Three Days in Oregon, USA - Jefferson Park and Painted Hills

seastackseastack Registered Users Posts: 716 Major grins
edited July 31, 2007 in Landscapes
Jefferson Park

I recently backpacked into Oregon's Cascade Mountains on a small photo expedition led by landscape photographer (and Smugger) Marc Adamus. While he often spends four to six months out of the year in the wilderness, we spent only three days in the backcountry, July 19-21, but in some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen. Jefferson Park is a series of meadows, lakes, streams and tarns at about 6,100 feet in elevation beneath the 10,000 foot Mt. Jefferson. We seemed to hit the area at the peak of wildflower season only a few weeks after the snow melt. The weather was unusually wet for July but we made the best of the occasional breaks, the soft light and the incoming fog banks.

Except for the final two, all of these images were shot with Canon's new 16-35 2.8L II lens, a polarizer and either a 2-stop or 3-stop hard Singh-Ray Galen Rowell Graduated Neutral Density filter hand held.

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Jefferson Park meadow - the small pools last only a short time after the snow melts.

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Jefferson Park with the lower flanks of 10,000 ft. Mt. Jefferson in the background. Like most of the higher peaks in the Cascade Mountains, Mt. Jefferson is a volcano.

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Indian Paintbrush comes in many shades from orange to crimson.

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Waiting for the mountain to clear. It never did.

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Cascade Dream - Soft-filter effect courtesy of rain-streaked polarizer.


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Lupine run wild streamside.


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Sunrise on Russell Lake where we camped.


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Springs feed little creeks running through this meadow as a cloud rolls in above us.


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A fast mountain stream runs out of a fog enshrouded forest and into a small meadow of lupine, heather, paintbrush and willow.

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Corn lily, Veratrum californicum.


Painted Hills

On the way home I took a "shortcut" to the Painted Hills in eastern Oregon. I caught them at the end of the day.

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The valley leading in to the Painted Hills

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The last light of the day spills onto the multi-colored clay of the Painted Hills.

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I love the soft light of dusk but the truth of it is difficult to capture. I like this image not for its drama but its subtlety.

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Okay, this isn't exactly a "field" shot so we'll call it a "street" photo. This place didn't look open when I drove by (ISO 3200, 50mm 1.4)

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Spotted these horses in the
early morning sunlight while driving through the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in Eastern Oregon. (70-200 f4L, the sharpness of this lens amazes me, I need to use it more).

Comments

  • cunarder534cunarder534 Registered Users Posts: 346 Major grins
    edited July 28, 2007
    Awesome series. A number of those should be up on a wall. Makes me want to try my hand at landscape. clap.gif
  • Miguel DelinquentoMiguel Delinquento Registered Users Posts: 904 Major grins
    edited July 29, 2007
    Wish I was there with my kit
    Most of these are captivating shots, the kind where I wish I was there or near there doing the same thing. Great color renditions.
    Cascade Dream and the Corn Lilly are my faves from the Mt. Jefferson trip. The latter is very artful. Note that the third shot of Indian paintbrush is half pixelated on my screen.
    The first two Painted Hills shots are also excellent. The B&W is a surprise since it seems like most folks (including me) who have been there take color shots. I like how you focused on the grasses in the second shot.
    Your pictures seem to have a dreamy thread running through them which I appreciate much.
  • hamsterhamster Registered Users Posts: 361 Major grins
    edited July 29, 2007
    Unbelievably gorgeous. I can hardly breathe.
  • Mike49Mike49 Registered Users Posts: 13 Big grins
    edited July 29, 2007
    The word "Awesome" doesn't begin to describe these photographs. I'm not sure I know what the word is to describe your work, so I'll just say that viewing them was a wonderful experience.

    Most excellent work! clap.gif
  • MrPartsMrParts Registered Users Posts: 87 Big grins
    edited July 29, 2007
    Incredible!

    Love the "Soft-filter effect courtesy of rain-streaked polarizer." Very funny! Even a mistake turned out incredible!
    Enjoy your life, it's the only one you get.
  • CuongCuong Registered Users Posts: 1,508 Major grins
    edited July 29, 2007
    Breathtaking scenery and you did an awesome job capturing it.thumb.gif Thank you for sharing.

    Cuong Nguyen.
    "She Was a Little Taste of Heaven – And a One-Way Ticket to Hell!" - Max Phillips
  • David_S85David_S85 Administrators Posts: 13,246 moderator
    edited July 29, 2007
    Awesome series. clap.gifclap.gif Stunning color renditions and mood in all of those.
    My Smugmug
    "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
  • grimacegrimace Registered Users Posts: 1,537 Major grins
    edited July 29, 2007
    The shot of Russell Lake is awesome!! Well done!!
  • ElaineElaine Registered Users Posts: 3,532 Major grins
    edited July 29, 2007
    Ohh...so happy to see my home state shown SOOO beautifully! Even in the midst of some not-so-typical July weather! Just stunning captures. You are an artist. Thank you for sharing your splendid work!
    Elaine

    Comments and constructive critique always welcome!

    Elaine Heasley Photography
  • PrezwoodzPrezwoodz Registered Users Posts: 1,147 Major grins
    edited July 29, 2007
    whooooaaa......Now those are some beautiful pictures! Great job!
  • bsvirginianbsvirginian Registered Users Posts: 241 Major grins
    edited July 29, 2007
    headscratch.gif Sooooo!! What's it like trekking with Marc?
    bsvirginian
  • seastackseastack Registered Users Posts: 716 Major grins
    edited July 29, 2007
    headscratch.gif Sooooo!! What's it like trekking with Marc?
    bsvirginian

    Really nice guy, incredibly talented and totally committed, with emphasis on committed. I think he's also part mountain goat! He spends a LOT of time in the backcountry, especially in the winter. He just took grand prize in the big Banff Mountain Photography contest (which means publication in National Geographic) with a shot of blowing snow he took on a ridge, in minus weather, in a 50 mph wind. No chimping there! Not bad for a guy who's not yet 30.
  • anwmn1anwmn1 Registered Users Posts: 3,469 Major grins
    edited July 29, 2007
    Seastack-

    Great shots as usual. bowdown.gif
    "The Journey of life is as much in oneself as the roads one travels"


    Aaron Newman

    Website:www.CapturingLightandEmotion.com
    Facebook: Capturing Light and Emotion
  • seastackseastack Registered Users Posts: 716 Major grins
    edited July 29, 2007
    David_S85 wrote:
    Awesome series. clap.gifclap.gif Stunning color renditions and mood in all of those.

    Thanks David. While I often shoot with a polarizer this was my first outing with grad ND filters. Made a HUGE difference and significantly cut down on post processing. (I only got my thumb in a couple of the shots)
  • seastackseastack Registered Users Posts: 716 Major grins
    edited July 29, 2007
    Most of these are captivating shots, the kind where I wish I was there or near there doing the same thing. Great color renditions.
    Cascade Dream and the Corn Lilly are my faves from the Mt. Jefferson trip. The latter is very artful. Note that the third shot of Indian paintbrush is half pixelated on my screen.
    The first two Painted Hills shots are also excellent. The B&W is a surprise since it seems like most folks (including me) who have been there take color shots. I like how you focused on the grasses in the second shot.
    Your pictures seem to have a dreamy thread running through them which I appreciate much.

    Thank you Miguel for the thoughful reply, it's much appreciated.

    It's interesting that you left the softer third painted hills out of your list of faves, which is fine, it's all about personal taste. It's one of my favorites but almost everyone else is only lukewarm on it.

    P.S. None of the photos are pixelated on my screen, not sure what the culprit is thereheadscratch.gif
  • saurorasaurora Registered Users Posts: 4,320 Major grins
    edited July 29, 2007
    I tried to pick a favorite and couldn't....they are all so stunning! I like the Painted Hills series, especially the last light of day and the horses in the field. The black and white lily is unexpected, but wonderful! Great stuff!!!! clap.gif
  • wfellerwfeller Registered Users Posts: 2,625 Major grins
    edited July 30, 2007
    These are all great, the last light on the painted hills just blows me away though!
    Anybody can do it.
  • USAIRUSAIR Registered Users Posts: 2,646 Major grins
    edited July 30, 2007
    Yep I can't pick a favorite either.
    Awesome series good job

    Fred
  • schmooschmoo Registered Users Posts: 8,468 Major grins
    edited July 31, 2007
    seastack wrote:
    Not bad for a guy who's not yet 30.
    Now that gives me hope! rolleyes1.gif

    Kidding, kidding! He sounds like a truly dedicated individual.

    Wow, this is an amazing set of photos. Oregon is pretty, so I've heard, but it's been a very long time since I've seen photos portray it this well.

    Again, WOW. eek7.gif
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