The thundering Rapid River in Washington State’s Cascade Mountains
When I see this picture. I feel thunder and cold water in a fine spray. This is a hidden treasure. A waterfall on the Rapid River with no trail to take you there. I’ve been to the start of this river. The first trickle of water off the melting snows high on the crest of the Cascades. A bit of a hard slog and you know you are in bear-county as the trees show claw marks but finding this waterfall is worth the bush whack. The river running fast and cold hits a slab of granite about the size of a football field. There is a huge boulder in of the slab. When the water hits it part of the river takes a 90 degree turn down this shoot. To find this work your way up the bank of the Rapid and listen for the thunder.
When I moved to Seattle I started work with conservation organizations right away. Clean water is something we all need and in Western Washington it’s visually measurable. You can see the rivers. You can see the snow pack in the mountains. You know if it’s going to be a drought year. The organization I partnered with formed from river runners. Through their sport they knew the river intimately and knew they needed protection. They sent me all over Washington State to photograph rivers in trouble. You want to learn the land talk to the people that know the water. Clean water is the most basic of needs.
-Shane
A Rainbow Forming
Happy Earth Day! No entrance fees this week in the National Parks!
So as the amazing light is moving rapidly across the land. It reaches across the canyon and into the sky. And that’s when I capture a Rainbow forming. One of the most awesome displays I’ve ever seen. The wind is gusting so hard it knocks my tripod over. I make a diving catch worthy of the NFL. I can’t lose my camera, not now I think. Shooting and moving trying to get to the location I spotted on the drive in a clear view of the valley and up the Canyon. Here are the rest of the images from that day.
Of flowers and scars
Don’t give up.
A Magnolia can take 15 to 20 years to bloom. I’ve only seen this little one bloom once and it has not since, which has been over a year. I find the whites and the curves of the bloom to be visually interesting. It’s as if Apple took some design cues from this flower. This image is less about a plant and more about doing what you do. You may only produce something beautiful once in a long while but don’t give up. This little guy has been through three hurricanes and looks a bit like a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. I like the blooms imperfections. They tell stories. I’ve got this scar on my hand from running for the bus in first grade. I fell on the ice picked myself up and got on the bus. The drive took one look at the rock in my hand and the blood gushing out and said “I can’t let you on like that.” I didn’t know what to do….I can’t miss school I thought. Next time you are out with a group of friends have a scar story time, you’ll learn something new about them. And they you.
Whirlwind
What an amazing few days! I have to thank everyone for making the Primal Lens launch a success. A week ago I attended a Gallery opening for Lewis Kemper, one of Canon’s Explorers of Light. Look for a blog in the next few days about my conversation with Lewis.
The last 24 hours were very interesting. A lecture by National Geographic Photographer Raymond Gehman on his Y2Y-Yellowstone to Yukon shoot for the magazine was followed with a rapid fire talk by Robert Glenn Ketchum. Ketchum was just featured in American Photo magazine which talks about his work in conservation through photography.
Just pulled in from the Photoshop World Expo in Orlando and Lightroom 3 is going to be a game changer for Photographers. I’ve always been a Photoshop man myself. I ran into Moose Peterson there, not only is he teaching and lecturing he was taking photos on the expo floor. If you’re not familiar with Moose, you guessed it he’s a world renowned wildlife photographer.
Anyway just wanted to say thanks for the outstanding response to the launch and give a preview of blogs to come.
Oh and more photos stories will be added to the Gallery section after I get some real sleep.
-Shane
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