Out of Olympic 2025 Recap

First off, I want to thank all the attendances for making this all possible. Without you, there is no conference. I am fairly new to the Out of Chicago events, and this was my first field session with them. I sensed a great level of enthusiasm from you all as we visited and photographed Olympic National Park together. Exclusive to attendees, use code chicago250 to save $250 off your first workshop with me and chicago15 to save 15% off your first NiSi filter order through my site (no tax either). I hope to see some of you again in the future! And thank you to Chris, Jennifer, Bob, Ann, and Tony and the Out of Chicago crew for organizing a memorable event. I fully appreciated the opportunity to be a part of it.

I arrived in the small town of Kalaloch midday Saturday. Comprised of a lodge, restaurant, and campgrounds, there’s really not much of a town to speak of. But walking down the trail to Beach 4 lies a unique world of rugged and gentle beauty. I began to explore the sandy shores in preparation for the upcoming groups I’d be guiding here. While I have been here a handful of times before, rarely have I brought my own workshop groups here. I had yet to see my itinerary, but it turned out I would be visiting here four times over the course of the week, twice with groups and twice without. A deeper appreciation for Beach 4 was taking root. As with any location, more time spent often reveals a deeper connection to a place. Opportunities present themselves under different weather, times of day, and even the tides. They present themselves even more so with a different mindset.

The following morning was scouting day with Adrian Klein, David Thompson, and Eric Bennett. We arrived at Sol Duc Falls shortly after sunrise with morning light filtering through the trees as we descended to the main falls. Having spent plenty of time here, I knew the are upriver from the falls would offer a lot of unique scenes beyond the obvious iconic shot from the bridge. Fall foliage lined the banks of the Sol Duc River and small tributaries offered up calm reflections of golden morning light.

That evening, David Cobb and Richard Martin gave keynote presentations on storytelling through photography and creativity. I found the midday panel discussions throughout the week very inspiring, hearing other photographers discussing their approaches and styles. David gave me food for thought on how to better tell stories, and I took that with me in the field to share with anyone who was within ear shot. Richard is a whimsical photographer who truly creates directly from inspiration with no filters or restrictions. As I’ve grown as a photographer, letting go of expectations and being receptive to what surrounds me has been invaluable. I enjoyed helping folks refine their images as well as pointing out the things that my eye is drawn to. Patterns, shapes, textures, light and shadow. And faces. Pretty sure I saw this quote from Minor White during the conference:

“One should not only photograph things for what they are but for what else they are.”

During a panel discussion, TJ Thorne shared the idea that one does not “develop their style” but rather they reveal it over time. Eloquently put TJ. Moving towards personally rewarding images is a lifelong journey and constantly evolving. One element which has stayed with me over time is punctuated color. Here are a few final images taken along the way with some intense moments of color. Thank you again for a wonderful week in Olympic National Park.

Warm regards,
Jim Patterson