One of my favorite times of year is when summer fades into fall. I love shooting in the Pacific Northwest during this season when timing is so critical, but totally rewarding when you get it right. The varying temperature and changes in rainfall cause trees to reveal their fall colors at different times each year. Usually I would be chasing the deep reds and yellows, but I wanted to capture that feeling you get as you just start seeing those signs that fall is on its way. I traveled from the city of Portland, Oregon up the Columbia River in search of those telltale signs.
ILLUMINATION (above) captures an amazing tree. I photographed this tree about two years ago, “Place of Zen,” with its amazing reds and yellows. This year I wanted to capture the magnificent green leaves just starting to turn yellow with a few spots of red. After hours of waiting for the sun to come out from behind the clouds, I finally get that pop of light that brings this scene together and highlights the true beauty of this tree.
REAWAKEN was captured along the Columbia River about 40 miles East of Portland. One of the most beautiful areas in the world, incredible hiking trails winds you through plush green forest with what feels like a waterfall around every turn. Starting my hike at 4:30am, I fixed my headlamp and was off.
A few hours later I was at my spot and setup the tripod on the wet rocks. It was the prefect location, an astonishing waterfall surrounded by lush forest and just a hint of fall with a small tree already showing off its autumn decor of reds and yellows. I affixed a wide angle lens to my ALPA 12 TC camera with a Phase One digital back to gain the composition I wanted. It now became a battle to keep the lens dry from the mist of the waterfall as I awaited the sunrise.
