For a Texas born and raised photographer, I consider the Pacific Northwest my second home. I traveled west most of my young life, most of my relatives lived in California or Oregon, so every year we almost always boarded the first flight headed that direction after the end of the school year. And while I’ve visited Southern California enough for all the Hollywood glamour to more than fade from my eyes, the Pacific Northwest has done more than an equal amount to capture my soul. From the coasts to lush …
The PNW Chronicles – Central Oregon Coast
What I consider the Central Oregon coast and what locals might consider it may in fact be slightly two different regions, though I’m sure there’s a lot of overlap. What we can probably agree on is that the cities of Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, Newport, Waldport, Yachats and Forence would be considered on the central coast. I’ve spent most of my time in the stretch around Newport as my parents, until just recently, had a summer home there. Both of my two major photo trips to Oregon have included several …
The PNW Chronicles – North Oregon Coast
You can’t think of the northern Oregon Coast without thinking about the iconic sandy shores of Cannon Beach with its iconic Haystack Rock standing like a beacon but actually is a safe haven for hundreds of sea birds. However there is much more to see and explore along the northern end of the Oregon coast than just Cannon Beach. That said, don’t pass up an opportunity to spend an evening on the beach! All roads lead to Cannon Beach. In this case that’s more or less true. Highway 101 heads north and …
The PNW Chronicles – Southern Washington Coast
If you are traveling to the Pacific Northwest, and you’ve decided to fly into Seattle because the flights are cheaper, you might as well take in a little bit of the splendor that is Washington State before hauling tail down into Oregon. Or you could spend an entire week, or month, or likely year wandering just the endless beauty that is Washington. The first I can help with, the second, is still just a dream for me as well. So for the moment let’s just focus on the amazing sights …
The PNW Chronicles Vol. 2 – Prologue
If you had asked me back when I first picked up my first DSLR camera where I was planning to take it – I wouldn’t have had a clue. Within a few months I was taking it on my first photo trip to a state park in Mineral Wells, Texas. The following year it followed me to Montana and Wyoming. Then it went to the Pacific Northwest with me for the first time. The following year it was back through Texas on a full week of exploration and adventure. This …
The PNW Chronicles: Waterfalls (Part II)
In the last post, Waterfalls Part I, I centered the conversation around the challenges that come with photographing the unique beauty of waterfalls. In this part I will go into more detail on the specific waterfalls I visited during my 2014 trip to the Pacific Northwest, why I chose those falls, and information on those specific locations. While my trip started out in Seattle, the majority of my time was spent in Oregon and that is where all the waterfalls I visited are located. While Washington has its own share of beautiful …
The PNW Chronicles: Waterfalls (Part I)
The Pacific Northwest is known for many natural wonders, and its abundance of flowing, cascading, and plummeting columns of water is right near the top of that list. Any Google query for “Waterfalls” and “Pacific Northwest” is going to come up with an endless number of photos and lists of locations and descriptions. One such list that I used when starting to put together my itinerary was “The 100 best waterfalls of the Northwest“, also relying on print material such as “Photographing Oregon” available on Amazon. as well as specifically …