2011 Greater Seattle InfoGuide

I've worked with Vernon Publications for many years now, and have contributed images to several of their publications.  Recently, I was proud to learn that one of my images had made the cover of their 2011 Greater Seattle InfoGuide.  The image was taken only a couple months ago from Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill - my first visit to this park.  I also have several images appearing within its pages, including an image of Qwest Field at sunrise taken from Dr. Jose Rizal Park on Capital Hill, an image of the city skyline from Hamilton Park in West Seattle, and an image of Point of the Arches at Shi Shi Beach in Olympic National Park.

The InfoGuide is a great publication to pick up if you are looking for things to get out and do, and is available at most hotels and tourist destinations around the greater Puget Sound area.

New Year's Eve from Kerry Park!

2010 ended on a high note for me. I finally visited a park that has been on my list for the last several years - Kerry Park. Wow! There is a reason for it's popularity. Actually, I should say reasons - plural.

Kerry Park is one of, if not the, supreme view of the city skyline that Seattle has to offer, and includes the bonus of Mount Rainier off on the horizon. The visual is magical.

Access to the park was pretty straight forward and easy, even on such a day as New Year's Eve. It is certainly a popular spot, but as with many tourist locations, people come and people go. Too crowded for you? Wait 10-15 minutes.

Actually, the people were a large part of the experience for me. They were from all parts of the country, and the world. The entourage of guests came on foot, on bikes, personal vehicles, small tour buses, and even stretch limos. And everyone I talked to were inebriated from the views and enjoying the moment.

It was fun sharing stories with people from Georgia, while offering to take pictures of a family from South Carolina. The spirit was festive!

Kerry Park is not very large. In fact, the "park" is mostly down below viewpoint, and requires a steep descent to visit. Kerry Park as photographers know it is more of a paved viewpoint, roughly 100 feet long. The best vantage if from the far west (right) end near the steps that descend to the play area and basketball court.

I saw very few photographers during my visit. Much fewer than expected, anyway. And I could count the professionals on a single hand.

I recommend arriving at Kerry Park about an hour (or slightly more) before sunset. Not so much for the potential crowds (and it will help), but for some of the best lighting. I found the vantage from Kerry Park best while Mount Rainier and the foreground still had some light on them, and then well after sunset when the city lights transformed the setting.

The scene becomes much different after dark, both through the lens and the number of people standing around you. The city lights change the setting from one of stretching panorama under a pink hue of the evening sunset to one of festive nightlife. Both are quite intoxicating. It's a scene that is hard to pull away from. But as the skies grow darker, you realize the best images to be had are already on your flash card and it is time to move on.

A visit to Kerry Park at sunset should be a must on every visitor's list. I strongly recommend it.

The park is located on Queen Anne hill, just west of Queen Anne Ave.

There are other magnificent places to view the city as well, including Alki Point and other vantages from West Seattle. Make sure you check them all out!

Next, I will share yet another new vantage of the city that I found quite impressive. Stay tuned!

2010 Greater Seattle InfoGuide

I just received my copies of the 2010 Greater Seattle InfoGuide from Vernon Publications, which includes several of my images from around our state. It turned out quite nice!

The InfoGuide is a great publication to pick up if you are looking for things to get out and do, and is available at most hotels and tourist destinations around the greater Puget Sound area.

More New Postcards!

More samples of my new postcards arrived in the mail the other day. The latest postcards are of Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier.

Both images used are pretty special to me. The Mt. St. Helens image is from a fantastic backpack I did with my dad a couple of years ago. The trip generated more stories than any of our other trips in recent memory! I have also had over half a dozen images from this trip published now, appearing in calendars, magazines and now postcards - bonus!

The Mt. Rainier image was captured on a cloudy morning while spending a vacation at Mounthaven Resort near the Nisqually Entrance to the park.

My wife and I arrived at Paradise to whiteout conditions early one morning. Not feeling particularly good about our chances, we drove down to Reflection Lakes. I set up in the fog with only one other photographer around, and waited and hoped. The mountain appeared only moments before this image was taken. For me, it was well worth the wait!

This image appears in my Wild West wall calendar (this month!) and my book Mt. Rainier.

These postcards join another from a pretty special trip along the waterfront in Seattle. But I've already told that story (see New Postcard post!)

These postards are now available in many stores and tourist destinations around the state of Washington if you are interested. I do not have any to sell from the website - sorry.

Greater Seattle InfoGuide

I am proud to once again be a part of the Greater Seattle InfoGuide for the 2009 calendar year. This is great "what to do" publication for out-of-town visitors and even locals wishing to experience something new. It is available at most hotels and tourist destinations around the greater Seattle area. It's well worth the price of admission!