Glimpse of Winter Photography

Every year most of my photography efforts fall in the seasons of Spring, Summer and Fall. And every year I get excited for winter and have hopes that I will get out for more winter photography than the year before. One of these years it will happen but for what seems to be different reasons year after year I don't get out for as much snowy winter travel or photography as I hope. There is always next year, right?

For now here are a few images from one of my few outings this winter with my friend Kevin McNeal. It was a very cold morning, probably around 8 degrees. Yet if you are wearing the right clothing it can feel great to be out there like it was for me. We traveled first to a local meadow at the base of Mt Hood and then headed over to the Hood River Valley where you can see the clouds came in quick. We went from completely clear skies at sunrise to snowing on the way home, in no time at all. Hope you enjoy these and that you were able to get out for some excursions of your own this winter as I post this on the first day of spring.

No Casino In The Columbia River Gorge

As a landscape photographer from the Northwest I feel strongly that certain natural areas need to be preserved for future generations. I want others to be able to experience the beauty we get to enjoy today that seems to be slowly eroding. One proposal that some of you may already be aware of is building a Vegas sized casino in the heart of the historic Columbia River Gorge in Cascade Locks. This is a battle that has been going on for quite a few years now.

Yet after much effort the supporters have worked to get the proposal to the desk of Secretary of Interior for a supposed final decision coming later this year. I am not anti building or development, change in certain respects is inevitable. However a change of this magnitude to the Columbia Gorge is something that will hurt the visual beauty, bring sound and light pollution, and not benefit the area in the long term. If you agree please take a moment to visit this link where you can send an email to Secretary and Assistance Secretary of State to voice your concerns.

In case you are not from the area and wonder what kind of fine art imagery can be had right in the area where they plan to build this casino, here is one such image. This is an image I took last winter that I would not have been able to take had the casino been there. Behind the foreground trees would have stood part of the casino complex.

Thanks for allowing me to interrupt the normal stream of photos and useful photography info for a subject of importance like this.

Friends of the Columbia River Gorge

Photographing Jefferson Park Wilderness

In case anyone viewing this did not get over to the Photo Cascadia blog I wanted to post a link to my write up on photographing the Jefferson Park Wilderness here. A beautiful alpine destination located about 50 miles from Salem, Oregon. See the link below for more photos and information.

http://photocascadia.wordpress.com/2010/10/04/photographing-jefferson-park-wilderness