Central Oregon Autumn Ground cover.The next fine art print in my Macro photography art gallery.

Despite what you might think, I often find more difficulty with macro photography than I do with the big sweeping western landscapes for which I’m more well known.  Frankly, finding and capturing very small yet attractive scenes is very challenging for me.  What small scene is interesting enough to merit the expense and time commitment of shooting the scene, having expensive prints made, and then having the image framed, and then having the courage to show the print in public and have it be scrutinized by your peers and potential collectors?

Central Oregon Autumn Ground Cover

In actuality,I find most macro photography somewhat cliched.  How many close-ups of out of focus roses do I need to see?  It is rare for me to find a macro image that is unique and doesn’t have any distracting and unsightly debris in the field of view.

Another difficulty I have with macro images is that they rarely convey a sense of place.  I like to draw a parallel between Fine Art Landscape photography and the high end wine world.  Both fine wines and fine art landscape photographs are a product of a special place on earth(think terroir in the wine world) and unique timing.  No other wine will taste exactly like a 2007 Penner Ash  Dussin Vineyard Pinot Noir (one of my personal favorites)  and no other photograph will look exactly like a given fine art landscape photograph from Sparks Lake at sunrise after fresh snowfall in the mountains.   Both the Penner Ash Pinot Noir and the Sparks Lake Print are unique because of the landscape and timing that make both of these wonderful things possible.

While the above photograph may never be one of my best sellers, I do feel that it conveys a sense of terroir and for me it holds enough interest to make it a worthy fine art photograph.  I love the variation of color, the small water droplets and swirling motion of the uniquely shaped autumn foliage.  This is an image that I nearly missed because I was focusing on the big picture.  I was at Sparks Lake where I shot this New Sparks lake Photo.  I was trying to find one more unique composition of South Sister and Broken Top framed over the glassy waters of Sparks Lake when I briefly looked down to find the splash of color and texture which eventually became the image you see above.  I searched about on my hands and knees for quite some time, examining different little bits of ground cover until I found the tiny little scene that you see above.   I shot this image with my large format 4×5 camera and I can’t wait to see this as a large framed print because of the way it uniquely represents a small but unique photographic terroir that is dear to me.

Thanks for visiting,

Mike Putnam

Nov 27, 2009 | Oregon photo blog entries | 2 Comments »

Central Oregon’s Mt. Washington Greeting Cards

Continuing on in my series of new greeting cards which will soon be released, I’ll share a photo of Oregon’s Mt. Washington, one of the lesser recognized of the Central Oregon volcanoes. Mount Washington has its own wilderness area and is easily visible from both Santiam Pass and McKenzie pass.  From along Santiam Pass and high above Suttle Lake, Mt. Washington has a shape somewhat reminiscent to the Matterhorn, but of course in a smaller version.  It is a beautiful mountain.  One of my favorite views of this scenic mountain is seen from Big Lake which is located near HooDoo ski resort slightly west of Santiam Pass.  Big Lake is where I captured the following image which is represented in my soon to be released line of Central Oregon Greeting Cards.

Picture/photo of Oregon's Mt. Washington greeting card as seen from Big Lake

Big Lake is a great recreational location offering camping, hiking, fishing, boating and great mountain views of Mt. Washington.  I captured this Oregon Landscape photo last fall after an autumn snow covered the alpine areas high above the lake.  To view some other pictures I took on this same colorful evening along the shores of Big lake click this link Mt. Washington Photos.  This was one of many great photos I took that evening.  The photography conditions were exceptional for several reasons.  First, it is a great location for landscape photography regardless of the conditions. Second, the freshly fallen snow made for a much more detailed and interesting scene, giving is a more alpine look and feel.  Third, the clouds were awesome, as was the sunset light which changed dramatically by the minute(see the previous link for some examples).  Lastly, there was very little wind, allowing a wonderful mountain reflection of Mt. Washington in the still waters of Big Lake.  This is one of my favorite compositions from that beautiful evening and also one of my wife, Debbie’s favorites.  I think it is a great representation of Oregon’s Mt. Washington on a gorgeous evening and it will be well received in my new line of Central Oregon Cascade Mountain Greeting Cards.  Please check back as there will be two more Central Oregon mountains covered in the next few days before my Art Cards arrive and are available.

Thanks for visiting,

Mike Putnam

Apr 24, 2009 | Central Oregon Cascade Mountains Greeting Cards, Oregon photo blog entries | Leave A Comment »