Oregon

TWO5: 10/15/18

I’m keeping it simple this week; just four new photos on 500px.

I can’t believe we’re already halfway through October.  Time inexorably slips by, and it just seems to go faster with each passing year.  But it is my favorite time of year: autumn!  We got out this weekend for some local fall color, so look for some of those pictures coming really soon!

Boats floating at a frosty dock at sunrise on Diamond Lake in Oregon | LotsaSmiles Photography

This first picture was from our trip to Crater Lake.  We camped in a cabin at the nearby Diamond Lake, and with a chilly evening (we had a blizzard at the lake) and clear skies predicted the following morning, I had a hunch we’d get some morning mist.  I pried myself out of bed, and I was rewarded with this beautiful morning scene.  You can read all about that day here. Continue reading →

TWOI: 5/28/18

Happy Monday once again!

Unsurprisingly, this was another difficult week to rank, but here goes!

This first one is from our hike on the Savage Alpine Trail in Denali National Park.  It was cloudy, but it was such a beautiful experience in that remarkable park.  Next time, we’ll have to stay long enough for the clouds to clear so we can see the grand mountain in person!

Cloudy, grassy mountaintop | LotsaSmiles Photography

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TWOI: 5/21/18

Good morning, and welcome to another new week!

This week’s set was very difficult to sort – I love them all for different reasons!  I hope you like them, too.

This first one is of Yosemite’s Three Brothers.  We ventured out early to catch them in the first rays of dawn, and we had to hike through several inches of snow to reach the viewpoint.  Truthfully, I didn’t make it all the way to the official spot selected for this shoot; I was too distracted by the beauty of this vantage.  But that’s ok; I like my angle better, anyway 🙂

Moody shot of the peaks of Yosemite's Three Brothers | LotsaSmiles Photography

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Photostory: The Duane-venture

I’m taking a slight break from the Bryce posts to bring you a local photostory.  As the weather continues to improve, we’re getting out more, and I’m taking more pictures of the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

The trip involves closed paved roads, easy trails, tough trails, tunnels, scrambling, and really nice scenery.  The distance is 5-6 miles.  Elevation gain is approximately 800 feet.  There will be ropes.

Equipment:
– Layers of clothing you don’t mind getting dirty
– Sturdy boots with good traction
– Flashlight (yep)
– Work gloves
– Sunglasses for protection against branches
– Spare clothes to change into afterwards
– Definitely bring camera gear, but keep it light.  Tripods are recommended.

The Duane-venture

Woman in a riverbank in a mossy forest, photographing the water | LotsaSmiles Photography

We have a friend.  His name is Duane.  He knows a lot of the local hikes, and he’s kind enough to share those with us.  He likes to chase waterfalls.

Duane’s also familiar with many “off-road” trails – ones without parking lots or paved paths or crowds.  Most don’t have bathrooms.  Many don’t have officially marked trailheads.  Some don’t even have well-established paths through the underbrush.

These are the hikes we’ve dubbed the “Duane-ventures.”  And these are oftentimes the highlights of my summers.
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TWOI: 5/7/18

Another week, another seven photos!  How are you folks liking the new style?  I’ve been trying it out for a while now, and though I like the new consistency it lends to my feed, I’m not always pleased with the muted colors.  I have some more ideas that I’d like to try with my Instagram, so I might be rolling some of those out soon.  I welcome your thoughts below!

This first picture was from a sunrise attempt in Tokyo.  Honestly, while we were vacationing there, we didn’t give much thought to planning an official shoot.  We merely walked across this bridge the night before, saw the cool tunnel effect the buildings lent, and noticed it also happened to face east.  We just got up the next morning and hoped for the best.

As is often the case, the sun wasn’t in the right position to shine down this canal, and it was a bit cloudy anyway.  However, I did appreciate the flock of seagulls that all took off from the water, giving me a more interesting subject to this otherwise mediocre scene.

Seagulls flying over a river between two rows of buildings | LotsaSmiles Photography

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TWOI: 3/26/18

Another fun set this week.

I’ve been experimenting (again) with a few things on Instagram to improve visibility, and I have a few more ideas.  Look forward to my feed continuing to improve!

This first image was from my bush plane flight to the backwoods of Alaska to backpack and chase bears.  It was an unforgettable trip.  If you missed those stories, you can find them all right here.

A landscape of thousands of Alaskan lakes, viewed from a bush plane | LotsaSmiles Photography

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TWOI: 3/19/18

Oh boy, this week was tough!  I really like these images this week, and I hope you do too.  But liking them so much did make it difficult to choose my favorites.

This first one looks back on the single road that stretches into Denali National Park.  We spent an entire day on a bus just like that one, hopping out periodically to snap a few shots like this one.  We had clouds while we were there, but they added some interesting texture to the sky.  You can read all about that journey here.

Shuttle bus crossing a river bridge in front of the misty mountains of Denali National Park | This Week On Instagram - LotsaSmiles Photography

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A Winter Day at the Coast

I have just a quick one for you this week, as we leave soon for our next adventure: Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park!

Things have been incredibly busy for us lately; activities seem to come in waves.  So it was a relief to catch a break and escape to the coast for a day.

coast-3

We lucked out with perfect weather (rare at the beach, and even rarer this time of year), and it was nourishing for our souls to be away from the hustle and bustle for just a short time.

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WC: My Favorite Things to Shoot Around Portland

Portland is a wonderful city.  I’ve been living in the area for many years now, and I simply love it.  One of the benefits to living in a place for a long period of time is the photo opportunities.  Any place can be beautiful.  But the truly magical moments are sporadic and fleeting.  You might luck out with timing, but that’s sheer coincidence.  To guarantee success in a particular place, living there certainly gives you the upper hand.

Over the years, I have found there are so many things I love photographing in this city.  Here are some of my favorites – something of a personal photo tour, if you will.
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