Ironically, I live in Washington State, but the bulk of my most current outdoor scenic and nature shots were taken in Oregon. Part of the reason for that has to be accessibility of information on the Internet. Oregon has made its park system (for me, anyway) far more visible on the net than has Washington State.
I found it much harder to get park information for Washington State facilities than the Oregon State Parks. That being said, however, photo opportunities in my home state still rate high on my list of places to visit and things to photograph.
The most photo-encouraging locale I know of in Washington State is the Olympic National Park & Rain Forest. Maintained by the U. S. National Park Service with the majority of its area federally designated as Wilderness, the lands within its boundaries include lush rain forests, wet lands rich with exotic plants and aquatic animals, mountains, rivers, lakes and streams – many with cascading waterfalls.
Straddling the Olympic Mountains coastal range, the west side of the mountains receive an average of 12 feet of annual rainfall, while the more easterly regions, on the east slopes are in a “rain shadow” and get only about 25 inches of rain per year.
Capturing images in the rain forest can be photographically challenging, often requiring sturdy rain gear for both photographer and cameras. And, lighting, contrast and exposure can present problems. I recommend using a higher than normal ISO, 400 instead of my normal 200 and a sturdy tripod.
Other handy items for the camera kit include a good umbrella, a polarizing filter and possibly a neutral density filter to help compensate for the long exposures needed to turn a gurgling waterfall into velvety streaks of white against the background of the falls setting.
Flowers and fascinating plants of all kinds are ever present in the rain forest, some even in the temperate winter coastal climate. Moss and moss-covered trees and logs and incredible fungal growths and mushrooms abound, as well as huge first growth forest with trees reaching a hundred feet or more from the darkened depths of the forest below to the sky above.
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| Rialto Beach - Olympic Wilderness |
And, as if it is possible to get tired of the lush vegetation and verdant growth, the sea coast beckons just a few miles to the west. There, the ardent shutter-bug can find trackless beaches, rocky cliffs, crashing surf and unforgettable seascape vistas. Looking beneath your feet, you will frequently find tide pools filled with colorful marine plants and creatures. In the spring and again in the fall, you might even see whales on their coastal migrations from breeding grounds in baja Mexico to feeding grounds in Alaska’s iceberg studded waters.
In case you have missed it from my “flowing prose”, I am excited about the future photographic possibilities awaiting me in Washington’s coastal region.
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