I’m pleased to announce that I will return to my frequent art haunt of Patagonia of Bend for tomorrow night’s First Friday Art Walk. Patagonia Of Bend is located at 920 NW Wall St, where I will introduce a new Print of Central Oregon’s beautiful Proxy Falls. I just viewed this print for the first time today and I think it looks fantastic!
Oregon Waterfall
Proxy Falls may be my favorite waterfall anywhere and I am very excited to share this new framed print! In addition to this new Oregon Waterfall Print, I’ll also have the following favorites on display during the First Friday Art Walk festivities.
Sparks Lake near Bend,Oregon.
Bend Oregon’s very own Sparks Lake during a beautiful sunrise. Below is another stunning waterfall image from the Bend,Oregon area, Bend’s own Tumalo Falls, captured this past summer!
Bend Oregon Waterfall
I will also be showing one of my favorite Oregon snow images, taken from the top of Bend’s Tumalo Mountain.
Bend Oregon Snow
Please stop by Patagonia of Bend tomorrow night to see my new Proxy Falls Print as well as these older favorites!
I hope to see you there,
Mike Putnam
Dec 01, 2011 | Central Oregon Fine Art Landscape Photography, First Friday Art Hop/ Art Walk in Bend, Oregon, Oregon Landscape photography blog entries, Oregon landscape photography exhibits, Oregon Photography, Oregon Photos, Oregon Rivers, lakes,Streams, and Waterfall Photography | Leave A Comment »
Hood River, Oregon has long been one of my favorite cities in the world. We have some wonderful friends who live in Hood River, so we have become familiar with the Hood River Valley over the last decade and a half. As a landscape photographer, the Hood River Valley may be as beautiful as anywhere in the state of Oregon. Like my hometown of Bend, Oregon, Hood River is not only attractive, but it has great beer. A relative newcomer on the Hood River beer scene, Double Mountain Brewery was established approximately 4 years ago and they are already my favorite Hood River Brewery. With Beers such as Hop Lava, IRA, Vaporizer, and my personal favorite, Fa,La,La,La, Double Mountain Brewery has been tremendously successful in their first four years. The environment at Double mountain is an excellent hybrid of cozy and funky, just the way I like brewpubs to be! As you might have suspected, My Oregon landscape Photography is currently hanging at Double Mountain and will be there until the end of July. I think my photos look great there and I hope that they are being well received by the Double Mountain patrons. Below is one of the six landscape photos I currently have displayed at Hood River’s favorite brewpub.
Mount Jefferson
I debated which of my oregon photographs to hang at Double mountain for quite some time. The primary issue was should I share photos from the Hood River/ Columbia River Gorge area or should I hang images from my home area near Bend, Oregon. In the end I decided that the good folks of Hood River had probably seen enough Hood River Valley Photos and that photographs from Central Oregon might be a nice change of pace.
Balsamroot and Basalt Columns
It is also my understanding that a fair number of Hood River residents enjoy periodic visits to Bend and perhaps they would enjoy a reminder of the Central Oregon vacation. While I think my landscape photography looks great at Double Mountain, I’m very open to feedback regarding the appropriateness of displaying Central Oregon Photographs in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge. Does anyone think I should switch out my photo at mid month and include more from the Hood River/ Columbia River Gorge area? If you do think I should make a change, please leave me a note in the comment section at the end of this blog entry. If I do decide to change up the images at Double Mountain, the first update will most likely come from my Facebook Page, so please check there for updates.
Bend Oregon's Sparks Lake
I’d like to extend a special thanks to the kind staff at Double Mountain. They were very accommodating while I was hanging my art in there awesome brewpub. Thanks Double Mountain! If any of you readers happen to live in the Hood River area, pleas stop by Double Mountain sometime this month and tell them that their landscape photography looks great!
Cheers,
Mike Putnam
Jul 11, 2011 | Columbia River Gorge Landscape Photography, Oregon Landscape photography blog entries, Oregon landscape photography exhibits, Oregon Photography | 4 Comments »
As with most aspects of my life as a Landscape photographer in the Bend Oregon area, things have evolved. I try to continually improve the quality of my Photography, my Greeting cards, my fine art prints and the service that I offer to collectors. I have recently found a printer for my greeting cards which is far superior in term of image quality and do to the higher volume of cards that I’ll be purchasing, the costs will be no more than my previous line of cards. The selection of available cards is different as I want my collection to share the beauty and diversity that the Bend, Oregon area has to offer. Below each of the following images, will be a few special thoughts about why a given image was selected to be part of my new and improved Central Oregon Greeting Card collection. Please visit my Central Oregon Greeting Cards page to purchase cards now! So here are the new cards!
Mount Jefferson Wilderness Area Greeting/Note Card
Central Oregon’s Mount Jefferson Wilderness Area is one of my favorite places in the world and this is my favorite image from that beautiful location. This was part of my previous greeting card collection, but I couldn’t resist including it in my new improved card collection. This scene captures the most beautiful wildflower meadow I’ve ever experienced and one of the most beautiful mountains in the world! Needless to say, I was thrilled when I first viewed the 4×5 transparencies that I captured that day with my large format landscape camera. I was honored to have this image grace the cover of the Visit Bend over two years ago. Visit Bend is an innovative and exceptionally effective group staffed by talented and personable people. I consider their guide to be the best regional guide in Central Oregon and quite possibly the the entire Pacific Northwest area. This image has proven to be very popular amongst Fine Art Photography collectors and and Bend visitors alike!
Central Oregon Bitterroot Blossoms Greeting/Note Card
This image of Bitterroot Blossoms along the Alder Springs Trail, near Sisters, Oregon is new to my collection of Central Oregon Greeting cards. I wanted a beautiful representation of the Central Oregon high desert and this image of luminous desert wildflowers fit the bill. Also, it is a favorite of my beautiful wife, so I really had no choice!
Smith Rock Basalt Columns Greeting/Note Card
The above image taken high above the Crooked River, in Smith Rock State Park is another image which captures the rugged beauty of Central Oregon’s high desert. Delicate sulfur flowers surrounding an aged sagebrush, are backed by a Smith Rock feature know as “The Monument”. Smith Rock is a phenomenal destination for visitors to the Bend area and I hope this new greeting/note card will help share the beauty of the Central Oregon area.
Oregon Cascades Greeting/Note Cards
This beautiful Image of the Oregon Cascades bathed in the alpenglow of morning’s first light is my best attempt at sharing the stunning alpine scenery that is found in the Three Sisters Wilderness area, near Bend, Oregon. I worked really hard to get this shot and No, it was not taken from an airplane! I’ve been asked that question dozens of times! I actually climbed Central Oregon’s South Sister three times with a 40+ pound pack in order to capture this idyllic alpine image. The first time, clouds rolled in, the second, hurricane force winds prevented me from even setting up my tripod and on the third attempt, the conditions were blissfully calm and the alpenglow was resplendent! I captured lots of great images with my beloved wooden 4×5 camera that morning, but this is my favorite. I don’t think a more dramatic and alpine scene can be found in Oregon. Mountains that are visible in the large fine art version of this image (from nearest to farthest) include Middle Sister, North Sister, Black Crater, Black Butte, Three FIngered Jack, Mount Jefferson(see Mount Jefferson Wilderness above), Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Rainier! Awesome!
Incidently, an image I captured the same morning as this(slightly different composition) is still used in advertising campaigns by Bend’s Bank of the Cascades and fine art prints of this beautiful scene can be found in private and corporate collections across the United States.
Bend, Oregon's Tumalo Falls Greeting/Note Card
Bend Oregon’s Tumalo falls is an iconic Central Oregon location and a popular departure point for summer adventures such as hiking and Mountain Biking trips. I’ve been to Tumalo Falls dozens of times and this was by far the most colorful I’ve ever seen this area. I happen to be exploring with my now 8 year old daughter, Emma, during a heavy autumn rain. Emma was a trooper and I captured what is one of my favorite Oregon landscape photographs. While Bend is considered to be in the high desert, it is surrounded by water! Tumalo Creek, the Deschutes River, the Cascade Lakes, and numerous small streams course through the Bend area and I wanted to represent this characteristic of the Central Oregon area with one of my new note cards.
Sparks Lake Sunrise Greeting/Note Card
Sparks Lake is an easily accessible Boating and hiking destination near Bend, Oregon. The composition and serene beauty of Sparks Lake draws photographer from around the world. I’ve been to Sparks Lake dozens of times and this is by far the best image I’ve captured from it’s beautiful shores. The night before I captured this stunning photo, there was an alpine snowfall and the clearing storm left a gorgeous array of clouds as the sun rose. In addition to being a popular fine art print, this image was also recently selected by the good folks of Visit Bend as the cover shot for their newest tourism guide of the Bend, Oregon area. Follow this link to learn more about Visit Bend!
Central Oregon's Mount Washington Greeting/Note Card
The above image of Central Oregon’s Mount Washington was captured along the shores of a backcountry lake in the Mt. Washington Wilderness Area. I have to thank my friend, beer buddy, and partner in our stock photography business, Pacific Crest Stock for first finding this hidden location while bushwacking far from any trails. To visit our stock photography site, follow this link, Oregon stock photos. This view of Mt. Washington is the best I’ve found and the fresh alpine snow combined with fall color along the lake shore make for a stunning greeting card.
Bend, Oregon Aspen Leaves Greeting/Note Card
The above image of Aspen leaves is one of my most popular fine art prints and will make a colorful addition to my collection of Central Oregon Greeting Cards. These leaves were along the Deschutes River Trail south of Bend. Bend’s high elevation and arid climate allow for aspen trees to thrive. There are stands of aspen trees scattered throughout the Central Oregon area. In autumn during select years, these trees can explode with color, making beautiful and delicate scenes like the one above.
Either a variety pack including one each of my 8 different cards or boxes of 8 cards of the same individual image are available. Envelopes are included with the cards . To order cards, please visit my greeting cards purchase page. Central Oregon Greeting Cards. For retailers that are interested in larger purchases, please contact me for retail rates.
(541) 610-4815
info@mikeputnamphoto.com
Thanks For Reading!
Mike Putnam
Feb 16, 2011 | Bend and Central Oregon Greeting/Note Cards, Central Oregon Fine Art Landscape Photography, Oregon Landscape photography blog entries | Leave A Comment »
It’s that time again art fans, Fall Art Hop! As is often the case, I’ll be sharing my fine art landscape photography at Patagonia of Bend, located at 920 NW Bond Street, in Downtown Bend. The good folks at Patagonia will be sharing their now famous iced animal cookies. It is a touch of class that you can’t just find anywhere, so come on in and enjoy the ambrosial flavors of tiny animals dipped in frosting. Confectionary Greatness! This greatness will be balanced by the astringent notes of Patagonia of Bend’s signature brand of slightly rancid wine, that I generously think of as good vinegar! What more could you ask for?
Tumalo Falls, near Bend, Oregon
The above picture of Bend’s own Tumalo Falls will be on display at this particular art hop. It is a picture that has special meaning to me because I captured this images with my beautiful daughter, Emma. While Emma may not be at the show, this Central Oregon Landscape picture will.
Dwarf Monkeyflowers blooming near Bend, Oregon
This vibrant macro picture of dwarf monkeyflowers blooming in the high desert outside of my hometown of Bend, will be displayed for the first time tomorrow night. It captures one of the splashes of color that make high desert hikes so worth while. Another new pictured that will be displayed for the first time at art hop will be the following picture of Broken Top Mountain.
Broken Top Mountain near Bend, Oregon
I’ve enjoyed dozens of hikes along the Broken top Trail including several overnighters but I’ve never found a better wildflower foreground with “No Name Lake” and Broken Top in the background. This was a morning picture and more importantly is was a low wind morning which allowed me to get good detail of the wildflowers in this beautiful scene. The following landscape picture of Bend’s famed Sparks Lake was taken last year. This picture will also be available at Patagonia of Bend for fall art hop.
Sparks Lake near Bend, Oregon
Probably my favorite Sparks Lake Picture to date, this image captures a gorgeous sunrise with placid waters from one of Oregon’s most iconic locations. Fresh snow on South Sister and Broken Top, certainly add to this serene Central Oregon Picture.
Oregon's Mount Jefferson
The above picture of Oregon’s beautiful Mt. Jefferson will also be on display at Art Hop on the night of October 1st. If you are in the Bend area, please stop by , check out my work and say hello.
I hope to see you all at art Hop!
Thanks,
Mike Putnam
Oct 01, 2010 | Central Oregon Fine Art Landscape Photography, First Friday Art Hop/ Art Walk in Bend, Oregon, Oregon Landscape photography blog entries, Oregon landscape photography exhibits | 2 Comments »
I’m pleased to announce that I will be in downtown Bend, Oregon for the First Friday Art Walk from approximately 5-9PM this Friday, March 5th. I will start the evening at the Volcano Vineyards Tasting Room located at 126 NW Minnesota St I’ll be there from approximately 5-7PM.
The walls of the Volcano Vineyards Tasting Room festooned with beautiful Photography!
At 7Pm I’ll move to Pandora’s Backpack which is located just around the corner at 920 NW Bond St where I’ll reside from approximately 7-9pm.
Patagonia by Pandora's Backpack located at 920 NW Bond St. in Bend, Or
I’ll have some of my best work displayed at these locations so please stop by.
Volcano will have their always stellar wines available for a very fair price and the Pandora’s Backpack will have their always awful wine available for free! It should be noted that while Rod Bien’s(owner of Pandora’s Backpack) taste in wine has been know to make winos gag, they do have a beautiful collection of Patagonia clothing that will make any outdoor enthusiast giddy with excitement.
smiling and helpful staff members, like Whitney, seen above, will be available to serve you some semi-toxic wine tomorrow(3/5/10) at Pandora's Backpack
Please stop by for good or bad wine and hopefully great Photography! Below is a small sampling of the work I will have available.
Mt. Washington at sunrise.
Photograph of Shevlin Park in Autumn.
Photo of a beautiful sunrise from one of Oregon's most photogenic locations, Central Oregon's Sparks Lake.
Sunrise on Central Oregon's Broken Top Mountain with a wildflower filled foreground.
Please stop by as it should be a great evening!
All the Best,
Mike Putnam
Mar 04, 2010 | Central Oregon Fine Art Landscape Photography, First Friday Art Hop/ Art Walk in Bend, Oregon, Oregon Landscape photography blog entries, Oregon landscape photography exhibits | Leave A Comment »
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
Jan 06, 2010 | Central Oregon Fine Art Landscape Photography, Oregon Landscape photography blog entries, Oregon landscape photography exhibits | Leave A Comment »
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
Nov 18, 2009 | Oregon Landscape photography blog entries | Leave A Comment »
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
Jun 05, 2009 | Oregon Landscape photography blog entries | Leave A Comment »
The Cascade Lakes Highway near Bend,Oregon is arguably one of the prettiest drives in the United States and is filled with outdoor adventure options. Fishing, skiing at Mt. Bachelor, cross country skiing from Dutchman Flat, hiking, climbing, and of course photography. Every year I make several photographic journeys along the cascade lakes highway, so I decided to spotlight some images that emphasize this area’s impressive beauty. Sparks Lake is a favorite location of many photographers and I am no exception. I have to start my exploration of this ara with an image of one of one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever witnessed. It was the sort of scene which makes me nervous with excitement. Part of what makes this one of the favorite images in my portfolio is that Debbie and Emma were there to share in this exquisite scene. Emma to this day refers to this image as “Froggy Lake” because of all the frogs she and Debbie studied that evening.
Sparks Lake Sunset
The following image is another taken with Emma, but it required more effort than the previous image. This was a scene I scouted while sea kayaking on Sparks Lake with my good friend, Mike Croxford, AKA “Old Mike”. Therefore, the next morning, I awoke long before sunrise, scooped Emma out of bed in her footy pajamas and we drove to Sparks Lake where I made trips awding back and forth in waist deep water carrying gear and Emma to a small island, where this shot was taken. I was consumed with the scene and Emma was consumed with sleep. She quickly fell asleep on my down jacket(see Columbia River Gorge entry) while I worked the scene. Soon the light became too harsh and hummingbirds frantically worked the scene as I had moments before.
Sparks Lake Garden
The next two images are both of Mt. Bachelor as seen earlier this summer along the shores of Sparks Lake. the first displays a channel of water gracefully coursing through a field of buttercups, one of the first flowers to announce the arrival of spring along the cascade lakes highway.
Mt. Bachelor and Buttercups
The following image is of Mt. Bachelor fronted by a foreground of Mountain Heather Blooming on small islands adjacent to the shores of Sparks Lake. This specific area of Sparks Lake is in my experience, essentially a holding basin designed by mosquitos in order to exsanguinate crazed landscape photographers, namely myself.
Mt. Bachelor and Mountain Heather Islands in Sparks Lake
From this image I move along to another of my favorite cascade lakes, Elk Lake. Elk Lake has more developed areas and is famed for a small but relatively stable population of sail boats residing there. My favorite area of the lake is the “south beach” area, cleverly named for the fact that it is on the south shore and has a beach and not because is sports art deco architecture, palm trees, or a prominent fashion district. The following image was captured near south beach with South Sister Mountain in the background. The most difficult part of capturing this image was waiting for the dozens of hummingbirds to clear the scene before exposing my film. Had I not waited the hummingbirds would have been represented by an unattractive blur due to the long exposure times I usually utilize with my large format camera.
South Sister, Elk Lake, and wildflowers
Next is an image taken this July showing a foreground of columbine, where I fought a similar duel against dive-bombing hummingbirds repeatedly invading my shot. I especially like the early morning fog breaking up the scene, adding to this landscape photograph.
South Sister, Elk Lake, and Columbine along the Cascade Lakes Highway.
Finally I’ll conclude with a Sparks Lake shot taken earlier this summer at sunrise. Another stunning light show at a truly beautiful location for landscape photography in Central Oregon.
Sparks Lake sunrise with South Sister and Broken Top
Oct 30, 2008 | Central Oregon Fine Art Landscape Photography, Oregon Landscape photography blog entries | 2 Comments »
Mike Putnam Photo on Facebook
Oregon Cascade Mountain Gallery
High Desert Print Gallery
Trees and Wildflower Prints Gallery
Rivers, Lakes and Waterfalls Gallery
All content © 2012 by Mike Putnam Landscape Photography