Special 'Thank You' to FONP and ONP

Last Thursday I had the honor to be the guest speaker at the Friends of Olympic National Park's annual meeting in Port Angeles, and enjoyed giving a narrated slide show presentation to a packed auditorium in the Olympic National Park Visitors' Center.

I really had a LOT of fun sharing my experiences in the park; everything from coast trips to extended backpacks into the interior, to the Bailey traverse and ascents of Mount Olympus. Of course, I shared many humorous stories from these trips as well!

The audience included the likes of Don Stoneman, Dave Skinner, and many other names of trail notoriety over the last several decades. I also got to meet new Deputy Superintendent of ONP, Todd Suess - a very nice guy who is bringing a fun attitude and wealth of experience to his new position.

Talking with the likes of Don Stoneman after the event was a real honor and treat for me. I also enjoyed learning more about the park from Larry Baysinger, whom I will have to take up for a guided trail ride with my family soon! Of course, the icing on the cake was seeing Dave Skinner arrive and getting a chance to catch up with him (and poke some fun with during my presentation!). I called Dave a week prior with an invite. He received my message only an hour before the event and still found time to attend!

I have so many people I would like to personally thank, beginning with Rod Farlee of FONP who really made it all happen, and who's efforts have gone far beyond this event. I would also like to thank FONP President Larry Stetson, Vice President Greg Halberg, Secretary Karen Jenson, and Treasurer Dan Peacock. All were very nice people who went out of their way to welcome me and acquaint me with their group. If I am forgetting anybody (and I probably am), I apologize.

Finally, a very special Thank You to ONP staff members Greg Marsh and Chris Eckard for their hands-on help in setting up the equipment for my presentation and making sure everything ran smooth. Chris in particular was a great help during my presentation.

The picture of Mount Angeles above was taken the next morning during a drive up to Hurricane Ridge. I followed it up with a drive out to the coast and to the Hoh Rain Forest, capping off a wonderful trip to the peninsula.

Presentation at Olympic National Park Visitors' Center

I am very excited to announce that I will be the guest speaker for the Friends of Olympic National Park's anual meeting this Thursday, March 25th at 7:00 pm. It will be at the Olympic National Park Visitors' Center at 3002 Park Ave. , Port Angeles, and will include the introduction of new Deputy Superintendent Todd Suess. You can read more about it here.

It's an honor to be a part of this event, and I wish to extend a warm and grateful 'Thank You' to Rod Farlee of FONP for considering me.

I would also like to invite you to join me for this fun evening of images and story telling! As I don't get over to the peninsula often for presentations, I'm looking forward to this opportunity to meet new people, and hopefully put faces to the names of many I have met via e-mail and forums over the last few years.

I hope to see you there!

Firehole Lake Drive - Yellowstone National Park

About 2 miles north of Midway Geyser Basin is Firehole Lake Drive, one of the few places you can watch geysers from your car. It's not nearly as popular as Midway or Upper Geyser Basin, and is often missed by people in a hurry. Big mistake!

Great Fountain Geyser reportedly erupts in a series of several bursts 100 - 200 feet high. I did get to witness an eruption, but it was from a distance with gray overcast skies (flat light). The terraced pools surrounding the geyser are magnificently beautiful and worth photographing in their own right, especially in the evening. They hold a reflection well!

Just northwest of Great Fountain Geyser is White Dome Geyser, an attractive geyser at any time of day with its white geyserite cone. I first visited the area in the morning to scout the area, and found the dramatic light under storm clouds to allow the imagination to run wild. Not a bad first impression!

I returned that evening hoping to capture an eruption of White Dome in much more appealing light. We arrived a half hour early, after having spent time at Great Fountain Geyser, so as not to miss an early eruption.

We waited and waited, braving the increasing numbers of mosquitoes in hopes of catching a pleasant show. The scheduled time arrived and nothing. Then, some rumbling began and steam began to come out in spurts, teasing our expectations before settling back down to calmness again. This continued several times over the next hour. The few people waiting besides us grew tired of waiting and left. Still we held hope.

Light faded as the sun began to set to the west and the sky began to turn orange, then pink. All of a sudden the Geyser awoke - nearly 1-1/2 hours late. Oh, the show Mother Nature had in store for us! What a treat to capture evening light on the erupting steam!

Then as quickly as it had begun, it was over. Still I was full of jubilation for the spectacular treat we were offered. The smile on my face was permanent this evening, and was due to the pride I had in being rewarded for my patience and perseverance. As many times as we photographers are not rewarded, those times that we are can be very especially satisfying.

We finished our evening at the Lower Geyser Basin parking lot as the dramatic sunset continued to unfold before our eyes.

This is the fifth part in a series I am posting from our wonderful visit to Yellowstone National Park last June. I hope you enjoy it.

Next Up: Lower Geyser Basin and Fountain Paint Pots!

U.S. Army Trade Show Display

I never would have guessed a relationship existed between one of my landscape images and the U.S. Army, but it does!

This image of Mt. Rainier was taken during a backpack to Mystic Lake in Mount Rainier National Park (before the Carbon River Road washed out).

It is now being used to help enlist recruits in the southeastern region of our country. Go Army!

Midway Geyser Basin - Yellowstone National Park

"Hell's Half Acre", as it was colorfully referred to by Rudyard Kippling in 1889, is still alive and well, and a deservedly popular destination in Yellowstone National Park!

Technically, Midway Geyser Basin is actually part of Lower Geyser Basin. But due to its isolation, it has established its own identity over the years, and deservedly so. It possesses two of the largest springs in the world: Grand Prismatic Spring and the now dormant Excelsior Geyser. Excelsior Geyser used to be the largest geyser in the world, erupting nearly 300 feet in the air before 1900. Today it is considered a hot spring discharging more than 4050 gallons of boiling water per minute.

The loop trail trail at Midway Geyser Basin is about a mile long and a very easy walk. It immediately crosses the Firehole River (which isn't a bad place to hang out) and climbs up the south bank of the river. Along the way you pass the colorful runoff stream from Excelsior Geyser Crater. The crater emits a large amount of steam. Though I tried to play with photographic possibilities, I didn't come away with anything successful.

Further along the trail are the colorful Turquoise and Indigo Springs. Turquoise Spring has an underground connection with Excelsior Geyser. When Excelsior was active, Turquoise lowered nearly 10 feet. In June and July, Turquoise can be surrounded by a beautiful display of purple gentians.

Moving further along the trail one comes to the climax of the tour - Grand Prismatic Spring. Grand Prismatic is easily the highlight of Midway Geyser Basin, and probably my favorite spring to photograph due to its rich, vibrant colors. The brilliant oranges are extremely captivating as you search out compositions from along the trail.

The patterns are also quite intriguing and fun to play with. They are numerous and very accessible from the boardwalk. Allow your imagination to run wild!

The colors of Prismatic are very dependent on the temperature of the runoff water. Yellow bacteria appear in the hotter water near the spring, while red, orange and brown are prevalent in the cooler water. Colors and patterns change from year year as a result. I've seen some beautiful shades of red in published images of Prismatic. My visit witnessed mostly oranges and browns.

Whatever the color, the attraction of Prismatic will likely win you over. Take your time and enjoy this beautiful spring. I encourage you to visit mid-morning for the best light.

This is the fourth part in a series I am posting from our wonderful visit to Yellowstone National Park last June. I hope you are enjoying.

Next Up: Firehole Lake Drive!

Upper Geyser Basin - Yellowstone National Park

Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park is probably the most popular geyser area in the park, with a lodge, inn, visitor center and numerous stores and restaurants available to the visitor. It also contains most of the largest and most predictable geysers in the park, with iconic Old Faithful at the forefront.

Old Faithful is a spectacular geyser - always impressive in its eruptions and emitting a chorus of "Oohs" and "Awes" from the crowd each time it erupts. It is the symbolic icon of Yellowstone, even having its own web cam for people all over the world to witness its display of power and beauty over the Internet.

On average, Old Faithful erupts every 76 minutes. Its eruptions last between 1-1/2 and 5 minutes, and reach a height of 150 feet. A path completely circles the geyser, allowing viewing from all sides.

The south side is the most popular viewpoint for the geyser, namely because it is the first area reached from the parking lot and is complete with benches and open areas for viewing

From a photography standpoint, there are more interesting sides for composing the geyser. I found the north and east sides particularly attractive. But with geysers, more things come into play than compositions, starting with the direction of wind.

Another important thing to keep in mind when shooting geysers is the direction of blue sky. Eruptions tend to get lost in cloudy skies. Blue skies are preferred to add contrast and allow the fountain of water to really stand out. If you have mixed skies, this is important to consider.

Not far from Old Faithful is Castle Geyser - a beautiful geyser that often offers a rainbow in early morning and late afternoon. Eruptions from Castle Geyser last for about an hour, amazingly enough. So you'll have plenty of time to play with different compositions and angles. My favorite angle in the afternoon was from near the trail junction on the west side.

Castle Geyser in one of the oldest geysers in the park. It's cone measures 25 feet in height. It errupts every 10 to 12 hours at a height of 90 feet.

Just a short distance north from Castle Geyser is the first of several colorful pools - Crested Pool. Crested Pool is deep blue in color and surrounded by geyserite formations, mostly orange in color.

Pools are generally best photographed in the late morning, afternoon and evening when the air is warmer. Thermal features are difficult to photograph in the morning when steam developes due to the cooler air.

Be sure and bring your wide angle lens for the pools, especially if you want to include backgrounds in your compositions. I was fortunate enough to have a very interesting sky, allowing me to include the valley of the Firehole River in the background. This was my favorite composition of Crested Pool.

I've also forgotten to mention the importance of polarizers for bringing out the geyserite colors and deep blue and emerald water. Don't leave home without them!

Further north is Beauty Pool and Chromatic Spring - both intoxicating candy to the eye (and camera!). Beauty Pool offers a wide palete of colors ranging from green and blue to red, orange and yellow. It also requires a wide angle lense to capture the pool in its entirety. Again, a polarizing filter will help bring out these colors. I also found a warming filter to be a useful tool.

Of the two pools, I found Chromatic Spring to be my favorite with its color-rich spectrum and geyserite patterns. I played with a couple of different lenses here. There are many pattern elements that can be isolated here for some interesting compositions. Of course, a wide angle showing the interesting overall patterns under a blue sky are also quite captivating.

At the end of the trail is probably one of the most colorful pools of them all, Morning Glory. It is a prize indeed, and probably the most beautiful hot spring in the park. The boardwalk is very close to this pool, offering a very up-close and personal view. It also can creep into your pictures if not careful, and the photographer must keep this in mind while working the various angles for their composition.

While this might be the end of the trail, it is certainly not the end of the sights. The spur trail to Daisy Geyser and Punch Bowl Spring can be taken to Black Sand Basin, or one can retreat back to the car and drive to the Black Sand Basin parking lot. Either way, it is a very worthwile destination.

Black Sand Basin contains several attractive springs and geysers, most notably Emeral Pool. Emerald Pool is one of the most beautiful pools in the park with its deep green waters ad colorful runoff stream.

This is the third part in a series I am posting from our wonderful visit to this park last June. I hope you are enjoying it and finding the information useful, perhaps for your own trip planning.

Next Up: Midway and Lower Geyser Basin!

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone - Yellowstone National Park

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River is incredibly photogenic, especially if you like spectacular waterfalls. Witnessing the raw, thunderous power of both Upper and Lower Falls is very impressive.

Both the north and south rim provide a variety of excellent viewpoints, with options of hiking even closer if desired. My favorite locations along the north rim were Lookout Point and Red Rock Point, the latter a 1/3 mile descent from Lookout Point to a very beautiful, up-close viewpoint - the location this first image was taken.

Grandview is also nice.

At the end of the north rim is Inspiration Point, a very interesting overlook of the canyon. It offers no view of waterfalls, but the expansiveness is impressive. I didn't walk away with anything exciting, but I think it would be a great place to capture dramatic clouds at sunrise.

The south rim offers excellent viewpoints at Upper Falls Viewpoint and the famous Artist Point. Upper Falls can be framed up close, or to include an arching bridge behind it. I found the bridge to be an attractive element.

This is also the starting point for Uncle Tom's Trail, a very popular trail that descends precariously down to the edge of the river. However, this trail was closed during my visit.

I missed another viewpoint further south of the main one. Considering that I spent multiple mornings at this location, I really kicked myself for missing it!

Further down the road is the icon for the area - Artist Point. This viewpoint is a further away from Lower Falls than Lookout Point or Red Rock Point, but offers the classic composition of the river snaking toward you below the falls.

Artist Point can also be absolute mayhem, depending how many tour buses are in the parking lot. The viewpoint can get very congested and frustrating at times, with personal space often feeling compromised. Guided tourists only have a short amount of time to collect their snap shots (including groups posed in front of the falls) before hurrying back to their bus again. There is a conflict of different cultures and customs interacting here, with the English language often not a common ground.

The good news? As crazy as it can get sometimes, understand that all can change in only 10-15 minutes as the tour guides collect all their patrons and herd them back to the bus to move on to their next destination. I was amazed at how quickly things changed. Several times I witnessed the tour buses leave only to look around and see but a handful of people left and a suddenly quiet surrounding. So if you find yourself amongst the numbers, relax - take a deep breath, and be patient. You will surely be rewarded.

The observation deck at Artist Point is large, and offers subtly different perspectives depending on where you set up, so be sure and give it a quick scout. Also, there are other very rewarding compositions available before the observation deck, which some photographers actually prefer. Options abound for the attentive photographer!

There are a couple of things worth noting when photographing the falls. The first involves shutter speed. A slow shutter speed of 1/4 to 1/2 a second will blur the water and give it a smooth appearance, while a shutter speed 1/30 or faster will render the waterfall as our eyes see it. For larger waterfalls such as these, I think the faster shutter speed does a better job of capturing the power and intensity of waterfall. But play with it and find what you like.

The second item worth noting is the regular appearance of rainbows at the base of the falls in late spring and early summer. These typically appear mid-morning and add a beautiful element to your composition. I was successful in catching rainbows at the Upper Falls viewpoint and at Red Rock Point, but not at Artist Point.

Once you've exhausted your compositional ideas of Lower Falls from Artist Point, don't forget to turn around and follow the river down canyon. The colors in the canyon wall are very attractive and well worth your camera's time. This area was formed by a combination of lava flows and thermal action. The lava rock below the falls is much softer than above the falls, allowing the river to carve deeper into it. Geothermic activity also works to make this rock softer, and can be witnessed along the canyon walls on cool mornings in the form of steam.

The bright colors in the canyon walls are best witnessed under diffused light. The pinks really pop out when a thin cloud scoots in front of the sun. These colors are from the presence of iron and magnesium oxides, a product of the geothermal activity in the area.

Don't forget to visit Brink of Upper Falls to witness the intensity of the falls up close and personal. This is an impressive viewpoint of Lower Falls at the brink of the falls (as the name would suggest!). It's turnout is half way between North Rim Drive and South Rim Drive.

Another beautiful waterfall worth visiting in the area is Tower Falls about 17 miles north of the Canyon area. Unfortunately, the trail was closed due to washout during my visit. Hopefully you will have better luck!

This is the second part of a series I am posting from our visit to this wonderful park last June. I hope you are enjoying it and finding the information useful for your own planning!

Next Up: Upper Geyser Basin.

Mammoth Hot Springs - Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park is truly an amazing place. Trying to pick your favorite area within the park can be quite difficult with everything that it offers. What are you into? Geysers? Waterfalls? Springs? Large lakes? Wildlife? Hey, its all there!

We started our tour of the park at Mammoth Hot Springs in the northwest corner of the park, choosing to stay at nearby Indian Creek Campground. This has always been a favorite campground of mine. It's within a 10 minute drive from the Upper Terrace Drive, and offers more privacy than Mammoth Campground.

The Upper Terrace Loop Drive is an excellent place to start your tour of this area. Early morning offers the best viewing time, in my personal opinion. The lighting can be magnificent at this time, and the steam rising from Canary Spring can add a magical element to the sun's rays. You also stand a very good chance of seeing wildlife; bear, coyote, deer, elk and rabit all visit this area, and I was fortunate enough to observe all of them during my visit.

A quick drive around the loop soon brings you to Orange Mound Spring. I found early morning to be an excellent time to photograph it from the north (which I found to be its most attractive side). Mid-morning to mid-afternoon better serves the more popular south and west sides. The spring, though viewable from the west, is best viewed and photographed from the east via the viewing platform.

Continueing along the loop, you pass Angel Terrace (also beautiful in early morning light) before returning to the begining at Canary Springs.

A boardwalk allows visitors access to multiple viewpoints along the Main Terrace and extends to Canary Springs. It is a highly recommended walk. Again, early morning is an excellent time to capture the mystique the steam offers as the sun peaks over the ridge to the east. It can, however, make close-up compositions challenging. If your desire is to isolate certain elements with a telephoto, you would do best to come back later in the day after temps have warmed up, resulting in less steam.

If you like to capture patterns, you will love this walk along the terrace! The are many opportunities to isolate patterns and formations in the limestone, colored by bacteria and algae - the stuff us photographers love!

I was more moved by the ambience of the morning, watching the travertine crusts play peek-a-boo as the curtains of steam opened and closed. It struck me as fascinating in an eery way, adding - yes, I said it before - mystique.

The sub-surface rock at Mammoth Hot Springs is limestone, which is very soluble in hot water. When the calcium-rich waters rise to the surface, they deposite the terraces of travertine seen in these images. Again, bacteria and algae add the color to these features. Mother Nature can be beautiful, can't she?

There are a lot of contrasts to be witnessed too. The most obvious are the dead trees that the travertine crusts have enveloped. The terraces provide a rather hostile environment for vegetation!

Minerva Terrace, though not nearly as active as it once was, is still very attractive and worth the visit. It can be reached by descending the boardwalk from the Main Terrace, or by hiking up from the lower parking lot.

Palette Spring, shown at the very top, is a relatively new feature to the area, forming in only the last few years. It is beautiful! Early morning is the only time it receives direct sunlight due to its northeast facing. Soft light serves it best, in my opinion.

From a pull-out along the main road, one gets a great view of Canary Springs from below. Mid-morning is the best time for photographing this angle, and requires a telelphoto lens if you wish to isolate its colorful features.

Proceding further north along this road, one arrives at the lower parking lot and the town of Mammoth Hot Springs, where most all conveniences and supplies are offered. Elk are often seen lounging in the lawn and wandering thru town!

Speaking of wildlife, remember the variety I mentioned that inhabit this wonderful area? I witnessed this sow and cub my very first morning as I was driving down to Mammoth Hot Springs from our camp. I spotted the yearling out of the corner of my eye first, then watched it catch up with mom on the other side of the road and continue to graze with her. I photographed them for well over an hour, and could have continued longer!

That evening, my daughter and I watched a black bear traverse the slopes below Canary Spring and wander past the lower parking area and boardwalk before disappearing in the trees above, much to the relief of the rangers monitoring the situation!

We also had a resident bison at the entrance to our campground at Indian Creek. It became so comfortable that it wandered further in towards the campsites, requiring a ranger to be called to scare it off. There were many other wildlife sightings as well.

This is first part of a series I will be posting from our visit to this wonderful park last June. I hope you have enjoyed it and that it has given you some ideas for a trip to one of our national Parks, or even motivated you to plan a visit to Yellowstone itself.

Next up: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

National Geographic Central Cascades Map

Spray Park has always been one of my favorite destinations in Mount Rainier National Park. The hike to it is relatively short by hiking standards. It offers some of the best wildflower displays in the park. And it provides incredible up-close views of the mountain. The park is a paradise for photographers - offering numerous lakes and tarns as well!

Others appear to agree as I have sold more images from this side of The Mountain than any other.

So it is with great pride that I share my recent endeavor with National Geographic and their Central Cascades map.

You may download the digital version of the map for free here.

Added: This image also accompanies an article by Terry Richard in today's (Wednesday) Oregonian explaining the scope of the project, and the partnership of The National Geographic Society, traveloregon.com and experiencewa.com in putting it together. It's a very informative piece and a recommended read.

(link fixed!)

Zoolights at Point Defiance

Every year I try to make a point to take the family to Zoolights at the Point Defiance Zoo. It's just an amazing show of lights! They really go all out in their decorations, and the effort shows.

Two years ago I enjoyed my first visit to Zoolights, and the highlight was easily the replica of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, with both Mt. Rainier and a rainbow behind it (see the photo on their web site). The bridge had extra lights below the deck, which really brought attention to it. The old and new bridges are well represented, and include red twinkling lights on the deck of one, and white tinkling lights on the other (headlights and taillights!).

This year the bridge was much darker and harder to see. But Mt. Rainier and the rainbow were much more prominent. I also think the administrative building was done up much better as it was certainly a centerpiece for many of my compositions.

There are also many animal light displays, including orcas, penguins, reindeer, etc. Lots to see!

I recommend arriving early to avoid the crowds, for parking as well as viewing the lights. The gate usually opens at 5:00, and punctuality is good. I've also discovered that viewing the lights after the holidays lessons the crowds substantially, though it is a short window.

As for photography, it's not as difficult as you might think with people wandering all around. Your exposures will likely be 3-5 seconds or more, depending on your aperature. So you can get away with some people movement in your compositions, just so it is in the distance and not obscuring a light display. I've found that rarely do I have to wait longer than 4-5 minutes for a composition to become available less people, and often the time is less. Even the busiest displays can become "people free" with an extended wait. So if you see a composition you really like, patience should win out.

I would plan on spending at least a couple of hours at Zoolights. If photographing, probably even more. There is just so much to see and so many compositions available. Grab some food and a hot cocoa at the concession stand when you feel you need a break, and then go view some more!

After Zoolights, we checked out another light display that I just learned about in Spanaway - Fantasy Lights. Fantasy Lights is very different than Zoolights in that you drive through them. They are also much more spread out, and offer a lot of motion in their displays. It was a lot of fun driving down a driveway with our lights off while reindeer jumped over us, canons shot presents over us, etc. Oh, I'm giving too much away!

The Fantasy Light drive is 2.5 miles long, at 5 miles per hour. You can stop any time, but you're not allowed to get out of your vehicle. It's very entertaining for the family, but somewhat challenging for photography. In fact, this was simply a scouting mission for me - my camera never came out of its bag.

Next year I have marked my calendar to do the walk through Fantasy Lights. That's right! A week before they open the display to the public, they have a special night when people can walk the 2.5 miles, photographing at will and leisure. Care to join me?

Leavenworth During the Holidays

As a climber and hiker, I have spent a lot of time around Leavenworth. A LOT of time.

Spring is a great time for rock climbing along Icicle Creek. It also attracts bicyclists and kayakers.

Summer is excellent for hiking and climbing in addtion.

Fall brings the rewards of the larches turning, rewarding hikers and photographers traveling from great distances to experience their beauty.

In winter, the area offers snowshoeing, skiing, and even ice climbing.

But there is something more...

Yes, the holiday lights! From mid-December through Valentines Day, the Bavarian village of Leavenworth is transformed into a grandeur of lights. They seem to cover every building, every tree, every...well, you get the picture! It's quite a sight to behold. Add to it the shopping, all the good food, sledding for the kids right in town, and it makes the perfect holiday geteway.

Due to scheduling, I only had a day to spend there with my family this year. But we made the most of it! The kids played on their new sled for the first hour, then it was off to Gustav's for a long-anticipated burger. We followed that up with some shopping at various gift shops around town. Finally, I finished off the evening with a few hours of photography after the sun set. Temperatures began in the low 30's middle of the day, but dropped into the upper 20's by evening. Be sure and dress warm!

What could be better than a full day in Leavenworth during the holiday season? Two days! There is plenty of Lodging in and around Leavenworth, but you need to plan well in advance as things fill up fast. However, lodging can easily be found just 20-30 minutes away in Wenatchee, last minute, for $50-$60.

The advantage of a stayover is that you can save the drive back over the pass(es) for daytime, as well as enjoy the evening around town as the crowds begin to dwindle.

There is certainly plenty of photography to be done in the evening, as I hope my pictures attest to. But the streets are busy and cluttered with vehicles and people and headlights and taillights and...well, again you get the picture. Lots of movement when you're shooting 5 second exposures to capture the lights.

A better time for photography is actually early morning before and shortly after sunrise. The streets are bare and you can compose at will. Yes, this is a great reason for photographers to stay for a second day!

Coming up next, I'll have ideas for lights a little closer to home for us westsiders.

Seattle Skyline

Happy New Year! It is hard to believe that 2010 is already upon us, and that Christmas came and went so fast.

2009 held some great memories for me. It held some sad ones as well. I don't spend a lot of time reflecting on the past, admittedly. Life just seems too busy to have the time to do so. In fact, I really need to start thinking about my plans for 2010 so that I can begin preparing! So many trips to plan and so little time! Yosemite? The Canadian Rockies? The Southwest? Alaska? The Sierras? Death Valley? I don't know. But I need to start thinking about it.

How about you? Any interesting plans for the new year? I hope so. And I hope you have a lot of fun experiencing them!

December brought a lot of fun my way. Shortly before Christmas, I turned a year older and celebrated the weekend in downtown Seattle. Rain kept the camera in its bag, but that's OK. It had plenty of other opportunities to come out. Those opportunities included Snoqualmie Falls (see previous post), Leavenworth, and these pictures of the Seattle skyline across Elliott Bay from West Seattle.

I find Seattle to be a fun place to photograph in the winter months, particularly during cold spells. Cold temperatures mean clear air and excellent visibility.

I enjoyed three different locations for these images; the pullout off Admiral Way, Hamilton Park off California Ave., and various viewpoints along Harbor Ave. near Alki Point. I'm not sure which of these are my favorite. They each have something different to offer and are all worth visiting.

The pullout off Admiral Way offers a fantastic view point of the city. I particularly like this angle in late afternoon during the winter months as the low angle of the sun reflects off the downtown buildings in almost blinding fashion.

Hamilton Park is located on California Ave, just before it begins to wind down to Harbor Avenue. It offers a great vantage of sunset over the city and, because of its high vantage, offers separation of the ferry boats and other maritime vessels in Elliott Bay. OK, maybe this one is my favorite!

Harbor Avenue is the road that stretches from the West Seattle Freeway north along Elliott Bay to Alki Point. It offers many, many viewpoints - especially as it nears Alki Point. From Hamilton Park, simply follow California Ave. north as it winds down to the waterfront and intersects Harbor Ave near Salty's. Turn left and head towards the point.

The views near Alki Point across Elliott Bay really add perspective to the buildings and skyline of downtown Seattle. Unlike Hamilton Park directly above, you are now looking UP at the buildings across the water. I find this location particularly pleasing after sunset as the city lights begin to come on. Other opportunities tend to arise here as well, such as wildlife, boats, divers, etc.

I have many other parks I want to visit yet, including Kerry Park with its famous view of The Space Needle and the city. But these are my favorite locations in West Seattle. I hope you like them too.

There should still be many opportunities yet this winter to get out and photograph or simply enjoy some of the fine views around Seattle. I hope you find the time to do so!