In the southwest Oregon Coast is the Samuel H. Boardman State Scening Corridor. Arguably some of the most iconic Oregon Coast landscapes can be located here. Here along the Pacific Coast Trail the morning sun is beginning to peek through the coastal fog through the branches of the Douglas Fur forest. Location: Southern Oregon Coast
Located along the farthest northern edge of the Northern California Coast sits the Battery Point Lighthouse. This lighthouse has been the icon of Crescent City for decades. The lighthouse sits on an island only accessible at low tide. On the island, in addition to the lighthouse is a collection of retired fishing buoys. Location: Battery Point Lighthouse
A minimalistic capture of a rusty cable clamp as it hangs from a small rope at the water tower of the iconic Battery Point Lighthouse on the Northern California Coast. Location: Crescent City, California
An abstract view of a greenish-blue shutter with a porthole on the iconic Battery Point Lighthouse. Location: Crescent City, California
Located along the farthest northern edge of the Northern California Coast sits the Battery Point Lighthouse. The legendary shape of the lighthouse has been the icon of Crescent City for decades. The lighthouse sits on an island only accessible at low tide. Location: Battery Point Lighthouse
Located along the farthest northern edge of the Northern California Coast sits the Battery Point Lighthouse. This lighthouse has been the icon of Crescent City for decades. The lighthouse sits on an island only accessible at low tide. On the island, in addition to the lighthouse is a collection of retired fishing buoys. Location: Battery Point Lighthouse
Located along the farthest northern edge of the Northern California Coast sits the Battery Point Lighthouse. This lighthouse has been the icon of Crescent City for decades. The lighthouse sits on an island only accessible at low tide. On the island, in addition to the lighthouse is a collection of retired fishing buoys. Location: Battery Point Lighthouse
While walking the beach at blue hour on the Oregon Coast, this set of rocks called to me. The way the waves would envelop the rock formation from both sides. Then swirling in the sand at my feet was extremely mesmerizing. Location: Brookings, Oregon.
The Ariel chairlift of the Mt. Ashland Ski Resort sits idle in the summer breeze as Mount McLaughlin (9495' / 2894m) the tallest peak in Southern Oregon dominates the horizon. Mount Ashland is an amazing place. Somewhat easily accessible by car/foot in the summer, it is only accessible by this chairlift during the winter. Location: Mount Ashland
The Siskiyou Mountains of Southern Oregon glow in the setting sun. Ridge shadows give way to the evening haze. It feels like you can almost see the Pacific Ocean from here if it were not for the last bit of the Coast Range in the distance. Location: Oregon Siskiyou Mountains
If you have ever been to Klamath Falls you know it has several mountainous peaks that dominate the landscape. One of which is Stukel Mountain south of town. The Lost River runs around the base of Stukel Mountain as it carves its way through the basin floor. The most majestic place on the river is a near lake like area behind the Horseshoe Dam. On a late spring evening, I came down to those area knowing that the moonlight and Milky Way were going to line up for an iconic shot on the water. Location: Klamath Falls, Oregon
At 7532' / 2296m of elevation, Mount Ashland is a dominant peak in the Southern Oregon Skyline as is Mount McLaughlin seen in the distance. Atop of Mount Ashland sits the only ski resort in Southern Oregon. Its tallest and most iconic double chairlift, Ariel, is a skiers bucket list ride. The views from the top of the lift extend over one hundred miles in every direction possible. Here we stand on granite boulders on a clear evening looking north across the Siskiyous, over the Rogue Valley, and into the Cascade Mountain Range. In the very far distance, the peaks of the Crater Lake rim Diamond Peak can be seen. Location: Mount Ashland, Oregon.
The Siskiyou Mountains of Southern Oregon glow in the setting sun. Ridge shadows give way to the evening haze. It feels like you can almost see the Pacific Ocean from here if it were not for the last bit of the Coast Range in the distance. Location: Oregon Siskiyou Mountains
The Astoria-Megler Bridge stretches the mighty Columbia River just 14 miles from where it meets the Pacific Ocean. Opened to the public in July of 1966 the bridge connects US Highway 101 between Oregon and Washington. I am not sure what draws me in about this structure, but I have always been captivated by its majesty. The south end curly-q tail ramp and length of over 4 miles I am sure have something to do with it. On this night, this photograph was my backup plan. My initial subject was unavailable due to higher-than-expected overnight tides. However, I believe it worked out in the end.
In the high desert of South Central Oregon, the Aurora Borealis danced across the night sky for several hours. Location: Gerber Reservoir, Oregon.
In eastern Klamath County, Gerber Reservoir rests quietly. On this warm April night, the Aurora Borealis made a dramatic appearance. As seen here through a fence. Location: Gerber Reservoir, Oregon.
A thin crescent moon lights the foreground as the Northern Lights dance in the Southern Oregon sky. Location: Eastern Klamath County, Oregon
The Northern Lights dance with meteors in the South Central Southern Oregon sky of the high desert. Location: Eastern Klamath County, Oregon
The Columbia River bar is one of the most dangerous on the planet. At the mount, on the Washington side of the river, sits Cape Disappointment State Park. Home to some of the largest crashing waves on the west coast of the United States. Here, waves from a winter storm pound the rocks at Waikiki Beach in Washington State near the Columbia River Bar. Location: Cape Disappointment, Washington.
The Oregon Coast is full of beauty from California to Washington. But the best views can be found inside the Boardman Scenic Corridor between Brookings and Gold Beach. The corridor is littered with a high density of state parks including the viewpoint for Arch Rock. Arch Rock is on the north side of the view at Windy Point, but in the summer months, at night, the best view is looking south. Location: Arch Rock State Park, Oregon
Crater Lake formed an estimated 7700 years ago when the colossal mountain named Mazama erupted and collapsed. Fast forward seven millennia, the mountain has filled with water become the deepest lake in the United States. Local tribes tell stories of the eruption being a battle between the heavens above and the earth below. It is believed that modern man discovered the lake at or near this location now called Discovery Pont. On a warm August night with a nearly full moon, I found myself re-discovering this location all over again. I have always been a fan of this location, it has the best view of the island, framed by ponderosa and whitebark trees. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregton
On the north side of the Crater Lake Caldera is a green-colored rock face known as the Palisades. This is an often overlooked and fascinating location within the park. This view showcases a Mt. Scott and a full moon in the background. The epic waters of Crater Lake and the interior caldera lit by the moon. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
Most who visit Crater Lake do so during the day but it shines brightest under moonlight. This epic location is not too far from Rim Village and is often featured as an Instagram hotspot. Beware, venturing out onto the cliff edge is not without its risks. Several have never made it back from the point alive. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.
Mount Thielsen is known as the lightning rod of the Cascades. Elidgely, it receives more annual lightning strikes than any other peak in the Cascades. I cannot confirm this, however, it is an absolutely spectacular and majestic peak. Location: Central Oregon
A National Park Ranger once told me that Crater Lake has two seasons, winter and August. This is one of the truest statements I have ever heard about the park. Summer days in the park are often warm, sometimes downright hot. While the nights can be cool and crisp. Before you can enjoy the night, there are epic sunsets to behold. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
The shores of Agency Lake provided a fantastic viewpoint to watch a fast-moving thunderstorm travel north along the crest of the Southern Oregon Cascades in August 2022. As bats flew overhead feasting on summer insects, lighting illuminated the basin. Location: Chiloquin, Oregon
A summer thunderstorm rolled quickly through the Wood River Valley near the base of Crater Lake and the community of Fort Klamath in August 2022. On this night, I set up at one of my favorite locations along a creek to capture the passing storm. Location: Fort Klamath, Oregon
A single bolt of lighting illuminates the Southern Oregon Cascades as the sky is filled with rain on the right and fire smoke on the left. Location: Chase Mountain, Oregon
In the middle of the 2022 fire season portions of Northern California were burning to the ground. One of these locations was in the view of this fire lookout tower in southern Klamath County. (glow seen in the lower left) . Now occupied by cameras and computers, this tower once housed a couple of full-time scouts that scanned the Southern Oregon Cascades for new and fresh hotspots. Today, the tower automatically scans for new fires but still stands tall 6000 feet over the landscape. On this night, I was just outside of the river of smoke to see witness the lit tower, fire, and Milky Way. Location: Chase Mountain, Oregon
Southern Oregon is full of spectacular views - mountains, valleys, forests, rivers, and so much more. One of those special locations is the vista from Chase Mountain in southern Klamath County. On this afternoon, thunderstorms were rolling across the basin. Clouds were zooming by thanks to the high upper level winds. For a split moment, a rift opened up in the canopy allowing a bright shine of light to gleam through into the Klamath River Canyon below. I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to capture this unreal phenomenon. Location: Klamath County, Oregon
On a warm night in July 2022, Mother Nature kicked off an amazing display of the Northern Lights. The aurora was visible as south as Northern California. On this night, I visited Crater Lake, Oregon with the hope of capturing the lights over the park and they did not disappoint. Through some planning, I realized the best views of the aurora on this night would not be over the lake but rather over the northwestern side of the park toward Mt. Thielsen 15-miles north. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
On a warm night in July 2022, Mother Nature kicked off an amazing display of the Northern Lights. The aurora was visible as south as Northern California. On this night, I visited Crater Lake, Oregon with the hope of capturing the lights over the park and they did not disappoint. Through some planning, I realized the best views of the aurora on this night would not be over the lake but rather over the northwestern side of the park toward Mt. Thielsen 15-miles north. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
On a warm night in July 2022, I found myself on the rim of the Crater Lake caldera for a potential night of aurora activity. As I was waiting for the Northern Lights to kick off I set up at Discovery Point to calibrate the camera system. Then all of a sudden, a massive shooting star or possibly even a piece of space junk entered the atmosphere and illuminated the dark sky. I feel fortunate to have been able to witness such a mystical occurrence and just as fortunate to have my camera open and capturing an image as it streaked across the sky. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.
One of my all time favorite images and best sellers is "Whitebark and the Wizard." It is an amazing piece but, I never liked how faded the galactic core appeared. For several years, I planned to recreate the image. I patiently waited for the right time of year - to position the Milky Way just right. With just the perfect amount of moonlight to illuminate the foreground, whitebark tree, and Wizard Island. It all came together when a beam of headlights kicked off from Discovery Point to add a little something extra to the capture. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.
In early July of 2022 small patches of snow could still be found at Crater Lake including this one inside the caldera at Discovery Point. On this cool summer evening, the winds at the surface were calm but winds at cloud level were fierce. Blowing from the south to the north. Working the wind to my advantage a long exposure created mystical streaking cloud formations and showcased the rotation of the earth through the stars in the sky. Location: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon.
The eastern sierras near Mammoth are known for epic winter recreation. But the area is also a hotbed for volcanic-heated hot springs. Several hot springs are in view in this image as they flow into Hot Creek. Location: Eastern Sierras, California.
Just after sunset, the glow from the nearby cities of Reno & Tahoe can be seen over the eastern sierras and Mono Lake. This long exposure was captured along the shores of the South Tufa Area looking north toward Paoha Island. Location: Mono Lake, California
At first glance, the tufas of Mono Lake feel alien with their oddities. However, they are uniquely iconic in their earthly forms. In this spring photo, the formations are illuminated by the setting moon over the Sierras behind the camera. Just as the Milky Way rises behind the formations to the east. 🌌🌔 What is not seen in the image are all the half-dollar-sized spiders hiding in the nooks and crannies. 😬 Location: Mono Lake, California
On this cool and crisp spring night, the rising Milky Way' core pops behind the tufas of Mono Lake. Location: Mono Lake, California
The stars shine bright over the Southern Oregon Cascades and Upper Klamath Lake as the glow from the lights of Klamath Falls illuminates the clouds. Location: Rocky Point, Oregon
The galactic core of the Milky Way rises over behind Canby's Cross at the Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California. The cross is a memorial to the only US General killed in combat in US history. Location: Lava Beds National Monument, California
Sunrise on the Lighthouse Jetty of Crescent Harbor in California. Location: Crescent City, California
This amazing sunrise at the Crescent Harbor looks over the B Street Pier to Whalers Island on the opposite side of the harbor. Location: Crescent City, California
A California Sea Lion poses in the warm spring sun on a dock at the Crescent City harbor. Location: Crescent City, California
Sunsets in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon rarely dissapoint. On this warm July night, the sky lit up with dramatic pink hues and reflected in the waters of Lava Lake. In the distance South Sister Mountain (on the left) and Broken Top Mountain (on the right) peak above the forest.
This lone doe surprised me on my way back to camp at Lava Lake Resort in July 2022. I had just photographed an amazing sunset over the lake when this young lady popped her head up right in front of me. I had the opportunity to watch her for a moment. She stayed in place just long enough for me to compose this shot and catch her chomping on some fresh dinner greens.
White snow-covered Wizard Island pops against the deep blue color of Crater Lake. Winter is by far my favorite time to visit the lake, it is when the park is at its most beautiful.
