Northwest USA

Transported - Umpqua National Forest, Oregon - USA

Stepping into this forest felt like being transported to another land. A land of fantasy and fairy tales. The vividness of this green moss is surreal, and other worldly. It was quite a thrilling experience to stand near this chasm of thundering water, surrounded by the lush green, and beautifully carved canyon. I stood on the edge of the rock, leaning over as much as I could, and shot by hand to capture and convey the feeling of excitement experienced here. This is Brice Creek Falls in the Umpqua National Forest, in the cascades of Central Oregon, not far from Eugene. Umpqua is said to be translated to "thundering waters", as well as "satisfying". I think either of those translations are appropriate for this magical scene!

High Tide Impressions - Wakonda Beach, OR

Beachside State Park. Drove to the beach to simply watch the sunset. Plans immediately changed in the parking lot, when I spotted these incredible pools of water left from high tide. As the sun was nearly set, and darkness was impending, I literally ran down to the beach, at least 100 yards, through thick sand full of wood debris. I wanted enough time and light to make these pools the focus of the capture. I take care in editing not to "over do it", but threw all reservations out the window here, because the scene left such an impression on me, that I wanted the final product to do the same.

Gray Day - Seal Rock, Oregon - USA

Oregon coast weather tends to be gray. A lot. That didn't deter me from exploring Seal Rock State Park on this day. The most interesting feature of the area is clearly the towering rock formations, commonly found on the Oregon Coast. Color was not required to capture the silhouette of these beauties. Seagulls hanging out around the forefront rock provided extra context. This was a moody, gray day, and when I created the capture, I envisioned it as a moody black and white.

Serenity - Lincoln City, Oregon - USA

It's hard to put into words just how majestic, powerful, and transformative the ocean is. When I am alone, present, in it's presence, I feel the presence of the Almighty, and a connection to our divine source, aka God. Although it's difficult to describe the ocean's effect, one word that comes to mind is "Serenity". This, among many other feelings, was felt in this moment of time. I actually came to this beach spot to try and create a capture with a rock formation that I fell in love with earlier in the day. However, with the tides changing, it didn't work out as I'd hoped. I captured this while en route to the rock formation. Needless to say, I'm very happy with the decision to stop, and be present in this moment of serenity, instead of passing it up for the rock scene that didn't work out.

Mystical Experience - Oregon Coast - USA

The coastal mist, which was invisible to the eye, allowed for these fascinating sun rays. I pulled off the road simply to stop and bask in an ocean view, atop the cliffs on the Oregon Coast. When I looked over and up, I was struck with awe and excitement from this unexpected, gloriously mystical scene. We've all heard the phrase that it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. Something I truly connect with and try to live by, fully experiencing the ever present Now. Had I been solely focused on the destination, which was the view of the ocean from the cliff tops, and not taken a few moments to experience my surroundings, I would have missed out entirely on this magnificent, mistical experience.

Silky Serenity - Clackamas County, Oregon - USA

Oregon is known for it's majestic, lush forests, jaw dropping waterfalls, rivers and mountain landscapes. But there is simple beauty to be found here too, and everywhere for that matter. This meditative, serene scene in a simple county park creek, was more than enough to fill me with wonder, joy, and gratitude for life on this peaceful day.

Exhilaration - Willamette National Forest, Oregon - USA

This powerfully cascading waterfall was found in the Willamette National Forest in Oregon, USA, on the river trail which leads to the 70 ft. high Koosah Falls. The sight and sound of this was nothing short of exhilarating! These demonstrations of the majesty, power, and beauty of mother nature fill my soul with an immense gratitude & appreciation for the privilege to be alive and have such experiences. I had to carefully climb along the mossy, rocky, narrow banks of the river to get this close to the falls, to get this perspective with the logs. The challenge of navigating towards a compelling viewpoint was nearly as exhilarating as the waterfall itself!

A Few of My Favorite Things - Umpqua National Forest, Oregon - USA

A few of my absolute favorite things: - Forests (especially lush green forests) - Water (especially rushing & cascading water) - Big Beautiful Boulders (especially covered in vivid green moss) - Logs aren't bad either Just a few of the reasons why the Pacific Northwest is a nature lover's dream. All of this provided here, at Brice Creek in the Umpqua Nat'l Forest - Oregon, USA The light rainfall provided a beautiful sheen throughout the forest, including the rocks and logs seen here. Initially hesitant to hike in the rainy conditions, I'm so glad we did, as it greatly enhanced the enchanting feeling of this forest wonderland!

Wooden Shoe Surprises #1 - Woodburn, Oregon - USA

I'd never been to a tulip field before, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, beyond the obvious; tulips and crowds of people. Although the only one I've attended, I can't imagine it gets much better than Oregon's Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival. It draws visitors from around the world who are visiting Oregon in Spring, featuring endless rows of colorful tulips, surrounded by beautiful scenery. I didn't arrive at the ideal time, but made due with what remained on display. What I didn't quite expect was such an incredible variety of colors and designs, and left with a profound appreciation for this glorious creation. It was an enchanting time of immersion, losing myself in their beauty, and overflowing with gratitude for the experience. I also didn't expect to leave with 352 clicks, quads that remained sore for several days after, and a sunburn on the spot where my hair used to be!

Kwanzan Zen #2 - Salem, Oregon - USA

The Kwanzan Cherry Tree. So far in my life, easily the most magnificent and impressive creation I've witnessed sprouting from a tree branch. First experienced in 2017, my first Spring in Oregon. A discovery that provided an ecstatic feeling of wonder, and reverence for God/Nature's creativity. I could hardly believe that something so beautiful grew from a tree, appearing as if giant pink carnations or roses hung from it. And thankfully, their brilliance can be found all over the Salem, Oregon area where I've resided, and eagerly anticipated their arrival each year! On this day, I was in a state of pure zen, with no other care in the world, besides my mission of admiring and capturing this beauty. Only a simple stroll around the block was required, where I encountered three of them, and lost track of time and surroundings. The wind was gusting, adding a challenge to the mission, and an opportunity to practice the zen art of allowing. I went a bit heavy on the color editing for this piece, to emphasis the gorgeous pinks.

Revealed in the Now - Silver Falls, Oregon - USA

Silver Falls State Park is iconic, and one of the best in the nation. Finally made it over there in the summer time with less than optimal photography conditions. Wasn't actually planning or looking to capture much due to heat/low water, and smoke filled skies. Was pleasantly surprised when this capture revealed itself to me, while just hanging out on a log, enjoying nature's beauty, and being in the Now.

Not So Pedestrian Sunset - Salem, Oregon - USA

The beautifully constructed Peter Courtney Minto Island Pedestrian Bridge in Salem, Oregon. Referred to as the "taco bridge" by Salemanders. A pedestrian bridge, but not so pedestrian sunset. I'd been telling myself for a while that I wanted to capture a sunset at this wonderful architectural landmark connecting two of Salem's city parks. On this day, I noticed some beautiful cloud cover, and thought there would be a good chance of capturing what I'd envisioned. I was certainly not disappointed by this display, which delivered the feeling of awe & wonder I attempt to convey through my work. Camera in hand, I shuffled around quite a bit, until that familiar feeling came over me, signaling the perfect spot & moment to capture the joy & glory of this Not So Pedestrian Sunset.

Aliveness - Salem, Oregon - USA

The Peter Courtney Minto Island Pedestrian Bridge in Salem, Oregon - USA. While all photographers enhance their images with editing, I'm usually careful not to "over-edit", wanting to portray close to what the eyes see. But, for this scene, with so much subtle and wonderful contrast, provided by this gorgeous sunset, and slightly wet conditions, I couldn't help myself with cranking up this edit to high intensity, bringing it all to life, and representing the feeling of "aliveness" such a scene provides for me.

Urban Awe in the Fall - Salem, Oregon - USA

One of the best places to see Fall color in the state of Oregon is actually in it's Capital city of Salem, with beautifully preserved, new and old stretches of nature throughout the city. This scene is on the edge of downtown. This beautiful, old, stone, mossy bridge, found in various places throughout the city, was an instant favorite of mine upon arriving to Salem, but I hadn't photographed it yet. Riding past this scene (High Street/pringle creek), I was looking forward and up, enjoying the colorful tree canopy. I said, "aww man, shoulda came through here before the leaves all fell". Then spontaneously decided "it's still a nice scene, let's stop the car". Choosing to be present to the beauty around me, I then noticed these incredible, huge piles of fallen leaves, and how well they played together with this bridge that I've been wanting to capture. I had gone from "aww man, wish I came through at a different time", to awe, joy and gratitude for this exact experience of beauty in the present moment.

Autumn Spectrum - Oregon, USA

I was camping in one of Oregon's lush National Forests during the Fall. While I expected to see some colorful leaves, I surely didn't expect to the entire Autumn color spectrum at once! On the same tree! On the same branch! This was such a delightful find. I was determined to capture it in a compelling way, and convey the wonderful feeling it provided to me. I used one hand to move the branch, so that the colors could be isolated against the blue sky back drop, and the other hand to make the capture.

Mossy Maze - Elkhorn Valley, Oregon - USA

Having been to just about every corner of our great country, I can say that there is nothing quite like the vibrant, magical aliveness of the Mossy pacific nw forests. This scene, found in the Elkhorn Valley Nat'l Recreation area, appears much like a maze to me, that I'm eager and happy to get lost in! I've seen plenty of mossy trees in Oregon, but this scene really stood out, calling me to spend some time with it, creating a piece of abstract art.

Kwanzan Zen #4 - Salem, Oregon - USA

The Kwanzan Cherry Tree. So far in my life, easily the most magnificent and impressive creation I've witnessed sprouting from a tree branch. First experienced in 2017, my first Spring in Oregon. A discovery that provided an ecstatic feeling of wonder, and reverence for God/Nature's creativity. I could hardly believe that something so beautiful grew from a tree, appearing as if giant pink carnations or roses hung from it. And thankfully, their brilliance can be found all over the Salem, Oregon area where I've resided, and eagerly anticipated their arrival each year! On this day, I was in a state of pure zen, with no other care in the world, besides my mission of admiring and capturing this beauty. Only a simple stroll around the block was required, where I encountered three of them, and lost track of time and surroundings. The wind was gusting, adding a challenge to the mission, and an opportunity to practice the zen art of allowing. This piece is focused on the tall, long, extended branches of the tree, with the capture intended to be a panoramic piece. The branches actually extend upward, and I turned the camera to create this. I was delighted to also catch a small bit of newly blossoming buds in the corner.

Mossy trees and Fall colors, with a blue sky backdrop, in the Willamette National Forest of Oregon, USA.