Oregon Landscape Photography at Three Creeks brewery in Sisters, Oregon!
I’ve been a fan of Three Creeks Brewery in Sisters, Oregon since before they ever opened. Three Creeks Brewery is owned and operated by a great group of people and their beer is phenomenal, especially their Hoo Doo Voo Doo IPA. Try it the next time you are in the Sisters area, and while you are there, check out my Oregon Landscape Photography that is now on display in their dining area.
Oregon Landscape Photography at Three Creeks Brewery in Sisters, Oregon
My work will probably be hanging at Three Creeks Brewery for a couple of months and I plan on rotating the Oregon Landscape photography that I display at this wonderful Sisters Oregon location. The above image shows the images I currently have available at Three Creeks. If you’d like to learn more about Hoo Doo Voo Doo IPA From Three Creeks Brewery, follow this link Oregon Beer Reviews.
Thanks For Reading,
Mike Putnam
Sage Cafe at Bend’s Northwest Crossing, My newest Art Gallery!
I have hung my fine art photographs at Sage Cafe in Bend, Oregon’s Northwest Crossing a couple of times in the past and it has always been rewarding in terms of the results and the experience. For those of you who live in Northwest Crossing, you are probably already with the great food, great coffee, and personable staff at Sage Cafe.
Sage Cafe in Bend, Oregon's Northwest Crossing neighborhood
For those of you who don’t live in Northwest Crossing, you now have an extra reason to go visit this wonderful Deli/coffee shop/art gallery as my Landscape photography is currently hanging there and will be up through the end of February. Sage Cafe is located at 2762 NW Crossing Dr. #102 on the West side of Bend, Oregon. Below is part of the talented, affable, and hard-working staff at Sage.
Sage Cafe's talented and personable staff
Below you will see some of my Central Oregon pictures with my hand crafted frames hanging at Sage which will temporarily serve as my personal Bend Art Gallery. I will rotate images through Sage a couple of times this month, so please check back frequently to see which new landscape photographs they have hanging on their walls.
My Landscape PHotography hanging at Sage Cafe, at the Northwest Crossing, Bend Oregon.
If anyone would like a private showing of any of the work currently hanging at Sage Cafe or any of my other work, please call me at 541.610.4815.
Thanks For Visiting,
Mike Putnam
New Photographs Now showing at the Volcano Vineyards Tasting Room in Downtown Bend, Oregon!
I’m excited to announce that I recently hung some of my new Oregon Landscape Photography at the Volcano Vineyards Tasting room in Downtown Bend. Their address is 126 NW Minnesota St., which is located between Bond St. and Wall St. Through some mutual friends, Mark Merrick and Susan Ruzzo, we have gotten to know Scott and Liz Ratcliff who are the owner operators of the Volcano Vineyards and we all decided that their beautiful new tasting room would be an excellent location to share my art work with the people of Bend. They source their grapes in Southern Oregon where they craft phenomenal reds and whites. Their wines really are excellent. In fact, Volcano Vineyards is considered to be the most highly decorated winery for its size in the U.S. ! Follow this link for some more information about Volcano Vineyards’ recent awards. Volcano Vineyards. Below is one of the Oregon Landscape photographs that are currently on display at Volcano.
Photo/picture of Oregon's Mount Washington in autumn now on display at the Volcano Vineyard tasting room in Bend, Oregon.
Timing and hard work and good friends were the keys to capturing this stunning Oregon Landscape photograph. I’ll simplify by saying that I’ve worked hard to make good friends, explaining two of the three keys. I take it back, I’ve been very lucky to find great friends here in Central Oregon. One of these great friends is Troy McMullin, who is an excellent photographer and exceptionally talented beer drinker. Thus we are friends! Troy found this glorious location which aptly displays the beauty of Oregon’s Mount Washington after he had scouted long and hard. It takes a grueling bushwack through dense underbrush along with a good GPS to find this location and I would have never found it without Troy’s extensive advanced scouting and his unusual ability to suffer in the name of adventure. Regardless, I owe him a thanks and I’ll probably buy him a beer sometime in gratitude for pointing me to this wonderful scene. As I mentioned, Timing was also crucial to capturing this landscape photograph. I wanted fresh fall snow and preferably some fall color on the opposite shores of Cabin Lake. The key is to get snow on the mountain and not around the lake and to have clear skies to the east so that the rising sun is not blocked from Mount Washington’s summit and preferably some clouds behind Mt. Washington to add some interest to the sky. Well, after several visits to this difficult location, everything came together. Once again, timing and/or luck were critical!
I was busy this fall. Below is another picture now hanging at Volcano. In this image I captured some wonderful fall color along the Crooked River north of Redmond, Oregon. Here is a link to a previous blog entry about this landscape photo. Crooked River Photo.
Oregon's Crooked River Canyon with brilliant autumn color
There are three separate images that I captured during a family backpacking trip into Canyon Creek Meadow at the base of Three Fingered Jack during this past summer. It is extraordinarily lucky for me to get three separate images with my large format 4×5 camera that are print worthy during the same trip but that was the case this summer during our trip to Three Fingered jack. The Canyon Creek area is always beautiful but this year the lupine meadows were especially full and stunning. Below are a couple images taken in the upper Canyon Creek Meadow.
Picture of Purple Lupines in Central Oregon's Canyon Creek Meadow
I like that the lupines in this images are in excellent condition and I like the gentle sway that some of them have which gives this Oregon wildflower picture an elegant feel. There were Lupines everwhere as you can tell from the following image, also taken in Canyon Creek meadow.
Photo of Oregon's Three Fingered Jack Mountain and Canyon Creek Meadow at sunrise.
Finally, here is one more picture from Canyon Creek Meadow that I took on the same backpacking trip. It is a different part of the meadow and I believe it generates a much different feel than most photographs you will find of Three Fingered Jack or Canyon Creek Meadow.
Picture of Central Oregon's Three Fingered Jack Mountain and a wildflower lined alpine stream.
As I think about all the images I’ve currently got hanging down at Volcano, I realize that I’ve got that place pretty packed. I hope Scott and Liz don’t mind! Below is a distinctly more wintry image I took two years ago at Benham Falls along Bend, Oregon’s Deschutes River Trail. I was lucky to be able to drive to this location after such a heavy snow fall. It was actually pretty questionable and my poor daughter Emma got cold feet while patiently waiting for me to compose this snowy photograph. I’ve been to Benham many times and I’ve always had contrast control issues but the heavy snow load allowed me to capture an image that was not too contrasty. I am especially happy that I found this scenic waterfall while the trees around the river were still heavily flocked with snow, making for a great landscape image and making me a happy photographer!
Photo of Benham Falls in winter. This well known Bend Oregon waterfall is located along the Deschutes River Trail South of the city of Bend,Oregon
The following is a Sparks Lake Photo that I have never printed until now and I’m very excited about it. I captured an awesome light display with great snow on South Sister and Broken Top in this image. I was able to capture rare and wonderful light at one of Oregon’s most photogenic locations. Please stop by volcano and tell me if you like it as much as I do!
Photo of a beautiful sunrise from one of Oregon's most photogenic locations, Central Oregon's Sparks Lake.
Below is one more photo that can be viewed at the volcano tasting room in downtown Bend, Oregon. It is a simple but beautiful image of a vine maple overhanging the North Santiam River slightly west of the Cascade Crest. This individual tree had some of the most wonderful layering and color of any vine maples I’ve ever seen. It is a simple image but has a pleasant artistic feel.
Vine maple in autumn color along Oregon's North Santiam River
Well, that includes all of the Fine art landscape photographs that I currently have displayed at the Volcano Vineyards tasting room on Minnesota Street in downtown Bend, Oregon. Please stop by to see my work and while you are there, buy a glass of wine. The Syrah is my favorite! Their wine really is excellent and Scott and Liz Ratcliff (the owners) are great people who are growing a unique and special business right here in Bend. While you are there, you might also tell them you like the photographs that currentl decorate the walls of their lovely tasting room!
All the Best,
Mike Putnam
Bend, Oregon Gift Photos. My New Framed 11×14 Fine Art Prints Make Great Holiday Gifts.
Bigger isn’t always better! I have to keep telling myself this as I make my newer, smaller sized 11×14 inch prints and the frames that go with them. I’ve always prided myself in being able to capture and create impeccably detailed large fine art prints, up to 40×50 inches. Because I love the look and feel of a stunning, large print, I use a large format 4×5 camera for all of my fine art prints. Because I’ve had lots of requests for smaller photos, I’ve finally changed my bigger is better mindset and begun producing 11×14 inch prints that have proven to be very popular. Below is an image of a custom made 11×14 inch print that I made this past summer. In the Photo is Bend, Oregon’s Shevlin Park with Tumalo Creek flowing through the middle of the image. Fall color was amazing two years ago, when I captured this particular photograph. To view some more photos of Shevlin Park in its autumn splendor, check out this previous blog entry. Shevlin Park Pictures.
Photo of framed 11x14 inch print of Bend, Oregon's Shevlin Park in Autumn.
My new line of 11×14 inch prints will appear much like the print seen in the photo above. If the print is framed by me it will have a hand made cherry wood frame like the one seen above. They will be dry mounted, be single matted(double matting is too busy for a smaller print size like this one and they will be behind UV protected glass. Like all of my fine landscape photographs, they will be hand signed by me, and they will have a hanging wire on the back. This all comes for the low,low,low price of $250! In all honesty, I don’t know where else you could find an archival fine art photograph, hand signed, mounted, matted, with glass and a hand crafted cherry wood frame for $250. All of the images in my Oregon fine art landscape portfolio will be available in this smaller size, so if you’d like to buy a unique gift for someone special, please drop me a line or give me a call. 541.610.4815.
Thanks For Reading,
Happy Holidays,
Mike Putnam
Oregon Landscape Photography, Three Fingered Jack at its Best.
Last summer, My wife ,Debbie, My Daughter, Emma and I made what has become an annual overnight pilgrimage to one of my favorite camping locations, Canyon Creek Meadows, at the base of Central Oregon’s Three Fingered Jack Mountain. I visit this location at least once per summer because it is beautiful, relatively easy to access, and I always find some interesting photographic scenery. Three Fingered Jack is itself a gorgeous mountain which has colorful volcanic striations decorating its rocky towers. Canyon Creek Meadows, located on the eastern flank of Three Fingered Jack always has a strong wildflower display and in some years it is stunning. This year(2009) was definitely a stunning year. The Lupine meadows were the best I’ve seen in the 10 years I’ve been hiking to this phenomenal location.
Picture of Canyon Creek Meadow and Three Fingered Jack in the Oregon Cascades
As a Bend Oregon photographer, this location is a must see. I certainly can’t promise that the flowers will be as stunning as they are in the picture seen above, but even if the oregon wildflowers aren’t blooming, the scenery is breath taking. I will introduce a fine art print of the landscape photograph seen above on the first Friday in January at the Volcano Vineyards Tasting room located on 126 Minnesota St in Downtown Bend, Oregon. I hope to see some of you there! Scott and Liz, the owners, and operators of Volcano Vineyards, are funny,smart, and talented people who have the courage to operate a winery out of the high desert town of Bend. They wouldn’t know it until now but they are my heros! I’d love to have a winery business, but I’ve never had their bravery, or wine crafting talent for that matter. If you are a wine connoisseur and find yourself in Bend, you should definitely stop in and have a glass. I recommend their Syrah, it is firm but elegant, and my favorite! OK, enough about the good folks at Volcano Vineyards.
My new photography logo!
The following image of Three Fingered Jack was also taken with my large format camera on this trip with Debbie and Emma, which is now pictured in my logo and hopefully as a favicon to the left of the URL in your browser right now.
This fine art print can currently be viewed at Pandora’s Backpack in Downtown Bend. I hope Rod, Mo and company won’t be mad that I’m changing venues for a month! It is a rare occasion in which I can capture more than one image in the same trip that is worthy of making a fine art print. Well, I guess that these two fine art prints are a testament to how beautiful Canyon Creek Meadows was this year!
Picture/photo of Sunrise on Oregon's Three Fingered Jack
I’ve got a couple more fine art prints to introduce over the next week, so please stay tuned for some beautiful new Oregon Landscape Photography!
As Always,
Thanks For Visiting,
Mike Putnam
Sparks Lake Fine Art Print on the Way. An Oregon Landscape photogapher’s dream!
As I tend to be an optimist, I have a long list of images that I want to capture with my large format 4×5 camera in order to make a beautiful fine art photograph. In my mind I have a vivid idea of what a given scene will look like when I get to the right spot at the right time on the right day. In reality, fine art photography rarely works out as smoothly as I’ve planned. The following image and story account one of the rare instances in which things worked out even better than I’d planned.
"Sparks Lake Sunrise" fine art Photograph captured with my 4x5 camera at Sparks Lake near Central Oregon's Cascade Lakes Highway
Central Oregon’s Sparks Lake is no secret as a landscape photography destination. Landscape photographers from all around the United States travel to this Central Oregon Lake off of Bend’s Cascade Lakes Highway for photography purposes. There is clearly something magical about this lake, in that it continues to facinate even after you’ve made hundreds of visits there, a I have. Oregon’s now deceased photographer laureate, Ray Atkeson, described Sparks Lake as his favorite photography destination, which is quite a compliment considering all that Oregon has to offer landscape photographers and outdoor adventurers. I’ve had good and bad luck at Sparks Lake and on this morning, I had exceptional luck. I arrived at the Lakes shores before sunrise the morning after fresh snows had coated and given detail to South Sister(on the left) and Broken Top Mountain(on the right) This coating of snow is critical to a great photograph, as the mountains would just be black blobs without the snow. This morning also happened to fall in a narrow autumn window after snows were falling in the cascades and before the Cascade Lakes Highway was closed for the winter(it closed shortly after I captured this shot) Because of Sparks Lake’s elevation, at nearly 6,000 snow comes early, stays late and piles deep.
This was one of those rare mornings where I get nervous shooting because I know that I may never see light like this again and especially not at a phenomenal location like Sparks Lake. I mostly shot with my large format 4×5 camera this morning in hopes of capturing a wonderful fine art print. When I got my transparencies back from this morning’s shoot, I was even more excited than the morning of the sunrise. They came out great! I recently sent one of the transparencies from this morning off for printing and I think it will make a stunning fine art print. I’m already picking out matting in my mind! I hope everyone loves this fine art print as much I I think I will!
All the Best,
Mike Putnam
New Fine Art Oregon Landscape Photography at the Bend Fall Art Hop
I’m excited to announce that I will have a few new Oregon Landscape Photographs available to the public for the very first time at my usual art haunt, Pandora’s Backpack (the Patagonia Store) on Bond Street in downtown Bend, Oregon. Art Hop should kick off at about 5pm and should wrap-up at about 9pm. If any of you are in the vicinity, please stop by, say “Hello” and check out my new work.
Below is one of my new images which will be unveiled. It features Three Fingered Jack Mountain in the Central Oregon Cascades and a beautiful little alpine stream.
Photograph of Three Fingered Jack Mountain in the Central Oregon Cascades.
Lots of alpine wildflowers, live water , a cool local mountain, early morning light and interesting clouds help to make this image a winner. I captured this photograph while on a backpacking trip with my wife and daughter this past summer. It is a little bit painful to admit that the summer is in fact past! Here is a link to a previous blog entry bout our trip to Three Fingered Jack and Canyon Creek Meadows.
Below is an image of Smith Rock State Park’s legendary ”Monkey Face” formation. It is an iconic and stunning rock tower recognizable to rock climbers around the world and hikers around Central Oregon. This is another Photograph that I captured with my 4×5 large format camera this past summer.
Smith Rock State Park's "Monkey Face" at sunset
Great sunset light and a beautiful cloud grouping will make this a special fine art print for those of you who are rock climbers and hikers of Smith Rock’s famed trails.
The last of my new images is from the crown jewel in the Bend, Oregon Park system, Shevlin Park. I often run in Shevlin Park. It offers several great trail runs/hikes which you can learn more about here. Shevlin Park trails. While I’ve always considered Shevlin Park an gorgeous and special place, I’ve had little photographic luck there until last autumn when I captured the following image which I’m thrilled about. You might even say that I’m as excited about this image as my daughter Emma is about picking out new school clothes, which is saying a lot!
Photograph of Shevlin Park in Autumn.
This image captures several things about Shevlin Park that I love. Riparian environments,fall color,old growth ponderosas, larch trees,and Tumalo Creek are all embodied by this beautiful image! For a few more fall images from Shevlin Park, you can visit the following blog entry. Shevlin Park. I hope you all enjoy it and I hope I to see some of you Friday, October 2nd 2009 at Pandora’s backpack in downtown Bend!
First Friday Art Walk at Luxe Home Interiors in Downtown Bend. Come see the best in Oregon Landscape Photography Oregon
I hope everybody checks their Email one last time before leaving work for the weekend because I”m getting this announcement out a little late. I’ll be showing my work tonight, Friday June 5th at Luxe Home Interiors in downtown Bend , Oregon. During Art walks, the wine usually starts flowing at about 5:00PM and end at about 8:30PM. I’ll be there at about 5:30 due to some parenting responsibilities. If any of you are in the vicinity, please stop by and say “Hello”. Luxe is located at 856 NW Bond St. which is the same street that the Deschutes Brewery is on but Luxe is a couple of blocks to the south.
Photograph/Picture of South Sister reflected in Sparks Lake in the Central Oregon Cascades
The above Sparks Photograph will be amongst the many fine art landscape photography prints of mine on display tonight, so please stop by get some free wine and patronize the arts! I hope to see you all tonight.
Mike Putnam
Bend , Oregon First Friday Art Hop at U.S. Bank Downtown Branch.
I’d like to thank the good people from U.S. bank, in Bend, Oregon, who recently purchased some of my fine art landscape photography for their newly remodeled downtown branch.
Sunrise on Central Oregon's Broken Top Mountain with a wildflower filled foreground.
The above photograph is one of those now on permanent display at the downtown Bend, Oregon branch of the U. S. Bank. This beautiful image captures Central Oregon’s Broken Top Mountain at sunrise with a beautiful flower filled foreground which includes Monkeyflowers, Queen Anne’s Lace, Indian Paintbrush, Senecio, and alpine asters. This and all the other images at U.S. Bank are double matted with a museum white acid free matte which looks great at the bank.
Photo/Picture of Central Oregon's favorite waterfall, Tumalo Falls
The above Tumalo Falls also looks great at U. S. Bank. For those of you who have seen this image before, you’ll notice that this specific has a slightly different crop, giving it a more expansive feel. It is a crop I’ve wanted to try and one that the folks at U. S. Bank wanted for their downtown Bend, OR branch.
Photo/picture of an alpine sunrise as seen from the summit of Central Oregon's South Sister
This semi-famous “summit sunrise” image is still one of my favorites and is now one of the favorites of U. S. Bank. It looks great there as it does at most locations. It gives a rugged, alpine balance to the balance of fine art images in the new collection at U. S. Bank.
Picture/ photograph of the Painted Hills of John Day in Eastern Oregon
The above Painted Hills print captured in the John Day unit of the Painted Hills area is another great representation of the tremendous geographic diversity that can be found in the Bend, Oregon area. This image is also a permanent member of the U.S. Bank’s art collection.
Photo/picture of Mt. Jefferson in the Central Oregon Cascade Range
This picture of Jefferson Park was captured in late summer from one of my favorite camping and hiking areas and is one of the first locations that made me excited about fine art landscape photography. this is simply one of my favorite types of landscapes to capture. Beautiful snow-covered mountains, scenic alpine meadows filled with wildflowers and great warm evening light.
Fine Art photo/picture of Oregon's Smith Rock State Park with the Crooked River in the foreground
Smith Rock State Park offers endless fine art photography opportunities and this is one of my favorite prints from that wonderful Oregon location. The glowing towers bathing in soft warm light with a fore ground of the gently curving Crooked River offer another example of the phenomenal diversity of the Central Oregon region. I think all of the above images make a beautiful permanent addition to the downtown Bend , Oregon branch of U.S. Bank, but judge for yourself! Please stop in at the bank and tell me what you think.
I’d like to sincerely thank the kind people of U.S. Bank who chose to purchase my art work and who graciously hosted me during the May 2009 first Friday Art walk in Downtown Bend. The event was well attended and it was very rewarding to meet some new people who are willing to support the arts in Central Oregon. A special thanks should also go out to Stacey, Loretta, Andy, and the rest of the staff at the U.S. Bank Downtown branch. They were all very efficient, helpful, organized and pleasant people to work with during the completion of this art project.
Thank You!
Mike Putnam
Cascade Mountains Greeting Cards
One of my favorite Central Oregon Landscape photos is pictured below on the last of my new line of art cards to be introduced. This mountain image was captured from the summit of Central Oregon’s South Sister Mountain at sunrise. The Pink alpenglow experienced during that clear morning sunrise is one of the special things about living in mountainous areas. As you may know, alpenglow is given it’s pink color because low level morning or evening light that first reaches the summits of high mountains has to travel through a greater amount of the earth’s atmosphere before contacting the earth surface. Because of this increased contact with the earth’s atmosphere, many of the light’s wavelengths are filtered out, leaving pink as one of the most prominent colors in the light’s visible spectrum, thereby giving Alpenglow it’s pink color.
Cascade Mountain sunrise as seen from the summit of Central Oregon's South Sister.
Because I love mountains in general and I especially love our Central Oregon Mountains, this is one of my favorite Central Oregon Landscape photos. It would be very difficult to capture a more alpine feeling landscape image in the Central Oregon area. I’ve climbed to the summit of South Sister many times in the past. It’s a long and difficult but non-technical climb to the summit via the Devil’s Lake or Green Lakes routes. As it requires nearly 5,000 vertical feet of elevation gain to reach South Sister’s 10,358 foot summit, the climb is not for everyone. Several years ago I developed what my wife would refer to as an obsession with capturing this landscape photograph. I’ve climbed South Sister three times purely with the intention of capturing this mountain image. On the first attempt, I started late at night and climbed for five hours only to have the summit cloud in unexpectedly, totally obscuring any photos I had hoped for. The next time I climbed with good friend, Jake “Squishy” Bell. We started climbing the previous evening and summited and set up camp at about 11 AM. The next morning was frighteningly windy. It was impossible to stand still without being blown about by the wind. The sunrise was beautiful but the photographic conditions were impossible with my large format camera. Unfortunately, the bellows on my camera tend to act as a small sail in windy conditions. It was terrifying to be near the summit edge, much less to perch my expensive camera near it. I climbed down the mountain without taking a single shot. Very disappointing! On my next attempt, I climbed with two other people, my sisters ex-boyfriend and his sister. There was lots of snow on the route requiring endless post holing into deep snow on steep slopes, making for a long and tedious climb. The next morning was glorious! No winds and the beautiful alpenglow you see in the above greeting made all of my previous efforts worth while. The fine art version of this beautiful Oregon scene is also stunning. In the large 50 inch print, you can see volcanoes all the way to Washington State. Middle Sister, North Sister, Three Fingered Jack, Mt. Jefferson, Black Butte, Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helen’s, and Mt. Rainier are all visible making this arguably the most alpine of any Oregon Landscapes. If you are interested in seeing this Fine Art Print in person, please feel free to contact me. If you are interested in purchasing this or any of my other Cascade Mountain Greeting Cards, please check back in a couple of days because they are almost ready for sale!
As Always,
Thanks for Visiting,
Mike Putnam
Mt Jefferson, Central Oregon mountain Greeting Cards.
This is installment number 7 out of 8 images in my soon to be released line of Central Oregon Cascades greeting cards. The cards have allegedly been printed and are in route to Bend but the shipping will take several more days. I’m in the process of setting up e-commerce options on my website and finding appropriate shipping boxes for my cards. It will take until nearly the end of the month but things are progressing rapidly. The following image is one of my favorites of all the fine art images I’ve ever taken. It includes my favorite mountain, Mt. Jefferson, an incredible alpine flower meadow and a stunning lenticular cloud cap filling out this spectacular cascade mountain scene.
Picture of Mt. Jefferson Greeting Card as seen from the Central Oregon Cascades
As an avid gardener, this scene is especially special for me. I always hope to find flower filled foregrounds but I rarely find them despite hundreds of hours of blind but hopeful backcountry wandering. I had visited this exact location with my friend , photographer, and fellow beer sommelier, Troy McMullin a few days prior to the day I shot this image. I realized that the flowers would be optimal in a few days so I decided to return. In between, I took a short backpacking trip to Oregon’s Mt. Hood. I knew that the light would be best for my Mt. Jefferson scene in the evening and I knew that it was a long way and a lot of vertical gain to reach this scene so I decided to go light and fast, trimming my pack weight to about 30 pounds. I knew I would be hiking out in the dark of night so I double checked the batteries for my headlamps and grabbed some extra food for my hike out.
I was extremely eager to get back to this scene so I hiked in very rapidly. It is about a 9 mile one way hike to this location which also requires extensive off trail scrambling and a good GPS reading to find. When I arrived I was thrilled and immediately set up my tripod and began composing the scene. As I worked the scene, something fantastic began to happen. A small lenticular cloud began to form over the summit of Mt. jefferson. I couldn’t believe my good fortune. Lenticular clouds often hold dense, artistic patterns but it is very difficult to predict their formation. They virtually always improve a landscape photograph. Clear blue skies are happy, but are somewhat boring and common in the world of Oregon Landscape Photography. The formation of this lenticular cloud was too good to be true! I nervously but frantically shot the scene and eventually captured what I think is one of the best Oregon landscape photos I’ve ever seen. To be able to enjoy this phenomenal scene was a wonderful experience. To be able to capture this scene on film was truly a gift!
After exposing all of the 4×5 film with my large format camera, I quietly enjoyed the scene and then quickly hiked out as darkness fell. I floated down the trail remembering the scene I’d just captured. In addition to this being one of my favorite landscape Photos, it has been well received by others. This same image will soon grace the cover of Visit Bend’s annual tourism guide for the Central Oregon area. To take a sneak peak at the cover please visit this link Visit Bend Cover. The link will take you to a previous blog entry I wrote about the cover shot on our Pacific Crest Stock Photography blog. To see this fine art photograph in a framed version, please visit the Visit Bend visitor center in downtown Bend. Their address is: 917 Harriman Street Bend, Oregon 97701 They currently have this image on display and they will soon carry my line of Central Oregon Cascade Greeting Cards.
Please check back to this blog in a couple of days as I have one more greeting card to announce and a final announcement when the greeting cards are officially for sale, hopefully by the end of April.
Thanks For Visiting,
Mike Putnam
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
Broken Top Fine Art Greeting Cards
The following fine art greeting card of Central Oregon’s Broken Top Mountain has become one of my signature shots and includes one of the best wildflower displays you will find in Oregon. I’ve hiked around Broken Top dozens of times and I’ve always found some beautiful subject matter for photography purposes but the day I captured this fine art picture was one of the best days I’ve had in quite some time. I had scouted around the flanks of Broken Top Mountain several times the previous week but light and wind had not cooperated with me while at the same scene from this greeting card.
Greeting Card of Central Oregon's Broken Top Mountain with summer wildflowers
I knew the Monkeyflowers and the Indian Paintbrush would be at their peak on this morning but the weather was questionable. I awoke at about 4AM with a contingency plan in mind. If the clouds and weather were cooperating, I’d make the long drive up to Broken Top and shoot the scene above. If the weather was less cooperative, I’d shoot at Sparks Lake which offered South Sister, and some potential macro wildflower photography. When I arrived at Sparks Lake The weather couldn’t make up its mind. I could periodically see the pinnacles of Broken Top with the remainder of the mountain shrouded in clouds. Knowing that the right clouds can make for an exceptional Landscape photograph, I decided to gamble and make the long drive and then hike to the above location, all before sunrise. When I arrive exhausted, the mountain was entirely cloud covered. I decided to shoot some macro flower images and as I set up, something miraculous happened. The clouds quickly began to raise, but just enough remained to create the above fine art photograph. It became just the scene I’d hoped for when I visualized the shot the previous day under bad light. I was thrilled! My exposures were long, with many over 10 seconds but the wind mostly cooperated and I captured the scenic landscape images for which I was hoping. In addition to the above fine art greeting card, I also captured a great fine art print with my large format 4×5 camera that morning. To see the fine art print from that morning, please visit the following link. Broken Top Print
I’ve got three more note cards to announce in my initial line of 8 Central Oregon Cascade Mountain greeting cards. The cards have gone to print and should be available before the end of the month. If you are interested in buying them, please visit this site often as I’ll definitely make an announcement here when they are available. As I’ve mentioned before, if anyone has suggestions regarding other Bend area locations that they would like to see immortalized in my next set of Central Oregon greeting Cards, please let me know by leaving a comment at the end of this blog entry, or email me via the contact tab on the upper right hand corner of this website. Some of the suggestions I’ve had so far have included Tumalo Falls, Shevlin Park, Mirror Pond, the Metolius River, the Deschutes River, and Smith Rock State Park. If you have any other suggestions, please let me know. Until next time.
Take Care,
Mike Putnam
Central Oregon Cascade Mountain Greeting Cards!
For those of you who are regular readers of my updates, hold on to your hats as I’m branching into something entirely different. I’m about to launch a small but super high quality line of art cards, greeting cards, note cards, or whatever you want to call them. they will open to a blank inside for personal notes to friends, family, clients, or associates. Regardless, they should be very nice and as you might expect, Central Oregon landscapes will be the theme. My first series of 8 cards is just about to be ordered and should be available in a couple of weeks. I hope to market them everywhere that sells attractive cards. I’ve received countless requests for less expensive products from people who genuinely seem to love my photography but don’t have $1,650 available for a framed 30×50 inch print. I get it! Especially in these difficult economic times. Thus my new business idea. I’ve always focused on the best quality that I could possibly achieve from the beginning of my process to the end. It all starts with great slow speed 4×5 transparency film in a balanced, accurately focusing large format camera with excellent quality multi-coated lenses on top of an exceptional carbon fiber tripod. This is just the film capture part of the process. Next comes the processing part of the image capture process. I can have a beautifully exposed capture of a once in a lifetime scene but if the processing is botched then everything but the memory is lost. That’s why I utilize the best processing outfit anywhere. Next comes the printing. Many people have asked if I do my own printing. I don’t for several reasons. The first of which is that it takes a long time to become a great printer and I’m simply too busy to perfect the art. The second is that I don’t have quite enough through put to justify having the requisite chemicals around in my already cramped basement. Also, maintaining a top quality color processing set-up is also time consuming and frankly, professional outfits can do it better than me and therefore I choose to have them do it. I consider my printers to be the best in the world. This opinion is shared by many of the best professional photographers in the world. Because all of this adds, y fine art quality photographs are not cheap. Because I’ve had lots of requests for my images at a lower price, I came to the conclusion that high end but fairly priced Greeting Cards featuring Central Oregon Cascade Mountains would be a good place to start. As always, quality was my first objective. The printing options are endless. Decisions regarding paper, print,and font had to be made. Then of course, I had to select only 8 of my thousands of images for usage. This was brutal! There are so many photographs that I’d like to make into art cards but I had to start somewhere. With endless help from my sweet wife, Debbie, and our great friends, Jason and Christine, we have finally reached the printing stage. I’ll offer a photographer’s insight into how each of my new greeting card images were captured over the next couple of weeks, until the Greeting Cards are actually available. I’ll also leak out more information about specifics of the cards, price, etc. To start off the grand introduction of my soon to be released art cards, I give you the following image of Sparks Lake, with the distant South Sister as seen from near the Cascade Lakes Highway.
South Sister and Sparks Lake Greeting Card
I felt this was an appropriate card image to start with because it is such a recognizable location for many Central Oregon outdoor enthusiasts and because it was one of the first images that I captured that I was truly excited about. I had been to Sparks Lake for many previous sunsets but none have been the equal of this Sparks Lake photo. The scene was stunning that I got goose bumps. To capture that much color, with a perfect reflection of South Sister from such a scenic Oregon location was a gift. I always have a desire to do justice to a given location. Many of you have probably been to a scenic location and took some photos and when you returned home you were disappointed with your results because the photos didn’t do justice to the beauty of a given scene. Well, my goal is to never let this happen. Don’t get me wrong, it happens, but if the scene is beautiful, I keep going back until I get it right and I eventually do justice to the scene. this photo is very rewarding because I did justice to a famous and beautiful scene. The setting could not have been better. I was with My wife and our daughter, Emma, who was catching toads along Sparks Lake’s shore while I photographed the scene. The clouds were amazing, and the water could not have been more still. Knowing that this scenic location was a favorite of Oregon’s photographer laureate, Ray Atkeson is also immensely rewarding. Of all the time I’ve spent photographing Sparks Lake, that evening is still my favorite. I hope you all enjoy the greeting card version of this shot and please contact me if you would like to make a purchase. I’ll soon have a special Art Card/Greeting Card page on my website where it will be possible to register with PayPal and buy my cards directly from the web and I’ll send them directly to you. If anyone has any suggestions regarding locations that you’d like to see as part of my next series of cards, please leave a comment at the end of this blog entry. Until my next Greeting card entry, Take Care.
All the Best,
Mike Putnam
Bend, Oregon First Friday Spring Art Hop
I’d like to thank all my friends who stopped by to see my landscape photography at Pandora’s Backpack this past Friday. The event was a big success and the crowds were great. As usual, the staff at Pandora’s Backpack was great. Rod, Mo, Jordan, Thad, etc are always accommodating and personable to work with. I unfortunately wasn’t able to visit the show locations for a couple of friends who were also participating in the spring first Friday Art Hop in downtown. Jane Tolve and Mary Catherine, if you’re reading this, I hope things went great for you. I won’t be showing at Pandora’s for the First Friday Art Walk in May as I have another commitment that I’ll announce pretty soon.
The Pacific Crest as seen from the summit of Central Oregon's South Sister.
The above image of of Middle and North Sister and the rest of the Cascade Crest extending north was a big hit at the art hop. It is fun to share the mountain line-up all the way into Washington State with people. If any of you who attended my show have any questions about my work or would like to see one of my fine art landscape photography prints again, please email me or call 541-610-4815. Once again, thanks to everyone who made the spring art hop a big success.
Take Care,
Mike Putnam
Central Oregon Adventures and Smith Rock Sunset Photos
Yesterday started a little slowly as I had more computer and billing work to do than I prefer on any free day although I hopefully closed a fine art transaction that I’ll list here on the blog when it becomes slightly more official. My initial photo mission was to find a dry canyon outside of Sisters, Oregon, which I’d identified on a map. My hope was that the canyon would have views of Central Oregon’s Three Sisters over the top of the canyon. My first attempt was swiftly blocked by fate at the access road was closed due to seasonal wildlife usage. Oh well, as I was close to Sisters, I stopped in to see Brad at Eurosports which is an outdoor store with an emphasis on bicycling and cross country skiing. Brad was helpful as always and shared some trail information. Next I stopped in to one of my favorite Central Oregon Bookstores, Paulina Springs Books where I got a couple of trail guides to replace my old tattered versions. My last city stop was at Three Creeks Brewing Company, where Dave Fleming continues to churn out excellent beers. He recently brewed a great dry hopped pale ale which has a wonderfully aromatic nose. If you are in Sisters and you enjoy a fine microbrew, you should stop in to visit the good folks at Three Creeks Brewing Company.
As I was denied access to my intended photography location for the day I made alternate plans. I drove the back roads to Lake Billy Chinook. I’m not a power boater nor do I enjoy busy recreational lakes but I’m always pleased with how beautiful Lake Billy Chinook and the surrounding areas are. By this time of day the light had gotten pretty harsh but there were some pretty interesting lenticular type clouds forming overhead. I’ll include the following picture primarily because it shows the clouds starting to form over Mt. Jefferson, high above the basalt walls of Lake Billy Chinook.
photo/picture of Mt. Jefferson high above the basalt walls of Lakes Billy Chinook
The clouds forming at the top of this picture weren’t going to work for sunset shots of the Cascade mountains but I knew they might work out for sunset shots at Smith Rock State Park near Terrebonne so I loaded up and went to Smith Rock. For quite some time I’ve been trying to get a good sunset shot of the backside of Smith Rock including Monkey face at sunset with some good clouds as a backdrop and suddenly I thought today might be my day.
Once I’d arrived at Smith Rock I made a quick driving tour and took a couple of pictures of the Monument at the north end of Smith Rock. The monument is an alluring subject and one with which my friend, photographer, and neighbor, Troy McMullin has a growing obsession. To see one of Troy’s thousands of photos of the Monument at Smith Rock visit our stock photo site’s high desert gallery. Below is a picture I shot yesterday of Troy’s Beloved Monument.
Golden evening light bathes the monument and the Crooked River at Smith Rock State Park
The warm golden light was nice but it wasn’t the photo I had in mind. I quickly hiked down the overlook area and across the Crooked River Bridge and started heading along the river to the backside of Smith Rock where Monkey Face is located. As the light was starting to fade a bit I decided to make a gamble and try a short cut over asterisk pass which is the low point along the morning glory wall and dihedrals area where you can see a cool balanced rock. Well My short cut was a bad idea. There are signs that clearly indicate that asterisk pass is not a hiking trail and they are accurate. I managed, with a fair amount of struggle to get to the top of the pass but getting down the opposite side with my bulky photography pack was a risk I wasn’t willing to take for the sake of photos. Just a warning, don’t try to hike/scramble over this pass unless you are very comfortable with some exposed scrambling. I could have made it down the opposite side without a pack but that too would have been stressful. The good thing that did come out of climbing to the top of asterisk pass were that I could see that the clouds were thinning out over monkey face and would no longer make for a good backdrop. Additionally, I got to enjoy a new vantage point of a beautiful area of Smith Rock. below is a quick pic I snapped of the morning glory wall from near the top of asterisk pass.
Evening light on Smith Rock as seen from asterisk pass
The light would definitely be better in the morning which gives me another photo excuse to return to Smith Rock! Because of the changing cloud conditions, I reversed paths and quickly returned to the overlooks near the parking areas on the opposite side of the Crooked River because I thought that offered the best opportunity for colorful sunset. light. I was right! As I climbed along the trail to the parking area, the light really heated up and I captured the following sunset photo from near the view point overlooking the park.
Sunset photo of Smith Rock State Park and the Crooked River below
This photo alone made my day of cloud chasing worth while. I love the composition of the sunset cloud spreading out over the distant rock formations. Next I hustled to a slightly different location that I thought might hold color slightly longer. The low point with the small balanced rock is asterisk pass where I had been balanced only a few minutes before. Mt Jefferson is framed over asterisk pass in this particular photo.
Mt. Jefferson framed above Smith Rock's asterisk pass at sunset with the morning glory wall to the right.
This day typified many in my little world of Oregon Landscape Photography in the more adaptable I am to environmental conditions the more successful my photos for the day will be. I’ll soon upload the best photos from this day onto our stock photo site, Pacific Crest Stock, so please visit our High Desert Gallery if you would like to see these images or others from the beautiful desert areas around Central Oregon.
Posted by Mike Putnam
Smith Rock Snow Photos
Recently, Troy McMullin and I ventured to Smith Rock State Park to enjoy the low elevation snow to be found there. It was the first sunny day in quite some time and we both were happy to get out of the clouds that had been inhabiting Central Oregon. I am repeatedly amazed at how stunning the Smith Rock area is. I’m convince that if it was located east of the Mississippi River, it would have been made into a national park long ago. With its stunning colors, vertical towers the Crooked River flowing around its periphery, and with Gray Butte as a backdrop it is simply an amazing place to visit. Personally, I think it surpasses anything outside of Utah with its rugged, rocky appeal. Of course it is world famous for its Rock Climbing and less so for its hiking, mt. biking, and photo opportunities.
The Monument and snow at Smith Rock State Park
One of the less obvious but very photo worthy rock features at Smith Rock is the Monument. I’ve always been very fond of this photo location and Troy seemingly has developed something of an obsession with the scene. Please click the following link to visit Pacific Crest Stock . It is the stock photography company that Troy and I will be launching shortly after New Years. In the link included you’ll find some other very nice photos of Smith Rock and the high desert areas of Central and Eastern Oregon.
The snow cover made for some interesting textures and mid range details in our images. If you or anyone you know visits Smith Rock while it is still snow covered, please be careful. The snow adds a level of danger to the scene as well as beauty. The prominent basalt columns along the Crooked River Canyon are especially dangerous when snow covered. Obviously they are slippery, but many small crevices are now snow covered creating many hidden and potentially dangerous pitfalls. Be careful if venturing near any cliff edges for photo, climbing, or sight seeing purposes.
Smith Rock towers and snow covered basalt columns
Above is a photo of Smith Rock from high above the Crooked River Canyon featuring some slippery yet attractive snow covered basalt columns in the foreground with some rocky snow covered spires in the background. The light was not optimal for some areas of the park but the exploring was exceptional and beautiful from every angle, even if photo conditions were slightly less than perfect. It is rather rare to have this much snow at Smith Rock and blue skies because the snow tends to melt of quickly at that elevation when the sun appears on the scene. I captured the next photo from an entirely different area of Smith Rock. This rock formation is to the left after you cross the bridge over the Crooked River. It has some beautiful pastel hues in its rock formations but is quite dangerous for rock climbing purposes as I’m told that it is rather crumbly.
Smith Rock and the frozen Crooked River covered in snow.
One of the surprising things about this photo adventure was how thoroughly the Crooked River was frozen. The clouds behind this impressive rock formation are a bit disappointing in that they obscure South Sister peaking out to the left side of the rock formation. I like how the snowy juniper trees frame the bottom of this picture and the curvature of the Crooked River(perhaps this is why it’s called the Crooked River!) emphasizes the shape of the giant rock formation at the south end of Smith Rock. Finally I’ll include a detail shot of one of my favorite rock formations. Smith Rock is a wonderland for photos, hiking, biking, and virtually any outdoor activity and I love the big western scenes there. This being said, perhaps my favorite aspect of Smith Rock State Park is the small details I find upon intimate inspection of this stunning location. Like so many other spots at Smith Rock, the following photo reveals beauty in its finer details.
Smith Rock winter details
I love the varied color palette visible in this picture. The rust, aqua, and oranges all enlivened by the snowy details on these intricate rock formations. It is finding perspectives like this that has become my favorite aspect of photography explorations of Smith Rock.
If anybody is interested in a beautiful and snowy perspective of Smith Rock, now is the time for a hike as the snow often does not last long in this area of the high desert of Central Oregon and please be careful near cliff edges as the snowy beauty harbors some seasonal dangers that are best avoided. Happy Holidays!
Deschutes River Winter Photos
As Old Man Winter has thoroughly put his stamp on Central Oregon, my preferred backcountry photo locations become less accessible and even simple hikes can become a difficult task. With nearly a foot of snow in my backyard, conditions are excellent for some great winter photos, of locations that would otherwise be photographically unworthy. As there doesn’t appear to be a break in Central Oregon’s pattern of snow storms and heavily overcast skies in the near future, I’ve temporarily given up on any mountain alpenglow and fresh snow shots for the foreseeable future. Instead I’ve turned towards some less remote scenes for some interesting winter pictures.
On overcast, snow days like today, I usually find some worthy photo material at Tumalo State Park. As Highway 20 descends into the Deschutes River’s basin, on the left side of the road is an attractive overlook where you can get an arial view of the northern end of Tumalo State Park and a graceful curve in the Deschutes River. On rare snowy cold days like today, when the riparian area along the Deschutes’ shores are powdered with fresh snow, the scene is especially elegant because the juniper and ponderosa trees retain extra detail from the snow on their limbs and the snow covers some less attractive areas in the state park area. The following photo was taken from that unmarked but very pleasant location.
Deschutes River in winter
Upon entering the state park, I was rewarded with solitude and some of the best winter and snow scenery in the Bend, Oregon area. I made first tracks in the freshly fallen snow and thoroughly explored this beautiful Central Oregon location. I took pictures from all over the park but I’ll only present a few of my favorites in this blog entry. I think these photos will be great for stock photo purposes. As I stumbled up stream, I made an obligatory stop at my favorite ponderosa tree. It’s broad limbs were predictably snow covered making an interesting, graphic picture. This tree is absolutely immense and the density of the arrangement of its branches make it one of my favorite oregon photo subjects.
Snow covered ponderosa tree in Central Oregon's Tumalo State Park near Bend Oregon
Further up river more rewarding winter photos were to be found. The red osier dogwoods along the Deschutes River’s shores add a splash of red to the scene as do the trunks of numerous ponderosa trees along both banks of the river. Near the southern end of the park is a broad and rugged boulder field filled with volkswagen sized lava rocks. This boulder field is tedious to navigate in summer and it turns out that it is fairly treacherous when snow covered. The following photo was taken at the up stream end of the boulder field.
Snow covered boulders and ponderosa trees line the Deschutes River
Because these boulders were snow covered many cracks and concave areas were hidden, making the travel especially difficult. I spent a considerable amount of time on my belly grasping at small slippery hand hold in an attempt to not fall into any of the snow covered cracks that served as trap doors between the large rocks. Frankly, I wouldn’t recommend traveling through the rock field to others. Instead I would recommend climbing up hill above the rocks if you insisted on pressing up stream beyond this location. The next photo is from just beyond the boulder field. I really like the graceful curvature that the deschutes makes in this location and I love the color lent to this beautiful winter scene by the ponderosas and red osier dogwoods that flank the river.
The Deschutes River flanked by snow covered ponderosa trees fill this Central Oregon scene.
I stopped my hike at the point where the above picture was taken and began a cold and hasty retreat back to my truck. For those of you who enjoy winter hiking, Tumalo State Park is beautiful right now. The snow cover has made an already beautiful hike even more stunning but I would highly recommend avoiding the snow covered boulder field as it is challenging and quite dangerous when snow covered, like now!
Central Oregon snow, Winter’s Arrival!
It appears that old man winter has finally arrived in full force on the Central Oregon scene. I received a mixed reaction when I declared that Central Oregon residents were in need of a cold snow infusion two entries ago, in that perhaps there aren’t as many snow lovers in our midst as I had once imagined. Personally, I love distinct seasons. I wouldn’t mind spring being a little more distinct and prolonged here in the Bend area but I have no reservations in regards to winter’s arrival. In celebration of our recent snowfalls, I strategically made my first cross country ski outing of the season to Tumalo Falls. I knew it had been quite cold and enough snow had fallen to make a potentially interesting photo or two. I’ve been to Tumalo Falls many times in the winter but frankly I’ve never really dialed in the scene to the point where I’m truly proud of my photos. This outing was very good but far from perfect. It was a day that my friend and fellow photographer, Troy McMullin refer to as a good stock day. By this we mean that the conditions or the setting might not have been appropriate for capturing a fine art photograph that is worthy of selling as a print but it was probably an attractive enough scene that is has some commercial value.
In early season conditions like this, one often has travel options. The road from the parking lot along Tumalo Creek had enough snow for skiing but it had little enough that it was still hikeable. Probably the only way to go wrong was to snowshoe. I had enough kick and glide that the weight of my skis were easily justified. After the quick 2.5 mile ski into Tumalo falls, my first stop was at the viewpoint where I took the following wintry picture.
Bend, Oregon's Tumalo Falls after Central Oregon's first significant snow of 2008.
The attractive elements of this image led me to my next several shots. I like the snow cover on the trees and the rocks in the middle of Tumalo Creek but I am especially fond of the ice formations at the base of the waterfall. Their artistic shapes and blue hues made them a subject worth zooming in on a little closer. any good photographer will tell you that it is better to get closer to your subject that to employ a lens with a longer, so I got closer. I dropped my skis and skirted along the right hand side of the creek’s canyon for a more intimate vantage point. The travel was actually more hazardous than I’d anticipated as some of the steep snow laden slopes were a bit nerve racking. Looking down I realized that one slip and I slide 75 feet straight into the creek which would be uncomfortable but not devastating. What would be devastating was the fact that I was potentially the last person into the falls that evening and that I could possibly break my leg during a slide into a creek. It is moments of exposure like this that trigger my mind to draw out dark scenarios of my own dismemberment that at worst are melodramatic and at best are preventing my wife from cashing in on a life insurance policy!
Bend Oregon's Tumalo Falls in Winter.
As I was fussing with optimal tripod placement and being covered with fresh fallen powder, I became acutely aware that i was getting cold! I like the details of the falls and its associated ice formations that are captured in this picture. When I tried to hike/climb/scramble I ran into two issues. The hillside became intimidatingly steep for someone(me) who isn’t ready to cash in their own life insurance policy and the spray from the waterfall became problematic for my lenses. The next image emphasizes the Ice sculptures beneath a tad more aggressively.
Icy formations beneath Tumalo Falls near Bend, Oregon.
Hopefully this will be the first of many winter photo outings that I’ll make this winter season. It was great to be back out on skis and I’m glad winter has finally arrived despite the wishes of my loving wife and my favorite ultra-marathoner/retailer. By the way, my wife will have to wait awhile for summer and to cash my life insurance policy!
First Friday Art Show- 12/5/08
Broken Top Basin
Deschutes River in Autumn
The above image was taken near the Deschutes River Trail just south of Bend. The next photo, also never shown before is of Mt. Bachelor taken from the Three Sisters Wilderness Area. This is the most dense stand of Indian Paintbrush that I’ve found in the Bend area. I also like how the small cloud cap adds another element to the composition.
Mt. Bachelor and Indian Paintbrush
Central Oregon Snow Photos
Virtually everywhere I go around Bend I’ve been hearing people praying to the proverbial snow gods. As it’s nearly December and there is only the lightest dusting of snow on our local mountains it would be good for everyone except my wife( she never wants cold or snow except on Christmas) if we were to get several heavy dumps of snow. In terms of my photography, I would definitely like some snow to cover dormant plants and to give the cascades a more alpine look and feel. I’ve got several exciting winter photography outings planned but no winter with which to work. Instead of fretting over sub optimal landscape photography conditions I’ve been working on some stock photography chores on the computer. I’d always rather be outside exploring but at least I’ve been fairly productive while waiting for the snow to fall. In anticipation of a late but inevitable winter, I’ve put together some of my favorite winter photos from previous years. All of these images were captured with my large format camera which can be a bit tedious but when I get it right it allows me to make stunning fine art prints. The first photo is our beloved Mt. Bachelor in its full winter glory, clearly not shot this year. This photo was taken two years ago in January. I’d been tracking weather patterns for over a week and was fortunate enough to capture this image at sunrise the morning after a 28 inch snow fall.
Mt. Bachelor at sunrise after a heavy snow fall.
This photograph like most backcountry winter images required lots of work. An early rise, a brutal snow shoe up Tumalo Mountain through deep snows with a heavy camera pack while the thermometer reading hovered at zero degrees fahrenheit. Getting to a winter shot is only part of the battle. Finding a level spot to set up a tripod so that it doesn’t sink in the snow is always a difficult task. Snow blowing onto my lens and leaving fuzzy areas on my images can be disastrous. Accidently breathing on my lens is inconvenient at best as it takes a bit of time before the haze will clear and if its too cold, my breath freezes on the lens making my photos look like they were shot through an opaque shower door. Not Good. Finally there’s the frustration of the visual qualities of snow itself. If I can’t get to snow before its been exposed to the sun, it is virtually never visually attractive. Here in Central Oregon, it is often sunny right after a storm, melting the snow and making unsightly bare patches contrast unattractively against still snow covered areas. Essentially, if you want a really attractive winter landscape photo you need to be there right after a fresh snowfall and hope the wind hasn’t already blown the snows off of the trees in the area you want to shoot.
I love alpenglow photos like this one because I like color in my images and because they are a reminder how how special it is to spend time in the mountains. Where else can you get two free and beautiful light shows daily, courtesy of Mother Nature?
The following image was logistically simpler but still had its difficulties.
My favorite ponderosa grove, near Sisters, Oregon.
I was fortunate enough to get to this, my favorite grove of Ponderosa trees during an active snow storm. During my extensive scouting trips around Central Oregon, this is perhaps the most colorful group of ponderosa trees I’ve found and as a bonus they have a nice composition. If you live around ponderosa trees you’ve probably noticed that they are not all created equal. Some have considerably more reddish color to their wonderful jigsaw puzzle bark than others do. I have a theory about why this is. It seems that the more colorful side of any given ponderosa tree is virtually always the side of the trunk that is more slanted toward the ground and therefore more sheltered from prevailing weather patterns. It just so happens that all of these ponderosas had a slight tilt towards where I was shooting from and therefore they all have exceptionally colorful bark. Because the snow was actively falling while I was capturing this scene, the foreground was well covered giving this scene a very wintry feel.
The next photo is of Benham Falls, on the river trail, near Bend. It was taken immediately after a heavy early season snow storm. My daughter, Emma was with me on this adventure, like many of my other photography outings. There are several things about this photograph that are special in my opinion. First, the fresh snow allows for a wintry look, like all of the winter photos I am especially proud to have taken. I love the flow patterns of the Deschutes, the icicles draped off of the rocks along the river’s shores and the heavy snow laden evergreen branches sagging under their new found burden. I think this image
Central Oregon's Benham Falls in winter.
will make an excellent fine art print because of its various patterns and textures.
The next image in this small snow dance collection was taken in Tumalo State Park, and once again, it was taken immediately after a heavy snowfall giving the vibrant red osier dogwood in the foreground an attractive texture of winter. While this is a simple image, I still enjoy the composition and angles created by the silky waters of the Middle Deschutes River in the background and the ruby glow of the foreground dogwood.
Red Osier Dogwood along the Middle Deschutes River.
Granted, this is a small collection of winter images but hopefully it will give some hope to those of you who crave fresh powder on Mt. Bachelor until Mother Nature can finally answer your prayers for snow.
Central Oregon Virtual Autumn Road-Trip
As our daylight shortens, the colors fade and hard frosts glaze my lawn nightly, I submit that Fall, perhaps my favorite season has officially come to an end. I would argue that autumn os our most under rated season in the High Desert of Central Oregon. The core of Bend is awash in the yellows and reds of maples and the oranges of mountain ash. Riparian zones along the Deschutes River are ablaze with the reds of red osier dogwoods and the yellows of alders. The Santiam and Mckenzie Rivers are second to nowhere for the intensity of their vine maples. Anyone who has driven over Santiam Pass in October can attest to the splendor of lava fields aglow with vine maples in full seasonal regalia. I’ve put together a small collection of images celebrating the autumn color of the Central Oregon area. Some of these images were captured in previous years while some were just weeks ago. For emphasis, I’ll take you on a virtual road trip, leaving from my front door. We’ll wonder a couple blocks away to Bend’s pride and joy, Drake Park and Mirror Pond. I rarely take photos of scenes that have houses or obvious indications of human habitation but for Mirror Pond I make an exception. When My wife , Debbie and I were planning on leaving the East coast, I stumbled upon a Bend Chamber of Commerce website with Mirror Pond as it’s lead shot. I was smitten! Imagine glaciated volcanoes framed by huge Ponderosa pines edging the wild and scenic Deschutes River right in the heart of Bend’s downtown area. Wow! I knew where I wanted to live. Below is an autumn sunrise shot from the location that sold me on Bend.
Autumn sunrise over Bend, Oregon's Mirror Pond
From Bend we hop into our fuel efficient hybrid vehicle (this is Oregon after all) and head west on highway 20 towards the storied Metolius River and the quaintly rustic town of Camp Sherman. Below is an image I’ve never published before. I enjoy the Ponderosa trees that partially define the Metolius basin and the golden fringe enhancing the rivers elegantly curving shores. I’m going to paraphrase a section I read from a fishing guide about the Metolius River which I think also applies to photographing the Metolius basin. ”If you can’t enjoy time spent in exploring the Metolius, you have no soul.” Perhaps a bit extreme but people who are fortunate enough to have spent time along the Metolius’ shores will admit that it is a truly special place whether fishing, photographing or exploring.
Central Oregon's Metolius River fringed by golden shores and saluted by land locked ponderosa trees.
Next we continue west over the lava fields of Santiam Pass and down to the diminutive community of Marion Forks. The following image is from the shores of the North Santiam River slightly west of the cascade crest. I love the strong vertical pattern contrasting with the technicolor display.
Autumn colors and patterns along the North Santiam river
The following image is also along the Santiam River. I make an annual visit to this vine maple and its double layer effect. One layer of varied color and literal layers of branches gracefully extending beyond the river’s banks. There’s something about this expressive tree and its gorgeous annual display that always makes my return visits worth while.
Expressive vine maple overhanging the banks of the North Santiam River, in the Oregon Cascades.
Next I move along to the McKenzie River and one of my favorite autumn scenes. This image is also about texture and color. It was an amazing view and made a wonderful fine art print with its combination of delicacy, vibrancy and and compostion. I love the flowing feel offered by the moss streaming down upon the vine maples akin to the rain that gently fell upon me as I captured this image. I returned to this location four times before I found the desired synergy of color, texture and light.
Vine maples in autumn adornment merge with cascading moss in the Oregon Cascades.
Next we proceed to Scott Lake, near McKenzie Pass. Every year the Huckleberry bushes along the Lakes shore put on a display that is muted by the drama of the distant snow-covered cascade mountains .
Scott Lake in autumn color reflecting the three sisters(from left to right) North Sister, Middle Sister, and South Sister.
Now traveling east, we pass Belknap Crater the martian-like lava flows of McKenzie Pass and make a quick stop at yet another surreal alpine scene. the following image is a jumble of textures and color as Huckleberries, Blueberries and willows intertwine in front of a lodgepole pine tree audience.
blueberry, huckleberry and willow mix in an alpine meadow near McKenzie Pass.
Now we progress back toward the town of Bend stopping just shy at Tumalo State Park, one of my formerly secret autumn locations. On certain years, like the one from the image below, the color can be outstanding and the scenery is always pleasant , even in less than optimal years.
Autumn color along an oxbow bend in Central Oregon's Tumalo State Park.
Passing through my beloved city of Bend, we now turn west on Galveston street and turn west towards Tumalo Creek. The following image was taken with cutest and sweetest assistant possible, my daughter, Emma. It was raining hard and I fought with water spots on my lens for quite some time before capturing the silky flow of Tumalo Falls and the pastels hues of the surrounding riparian environment. We got drenched but I got the shot from an Iconic Central Oregon location.
Central Oregon's Tumalo Falls in Autumn
Finally, we meander down to the Deschutes River and its famed River Trail where I captured this image of the river in full autumn color. I recently licensed this image to Orvis, the fly-fishing company for use in one of their stores. I love the color, the flow patterns, and the lava background which in part helps to define this special area of the world that I call home.
Central Oregon's Deschutes River in full autumn color.
It should be understood that I did not capture all of these images in the same year, much less the same day. Having said that, this trip can easily be taken in one day and beautiful color can almost always be found somewhere along the way in the month of October and early November.
South Sister, Camp Lake and Expeditionary Art
Some of my favorite photographs have been earned through physical toil and hard work as much as artistry and creativity. One of these favorites is a shot I captured from the summit of South Sister. South Sister is normally a long and difficult but not technical climb with a breath taking view as a reward. Several years ago I became determined to climb South Sister with full camping gear as well as my large format 4×5 camera, sleep on the summit and capture morning’s first light on Middle Sister, North Sister, and the rest of the pacific crest extending northward to Mt. St. Helen and Mt Rainier in Washington state. I climbed South Sister three different times with a fourty+ pound pack before finally getting the shot I was after. One of these climbs I did solo, the next with my friend Jake Bell, and the last with friend Brad Hensley and his sister Lisa. The shot came out better than I’d imagined, thereby making all the suffering along the way worthwhile. Below is that shot which I still enjoy, partly because of the work that went into capturing that moment, high in the Central Oregon Cascades.
"Summit Sunrise" Alpenglow illuminating the cascade crest extending from Middle Sister north to Mt. Rainier
Another one of my favorite Central Oregon locations is the Chambers Lakes area high on the crest between South Sister and Middle Sister. It is visible in the lower right hand area of the image above. It is a strange and beautiful alpine terrain along with stunning mountain views that makes this area special. An elusive shot which I’ve obsessed about but has to this day I have not captured includes South Sister reflected in Camp Lake with beautiful alpenglow bathing both of them. A couple years ago friend and fellow photographer, Troy McMullin and I hiked into this high lakes area in early spring only to find the lakes were frozen solid. We got some nice shots but not necessarily the ones we were after. With the recent snows high in the Cascades and a good weather pattern approaching, I decided to revisit the Camp lake area. I contacted several friends all of whom either knew better or were unavailable. I decided to go solo! I loaded camera and overnight gear into my trusty Dana Designs backpack. Starting pack weight topped out at 63 pounds! Yikes! The hike starts at Pole Creek trailhead outside of the city of Sisters. There were only two other cars there and the weather was pleasant, in the high 40’s. After October 15th, the hiking season is unofficially over, trails are no longer maintained and trail head signs were covered for the winter. During the first thirty minutes of hiking I zig-zagged around over thirty down trees blocking the trail. They were mostly beetle killed lodgepoles so it was no real loss to the forest but an inconvenience for me. Eventually the lodgepoles thin out as did the down trees. The trail is 6.5 miles one way to camp Lake and it’s beautiful setting. About half way to Camp Lake the trail was mostly snowed over and eventually I was post holing nearly every step because of my heavy pack. By the time I reached the lake, my legs were aching. My pain was worsened when I reached the lake to find that it was completely frozen over, again! I was devastated. the setting was beautiful, as always, but I would clearly not get the shot I had suffered for.
South Sister perched high above a disappointingly frozen Camp Lake
South Sister and my camp above the frozen Camp Lake just after sunset
The night was cold but beautiful and my beloved Western Mountaineering sleeping bag kept me cozy. The sunrise offered some alpenglow color and clouds that would not cooperate for a truly great photo.
Sunrise color and uncooperative clouds above Central Oregon's South Sister.
Detail of South Sister at sunrise
As the morning progressed, I snapped a few more photos until the light became too harsh. I packed up and enjoyed my last few moments alone at Camp Lake(first time I’ve been the only one spending the night there). The return hike was long but uneventful. I left having spent a beautiful evening at a phenomenal location but not having gotten the shot I was after. The good news is that I’ll soon return to this special location and try to capture the elusive reflection shot I’ve been after for years. If you are like me, you start dreaming about your first civilized meal on the way out of the back country. For my first meal, I chose to visit my good friends at Three Creeks Brewing Company in Sisters. Their signature burger was delicious as always. The Head Brewer, Dave Fleming has recently concocted a phenomenal IPA, call HooDoo VooDoo IPA. An outstandingly aromatic nose leads the way through a wonderfully balanced body and a supple refined finish. It’s a great beer and definitely worth a try if you are ever exploring in the Sisters area.
Italian Expedition
OK, I recognize that this blog entry is a vast deviation from my normal protocol of documenting backcountry adventures highlighted with pleasant images and sprinkled with family details. Well, a lot of friends and family have been clamoring for pictures from our recent trip to Italy so here they are. Debbie(my 1/2 Italian, travel hungry wife) and I have been planning this trip since we were first married. I briefly visited Italy with friend, Scott Witscher, while in college as part of a pilgrimage to see the US soccer team play in the world cup. The U.S. team was fortunately playing in Florence, Italy which subsequently has become one of my favorite cities in the world. The USA got shellacked but Florence was stunning. My dear wife has been pummeled with stories of Italian grandeur for more than a decade until we finally saved enough money to take the trip we really wanted. Our traveling partners, Max and Chris Reitz were also up for the adventure which was something of a departure from our usual backpacking expeditions with them.
Me, Debbie, Chris Reitz, and Max Reitz atop the Duomo, Florence, Italy
We flew into Rome, where we spent three days in the heart of the city. Our accommadations were modest but our location was excellent as most of the major attractions were within easy walking distance of our B&B.
Debbie Putnam in Rome Italy
I was stunned by the sheer volume of historically significant architecture. It would take several lifetimes to explore all the city has to offer. Around every corner was another 2,000 year old roman temple, many which didn’t have informational plaques. We were overwhelmed with antiquities! Some of the highlights were the Forum, the Coliseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Vatican and I’ll end right there as there were simply too many amazing sites to list.
Obligatory Coliseum Photo
Debbie Putnam and Chris Reitz insuring a future return to Rome at the Trevi Fountain
After Rome, we took a train to Florence, the city that first made me love Italy.
My beautiful Wife waiting to leave Rome
Florence was much more approachable than Rome, in that it was smaller(approximately 500,000 people as opposed to 4,500,000 for Rome) and not so overwhelming in terms of the options. It was everything I’d remembered and hoped it would be. Gorgeous, saturated with history and art, and with a refined yet friendly finish. Granted, some things about Florence seemed a like a fairy tale land, but it was wonderful for three days. We stayed in the Torre Guelfa, built in the 1200’s, this original tower is the highest privately owned tower in Florence. It’s roof top bar/seating area, predictably has a stunning view of the city, and is conveniently located near the city’s center.
sunrise from our hotel with the distant Duomo and campanile, Florence, Italy
Night time from our hotel, Florence, Italy
Arno River sunset two block from the Torre Guelfa, Florence, Italy.
One of the highlights of Florence was it’s seemingly ever present Duomo. It’s exquisite marble exterior and Dome designed by Brunelleschi, were stunning to say the least. If you are ever in Florence wondering if you should pay the 5 Euros to walk to the top of the Duomo, do it. It is sublime. From the close up views of the ceiling of the dome, to the journey through it’s double walled structure to the endless views from the top of the dome, it is well worth the entry fee. Below are several images from Florence’s famous duomo.
The Duomo's intricate marble exterior displays Moorish influence, Florence, Italy
The Duomo's front fascade, Florence, Italy
The Duomo's dome interior, Florence, Italy
Florence's campanile as seen from the top of the Duomo
From Florence, we took a train to Monterosso, one of the five villages which comprise the Cinque Terra area on the northeast coast of Italy. The area was beautiful, defined by steep agriculture laden seaside hills, and attractive, vertically oriented villages built on impossibly angled cliffs. We spent several days there, perhaps one too many. My favorite day was spent hiking the 9 mile trail that extends between the 5 villages. Below are a few images from three of my favorites of the five villages.
Vernazza Italy with its terraced vineyards, orchards, and scenic port
Manarola, Italy
Riomaggiore, Italy, the southernmost of the five villages
The hike between the five villages was beautiful, but crowded. We ate well and stayed at a wonderful hotel, but as I am more of a mountain person than a beach person, this was perhaps my least favorite stop on a stellar vacation. Much of the time in the Cinque Terra area was spent lounging and eating, both pleasant activities, but the region certainly couldn’t compete with the culture and history of Rome and Florence, of course few places in the world can. Below are a couple more shots of my traveling companions, the best anyone could ask for.
Debbie Putnam and Chris Reitz
My long time and great friend, Max reitz, and me.
From Monterosso, we sadly had to part ways from the Reitzs. From there, Debbie and I headed south and east to the premium wine country of southern Tuscany. We stayed in the hilltop town of Montepulciano, perhaps my favorite of the trip. There is something about Montepulciano that tugs at my soul. Perhaps it’s the combination of beautifully maintained medieval architecture, meaningful agriculture(vineyards have persisted here since the 1200’s) and a friendly community feel. I have never claimed to be an expert at Italian Wines, although I am fond of Oregon Pinot Noirs, and Walla Walla Cabs. While in Italy I did find what I like and that was the Vino Nobiles of Montepulciano and the Brunellos of Montalcino. They both had a medium body with pleasant layering and full finishes. Both of these styles are grown in the region of southern Tuscany. While in Montepulciano, we stayed at a beautiful hotel, the historic Villa Poggiano. Below is an olive orchard as seen from the window of our three hundred year old cottage.
View from the window of our 300 year old cottage
Next is a sunset view of the city of Montepulciano taken from near our hotel.
The medieval city of Montepulciano, Italy.
Our first day there was spent exploring, having heart attacks while trying to navigate Italian road signs while driving a tiny but sporty fiat rental and eventually exploring the wonderful city of Montepulciano. It’s ancient and excellently preserved medieval walls are lined with residences, countless wine shops, tasteful gift shops, and exceptional restaurants. Below is a photo that exemplifies part of what is special about this city. It is Debbie strolling through a small handmade ceramics shop’s basement, which incidentally includes an Etruscan tomb in its basement which dates to 300B.C. There are no exterior signs regarding the tombs, nor any national monuments as there would and should be if it was located in the US. It is simply considered a simple side note in an area deeply submerged in layer upon layer of history.
Debbie explores hand made ceramics and Etruscan tombs, montepulciano, Italy.
The tombs are through the door directly to Debbie’s right in this photo. Next is a view from Montepulciano over the surrounding country side.
View over the medieval walls of Montepulciano exposing the Tuscan countryside.
The followong day we explored the beautiful town of San Gimigano and its wonderful medieval towers and the sleepy residential village of Montichiello. San Gimigano, like Montepulciano is famous for its wine and is wonderfully maintained village. Below is a shot taken from the Torre Rosa, the tallest of the 13 medieval towers still standing in the city of San Gimigano.
The city of San Gimigano and Tuscan countryside as seen from the Torre Rosa.
Next is Debbie next to a typical residential staircase in the sleepy hillside town of Montichiello.
Debbie and geraniums, Montichiello, Italy
To be certain the trip was everything we’d hoped for and more. I’d like to thank several people for making this dream vacation possible. First off, Max and Chris Reitz for being great friends and great travel partners. Christine Kieffer, who arranged our itinerary and lodging, both of which were exceptional, Kenny and Flo Scholz(my dreaded inlaws!) who flew in all the way from New Hampshire to take care of our daughter Emma while were away, and finally my Mother, Sheila Putnam,(who I occasionally bicker with but love and trust more than anything) who drove all the way from Iowa to care for Emma. It wouldn’t have been possible without these people. Finally a photo that shows why we were so grateful to be home , even after a trip of a lifetime.
Our wonderful daughter, Emma who makes me smile every day.
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