“Nature sometimes presents her beauty to us in profound and dramatic ways. More often, we must search the apparent disorder to discover her splendor. I find myself drawn to intimate imagery where nature's beauty presents itself through contemplation of the details. I believe my photographs are most successful when they reveal nature's subtle elegance.”






The PalouseThe Palouse in Black & White

I am planning another trip to the Palouse in Eastern Washington this summer. I hope to get there during harvest. In doing some research, I noticed a lot of black & white images from the area. Being an avid black & white photographer in my film days, I decided to go through my old images and see how they?d turn out in black & white. Here are some images that seemed to work.


The Painted Hills 2011The Painted Hills 2011

I recently took a day-trip out to the Painted Hills in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, in Eastern Oregon. The Painted Hills are an incredible natural formation, filled with otherworldly colors, shapes and designs. The region is named after the colorful layers of its hills that correspond to various geological eras, formed when the area was an ancient river floodplain. The black soil is lignite that was vegetative matter that grew along the floodplain. The grey coloring is mudstone, siltstone, and shale. The red colors are from the laterite soil that formed by floodplain deposits when the area was warm and humid. The soil is very delicate and actually expands like a sponge when it is wet. This is one of the most unusual sites in the Pacific Northwest, and a great opportunity for abstract photography. Here are some of my favorite images from the area.


Oregon International Air ShowEuropean Vacation

In September, we spent wonderful two weeks in Europe visiting Vienna and Paris. The weather was spectacular, the food, wine, and sites were sensational. Here are a few images from the trip.














Oregon International Air ShowThe 2010 Oregon International Air Show

I recently had the opportunity to attend the Oregon International Air Show. While not my normal subject matter, it was a wonderful opportunity to see some incredible aircraft and acrobatics. Here are a few images from the show.







The PalouseThe Palouse

There is a region in South Eastern Washington known as The Palouse. Rich soil, rolling hills, and prime weather make this an excellent area for growing wheat. I've visited in the summer, after the harvest, when everything is golden yellow. This year I decided to see what the area looked like in spring, before the harvest. It was an incredible opportunity to see a beautiful part of the country. Here are a few images from my recent trip.


The California RedwoodsThe California Redwoods

I've made several trips to the Northern California Redwoods and have met with mixed results, most often the weather just didn't cooperate. This spring I had better luck. Clouds, light rain and almost no wind make for excellent forest photography. Here is an update to my California Redwoods gallery.






Avian GalleryAvian Gallery

I have recently discovered a passion for avian or bird photography. It is a very rewarding and educational type of photography and one that is not limited to pristine weather conditions. Most of the time I travel to Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge in SW Washington. Check out the Avian gallery for a variety of bird images.





The Oregon CoastAt The Coast

I think I spend more time on the Oregon Coast than any other place for photography. While the weather doesn't always cooperate, I manage to capture a few photographs here and there. I've updated my Oregon Coast gallery with some recent images of the Southern Oregon Coast.






Eastern Oregon HistoryEastern Oregon History

The area just east of the Columbia River Gorge has an incredible history to it. One place in particular, Shaniko offers a terrific opportunity to photograph history. Shaniko is a living ghost town. The area was first settled by a pioneer named August Scherneckau. Arriving after the Civil War, Scherneckau bought a farm near the present site of the town. The local Indians pronounced his name as Shaniko and the town soon became known by that name.

Today, this almost ghost town supports a population of just 20-25 people, but there is much to see in Shaniko and many claim it is the best ghost town in Oregon. The enormous sheep sheds of that era still stand on the edge of town. Several of its buildings are maintained in an Old West theme, complete with authentic boardwalks and false fronts.

I've posted a gallery of some of my favorite images from the area.