Deserts and Grasslands
The first rays of sunlight shining down over a field of Arrowleaf Balsamroot at Rowena Crest, Oregon in the Eastern Columbia River Gorge. In early spring, the eastern end of the gorge is one of the first places in the region where the wildflowers begin to bloom. After a long Pacific Northwest winter, seeing these stunning wildflowers is very refreshing!
Sunrise light over a field of Arrowleaf Balsamroot at Rowena Crest in the Eastern Columbia River Gorge. In early spring, the eastern end of the gorge is one of the first places in the region where the wildflowers begin to bloom. After a long Pacific Northwest winter, seeing these stunning wildflowers is very refreshing!
Mt Hood towers above a field of wildflowers (Arrowleaf Balsamroot and Columbia Gorge Broad Leaf Lupine) in the Columbia Hills of Washington. I always enjoy making the annual spring trip out to the Columbia Hills to check out the wildflowers. In early spring, the eastern end of the gorge is one of the first places in the region where the wildflowers begin to bloom. After a long Pacific Northwest winter, seeing these stunning wildflowers is very refreshing!
Early morning light at Borax Hot Springs in the Alvord Desert of Oregon. The extremely cold air temperature helped create a thick layer of hoarfrost on the grasses surrounding the hot spring. The quietness of this area was something that caught me by surprise. The only sounds I heard that morning were the occasional bubbles rising in the hot spring. This made for a very peaceful and relaxing morning. This image as selected as the winner of the Wildands category of the "Oregon Wild 2011 Photo Contest".
Sunrise alpenglow illuminates Mt Hood above a field of springtime wildflowers in the Columbia Hills of Washington. To achieve sharp focus throughout the frame, I used a technique I call "compression blending". This technique is an extreme form of depth of field blending and involves using a telephoto lens to compress the different elements in the scene. Once the optimal composition is determined, multiple images are captured at different focus points. The sharp images are later assembled in post processing to create one final image that is sharp throughout.