a wandering soul
trudges between boulders and blooms
on a quest for spring
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A wandering soul haiku
Landscape
The silence of… : LAPC
The silence of sunrise
Over High Desert lakes in the spring
And juniper forests in the winter
The quiet presence of dawn
dewdrops on strawberry blossoms
And ripples radiating around curious creatures
The muted tones of a morning
rainbow forming over stormy seas
And icy rivers, meandering through winter landscapes
The silence of daylight
breaking over misty mountains
And awakening birds, in the blur of sleep
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Quiet hour
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Stormy skies: LAPC
Stormy skies can be seen over inland saline lakes
Or by the shore of the sea
Clouds collect over unique natural wonders
and over acres and acres of the Sagebrush Sea
Stormy skies settle along distant horizons
Or float above the place you call home
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Stormy
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A road may… :LAPC
A road may take you straight ahead to distant mountains beneath moody skies
Or twist and turn uphill towards massive works of art
A road may drop you deep into the layers of earth
Or elevate you above wide winding waterways
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge – Pick a Word
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Colorful cliffs: Wordless Wednesday
Colorful cliffs near Red Fleet State Park, Utah
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Fogarty Creek Beach: Wordless Wednesday
Noticing landscapes: LAPC
Noticing…
unique landscapes
with rivers rolling on and on
and hills full of stories,
repeated and remembered
Noticing…
the brilliant colors
of a new day in the skies
Oregon photos, 10 favorites: LAPC
When I looked through my Oregon photos, it was hard to narrow it down to only ten pictures for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge of Tell us why. These are the photos I chose, shown by category.
Oregon photos of history
Sometimes you take a picture and when you look at it later on a larger screen, you say, “Wow!”
I took this picture of an old homestead without fussing with the settings first. It almost looks like one of those old-time stereoscope images. I like this photo because it captured a glimpse of history.
I took a lot of pictures of the Spruce Goose aircraft in McMinnville and described it in a recent post. When I saw the lines in this photo, I knew it would look great in black and white.
Majestic mountains
I noticed I had many portraits of majestic mountains when I browsed through my Oregon photos.
The first photo, is of Steens Mountain, in southeast Oregon. The lupine was in bloom so I focused on its purple flowers. This 50-mile long mountain is one of my favorite places in Oregon. I like taking pictures that show its powerful presence.
Simple scenes I’ve seen: LAPC
Simple scenes I’ve seen in Oregon
Ripples of sand forming near a single log
A foggy mist surrounding a lighthouse
A golden sunset shining within a blurred landscape
Sable Pass, Denali National Park: WW
Bison in steamy landscape: Monochrome Monday
Bison in steamy landscape near Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park.
On the other side: LAPC & WWP
On the other side of darkness,
it may be difficult to find a clear path ahead
The journey towards a viable future
may be surrounded by ghosts of what once was
Meander between colorful boulders haphazardly blocking the trail
in a landscape dark and unfathomable
Moos & mountains, Chuckanut Dr: WW
Lens in my pocket photography: LAPC
Though I don’t have a favorite type of photography, I prefer to do “lens in my pocket” photography. I use a Samsung Ultra phone or a Panasonic Lumix camera that easily fit into a pocket.
Sometimes I like taking panoramas of scenes from afar with my phone, such as this photo of bison in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone National Park.
At other times, I like a closer view of wild creatures. This Barred Owl in my backyard was photographed with my phone attached to a spotting scope. This is called “digiscoping.” The owl visited regularly last spring, feasting on the numerous Pacific tree frogs in our pond.
I bought an inexpensive phone case and glued on a universal mount for digiscoping. You can quickly pop in a phone, attach it to a scope or binoculars, and it’s ready to go.
Focus on what is important: LAPC
Focus on what is important and blur the distractions.
Magnify the delicacy of Nature’s architecture.
Find subjects that stand out from the herd and capture their strength.
Focus on the palette of colors used to create distant masterpieces.
Hells Canyon Overlook views: Pull up a Seat Challenge
These Hells Canyon Overlook views were taken in the Hells Canyon Recreation area in northeastern Oregon. Though more people are familiar with the Grand Canyon, Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in North America. He Devil Peak, on the East Rim, stands 8,043 feet above the Snake River, at the bottom of the gorge.
You can learn about this unique geological feature at the Hell’s Canyon Creek Visitor Center in Imnaha. When we visited in June a couple of years ago, the road to the center was still closed due to snow so check ahead of time.
Visitors seeking Hells Canyon views in the spring and early summer are rewarded by a wide variety of wildflowers in bloom at the scenic overlook. See Hells Canyon in the Spring for closer views of these beauties.
Peaceful scenes near Bend, Oregon: LAPC
Once again, I’m sharing images of peaceful scenes near my home in Bend, Oregon.
Sahalie Falls, about an hour west of Bend, rewards visitors with this picture perfect view. Moss-covered rocks frame the rainbows floating over the river.
The next photo shows a few of my next door neighbors. This mule deer doe often jumped the fence into our yard to take a break from her fawns. 😀
Misty mountains from above: Wordless Wednesday
A portal in Portland: Monochrome Monday
When I saw this woman in a cape pass through an arch, it looked like she entered a portal in Portland. I imagined her entering a distant mystical land. Infrared processing enhanced the mystical theme I attempted to capture.
Do you wonder when you wander?: LAPC
Do you wonder when you wander
Where the path will lead?
Up to mountains,
Where scattering clouds reveal the peaks of possibility?
Down to deserts,
Where sandstorms expose the color of earth’s soul?
Over to ocean shores,
Where waves create cryptic messages in the sand?
Through dense forests,
Where trees of different character stand together as one?
Do you wonder when you wander
Where the path will lead?
Pretty as a picture in the West: LAPC
Sometimes you visit places where the landscapes are pretty as a picture. Here are a few places I’ve visited in the western states that feature picture postcard views. I tell a tiny tale about each of them.
Kiger Gorge on Steens Mountain, Oregon is full of drama. A giant serpent tunneled through here leaving scales of deep green. Wise ones believe the sweetest water can be found in shallow wells beneath these strands of greenery.
Morning Glory in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming is a glorious sight. The artist who created this landscape experimented with various colors. She could not settle on using a single color and discarded her pallet here for us to find.
This grandfather tree in Arches National Park, Utah often told tales of wild places to his many grandchildren. When he passed, they honored him by preserving the bones of his existence and planting golden flowers near his roots.
History caught in the shadows: Wordless Wednesday
A pretty green scene: Wordless Wednesday
An outback tiny home: Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Rooms with a view: Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Summer scene in green: Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
An aspen-bordered meadow: Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Hope in a sunrise – tanka poem: LAPC
A sliver of hope
glimmers on the horizon
A dark bud opens
delicate petals unfurl
Hope blossoms, filling the sky
Desert skies over Hampton Buttes: Sunday Stills
Favorite Pictures 2019: LAPC
It’s that time of year when you share some of your favorite pictures. As usual, I have a hard time narrowing it down. Please enjoy this selection of wild places, wildlife, history, and a pinch of art at the end.
From a different perspective: Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
A Painted Hills Landscape: Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday
Mt Jefferson View: Wordless Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday