Sypes Canyon

Well I made the long trek slash move to Montana. Since I am still looking for a job, I have lots of time on my hands to go out and explore the area. My first hike that I chose to do was apparently a bit ambitious for me. It was up Sypes Canyon and about a six mile hike...with a lot of incline. As I was breathing heavily and maybe letting my dog pull me a bit, a runner passed me with a gentle wave to make me feel sooo in shape. But, I made it to the top and it was defiantly worth it!

Here is a picture of the trail head at Sypes Canyon. The trail is actually in a neighborhood that backs up to the National Forest. 

Here is a photograph of what some of the trail looked like, it reminds me of an old horse trail. 

We went through lots of ups and downs as well as from trees to rocky trails to meadows. 

Here are four pictures of what it was like at the top of the canyon. 

On the way down I found this little bird and her mate watching me from above. They were a very pretty grey and not like anything I have seen in Washington. 

By September most of the wild flowers are usually gone but I found this little treasure still thriving amongst the changing leaves and grass. 

Hurricane Ridge

Hurricane Ridge has always been a staple for our family. When we want to go hiking or have people visiting we go up to Hurricane Ridge. About twenty five miles out of Port Angeles Washington, Hurricane Ridge has spectacular views of not only the incredible Olympic mountain range, but of ocean and wildlife as well. As one of my last weekends in Washington, I wanted to make one more trip up with the family. Unfortunately, I picked labor day weekend so there was a lack of parking spaces but defiantly not a lack of extraordinary views and large amounts of deer and marmots.

This photograph is probably my favorite because it gives you a perspective of what you are surrounded by while you are hiking and it is an incredible one. Unfortunately I went up in the later afternoon, which causes harsher lighting so the colors are not as brilliant and rich as I would like but I think that you can get the idea of how beautiful it is. 

As I said, there was large amounts of wildlife, including these beautiful little guys. I was lucky enough to not only photograph two of them together, but to also have them hold still long enough to snap a photograph. 

As I was taking this picture, my younger brother asked me why I was laying on the ground. Let's just say that as a photographer I think it is important to try different perspectives and one of my favorites tends to be from the ground. 

These little guys were everywhere and much bigger then he appears to be here. They seemed to pop up from underground everywhere I looked. 

There is defiantly a large abundance of deer up there. And most of them are very friendly. I think she was interested in the apple that my brother was eating behind me and came closer to me then I was expecting. 

This trail is two miles up and two miles down. In that time there are so many different perspectives and views to take pictures from. There are also many trails such as this one that will jet you off further into the  olympics. 

At the Foot of Mount Saint Helens

I count myself pretty lucky to live in such a beautiful state. I have grown up being surrounded by beautiful mountains, forests and breathtaking coasts. Since I have lived in the Seattle area for the last ten years, I have spent most of my time in the Olympic mountain range. However, this weekend my brother and I went back to the south side of the state where we use to live when we were younger.

Yale lake is situated at the foot hills of Mount Saint Helens and only twelve miles from Apes Caves. (if you haven't been to Ape Caves...go!) Because we went on a weekday for the most part, we had the lake to ourselves which allowed me to take lots of photographs.

Here is a picture of Yale Lake later in the evening with Mount Saint Helens barely peeking out from behind the clouds in the background. I love photographing in the late afternoon because that is where I tend to find the beautiful golden lighting.

Further back in one of the corners of the lake we found this beautiful little area, although we had to dodge a few tree stumps. 

Loving my macro photography, I was able to relax in the sun and take time to look at the little things. 

Including, this adorable little Newt!

As well as these logs sticking up out of the water surrounded by beautiful shades of blue!

My Camera, My Dog and the Open Road

Summer Road trips are always a must for me and probably should be for anyone. This summers road trip was prompted by a friends wedding and turned into a trip to find an apartment in Montana. It began by driving from Seattle to Pullman the first day where I met with old friends and took some nice long strolls down memory lane. The wedding was about thirty miles outside of Pullman on the Snake river surrounded by impressive cliff walls.

Here is a photographic of the lovely bride and groom during there fast dance as a married couple. 

The Palouse is an incredible area with lots of beautiful rolling hills, and many times greatly underestimated by people who have never been there. There are two main buttes outside of Pullman, Kamiack Butte and Steptoe Butte and both make for an incredible backdrop for photographers. 

Although it can seam at times to be solely wheat fields, they have a certain beauty about them that for me is alluring. 

Having lived in the area for four years, I have a lot of pictures of the Palouse at many different times of year. It is the late summer thunderstorms though that I find this area to be the most beautiful and interesting. 

And because I love flowers (even prickly ones) and because I couldn't help it, here is a picture of a thistle I found on my hike up Kamiack Butte!

After a few days in Pullman I left one very early morning and headed to Bozeman Montana. Right when the border changes from Idaho to Montana is one of the prettiest and dramatic landscapes I have seen. This picture just doesn't do it justice. (maybe because it was taken from a car...) 

I finally reached the beautiful Bozeman Montana area and was in awe of how much sky there was...which is probably why it is called big sky country...or the fact that I currently live on an island that is surrounded by trees. Either way, I am always surprised by the beauty there is in our country. 

I didn't spend much time in Montana since I had to get back to work the next day, so I started the very long trek back to Seattle. My furry companion and I certainly got anxious to get out of the car as we started to get long glimpses of ocean. 

Oh and did I mention fresh and cool ocean air!

Here is my fuzzy companion just as happy to see the ocean as I. Thank you for looking at my blog and I hope you are all out there taking at least some little road trips. Happy photographing! 

Lavender Festival

It was five years ago that my family and I stumbled upon the Sequim Lavender Festival. Ever since it has been one of the highlights of our summer. Although I unfortunately can not convey through photos the wonderful smells of ocean, lavender and sunshine that accompany this wonderful festival, nor the lavender flavored ice cream, I hope that you are able to get a sense of why I love this festival so much! For me photography is all about getting out there and taking pictures of whatever catches your eye and this festival allows me to do just that. If you have ever been to Sequim, Washington the first thing that will catch your eyes will probably either be the dramatic coast line or the foothills of the Olympic Mountains and here is a photograph of each.

Sequim is on the top part of Washington right on the entrance to the Puget Sound. One of my favorite hikes is to go out on the five mile spit to the lighthouse, where you become surrounded by ocean.

Another of my favorite hikes (are you catching on to a pattern here?) is also just outside of Sequim. Hurricane  Ridge is at the heart of the olympics and an amazing sight to see no matter how long you have lived in the area. 

So back to Lavender...there are fields and fields of it and farm after farm of it as well and it sure does smell and look heavenly! 

You can even cut your own bundle...or if your my mom then three or four :). 

I love the contrast of the bright green and purple that the Lavender creates. You can even catch a small glimpse of the bees busy at work in the background. 

And because I love flowers...and because poppies and Lavender seem to mix well...and because I couldn't help myself, here are two more photos for the road. Enjoy!

Island Life

I love summer. Not just because the sun makes constant and may I add, warm apperances but because it means longer days, camping, barbecues and of course the sprouting of beautiful flowers...everywhere! Even though I don't get summers off as I once did, I am lucky enough to work in a place that is extremely photogenic.

This picture involves so many of my favorite things! Lavender, blue skies, daises, hollyhocks, roses and lilies!

When I step out of the kitchen, this is what I am met with everyday, paddle boarding anyone? 

Here are some closeups of flowers that I found as I was walking around. It never fails to surprise me how many things I find to take pictures of when I least expect it. 

Hollyhocks, pictured above are so amazing. They usually tower way above my height with beautiful and detailed flowers. Unfortunately, to photograph them strait on showing the height can create a boring photograph, so I tried a new angle that I found much more appealing. 

Lastly, I found some daises. For some reason I have always loved to photograph them from below rather then the top. The shadows that the petals create mixed with the contrast of the blue sky create a combination that makes the photographer in me smile with glee. 

Wisteria Before Work

Since I decided to start photography seriously, about two years ago, I have had one camera. In that time, as you can imagine, I have grown very comfortable and somewhat attached. As of several days ago I have officially stepped into the semi professional camera world and it feels great as well as intimidating. My new camera in both size and weight has probably doubled...in fact so has the amount of memory, focal length and battery capacity. 

Yesterday I had a break in my crazy work schedule, so I decided to take out my camera for a spin. I happen to be very lucky in that my work is nicely situated in both a beautiful location as well as having beautifully kept "grounds". For the last several weeks, we have had the most beautiful wisteria blooming, as well as roses, california poppies and columbine. 

I can't believe how many years I have seen this beautiful vine growing and how long I have waited to photograph it. Now I just have to find different variations!

When I tried for my first shot I had a hard time getting my camera to focus automatically. Therefor I tried manually focusing to find that I didn't know where the ring was...heh heh. So about fifteen shots later I finally figured it out. (I should probably read the owners manual first) In the mean time I kept getting a lot of blurry shots, which I ended up liking, mostly because they reminded me of an impressionistic painting. 

When I photograph I tend to shoot more on the macro side then anything else. Unfortunately my lens is more on the telephoto side, which is great for some things, but when it comes to flowers it can be terribly frustrating. Maybe my tendencies for macro photography are due to my photography professor always saying to get up close and personal with your subject...or maybe I like the idea of photographing things that are not normally or easily noticed. Either way, getting use to a new vantage point resulted in some different and interesting photos. 

Stepping back from my subject also allowed me to focus more on composition, shape and contrast, rather then solely on small details. Which is always a good thing. 

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed my blog! Stay tuned for my photos soon!