Sunshine at Otter Falls

About two years ago, I hiked to Otter Falls on a sunny winter day, and I revisited it under similar conditions this weekend. I enjoy it as a winter hike, due to the trail's relative ease, the uniqueness of Otter Falls, and the mountain views through the trees. I don't see myself revisiting the hike in the spring or summer - by then, more interesting locations are accessible (a lot of the hike is through somewhat uniform second-growth forest), and the mountain views would be fewer due to leaves on the alder trees. But this time of year, a repeat visit is definitely worthwhile.

First, Otter Falls itself. I'd have to see this one in print to know whether it really works - the image quality isn't fantastic, due to the wide angle of view and the high contrast. It might work at an 8x10 size, at least, and I do like the look of the icy surface of Lipsy Lake.  F/16.

In the afternoon, sunshine was hitting the lower reaches of the Taylor River valley, making for lovely views of the mountains through the bare red alder trees. Here's my favorite such view. F/16.

Below, a similar view. I like the snowier and more jagged mountain in the background, but a few of the highlights got slightly overexposed. F/14.

In addition to Otter Falls and the mountain views, another highlight of the trail is the bridge over Marten Creek a few miles in. Despite the day's sunshine, the bridge and surrounding creek were shaded by the surrounding hills when I arrived, making it easier to photograph the water. Here's a look at the creek from the bridge. F/14, 2.5 seconds.

Next, a wider view from the same bridge. F/14, 3 seconds.

Finally, a similar view over the Taylor River itself. Although most of the trail stays away from the river, the first mile or so has some nice views like this. F/14, 3 seconds.

Long weekend fun

This weekend, I took advantage of the great weather by going on two photo trips! Both ended up being a lot of fun, and quite colorful for January.

Greenwater Lakes

On Saturday, I hiked the Greenwater Lakes trail. Due to the numerous old trees, interesting terrain, and river views, it's a great place to do forest and river photography. Below is one of the aptly named Greenwater Lakes. The sun was shining at the time, but the valley walls were keeping the lake shaded. I like how I was able to incorporate the submerged grass into the composition. F/16.

The trail features frequent river views, including in places where the river has braided into multiple channels. Here's an interesting shot from one such location, with red alder the predominant tree. F/16, 2 seconds.

Here are two vertical shots of the Greenwater River. The background trees anchor the first composition, and river rocks the second. Although the rocks are interesting, I think I might like the first image better. Both F/16, 1.6 seconds and 2 seconds respectively.

Next, a horizontal shot of the river with a similar concept. F/16, 2 seconds.

Finally, an image showing off one of the trail's old trees (a cedar in this case). I like the shape of the trees in the background, but I don't know if there's enough color contrast to make this composition great. F/16.

O'Grady Park

On Monday, for the first time, I visited the Green River Natural Area, shown on some maps as the O'Grady Trail or O'Grady Park. Despite its location - easily accessible between Enumclaw and Auburn - it's not all that well-known, and not always clearly designated on maps. It consists of a network of pleasant trails through second-growth forest, with generally gentle grades. The highlight of the day was the mossy, misty forest, with plenty of green even at this time of winter. Below are two such scenes, both F/16.

 

Next, a view down a hill over a pond (or maybe a channel of the river). I like that this one is a bit sparser/more wintry looking than the previous two images. Despite the fog, I think the color contrasts come through reasonably well. F/14.

Lastly, a shot of the Green River itself. Views of the river were one of my main motivations for checking out the trails - but due to fog and the high river level, seeing any of it was actually rather difficult! Below is my best attempt from a river vantage point. I'm not sure how well it works, but it's different. I wanted to get the flowing water to have a layered look, and I think that succeeded, at least. F/18, 1/3 of a second.

All for now. Stay warm and stay healthy!

Three Recent Trips

Hello, all, and happy new year! I'm a bit behind on blogging, but I've had a few fun opportunities over recent weeks to get outside and take pictures!

Kukutali and Snee Oosh

Just after Christmas, my girlfriend and I went on a getaway trip to a cabin near La Conner. As you'll see, we lucked out with some great weather! First, two landscape images from the Kukutali Preserve, which the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and Washington State Parks manage jointly. It's a peaceful place with gorgeous views over the water, and nice forest that includes a few old Douglas firs. Both F/18.

 

Below, a Pacific madrone or madrona (Arbutus menziesii) in the preserve. F/14.

Finally, a sunrise image from Snee Oosh Beach, near to where we were staying. I like how the pink clouds are reflected. F/16, 0.6 seconds. I tried some shots similar to this one with only water in the foreground; while my mind's eye liked that idea better, the result lacked depth and wasn't very compelling.

Skookum Flats

More recently, I revisited the Skookum Flats trail off Highway 410 on a slushy, muddy, drippy morning. The photography day didn't last long, due to the rain and the related challenge of keeping water off the lens. First, an image highlighting the area's old growth (in this case, a Douglas fir). F/16.

 

 

Below, vertical and horizontal compositions from the same vantage point, with a bit of a view across the valley. I wanted to contrast the green foreground tree with the snowy background layers. I'm not sure which of these I prefer. The vertical version includes a bit of the contour of a distant hillside; in the horizontal version, the image quality is better, and the trees are all lined up a bit more logically. Both F/18.

Ebey's Landing

Most recently, I hiked the Ebey's Landing trail on Whidbey Island. I hadn't been there in years, and I enjoyed it as a winter destination. The views from the bluff are great, and the area's location in the Olympic rain shadow means mud and rain are less of a problem than elsewhere in western Washington.

First, a shot from near the trailhead. The winds were surprisingly calm at that time; ordinarily, I wouldn't even attempt a shot like this, as getting the grass sharp would be too difficult. I wish more of the Olympics were visible, but I like this one. F/16.

Next, a view over Perego's Lagoon from the bluff. I liked the contrasting colors of the blue water and sky, green grass, and red Oregon grape. F/16.

In the afternoon, the winds kicked up, creating some waves on the beach that were fun to watch (and dodge). Here's an image of one such wave, with the Olympics in the background. The image quality isn't fantastic, in part because I underexposed a bit to get as low of a shutter speed as possible. F/16, 1/125 of a second.

That brings us up to date. Whew! Until next time, here's wishing all of my readers health and safety!