Monthly Archives: April 2011

One more outing in ONP

I had just a few hours left to shoot in Olympic National Park.  The weather was overcast with some occasional rain. I thought these would be good conditions for some stream photography so I headed back to the Sol Duc region to work the nice stream there.  As I walked into the park, the few other visitors there were walking out which meant I had this whole area to myself for a couple of hours.  The shot above turned out to be my favorite.

 

0 comments
Comment

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

    Washington’s Pacific coast

     

    Olympic National Park is known for its coastal beaches featuring impressive sea stacks and shores lined with hundreds of huge logs washed up over many years. During  low tides, tidal pools reveal urchins, starfish and other sea creatures. The photograph above is from Second Beach as the sun was descending over the Pacific ocean. The trailhead to Second Beach starts on the Quileute Indian Reservation. This beach is one of a number of beaches and shore line areas within the boundaries of the National Park.  Some are accessible after a short hike while others require some good effort to reach. All are worth the effort.

    2 comments
    Comment

    Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

    • Sue RamdinApril 27, 2011 - 4:53 pm

      This is beautiful! Thought about going there last fall, but the idea of “sneaker waves” scared me off!

    • Mike WalkerApril 27, 2011 - 6:33 pm

      Thanks Sue! Didn’t see any ‘sneaker waves’ but we were there as the tide was going out.

    Wildlife in Olympic

    Our next workshop location was in the Hoh rain forest but instead of shooting forest landscapes due to the sunny conditions, we were treated to some of Olympic’s frequent wildlife.  The Barred Owl above was exhibiting some unusual behavior.  Our instructor, Art Wolfe, first spotted this owl standing on the ground in the full sun.  These owls typically are only visible at twilight.  This owl was certainly enjoying the sun and getting in 40 winks.

    The Douglas Squirrel (below) is common in these forests. It feeds on the seeds of Douglas fir and Sitka spruce as well as acorns and berries.

    You would have a hard time visiting any part of the Olympic National Park without spotting a number of Black-tailed Deer.  Many are used to park visitors and often graze near park trails without concern for the busy human traffic.

    0 comments
    Comment

    Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

      Sol Duc River

      Our first workshop shoot was in the Sol Duc River area of Olympic National Park.  There are great streams and the Sol Duc falls here but the weather was sunny today, making some hard contrasty light conditions.  I searched out some small scenes using a macro lens.  The shot above is a group of tiny ferns that were growing up on a large fallen tree trunk that had been cut to open up the trail path.

      A bridge takes you over the Sol Duc falls and the sun light filtered through the tall old growth trees cast these rays over the falls.

      0 comments
      Comment

      Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

        The Hoh rain forest

        The enchanted forest….how else can you describe this place?  It is truly spectacular.  Old growth spruce and maple trees covered in mosses and ferns looking like the trees are wearing coats.  Everywhere you look is a different spectacle.

        Below is a close-up look at the plant life covering these trees.

        On the way out of the area, I saw a couple of elk grazing in a pond.  The elk are numerous in this area, helping to keep the forest floor open and the bushes trimmed.

        0 comments
        Comment

        Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

          Tongue Point

           

          Drove up to Tongue Point in the Salt Creek Recreation Area. It is a point of land that sticks out into the Straight of Juan De Fuca which is the body of water that separates the U.S. from Canada at this location. The point is known for its tidal pools and during low tide, you can walk out and search for sea creatures.  I found this good size starfish sitting in a small pool of water.  I can’t tell if he looks like he is swimming to the right or running to the left…

          There were thousands of California mussels attached to rocks everywhere.  You couldn’t help but to walk on them they covered so much of the ground.  This mussels below were attached to the vertical wall of a rock.

          You could spend a lot of time searching the tidal pools, although you don’t want to be standing here at high tide!  These patterns of the grasses below as they flowed with the water, caught my eye.

          0 comments
          Comment

          Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

            ONP – Marymere Falls

             

            This is Marymere Falls located near Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park in the state of Washington. It’s a 90 foot cascade which flows into Barnes Creek.  The hike to the falls goes through an old growth forest full of giant trees, mosses and ferns. I’m on the Olympic Peninsula headed to a photography workshop with legendary nature photographer, Art Wolfe.  Should be a great couple of days!

             

            0 comments
            Comment

            Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

              Follow Mike