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Three Days in Oregon, USA - Jefferson Park and Painted Hills
seastack
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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.
Jefferson Park meadow - the small pools last only a short time after the snow melts.
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.
Indian Paintbrush comes in many shades from orange to crimson.
Waiting for the mountain to clear. It never did.
Cascade Dream - Soft-filter effect courtesy of rain-streaked polarizer.
Lupine run wild streamside.
Sunrise on Russell Lake where we camped.
Springs feed little creeks running through this meadow as a cloud rolls in above us.
A fast mountain stream runs out of a fog enshrouded forest and into a small meadow of lupine, heather, paintbrush and willow.
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.
The valley leading in to the Painted Hills
The last light of the day spills onto the multi-colored clay of the Painted Hills.
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.
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)
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).
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.
Jefferson Park meadow - the small pools last only a short time after the snow melts.
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.
Indian Paintbrush comes in many shades from orange to crimson.
Waiting for the mountain to clear. It never did.
Cascade Dream - Soft-filter effect courtesy of rain-streaked polarizer.
Lupine run wild streamside.
Sunrise on Russell Lake where we camped.
Springs feed little creeks running through this meadow as a cloud rolls in above us.
A fast mountain stream runs out of a fog enshrouded forest and into a small meadow of lupine, heather, paintbrush and willow.
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.
The valley leading in to the Painted Hills
The last light of the day spills onto the multi-colored clay of the Painted Hills.
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.
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)
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).
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Comments
My Shots
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.
Most excellent work!
Love the "Soft-filter effect courtesy of rain-streaked polarizer." Very funny! Even a mistake turned out incredible!
Cuong Nguyen.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky
www.adamstravelphotography.com
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Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
I Live at http://www.alaskamountainforum.com
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.
Great shots as usual.
Aaron Newman
Website:www.CapturingLightandEmotion.com
Facebook: Capturing Light and Emotion
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)
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 there
Awesome series good job
Fred
http://www.facebook.com/Riverbendphotos
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.
Photos that don't suck / 365 / Film & Lomography