North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park

After securing my campsite at DeMotte Campground, on Tuesday, 10/6/2015, I headed on down Arizona State Route 67 for my first visit to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Sounds virginal - and it was and I was feeling that way, I have to be honest (if, perhaps, a little too honest).

Bison Warning, Heading south on State Route 67

After turning right onto SR 67 from the campground, I immediately encountered something to start my imagination flowing, perhaps because my heart rate ticked up a notch. I had never seen anything like this before, a yellow road sign warning of bison! I had not read of nor heard that there were free roaming bison in Arizona.

It turns out they're actually a bit of a nuisance because the herds have gotten quite large, to the point that the state has authorized hunts for them. I talked to the man at the North Rim Country Store about this; he had recently had a customer come through with a decapitated bison. I hate to hear of or think about it. I had just been talking to my wife about hunting, which neither of us do or understand.

We both feel we can tolerate people that do it who genuinely need the meat, such as the people on those shows of Alaskan wilderness folks, or hopefully in the case where government agencies are authorizing hunts for population control. But in either case were skeptical and just hate the thought of animals being killed. However, that's another topic...

Finally,  I made it to the entrance gate.

Park Entrance, Grand Canyon N.P. North Rim

Yes, it was still cloudy, and that was both a disappointment and a bit exciting. As I sat waiting in line at the park entrance, I was mulling over the weather. Everyone, I'm sure, has seen the pictures of the Grand Canyon bathed in sunlight or perhaps with monsoonal rain clouds. I don't recall seeing many pictures of thick clouds or gray skies.

I was thinking that perhaps I could get some pictures, and if they show enough of the Grand Canyon, they could be rare captures of the canyon with clouds in them. On the other hand, they could be duds. But, it was supposed to be cleared up the following day so I knew I'd probably be able to get some then. Today could be a day for scouting and just taking in the scenery as much as possible.

I decided to just head straight to the lodge. The book I bought about photographing Arizona mentioned a number of locations besides the lodge, but I thought I'd start there anyway. Bright Angel and the view points behind the lodge were also mentioned as great places to take pictures from.

The Park Menu

I asked the park ranger at the gate about the bison. He said that normally they are in the meadows of the park, and not in the meadows north of the park entrance. But they typically head for the forest when the weather is bad like it was that day. I got my 7 day pass for $30 and drove on.

The road into the park continues through more meadow for a bit and I was scouring for signs of buffalo but to no avail. Dangit! I did see some deer, barely, but there was no place to get off the road at that point. If I have one complaint about the area, it is that I wish there were more pull offs on the side of the road. They do exist, but maybe only every couple of miles or so, and there are no warning signs when you're approaching them so it's easy to zip by them (as I recall, the speed limit is 55 before you get to the park, 45 in the park until you get to more populated areas).

About a mile after passing through the meadow you get into some more pine and aspen forest. How refreshing. There are pine forests elsewhere in Arizona but these seem different for some reason. Perhaps it was because it was about 50 degrees Fahrenheit that day. Perhaps it was because I was there instead of at work. For whatever reason, I was immersed in a feeling of humility and humanity - I was a being on planet earth instead of a software engineer in a cubical.

The prime parking spot - the lodge is to the left

After passing by the road to Cape Royal and the parking lot for the Kaibab Trail, when you near the lodge you pass by a picnic area on your left which offers your first glimpse of the Grand Canyon. Wow. Even though I've seen it before (from the South Rim, it was breathtaking).

I continued on to the lodge where as luck would have it I got the parking spot nearest the lodge. How cool was that!?! I don't know who to thank. It is a large parking lot and every time I returned over the 3 days I spent in the park I always seemed to find a spot in the section nearest the lodge but never again in the primo spot. I was surprised at how much people come and go but after driving to the other areas in the North Rim, you find out why people are anxious to visit all of them.

Cabins at the North Rim.

I walked through the east group of cabins available for renting, wishing my wife and our dogs were with me. There were a lot of other older couples there, and a lot of people
speaking languages other than English. So many, in fact, that on that first day I felt like a minority.

The cabins look cool so I had to take some iPhone pictures of them. Big, heavy log construction with friendly porches complete with chairs and/or rocking chairs. Even in the rain they looked inviting and conducive to spending some very pleasant hours with a beverage of choice such as coffee, hot chocolate, or maybe even something stronger.

The end of the walk through the cabins

After passing by the cabins, I noted the balcony of the lodge on my right, but in front of me I was confronted with my first view of the Grand Canyon from outside of my Explorer. It was right there, over the top of a sign pointing to some trails. The book had said the Bright Angel Point was a place to take a great photograph from so naturally I turned left.

Along the trail you first encounter another view point on a ledge, thankfully with a railing around it since it was wet and slippery rock.

I decided to get my feet wet, literally, by taking in this first view point. It was also my first slap in the face from my vertigo. I'd hoped it wouldn't get to me but like a bad penny, it turned up and, literally, took my breath away. This was not going to be the only time it happened at the park.

Vertigo go away

The east viewpoint below the lodge

I'm not going to post all of the pictures here, but even my wife could tell as she looked through them - I took a lot of pictures from the top of the stairs to the viewpoint. I was building up my nerve, trying to look like I was calm and just taking pictures from every possible vantage point. The truth was that I couldn't immediately bring myself to head down the stairs.

I don't know why I have the fears I do. I just feel like I'm not completely in control of my ability to walk and that it will just be dumb luck if I venture down a path such as the one in front of me without spilling over the edge. I hate the feeling but I feel even more that when I force myself I loose even more control and the chances are even greater that I'm going to become a casualty. When I push myself my heart rate jumps up, my vision seems to get narrower, and I can even become paralyzed (that happened to me for a few minutes at the Chiricahua National Monument, I became glued in place on the side of a cliff).

It didn't help that the railings at the top (the brown ones in the picture) are about 2-1/2 feet above the ground forcing me to stoop over. Nor was it reassuring to have wet, slippery rocks for steps. Eventually I bucked up, the thought passing through me to ask the guys who came up from the viewpoint if I could borrow their cojones (as if joking in the face of immense and imminent and grave danger), and I grabbed tightly on to the rails with both hands on both sides of the steps and moved one foot down onto the first stone. I actually gasped (to myself, but regardless, I'd waited until no one else was around to see the funny old fat man) and then slowly made my way on to the platform. I held on to the rail as I eased out into the nothingness. I did make it, and I did take some iPhone pics to prove it. I was excited about the view, amazed that I made it out alive, but at no time was I relaxed.

Deathcrack #1

Deathcrack #1

The platform has a large crack on the left side at the front. It's not big enough to fall through but it's big enough to see through, probably about 2 inches wide. There's nothing below that crack but death. Okay, maybe it's actually beauty of the Grand Canyon. But why do we have to have a crack there? Then, there's another large gap at the bottom of the railing at the back end of the platform. It is big enough to possibly slip through. I did NOT let go of the railing with both hands at the same time. I did NOT breath normally nor did my heart beat normally.

The view from the east viewpoint below the lodge

I took a picture of the canyon in clouds, looking south east from the view point. I also took a selfie to prove I was there. The grin on my face may or may not be due to realizing I made it out there alive and didn't need to change my underwear.

When I got back to the trail, the trail now seemed like a death march waiting for me, with chances of survival at 50/50 at best. Since I'd walked it already I was somewhat comforted, but instead of heading on out to Bright Angel I headed west towards the lodge.

When I got to the path I'd come down, it looked menacing so I continued to the west, and trying to ignore the drop offs on the side of the trail, I came to the viewpoint on the west side below the lodge. Oh great.

Me laughing at danger on the east viewpoint

However, the railings were more impressive. It was a little wider at the top. But there was no railing on the right side of the stairs. I decided to give it a go. What did I have to lose?

After similar hesitations and nerve wrangling, I made it down onto the west platform. I took some iPhone pictures. I haven't mentioned it, but I did NOT have my Nikon with me - I was just kind of scouting. I can't imagine trying this while lugging my camera, bag, and tripod. I did not need anything else to affect my balance.

The west viewpoint awaits
those who dare. I dared.

After a few pictures, I made it back up from the open arms of death by falling again (otherwise who'd be writing this blog?). That was enough adventure for a bit so I decided to climb the stairs near the west viewpoint up to the lodge. I felt like I'd gambled and won, but there was no reason to press my luck any farther.

The west viewpoint

It was a nice introduction to the canyon. After making it up to the lodge I was able to actually just look at the canyon and observe the constantly changing clouds as they nuzzled up to the canyon walls. They made their way through the canyon, maneuvering as necessary to get around the beautiful yet terrifying shapes of the canyon mountains and walls.

I was mesmerized and extremely humbled. I was humanized. Nature had modified my very awareness of myself. I was struck once again by how little justice a photograph does to capturing that incredible feeling of the beauty, changing and fleeting permanence, tolerance, vulnerability, patience, and dominance of the great outdoors. Of our planet. Of my little, insignificant, and short time on the planet. It makes me think of a movie I saw recently (and may have mentioned before) called "The Ride" with Helen Hunt. Her son states "I want to work to live, not live to work". The experience of the Grand Canyon makes me question my purpose in life. How grand is that?

View from the west viewpoint

A Metamorphosis Begins

First, I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post. Time has been flying but not due to much fun.

Not that things have been horrible, it's just that I haven't been shooting pictures for the last month. I've been trying to get out but for one reason or another I haven't made it. In part because I've been recovering from my Oregon trip. I REALLY enjoyed that trip and have been disenchanted with the Arizona offerings - mainly because I'd been almost every area in the state and just wasn't feeling the drive to go back to any of the places. I was just in a funk.

Then, I ordered a book about photographing in Arizona, from the same company where I bought the book about photographing Oregon. I mentioned this book in an earlier post. 

The only large area in Arizona that I hadn't been to was the "Arizona Strip", the area north of the Grand Canyon. As I was reading the entries for this area, it mentioned Toroweap. I have had an urge to go to Toroweap since hearing about it shortly after moving to Arizona in 2001 but had not gone. I pondered for a few minutes and then found a photography tour that was going out in early October from Dreamland Safari Tours and called them to discuss it.

To cut to the chase, I didn't end up going on the tour and after my trip described below, I'm still okay with it. But it sounds like a good deal if you think you can stomach it!

Off to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon

Rainy Day at Conoco on U.S. Route 89 in Flagstaff

I decided to take some vacation days (originally scheduled for the Toroweap visit) to go to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park. I hadn't been to any of those areas, I'd never headed west from U.S. Route 89. I left Phoenix about 5:45 AM on Tuesday, 10/6/2015 and headed up, travelling alone, without even my pup Elmer.

It was a rare rainy day. I stopped in Flagstaff after getting on to U.S. 89 to fill up the fuel tank in the rain and brisk weather. I didn't know what fuel would cost up the road but I thought I'd get it for as cheap as possible. 

I ended up pretty much just driving straight through to DeMotte Campground to try to get a camp site. There were no reservations available online, all spots that could be reserved were taken, but they did have walk up sites so I was hoping I'd get one of them, which I did (I stayed in sites #7 and #18 on different nights). The campground at the North Rim was booked solid through the last day of October which is when they close for the winter. DeMotte Campground is 7 miles north of the park entrance so it's not too much of a drive. Plus, there's a small store and gas station almost across U.S. 67 from the campground.

Highway 89, half way between Cameron and Tuba City

I didn't do much sight-seeing or photo taking on the way up except for a couple of iPhone snaps because it was very socked in and I really couldn't see anything more than 1/2 a mile or so from the road. I did notice the bridge over the Colorado River at Marble Canyon / Lee's Ferry area but since I was pressed to try to get a walk in campsite I didn't stop.

And by not stopping, I learned a lesson as a budding photographer. After heading south on Arizona State Route 67 at Jacob's Lake, you pass through a nice pine forest. After about 5 miles (as the crow flies) there is an area that was hit by a forest fire, and then after another 5 miles or so you re-enter the pines. On my visit, there was a dusting of snow and it was beautiful. As an Arizona resident I rarely see snow unless I drive where it is. I really wanted some photographs of the pines with snow but I drove past thinking I'd come back. I didn't - I ended up going on to the Grand Canyon. 

The lesson is that if you see something you really want a photograph of, stop and take it. You may never see it again. It ended up that there were plenty of camp sites and delaying an hour to take pictures of the snowy pines wouldn't have hurt anything. And if the camp sites were already gone it wasn't going to matter anyway - I'd have to figure something else out.

Entrance to DeMotte Campground

After the second drive through the pine forest, SR 67 heads into a wide meadow with forest on each side. The green pines were broken up with aspens that were a nice yellow. If the sun had been out I thought it would be very brilliant - which is indeed the case as I found out in the following days as the storm passed and the sun shone.

Eventually you arrive at the North Rim Country Store on the east side of the road, and Kaibab Lodge and Demotte Campground on the west. At about 11:30 AM, close to 6 hours after leaving home, I turned onto the short dirt road leading up to the campground, pulling up to the pay station. I noticed a road barricade with a "Full" sign folded up and placed behind the station so I felt relieved. The instructions said to go find a site, note the number, and return and fill out the paper work. I did, claiming drive through site #7. I was set for the night!

DeMotte Campground, Site #7

As you can see from the picture of the campsite, the campground looks out over the meadow, which is about 1,000 feet wide at this point. Although I didn't end up trying I thought you might be able to venture out there in the dark to get some star shots.

Since it was raining I decided not to put up my tent but to just sleep in the back of my Explorer. Armed with my REI self inflating air mattress, my heavy sleeping bag and a blanket, I knew I'd be plenty comfortable. I'm getting to where I prefer not messing with a tent, especially if there's a lot of moisture. So, with my lodging planned for the night, I left the campground and headed on south to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park. Woo hoo! 

I'm a Happy Photographer!

I've been noticing these things for a while but my trip to Oregon and Washington last month really brought them to the forefront of my senses. So what else can I do but write about them!

Elmer and I at Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona

One of my initial goals of taking up photography as a hobby was to get outdoors instead of sitting at a computer all weekend. I normally work Monday through Friday as a software engineer, sitting at a computer all week with very little interruption.  For many years my weekends were filled writing and recording rock and roll songs (http://www.RandyMorter.com/music) which was mostly sitting at a computer as well. In 2013 I decided I had to make a change, and decided to take up landscape photography which would include camping and being away from a computer.

Over the last couple of years I have certainly achieved that goal. I’ve spent most of my weekends out taking pictures, and a lot of those, perhaps about half, have included camping or “moteling” (of which I prefer the camping unless the Arizona temperatures make it too warm to get a good night’s sleep!).

Some benefits I’ve reaped are that I’ve lost a few pounds, I’ve met some people, I’ve got some photographs that my wife wants hung on the walls, I’ve had a lot of alone time with my pup Elmer. But there have also been some benefits I hadn’t expected or dreamed of…

While driving along the Oregon coast on my vacation, especially when driving along roads I’d driven many times before, I found I was noticing things I had never taken the time to notice or appreciate. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve driven the coast from Coos Bay to Lincoln City when my wife and I lived in Coos Bay and drove up the coast to get our children for our weekends (from our ex-spouses). What I can tell you is that those trips were almost entirely done with the purpose of getting from point A to point B and back again without absorbing the scenery to any great extent. Note that some trips were made from Coos Bay to Interstate 5 and up to the Portland area but with the same lack of attention to the scenery.



Alongside the Coquille River, Oregon

On my vacation in August 2015, I found almost the opposite. I truly did not have much of a deadline for the days I was on the coast. I arrived in Coos Bay on Monday and did not have to be anywhere particular until that Friday when I had a high school reunion event. According to Google Maps, along the coast that is only 472 miles, taking about 10 hours. I didn’t think I’d have any problem covering that distance in 4 or 5 days.

I actually planned my first couple of days on the coast with short driving distances between my sleeping areas, and then the day that I would be driving into Washington was longer since I knew there wasn’t as much in southwest Washington that I thought would be photogenic (the roads are inland and mostly tree lined and I've driving that road a few times before). That meant on the Oregon coast I had about 100 miles or less to drive each day and all day to do it.

As I drove up the Oregon coast I found I was looking at the scenery with an eye towards looking for photogenic scenery. I had that thought in my head, but it also dawned on me how much beauty there was almost every mile of the drive. I wanted to stop and take pictures of everything! I felt like I had wasted all of my earlier drives along the highway by not soaking in the beauty as I blindly whizzed by, more concerned about making time than lifelong memories and appreciation of the Oregon coast.




Driftwood Beach Wayside, Oregon

I pulled off in a lot of waysides, rest stops, parks, etc.  Not as many as I would have liked to, but enough to fill up my travels so that I didn’t waste much time at a campground. The night after leaving Coos Bay (okay, actually Charleston), I didn’t get to the campground until after dark and I left at first light.
I looked at things from different angles and vantage points, driven by my desire to find a good photograph, but with the added result of noticing more about the various locations.

For example, at one place I found a cool stump with some great exposed roots. I was moving around the root system looking for angles that would help bring out the structure. By doing that I was noticing the structure in much more detail than if I’d been walking by it without any desire to take a photograph.

When I was at Oceanside and shooting the Three Arch Rocks at sunset, I found myself looking through the viewfinder, noticing things in the composition, and then looking around without the viewfinder to see how I might improve the shot. I was taking in much more detail than if I hadn’t been looking for something to include or exclude from the shot. I was noticing how the reflections were playing on the shore, where the sun was in relationship to the rocks, how I could walk out on the sandbar. If I’d been sitting in my car I wouldn’t have noticed those things.

Sunset at Seal Rock, Oregon

When I was at Seal Rock, again trying to shoot a sunset, I did the same things as at Oceanside. However, the sun just kind of fizzled out. But because I really wanted to try to get a good picture, I waited and watched as the sun completely set, watching as the beach turned from light to dark, as the sea gulls changed from white to black silhouettes flying against the orange sky. I saw the colors change in the pools of sea water on the beach in front of me. I noticed that it got a bit cooler after the sun went down. I noticed that there were very few other people left on the beach after it got dark.

The bottom line was that I NOTICED. I absorbed. I was involved. I was in the moments. I was a living part of the planet and conscious of it.

I was happy.

As I write this a few weeks afterwards, I find I have a longing to be back in a similar situation. It doesn’t really matter where I am, just somewhere besides behind a computer. I want to breathe in the smell, hear the sound, and see the sights of life on the planet. And just maybe, at some point, I’ll be able to get in touch with the planet enough to create some photographs that capture some of what I experience so that I can share it with others.

Marina at Charleston, Oregon

I stayed in Charleston, Oregon on Monday, August 3, 2015, which I wrote about in my blog entry "My 2015 Vacation, Part 5 of 7". On Tuesday morning I spent some time at the marina with the hopes of getting some good nautical pictures.

I did have my bag of lenses with me but ended up loading the 50mm f/1.8 prime and that was all I used. There were a few shots I took of the other side of the bay that could have possibly used a longer lens, and there were a few shots I took on a pier that could have used a wider lens. Overall, however, I really like the simplicity of the prime lens.



Charleston Visitor Center Parking Lot

If you end up like I did, at the marina after the sun was up and only the one chance for shooting, you are immediately giving up any golden hour light. In my case there was some haze. It was NOT a clear blue sky, especially as you looked into the sun.

Since the sky was almost gray I figured I'd be getting almost perfect conditions to do black and white processing, or near that anyway. I also didn't have to worry about composition as much from the standpoint of where the light source was. It was pretty even lighting all around, as though I had a lot of soft light sources everywhere!.

That light also reduced the need for a circular polarizer to get rid of reflections from the water surface.

Because I was there kind of early (I expect for the fishermen 7:30 AM or so wasn't early) there wasn't much traffic on the water itself which should help with reflections of boat rigging. It still wasn't mirror flat on the bay, however, so ripples did affect my reflection shots.

Coming from Phoenix, Arizona, I don't have much opportunity to shoot pictures in a working marina full of fishing vessels and sail boats. This was my first attempt and I sure hoped it would work out!

Early bird gets the shell fish

I took some pictures of the mud since the tide was out. I'm not sure how picturesque they are but I kind of like the reflections. This one to the right has reflections of the fish processing building along with the low tide flats and a seagull to boot. I tried working with various lines in the pictures too (all of them, not just the mud flats).

This picture to the right purposefully has a diagonal of the sea weed starting in the lower left corner and pointing to the upper right, while the reflection and waterline kind of come from the upper left and point to the lower right. I'm not sure how effective it is but it does seem like a pleasing composition to me even if the subject isn't the best.

What I might do differently is to try it without the gull in it and use a longer exposure with an ND filter in order to smooth out the water more. I like how you can see through the water just enough but still have the reflection of the building. I did use a polarizer on the lens the morning I took these but no additional ND filters.

Seaweed flowing under bridge

This image is of seaweed flowing in the steady current (the tide was still going out) under a bridge. Again I played with the angles of the lines, which was easy for this shot because there is no obvious up or down or correct angle.

I am not sure, however, that you can really tell there is a current flowing here. Nor am I sure this is a picture that would really appeal to anyone. Perhaps if there was a crab on the sandy bottom it would be more interesting but I didn't see anything stirring on the bottom at all. I'd love to have some comments about this pic!

I do like the colors and angles though. I did pump up the saturation in this pic.

Pillars of the Bay

Here's another abstract shot that I thought was interesting at the time. I like the ship's bow between the pillars as well as the pillars themselves. I tried different crops in Adobe Lightroom but just didn't come up with anything I preferred over the full shot.

In this I tried enhancing the gold colors to try to make it look like there was some golden hour lighting going on but I think the lack of long shadows as well as not getting enough gold makes it obvious this is just a daylight picture of nothing terribly remarkable.

I took these from the end of a pier next to the fish processing building. I also shot pictures across the bay and of the boat tied to the processor's pier as they offloaded their catch.

I like this shot of a couple of boats tied up, and I like it best in this black and white treatment. What I don't like is the amount of water. I could fix that with a different crop ratio but I tend to be wary of crops like 9x16 because you just don't easily find frames for a picture like that. They do tend to be okay if you're just displaying a picture on the web, however.

But this picture shows a nice way to take advantage of the gray sky, in my opinion. It almost looks hazy which I think would really set these pictures off. I also would like to have flatter water but taking a longer exposure here would be hard since the masts would move. One solution I would try if I get back there is to take a couple of different shots, one properly exposed with a quick shutter speed to freeze the position of the masts, and a second with a long exposure (and ND filters) to smooth the water.They could then be combined in Photoshop.

Galway Bay

This is a picture of the boat tied up to the processing pier. I think a wider lens would have helped here. I could not get the bow in the picture with the pier and it just looked weird. I took some pictures with more of the pier but they showed some of this boat but not enough. They looked like they should show as much of the boat as possible and that they were accidental pictures as opposed to pictures taken on purpose with the intent to be worthy of hanging on a wall.

I didn't bother changing the lens due to my other time constraints. This still leaves me with an uneasy feeling where I hate being rushed. On the other hand it makes me realize that in all of these locations there is reason for return visits and with each visit better pictures may be envisioned and captured.

I still like this picture as it is although I wish I had the full bow or superstructure. I got more of the bow in a landscape orientation but that cut off more of the superstructure. Like I said, this picture could have used my Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 lens. Or possibly a 35mm prime.

Galway Bay and Processor

Note that I did talk to the guys on the pier and asked if it was okay if I took pictures of the boat and the activities. They said it was. That removed my feeling of "stalker" and allowed me to feel comfortable about taking pictures. I hadn't done much of that in the past but this started my asking permission often on my trip. I also think it may be a way to generate some sales in the future. I can ask permission and give them a card to my SmugMug site where they can find the pictures of themselves and possibly buy a print, and they may see a print of something else they might like enough to buy!



Piling

This shot of a piling was also from the end of the pier. Another shot that might have benefited from the wider lens which would have allowed me to show the piling from the water to the top. As it is I have a floating piling. I do like it as a "scouting" shot - it would be great to go back and shoot this in the golden hour (probably sunset since at sunrise the sun would be behind the piling - this is looking basically south east from the pier).

I moved from the pier next to the bridge over to the nearest set of docks at the marina. There was a sign that said it was okay for the public to go down on the docks so I did! I figured I was a public dude!

I took some pics from the bank first and they're okay but I really wanted to be closer to the water. I really think these look best with the black and white processing from Lightroom. It hides the gray sky, making it seem like these were taken with this processing in mind.



Waiting for the Master

Once again, to be critical, I wish the lens had allowed me to get the entire corner of the dock on the right side. Composing that way with the 50mm resulted in the stern of the boat being too close to the left edge of the image.

Stepping back caused me to start showing the shore and bank at the bottom of the picture. My final choice was to cut off part of the doc. It seemed like the least of the worst. And nothing was going to get me the reflection of the full mast.

You may also notice a sliver of a piling on the left side of the image. My choice was to include it a bit or have more of a shot that was straight down the dock and ships bows. I liked lining up the sterns more because it gave more separation between the ships masts.

There were a lot of decisions in this composition. Regardless of the resulting shot, I was very pleased with myself for noticing all of the issues in the viewfinder and trying to manage the conflicting decisions. I don't profess to be a master yet but I am certainly attempting to notice composition issues in the viewfinder and to try to solve them before committing the image to the SD card!



Fisherman's Parking Lot

 
On the way to the docks I spotted these bikes and had to get a picture. I really like this picture with both bikes but didn't notice that I'd cut off the back tire of the pink bike until I'd left the scene. Even the tire on the front bike is closer to the edge of the frame than I like. I don't remember even seeing that when I shot the picture. I don't know if I was at the limit of space and lens. 

How many times do you see a boy and girl fisher-person bike tied up together on a pier? And I cut the tires off. Some shots only come around once and you need to be prepared to get them. The boy scout in me let me down.

Out on the docs I got a few different pictures.

I got some of various smaller items such as buoys, a cleat, and a crab pot. I like these with both the color and a black and white treatment. My plan is to print them as a set of three and frame them together in a collage frame, probably as 5x7 prints.

I like the way my other collections have turned out when I've done that in the past and I'm sure this will be no exception especially since I don't get pictures like this in Arizona.

I'll likely combine them with a large print of the sailboats and their reflections giving me a nice bit of wall art.

The trick for me with all of these shots was trying to find different subjects to enable me to have a collection of at least 3 images. There was more that I could have shot but I stopped after a few items because I was also taking some pics of the boats.

I took a few shots of bows of some rugged looking boats. But what I couldn't easily do down on the docks with the 50mm was get an entire boat in the shot. Again, in retrospect, I think the 16-35mm lens would have been a better choice.

In the end, I spent about an hour total at the marina. If it was sunrise or sunset I could have easily spent that much time again. I didn't exhaust the possibilities there, meaning I have to go back! Darn the bad luck!

Misty Anne Morning

.

My 2015 Vacation, Part 7 of 7

Morning at Cape Lookout State Park

I was awake shortly after 6:00 AM on Thursday, 8/6/2015. I’d woke up a few times during the night to re-arrange my blanket but it still hadn’t been chilly enough to crawl inside the sleeping bag. I was disappointed from the lack of cold temperatures; coming from Phoenix I really wanted to be cold in August for a change! I had other worries though…

When I got out of the tent I found that everything was covered in dew. The outside of the tent was very wet. Fortunately I hadn’t left anything outside. I’d put everything else in the tent or the Exploder. I broke down the tent, snapping the elastic in one of the poles, and rolled it up and put it in its waterproof case very wet. I took a few morning pictures of the campground with the iPhone and then got headed north.

My plan for the upcoming night was to stay in La Push, Washington so I had a few miles to drive. According to Google it was about 274 miles and estimated at almost 6 hours of driving. This would be a longer drive than I’d had the last couple of days and also meant less time for taking pictures.



Netarts Bay and Three Arch Rocks, Oregon


I headed back to Tillamook, taking a few pictures of Netarts Bay along the way. In Tillamook I visited the McDonald’s but their WiFi didn’t appear to work so I ate my breakfast and then hit the road. I punched up La Push on Jill the GPS and started up the Exploder.

Somewhere outside of Tillamook, Oregon

This ended up being the second misdirection by Jill. I don’t get what the calculations were but since I’m not completely familiar with all of the roads around Tillamook, Oregon, I followed the instructions. I can’t even tell you where I ended up going. Tillamook is right on Highway 101 but I ended up out in the sticks somewhere. The one picture I took on the side jaunt has an incorrect GPS marker. I ended up finding a woman walking her dog along a country road and asked her for directions back to the Highway 101. Just like my route around Los Angeles, it happened on a day I needed to make some miles.



Neahkahnie Viewpoint, Oregon

I stopped at Neahkahnie Viewpoint for some pictures with the Nikon and a selfie with the iPhone, then continued on north. That was the end of my Oregon Coast photography. I was headed into Washington.

I’ve driven Highway 101 before and knew that the next bit of driving was not going to be that interesting, until the road winds back out to the coast in Washington.

Crossing the Astoria-Megler Bridge
into Washington

Once you cross the Astoria-Megler Bridge into Washington and get off of the Columbia River, there’s not a lot to see. I chose to continue up the Highway 101 after getting over the bridge so that I could drive along the Willapa Bay. Shortly after getting into Washington it started raining lightly enough that I had to use my windshield wipers. That caused the traffic to slow down even more. The slow traffic was wh
at I noticed in Washington. Everyone drove slooooow.


I continued on, fueling up in Cosmopolis just outside of Aberdeen.



Douglas Fir "Hallway"

Then I passed through Aberdeen, through the tall Douglas Fir “hallway”, past the Quinalt area, and finally got back to the coast and pulled off at Klaloch State Campground to take some photographs using the iPhone and the Nikons. The sun was back out at the coast and I was very happy to see some more beach!

I drove farther but had to stop at the overlook at Beach 4 as well! This wayside does not have beach access. It has a trail from the parking lot that ends at a small viewpoint perhaps 75 feet above the beach with a split rail fence that tries to keep you back from the edge. From there you can see the beach stretching north as well as the Destruction Island Lighthouse, about 3 miles offshore. From here you view the island from the south east which could make for a nice sunset shot.

Beach at Klaloch State Park, Washington

But, I had more miles to drive. I headed on up Highway 101, turning inland near Ruby Beach, which I regretfully didn’t stop at. I just couldn’t stop everywhere, dangit. When I got to the Hoh Ox Bow Campground I decided to see if I had time to head up to the Hoh Rainforest in the Olympic National Park.

I had planned to stay at the Quileute Oceanside Resort at La Push, Washington. I had called them a couple of we
eks before starting my trip and they said I didn’t need a reservation. I wanted to call and make sure everything was still as planned, and of course, it wasn’t. I knew when I called them I should have forced the issue and got a reservation. They were full up and I wasn’t going to be able to stay there. I had really wanted to take some sunset pictures of the rocks as La Push.

My site at the Hoh Rainforest, Washington


Then I decided I better see if there was a place to camp at the Hoh Rainforest. There was. So I headed up there. I got a campsite and decided to set my tent up, mainly so that it could dry out in the rainforest. Then I went over to the Hoh River and took some pictures. I had really wanted to get pictures of the forest in a mist but it was a nice, clear, warm day.

I ended up going to bed early – for some reason I was tired.

I got up early too, about 5:30 AM on Friday, August 7, 2015. I packed up the tent, knocking 3 slugs off of it, but at least it was dry now. I headed back out of the park, stopping to take some pictures of the forest and what’s left of the “Big Spruce Tree”.

The Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park, Washington

Then I was back on the road, headed to Forks, Washington, where the “Twilight” vampire movies were set. From there I talked to my son and was off to meet him in Port Angeles, Washington.

The rest of my trip was spent with family and friends for the most part, and even though I got some photography in, the time was focused more on my relationships so I’ll end my saga here. For now. Thanks for travelling with me!

Click here to go to the Beginning...

Dirty little secret

Okay, it's not much of a secret but it is dirty. My Nikon D610 sensor that is.

I was really dismayed when I returned from my trip to Oregon and Washington and started processing the Nikon pics and found spots on my images.

In this image you can see the spots in the upper left corner area (click on it to open a larger version).

Three Arch Rocks image - spots in upper left corner

I had recently had the sensor cleaned, on 4/2/2015. I have used it a bit since then but hadn't had any spots until processing the pics from this trip. I have been pretty careful about where and when I changed lenses, typically only doing it in the Exploder. There have been a few times that I've done it in the field but I always do it by prepping the lenses (loosening the cap, getting it ready for the swap) and when I have a lens off the body I keep the lens mount facing down to reduce the chances of particles entering the body. I make the swap as quick as possible and finish by putting the cap on the previous lens, if there was one.

I'm pretty sure that whatever is on the sensor is NOT a dust particle but is more likely to be more oil splatter. I say that because it's in the same spot on each picture and I have the sensor cleaner running each time I power off the camera.

I can see I will be returning the camera to Tempe Camera again for another cleaning. I don't mind paying for a cleaning but I was hoping it might only be once or twice per year. At this rate it's about three times per year.

An alternative is to learn how to clean the sensor myself and the next time I start seeing spots, if it's only another 4 months down the road, I may venture into that process.

As an aside to this issue, I had really been thinking of upgrading to the Nikon D810 but this has reduced my enthusiasm for spending about $3,000 on another body when this one has this type of issue. I want to believe that the oil issue with the D600 was actually fixed in the D610 but after these experiences I'm left somewhat skeptical.

My 2015 Vacation, Part 6 of 7

I woke up sometime around 5:30 AM on 8/5/2015, as the sun was making itself known. I had slept really well in the back of the Exploder, and really was happy with the REI self inflating sleeping pad. I had zero complaints about my sleeping arrangements, unlike when I previously used simple foam pads. I got up, walked to the bathroom, returned and re-arranged the inside of the Exploder, had a breakfast bar, and started my day.

I had reserved a campsite for the day at Cape Lookout State Park, about 81 miles north. According to Google it’s about a 2 hour drive and I had the entire day to do it. Cool! That should leave some time for taking some pictures.

Path to the Pacific at Beachside State Recreation Site

I started by snapping a few iPhone pictures of my campsite at Beachside State Recreation Site with the iPhone. My site was maybe 50 yards from a beach access path, which opened almost directly on to the Pacific and its constant and reassuring gentle roar of the surf. I took the pics but didn’t actually walk on to the sand. As much as I like being at the coast I really am not a big fan of being on the sandy beaches or dunes.

I fired up the Exploder and headed her north along the Oregon Coast Highway (Highway 101) with the sky starting to lighten.

As I came to the Alsea River and crossed the Alsea Bay Bridge at Waldport, the sun was beginning to show above the horizon. I noticed that there was a jetty to the west of the bridge and it occurred to me that there could be a shot of the sun coming up over the bridge just waiting for some tourist that took the time to drive over there.

I looked at Jill the GPS and tried to figure out how to get over there. On my second attempt, after hitting a dead end, I was cruising through the Bayshore area. There are a lot of houses there and pretty much the entire eastern waterfront is private property except for one vacant lot. I drove onto the lot, grabbed my Nikon D610, 50mm lens, and Manfrotto tripod and scurried to the edge of the water.



Alsea Bay Bridge at Waldport

I got set up as the sun was already up over the bridge and realized I couldn’t frame the entire bridge with the 50mm. I didn’t have time to go back and get the wide angle lens, though, so I shot with what I had. I like the results but wish I’d had the wide angle lens. I would really like to go back and try that shot again using the wider lens. Thank you to the residents for leaving the vacant lot, and thank you to the powers that be for a nice image to start my day!

I headed on up the road, until stopping off at Seal Rock State Wayside again. Actually, I stopped at the pull off at Little Creek, just south of NW Cross Street. I got out the Nikon again and took a lot of pictures of the waves hitting the rocks there. I really wanted some sort of wave action and this was about as good as I was going to get in the middle of summer.

I continued up to Newport where I paid another visit to the McDonalds for breakfast and coffee. I took advantage of their free WiFi and uploaded some posts to Facebook, called my wife, and brushed my teeth in the parking lot. Okay, I didn’t need WiFi to brush my teeth.



Yaquina Head Lighthouse

I drove up to Yaquina Head Lighthouse, arriving there about 8:00 AM. I was too late for the golden hour but the sun was still fairly low on the horizon and providing some nice side light. I got some pictures of the lighthouse, the seals on the rocks at Yaquina Head Marine Garden from up above (you can walk down to the rocks), and from the north side of Yaquina Head. I saw some whales spouting but couldn’t really get a picture of them. What a glorious morning it was there! I could easily have taken a position as a lighthouse keeper there!

I did think to myself that I could have used a longer lens while shooting the seals on the rocks. If I’d gone down the path it would certainly have got me closer but I would have lost the perspective of the shot from above. I have a personal philosophy that I don’t buy things just because I think they’d be nice to have, but if they’re somewhat expensive at all and I’m skeptical at all about how much I’d use them I wait until I think I could have actually used the item at least twice before I spend the bucks. This makes occurrence number one for a longer lens (like the Sigma 150 to 600).

After some amount of time at Yaquina Head, I continued on my way north. I drove past Beverly Beach State Park and recognized it as the last place I went camping for many years. My first wife and I camped there in the late 1970’s on our Honda Goldwing. We woke up to rain. The tent and sleeping bags were soaked. We had to crawl out of the small tent (the Goldwing didn’t allow us to take a huge tent) into mud. We had to drive about 120 miles from there to our home in Portland in the rain, soaked and muddy. I didn’t camp again after that until the late 1990’s when my third wife and I started fishing and camping at Detroit Lake in Oregon.

Looking south from Otter Crest Wayside

I made my next stop at Otter Crest State Wayside and the Cape Foul Weather gift shop at about 10:30AM. This is a cute little gift shop perched on the side of a cliff at about 450 feet above sea level. People inside were taking advantage of the whale viewing. I picked up some souvenirs for my wife, a few co-workers, and myself. I took some pics with the iPhone and settled for them without getting a Nikon out. 

After bit more driving I got to Depoe Bay, Oregon at about 11:00 AM. I have always enjoyed Depoe Bay; it resonates with me for some reason. It’s probably my favorite town on the Oregon coast. This was the first time, however, that I actually drove much off of the main highway. With Jill’s guidance I drove to the east side of the bay, past the Coast Guard station, and found a place to park near the marina. I got out and walked around, taking some iPhone pictures of the activity there – people returning from their morning charters were having their fish cleaned. It was a very busy area, people going to and fro, children playing, the smell of the ocean and fish being cleaned, perhaps even some fish tales being told! If I could have a job there I’d have stayed without any hesitation. It made me think of my son and his commercial fishing. I wonder what people must have thought when they saw me walking around with a grin on my face!?

The bridge and marina at Depoe Bay

From there I decided to stop at Boiler Bay State Scenic Viewpoint. I did try some pics with the Nikon there, wanting them to be interesting, but my wanting didn’t make it so. By now the sun was pretty much overhead at about noon, and there really wasn’t much to take a picture of besides the rocks themselves. The best subject were some people fishing on the rocks but even that didn’t seem great. This place is nice when there are heavy swells crashing, mainly in winter, but on the day I was there it was a pleasant summer day, nice in its own right, just not for photographs.

I headed back to Depoe Bay to grab some food at the Sea Hag Restaurant. It’s a place I’ve gone to for years and I’ll always remember taking my kids there. I think the last time we went there we got a bucket of oysters. I just had a wonderful, fresh, cod fish and chips, with a bowl of clam chowder. Yum. Then I got a bag of salt water taffy for my wife before taking some more iPhone pictures and heading north again.



Looking north at Netarts Spit

I travelled through Lincoln City where I fueled up, past the intersection with Highway 18 which leads to Portland through McMinnville and Newberg, where I’d be in a week or so. I continued to Neskowin and then exited Highway 101 onto Brooten Road, passing through Pacific City, and following the road until taking a left on Cape Lookout Road.

I stopped at the pull out that overlooks the Netarts Spit, the base of which is where Cape Lookout State Park campground is located. The overlook is about 325 feet above sea level and gives a nice view of the spit from the south. I tooks some pictures with the iPhone - had to post to Facebook to make everyone that I knew on Facebook who wasn't there with me a bit jealous. Especially the Arizona folks. The Oregonians could get there in a few hours.

I continued on down the hill to the campground and checked in. It was late afternoon and I decided I would put up the tent this time but I wanted to do it before it was dark. I got the camp set up about 5:00 PM and then decided to head on up to Oceanside and Cape Mears.

Cape Mears Lighthouse

There is a small lighthouse at Cape Mears. It's a short walk from the parking lot, perhaps 1/4 of a mile. Note that it is downhill from the parking lot. Going back is a bit more of a chore. There are two paths from the parking lot and both of them have benches along the path so that you can stop and rest on the way up, or stop and enjoy the scenery. This light house is tough to get a good picture of due to the small size of the grounds where it is located and the likelihood of other visitors that will be in the picture.

From there I decided to find something for dinner. I went in to Oceanside but the only thing I could find was a good sized diner and I wasn't really interested in a big meal. I just wanted a cheap gas station sandwich but there aren't any gas stations in Oceanside. I punched "grocery store" in to Jill the GPS and she claimed to find one. When I got there it was an old, closed up building. The next nearest store was in Tillamook so off I went.

I got to Safeway but instead of getting a cold sandwich I bought a couple of pieces of their hot deli chicken and some potato wedges. I already had my own water. I ate in the Exploder while posting some things in the Safeway parking lot. There hadn't been any cell phone reception out on the beach. I watched a cute girl in a car with California plates pull up in front of me and sit a few minutes before a guy pulled up in a car with Oregon plates. She got in his car and they drove off.

When I was done I headed back to Oceanside and located a public parking lot with beach access. I chatted a while with a guy driving a motorcycle who was sitting on a fence playing his acoustic guitar he'd brought with him. He was from a bit of a distance (I think he said he was from Salem) and had gone out for a quick ride but ended up at Oceanside.

Oceanside, Oregon

Oceanside is a cute little town situated mainly on a hillside facing southwest overlooking the Pacific. What a pretty place to live if you can. Even visiting was nice. But the coolest thing are the Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge just off shore from Oceanside. In the summer months the sunset can be lined up between the rocks making for a great sunset photo.

I took the D610 and tripod down to the actual sand. The wind was blowing a bit but not kicking up sand. I got some very nice pictures there with both the Nikon and the iPhone. There were kids on the beach flying kites and I was worried at first that they'd ruin the shot but when I was composing through the viewfinder I found I actually preferred the shot when they were in it. I got plenty of both!


Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge


After the sun disappeared I made my way back up the beach to the Exploder and then back to my campsite. I got there in near dark. I decided to pour a few ounces of Johnny Walker, reviewed the pics on my cell phone and Nikon as I had a drink, then went to bed and again slept like a babe!

Click here for the next installment...