color scheme. F/14.

Larch March 2019

On Thursday, I took advantage of the excellent weather to explore the Iron Bear/Teanaway Ridge hike, hoping to find some larches still showing fall color. As larch hikes go, this isn't the most spectacular that I've ever seen - generally speaking, the best views of larches are across ravines, on distant hillsides, or otherwise at a distance from the trail. The expansive views available throughout the hike made up for this, however, affording plenty of photogenic scenery. The day's largest challenge was lighting. The filtered sunshine, at a lower angle this time of year, was manageable in terms of contrast, but it caused issues with lens flares, and I lost some otherwise good compositions that way (even with shading from both a lens hood and my hand).

Below is my best composition from the hike, looking roughly southeast from near the junction of the Iron Bear and Teanaway Ridge trails. This one is good enough that I could reproduce it at large print sizes; that would have the effect of making the distant larches more discernible. F/14.

Next, a fall scene from nearer the trailhead. F/14.

Here is a view from my turnaround point, with a cloud-shrouded Mount Rainier visible over larch-clad hillsides. I would have liked a clearer view of Mount Rainier, but those distant clouds were thickening by the minute, and I had to make do with the conditions I had. The end result was good but not great, I think - although I might have a more favorable opinion of this composition if I were to see it enlarged in print. F/16.

Finally, a characteristic view from the upper reaches of the trail. I have mixed feelings about this one; while I really like the lighting and the color, the image quality turned out less than ideal, and the vertical lines aren't all in alignment. F/13.