sunset, mykonos

sunset mykonos

I didn’t exactly know what to expect when we went to Mykonos; I knew there would be beautiful blue water, beaches, and a quaint old village somewhere with white-washed exteriors and blue doors. I didn’t expect gorgeous rolling, arid hills with rock walls coralling sheep, goats, and the occasional cow or horse.

Our lodgings were an old windmill high up on a hill overlooking a gorgeous bay (stocked with expensive yachts and sailboats, no less), and we didn’t have to go far to find photo opportunities. The previous shot, at sunrise, was a short hike away from our windmill. This one was on the ridge opposite ours. We were hoping that we would get a beautiful full moon rising over the island, but it was too hazy on the horizon for that, so I changed my view, back along the stone wall in front of me. I snapped a few shots, and then, Hudson and I high-tailed it to the other side of the ridge to see if we could get a shot of the setting sun. I don’t think I really got anything post-worthy there, but I think Hudson did. I’ll post a link when he does, but, in the meantime, please check out his slideshow of photos taken so far on his European adventure — he is an unbelievably creative photographer, and I learn something every time I go out into the field with him.

sunrise, alvord desert

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Six posts here in all of 2014. Maybe a bit shameful, but I was clearly preoccupied with many things, including the wholesale building of a new life.

I’ll have more to say this year for sure, but to kick off 2015, here is a shot from October’s “Great Alford Desert Adventure,” which was one of my favorite trips of last year. (Which, given last year’s travels, is saying something.)

It was 30° when I took this shot, but I really didn’t notice.

More later. I promise.

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thor’s well

thors-well

Matt Kloskowski, Hudson Henry, Brian Matiash and I drove out to the Oregon Coast yesterday to photograph Thor’s Well, a well-known landmark (part of Cape Perpetua) that is spectacular at high tide. We had hoped for an epic sunset–which wasn’t to be–but we still had a great time. I’d go into more detail, but Hudson has an excellent recap on his blog about our exploits here, so pop over there for more photos and fun.

It was quite a day. We started out at Oneonta Gorge with wetsuits and dry bags to shoot the lower falls, and then high-tailed it out to the coast for sunset, getting back home and to bed after 1 a.m. I’m still working through images, but it felt good to be back out with a camera in my hand. (I see that Matt has already posted his keeper from the Oneonta shoot; mine will probably go up in the next couple of days.)

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duncan @thedaily

duncan-@thedailycafe1

Had dinner with Duncan last night at one of our favorite places, the Daily Cafe, just shooting the breeze about cameras, photography and all that.

Duncan just got Sony’s new RX1 full-frame rangefinder camera, and it’s one of the most beautiful cameras I’ve seen in a while: compact, full-featured, with a beautifully crafted metal body and an amazing Zeiss 35mm f/2.0 lens. I wrested it from him just long enough to grab a few shots, including this one.

The images I’ve seen are just dreamy; I don’t think I could even really contemplate purchasing this camera, given its rather high price tag, but I can definitely see its appeal. It truly looks like a winner.

hudson henry, larch mountain

hudson-henry-larch-mt

Larch Mountain is one of those places in the Columbia River Gorge that few people seem to know about, largely because it is a bit of a one-trick pony: there’s a single, small viewing area at the top of the mountain, a short 5-minute hike up from the parking lot. It’s out of the way if you want to do the Vista House/Multnomah Falls route, and, if you’re looking to make a day of it, there aren’t any simple hiking trails or picnic areas with sweeping vistas. (You can, however, go for the 14.4-mile ‘difficult’ trail from Multnomah Lodge, if, unlike me, you’re sufficiently in shape.)

However, the drive up the mountain is a beautiful winding ride (also 14 miles) through dense forest, and I never tire of it, especially on the bike. If you’re there on a clear day, what you get is a stunning panoramic view of five mountains in the Cascade Range: Jefferson, Hood, Adams, Rainier, and St. Helens. And, at 4,000 feet, the summit of Larch is also much cooler than the river floor, which is one of the reasons I head up here frequently during the summer.

Last night, Duncan and I decided to drive up to the top of Larch. A full moon was due about 25 minutes before sunset, and we were hoping that we might get a shot of the moon coming up alongside Mount Hood. (I was also itching to try the Nikon D800, which I’m evaluating to see if I’m up for the switch from Canon, but that’s a post for another day.)

Unfortunately, the moon came up about 40 degrees to the north of Mt. Hood, so epic moonrise shots weren’t in the cards, but it was still a lot of fun. The top of Larch was like a party, with a large group of folks hoping to watch (or photograph) a lovely sunset in a beautiful place while there was still a hint of warmth in the air. There were photographers with big-ass tripods and others with cameraphones. There were people with friends from out of town, and couples with glasses of champagne toasting the moon. Duncan and I had a great time shooting and chatting in the midst of all this, with the added bonus of meeting the photographer Hudson Henry, who was a blast to be around. And, as it turned out, fun to shoot as well, while he jumped on the bluff atop the mountain to grab some shots of the Columbia valley below. I grabbed the one above and the one below, and couldn’t really decide which one I liked better.

(You can see larger views of either photo by clicking on it.)

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[Duncan has a couple of great shots of Hood over on his blog.]

While you’re at it, check out Hudson’s shot of the Enchantments; it is quite beautiful.

(Yes, this shot is very similar to this one from a couple of years ago. I like that one too.)