From walking up a sand dune to standing in the middle of an expansive desert playa, I have formed an infinite amount of memories over the summer. During the many excursions to every corner of the Pacific Northwest, I also made sure to take plenty of photos. Lots of them! The last trip to Eastern Oregon involved importing over 1,400 photos onto my computer. Every photo I have shown on the blog is my own photography. During the summer, I had numerous opportunities to learn and improve my photography skills in real life settings. There is nothing quite like standing on a empty road in the middle of nowhere, seeing it traverse the valley heading towards a crystal clear mountain range in the distance. A photo can convey a thousand words. I am not one for word counts, but I would love to share some stories through photos I took over the summer.
The silence of the morning was extraordinary. The only sounds I heard through the thin breeze were a herd of cows far off in the valley and the faint muffled notes of Hotel California still playing in the car. We had forgotten to turn off Spotify before getting out to take some photos.
For the first ecoregion exploration day, I used an older Sony Cyber-Shot camera compared to the newer Panasonic Lumix camera I currently use. The older camera had a hard job focusing (hence the burry borders.) Every other photo taken during the summer was shot on the newer Panasonic camera.I had meant to use my new camera, but after it suddenly needed repairs, I had to resort to my old camera recovered from the depths of my file cabinet.
I cannot convey with words how grand Mt. Rainier is close up. Directly above you are the distant rock fields of the volcano, looking almost likea two-dimensional matte painting from an old movie.
I have always had a view on what I though the ocean should look like. Even though Seattle is near the ocean, I seldom voyage to the Pacific Coast. When I had the opportunity to see the Pacific Ocean while traveling to the Olympic Peninsula, it was completely spot-on to what I imagined it being like. The waves were dramatic and the sea spray cast a mysterious mist over the coast. Standing feet away from the largest ocean on Earth does feel like being on the edge of the world, with the infinite tapestry of waves leading into the great unknown.
Although wildfire smoke was draped over the landscape, you could only sense how far the Palouse went into the vast distance. Its near-endless rolling hills felt border-line magical, like a mysterious world meant to be explored for the first time. For hours my Dad and I journeyed through the golden rolling hills, the vast scale of which was masked by the ambient smog.
You start really feeling the elevation at 10,000 feet. Near the summit of Steens Mountain, I walked down a small trail to a basin. The landscape was near-completely bare of life. The only plants were tiny brushes blowing in the harsh wind. The way back up was especially tiring at 10,000 feet. The climb was only about 100 feet, but it took me nearly 20 minutes.I was not at all acclimated.
The summit of Steens Mountain was incredibly windy. Even though it was summertime, I had to wear multiple layers of clothing along with a down jacket. Five thousand feet below was the Alvord desert which I explored earlier that day. We were not prepared for how hazy it was. For this photo, I edited the haze out for a clearer image.
4 thoughts on “Stories From the Summer”
Wow! I’m so glad glad you were able to go on so many adventures!! You have a gift in photography and writing.
Thank you so much. I really enjoyed taking all the photos, but going through them on my computer was a tedious ordeal. I really enjoyed all the experiences over the course of the summer. Thank you for commenting!
Sounds like you had an interesting summer. I spent my last year in law school back in 2003 up in Moscow in the Palouse, and driving up there, with the rounded mounds felt somehow alien. I was scared. Grandma kept on the phone with me when reception came through. It just cut in and out. Luckily I made it up there and graduated. It sounds so much nicer through your eyes. Land doesn’t usually affect me that way. Keep it up!
The phone reception was also really unpredictable when we were there. The rolling hills of the Palouse do have the special ability to emanate a mysterious sense. It does feel somewhat magical and definitely alien!
4 thoughts on “Stories From the Summer”
Wow! I’m so glad glad you were able to go on so many adventures!! You have a gift in photography and writing.
Thank you so much. I really enjoyed taking all the photos, but going through them on my computer was a tedious ordeal. I really enjoyed all the experiences over the course of the summer. Thank you for commenting!
Sounds like you had an interesting summer. I spent my last year in law school back in 2003 up in Moscow in the Palouse, and driving up there, with the rounded mounds felt somehow alien. I was scared. Grandma kept on the phone with me when reception came through. It just cut in and out. Luckily I made it up there and graduated. It sounds so much nicer through your eyes. Land doesn’t usually affect me that way. Keep it up!
The phone reception was also really unpredictable when we were there. The rolling hills of the Palouse do have the special ability to emanate a mysterious sense. It does feel somewhat magical and definitely alien!
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