"The Mountain"

The locals here simply call it "The Mountain." At 14,411 feet, Mt Rainier is the tallest mountain in the cascade range. You would think a mountain that high would be hard to miss, but in reality, clear days in Western Washington are sometimes few and far between and if you didn't know better, you wouldn't think there was a mountain there at all. I remember when I first came to Seattle six years ago, I was here almost a week and a half before I even saw the mountain and I remember I just about wrecked my car the first time I saw it. I couldn't believe how big and beautiful this mountain was.

The beauty of Mt Rainier is deceptive however. It is, after all, an active volcano with the potential to literally destroy a good portion, if not all of this region if it ever decided to let its hair out. Even with a moderate eruption, several towns located in the valleys here would cease to exist. They would literally be washed away by the gigantic mudflows called Lahars that would come crashing down through the valleys with little warning. In fact, most of these towns are built atop old mud flows deposited from previous eruptions. Its all pretty scary stuff, but I guess most of us here just don't think that much about it as we go about our daily business.

Living in this area year round we tend to take the mountain for granted. It's always been a constant beacon, never changing. You always know what direction you're heading simply by looking at the mountain. As a photographer, the mountain is like shooting the Eiffel Tower or some other big landmark, it's great once or twice but once you've shot it over and over you tend to shoot other things in other directions. Every now and then though, you'll catch it in the right light and it hits you again how truly magnificent this mountain really is.

Usually this time of year I try to get over close to it and get shots simply because in a couple of weeks the rains come in heavy and you'll be lucky to see it at all. This past few weeks I've been taking a closer look at "The Mountain." Here's a few of my favorites both from this past week and from past shoots.

Shrouded in Fog, this is one of my all time favorite shots of the mountain.

Taken from the parking lot of a church along the Mountain Highway near the little town of Kapowsin, WA. This is a great example of being in the right place at the right time.

After getting lost one day, I stumbled upon this great view of the mountain, across the Carbon River Valley, just outside of Wilkeson, WA. Most of the forest in the foothills here has been logged out and the trees replanted. The taller outcroppings of trees indicate how tall the original forest would be.

A very cold, early morning in the Ohop Valley near Eatonville, WA

The Bee and Me

It happened one morning last spring. I got up early and headed down to Point Defiance to catch the good light at the boat house. I remember it being overcast that morning. The sky was plain and boring and no good for landscapes. After taking a few uninspiring shots of the boat house, I remembered there being some beautiful Foxglove over behind one of the old trains at the Logging Museum just across the park. Now one thing I've learned since picking up photography is the simple fact that in nature, what happens once is likely to happen again, in the same way and pretty much at the same time tomorrow, next week or next year. Whether it is a flock of geese arriving by the hundreds to a reserve or just the changing of the seasons, it is that predictable pattern of nature that allows photographers to anticipate great shots. I had shot those same Foxgloves the year before and knew they would be there again so I decided to scrap the boat house shoot and head over to the museum.

When I arrived at the logging museum, I headed directly over to the patch of Foxglove, hidden away behind an old worn out rusty train car once used to haul the huge logs produced by the old logging equipment. It's all extremely interesting historical stuff that is great to photograph but I was there for the Foxglove. And so were the bumble bees apparently. There must have been at least twenty really big bumble bees just a hanging out at the local Foxglove. Normally I would be too afraid of these bees to get in close but not with a camera in my hand. As with so many other things in nature, if you don't provoke or show fear, these insects are more than content to just go about their pollen collecting business without paying too much attention.

I've mentioned in a previous post(Taking a Closer Look) that I absolutely love chasing bees around the flowers. In fact the picture used in that post comes from this very shoot (left). Instead of shooting just flowers, the bees quickly became an unexpected but welcome secondary subject. The light was really right as I started to shoot. The bees were very busy though, never staying in one place for more than a second. It was quickly becoming a challenge to frame the bee on the flower, get a good focus and fire the shutter, before the bee would fly away to the next flower. This is often where the "chasing" part comes into play. Sometimes it's better to concentrate on composing the picture perfectly and then wait for the bee to show up. And this day, with the bees being so fickle I figured that might be the way to go.

One of the dangers of framing the shot and playing the waiting game though, is you run the risk of paying too much attention to just that one shot, missing out on all of the other great stuff happening around you. Realizing this I shifted my focus quickly to the surrounding flowers. To my surprise I noticed a bee had landed on a nearby flower and was actually sitting still. Determined not to miss the opportunity, I quickly removed my camera from the tripod, fired up the image stabilization and started shooting this one bee hand held.

At fist I was careful, keeping my distance so as not to scare the little guy away and miss the moment. I was ecstatic! I was actually getting a bee to stand still, just sitting there posing for my every photographic whim. As my excitement grew, I started to push the envelope, getting closer and closer firing the shutter quickly. Like a shark feeding on flesh, I began to shoot in frenzy, moving side to side, changing angles, moving up, moving down. I couldn’t believe my luck! The closer I got, the better my shots, it was just amazing!

And then I stopped. Wait a minute… something’s not right.

In all of the excitement I failed to make the realization that this beautiful creature was not just sitting on the flower posing ever so graciously but was in reality struggling desperately to hang on. In all of the excitement I failed to see that this bee was possibly dieing.

At that moment everything changed. I froze. Al l the excitement that only seconds ago was filling my soul to the brim quickly disappeared. I stood there silently, just watching. How clearly it had become. It was like the old lady’s picture where you don’t see her until you realize she’s there and then you can see nothing else. I started to feel almost guilty. I was selfishly deriving such pleasure from this bee as he was perhaps in the last moments of his life. I tried for a moment to pretend that it didn’t matter but it did. It’s such a strange thing. It’s a bee; there are millions of them, why would I care if this one bee was dieing? But I did care. And I did feel guilty…guilty enough to leave that patch of flowers behind and go home without taking another single photograph.

Ever since that day last spring, I've been a little haunted by what I experienced. I think I would feel the same if given the task of photographing a funeral. There is just something that feels fundamentally wrong about photographing death. Of course, these days, with all of the death we constantly see on television, capturing all of the gory details in high definition has become quite en vogue. However, to me and probably most other regular folk, death is still something we try to keep hidden away. I hope that bee flew away, just after I left, living out the rest of his days in pollen collecting bliss. Something tells me he didn't, but hey...I can hope.

Our New Eight Legged Friend

Ok, so maybe I am a little crazy. Would you let a spider the size of a nickle take up residence under your kitchen cabinet? A few days ago I would've probably said no too, but that was before our little eight legged friend decided to set up housekeeping. I discovered him (or her whatever the case may be) the other night as I started preparing dinner. There he was in all his..."spiderness." Now I'm not too crazy about spiders, I never have been. My youngest son Brandon came in the kitchen and immediately asked what I was looking at. I told him we had a new friend. Of course in typical ten year old fashion, he said, "Cool, can we keep him?" I told him "no we can't keep him but maybe we could watch him this evening as he went about building his web." So we did and I continued to cook dinner with our newly acquired spider friend just a few feet away toiling away at his web. It was all a bit weird but hey.
Now of course Brandon, being a typical ten year old leaves the kitchen only to return from outside with a dead fly. Now only a ten year old would know where to acquire a dead fly so quickly, I mean come on, would you know where to put your hands on a dead fly if someone asked? I wouldn't. Well, no sooner had I asked him what he had, he tossed the fly towards the web. Just like glue the web trapped the fly and the spider quickly sprung into action capturing the fly. It was like looking at the coolest stuff mother nature has to offer right here under our kitchen cabinet. After watching this awesome spectacle of nature unfold before our eyes, Brandon's first words were wooh Cooool! His next words were, dad where's your camera? I immediately replied, son I'm two steps ahead of you!

Here's what we came up with:

I love this shot, and I'm sure the spider loved the free meal.

We got this shot by turning the kitchen light out and shining a flash light not on the spider but on a piece of colored card board behind the spider.

This was taken with the lights out shining a flash light from the side on the spider. I gave Brandon the remote for the camera and told him to fire the shutter every time I thought I had the light just right.

It amazing, this spider has sat in the same position in the center of his web moving very little for the last two days. He's waiting to pounce on his next victim. I wish I had that kind of patience and determination. I'm not sure how long he'll stay but I'll give him another day or two to hang out. Why not?

Yet Another View

My family and I live in the very small town of Steilacoom (pronounced "stillacum"). Located just south of Seattle Washington, Steilacoom sits quietly along the beautiful shores of the Puget Sound. It's a quaint little single stop light town that time seems to have forgotten. There are only a couple of ways to get in and out of town and most take you either through dense old growth forest or down a beautiful drive that hugs the coastline of the Sound. And though it takes a bit longer, I usually take one of these more "scenic" routes in and out of town simply because these routes are more interesting and picturesque.

Until now, I thought I had found all of the great places along these picturesque routes to shoot photography and over the past couple years I've shot photography in all of these places ten times over. Well, the other day as I drove out of town, I saw a path that I had never noticed before. This path appeared to lead up a large hill that runs along the road, rising from the sound, as you leave town. As a photog I immediately said to myself...new vantage point!

So the other night I threw the camera in the car and drove over. I had to park at the parking lot at Sunnyside Beach and walk along the Chambers Creek Road about a quarter mile to reach the trail head. As I started to climb, aside from realizing how out of shape I've become in my old age, I started to realize that this was really going to provide a great view. Reaching the top of the hill I turned around and my suspicions had been confirmed...yet another beautiful view of town.

After all the years I've been here, the one thing that simply amazes me about this part of the county is as soon as you think you've seen it all, you turn another corner and there's yet again, another spectacularly beautiful place to shoot. It's then that you realize that you've only scratched the surface of all the Pacific North West has to offer.

The first shot you see in this post(above) is the best shot I got from the top of the hill overlooking Steilacoom. I thought I would also include some of my shots from past shoots around town...enjoy.

A view of town from Sunnyside Beach

The wagon shop and the Ore Home in the background are some of the original structures still standing after more that 150 years.

A couple takes in a beautiful sunset over the Sound from one of the many waterfront parks in Steilacoom

Low tide reveals the pillars of an old dock located at Sunnyside Beach

On rare ocasion we actually get a good thunderstorm that produces good lightning. Great fun for a shooter.

One of the Puget Sounds oldest ferries waiting to take cars and passengers to Anderson Island just accross the Sound.

Chambers Bay Golf Course
Located in Steilacoom, this beautiful course will host the US Open, I believe, in 2012

This bridge takes you over the train tracks down to Salter's Point Beach. To stand on this bridge as a fully loaded freight train passes under at full speed is an exhilarating experience that one never forgets. It is a favorite pass time for residents here in Steilacoom.

Just recently these new luxery homes have popped up just up the street from Sunnyside Beach. Just recently the residents here in Steilacoom have fought hard against new developement that would ruin the rustic charm of this old community.

Early Morning In Fort Steilacoom Park

With Fall Comes The Fair

Around here unfortunately, with Fall comes the wind and rain. However, just before everyone hunkers down for the long gray winter to come, we all take the kids out of school, play hookie from work and head to the fair. Every September in Western Washington we all "Do The Puyallup." The Puyallup Fair that is, and yes for all of you not from these parts, that's pronounced "Pew-Yallup." I know, weird name, but a really great fair. I've "Done The Puyallup" almost every year since coming here back in 2001. But only this year have I had a real camera in my hand. I wanted a day at the fair dedicated only to taking pictures so I actually "Did The Puyallup" twice this year. Once with the family and then again with a fellow photog. The evening that Patrick and I went we were blessed with a really unique sunset. The clouds reminded me of jelly fish floating through the evening sky. It made for a spectacular back drop for the fair.

Shooting at the fair is great during the day but extremely cool at night. Good Cameras allow you to control how much light enters the camera and also for how long. When you allow for a long exposure, basically opening up the camera for a couple of seconds, the lights leave trails. This is what turns the Ferris wheels into what look like wildly colorful Bicycle tires. It's just the coolest. But leave the camera open too long and too much light is let in creating an overexposed picture which is bad.

Like every year the fair comes and goes. Along with the wind and rain it's a signal of the passing of Summer into Fall. And with Fall soon comes winter and we all stay in doors to stay dry. Next September when the Puyallup rolls around again, I'll be there (hopefully with better lenses). Over the years I have really come to love the fair, not only because it's a great time to shoot but it's just really a great time. And oh by the way, if you ever go, you gotta get the scones, I never leave the fair without at least a baker's dozen.

An unusual sunset falls over the fair

My kids enjoying their fourth ride on the Scrambler! It always was my favorite too!

Splash Down

An interesting trio recovers from a soaking on the water ride

Night Approaches at The Puyallup

Waiting to Ride

The Ferris Wheel at the Puyallup Fair

Hamburger Meyers...The best burger at the fair

My Son Brandon rethinking his decision to ride the fastest ride at the fair.

My son Brandon "really" rethinking his decision to ride the fastest ride at the fair.

Looking down the Midway

Our visit to the fair ends on a high note with a concert by legendary performer Al Jurreau. What a treat!


Until next year!