Recently, I wandered just out my front door and up Mt. Tabor to capture a panorama of Portland at sunset.  However, the panorama was not the only shot I brought home.  In going along with my goal this year to try and capture as much of the Fall colors as I can, I tried to get as many different shots from that location.  The colors were still shining brightly, even though all around town the leaves are piling up along the roadsides and in people’s yards, leaving the trees bare.  I knew this may be my last chance to get the full effect of Autumn sunlight in Portland.

The full gallery includes some grand views of the city, HDR shots to capture the full range of light, details of the colors, and even some impressionistic shots throughout the park.  Check it out!

Recently, I’ve been experimenting with the concept of impressionistic photography. I first felt inspiration to explore this side of taking photos by William Neil. I was intrigued by how he could create these dreamy, suggestive scenes, all from right behind the camera, on-location. It became my goal to produce similar images, creating the entire effect away from the computer.

I love the idea of having some of my photos represent their subjects, rather than show them literally. It allows for a more interpretive view of my work, giving a perspective that is specific to the viewer. As I continue to explore this side of my photography, my mind has been opening up to other ways this technique can be used to produce very unique imagery. The full gallery will continue to grow into the future, I’m sure. But for now, enjoy the samples below.

Since it’s such an easy and commonly known hike, I was surprised that I was unaware of the beauty of Elowah Falls and Upper McCord Creek Falls within the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon side.  Elowah Falls especially was quite incredible since it was so tall and majestic.  Being the end of Summer, Upper McCord Creek Falls was running very light, with only one side of the normally double waterfall flowing freely.

The hike was certainly more on the easy side, with very little elevation change, and only a short distance.  But even with such little effort, I was happy to get such a fantastic reward.  It was late afternoon by the time I began shooting the falls and details along the trail, but as a photographer, that’s when I prefer to be hiking.  The evening light is simply breathtaking within the Gorge as it cascades eastward, cutting in and out of the crevices along the cliffs.  The falls themselves were deep within one of these inlets, so the light didn’t become an asset until the entire Gorge was in view.  The low, warm light flicked over the trees highlighting their details with such subtlety and grace, adding so much depth to the scene.

I also took the opportunity to try out the technique of some more impressionistic photography.  I’ve seen this technique mastered by William Neil and have always wanted to experiment with it.  The dreamy, surreal images produced by impressionism in photography have always fascinated me and, if done right, can truly be works of art.  I definitely enjoyed trying this out, and hope to further develop my skills in this area.  So expect more updates along these lines in the future.

Below are a few excerpts from the hike, but as always there are plenty more in the full gallery.