2022 A Year in Review
As April 2023 draws to a close, I am finally awakening from my photographic vacation. I have mostly avoided social media and sharing photos since the end of summer 2022. I admittedly have put too much pressure on myself to constantly be creating and sharing new work. I still enjoy the great outdoors and the photographic pursuit of art, but the drive to always go-go-go has likely passed with time. My highlights for 2022 included adding a Mount Rainier workshop and the scouting involved allowed me to feel a deeper connection to this place that is so close to home. I also ventured across the border to the north and explored Jasper and Banff National Parks and had some amazing breakfasts in Jasper. The beef short rib poutine with poached eggs along with a proper cappuccino will certainly motivate me as much as the scenic beauty of the region.
In no particular order, here are some of my 2022 highlights and a few words with each image.
Scouting for Mount Rainier, I hiked along the Sourdough Ridge trail one evening, but due to the later arrival, I didn’t pack the long lens to lighten my pack. Of course, the layers of mountains had the perfect light. So post workshop, I made another trip and the haze was pretty bad. Still, I liked the finished images of the seemingly endless layers looking to the north.
After the sun had set, I waited for the clouds to clear and the milky way to align with Mount Rainier. Just about midnight was the perfect timing. I used a star tracker and blended several images to get the final shot below.
My spring Olympic National Park workshop unfortunately had more cancelations that attendees. But that also means I am often able to shoot along side my clients and still offer insight and help. The first image below, it was just me and one client. The rain was persistent on the drive in, but as the morning progressed, the weather improved. Storms clouds briefly opened and allowed the sun to do its magic. I used a NiSi 6-stop ND and circular polarizer combo to create this image. Later that same day, both clients joined in a wet but wonderful session at a typically small waterfall. The heavy rains from the week prior breathed new life into this location. After wading into the creek, I decided to create a panorama of the scene.
The final day of my Death Valley workshop saw a storm roll through and create some lovely atmospheric conditions. After the final sunrise in the dunes, I drove along Badwater Road on my way to the airport to capture the shifting light in the Panamint Mountains.
While scouting for my Palouse workshop, I wound up at Steptoe Butte. As the sun set behind me, the golden light illuminated a freshly harvested section of hills. Undeniably, this begged to be photographed.
Early fall, my girlfriend and I made the trip to Jasper and Banff National Parks in Alberta, Canada. While the weather was nice, it was unseasonably warm and mostly clear. Not the best, but certainly was pleasant. I will return, if not for the magnificent view but for the short rib poutine with poached eggs at Harvest Cafe in Jasper! Here a few of the highlights.
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