Gregg Teasdale: Blog

Palouse Winter Textures in Black and White

Wed, 02 Mar 2016 02:30:00 GMT

February and March is a time of rapid change on the Palouse and good time to hunt for unusual landscapes. Colors are muted, but the low sun highlights textures that are hidden later in the year. Head to the field thinking black and white and you'll see opportunities that amaze. Sun rays and patterns of the wheat stubble harmonize in the photo below. Color diminishes the experience.

Snake River Winter Reflections

Thu, 25 Feb 2016 00:00:00 GMT

Spring arrives early in the Snake River canyon of eastern Washington. Early season grasses give the first blush of green to the basalt slopes. On this calm afternoon, the low sun and the backlight of scattered clouds was a dramatic setting for this photo of the Washington State University Women's Rowing Team. Can you see the spirit of the Cougar in the basalt slope racing the team?

Two Sisters Basalt Pillars on the Columbia River

Sat, 20 Feb 2016 22:00:00 GMT

It's a just short hike on a rough trail to a fantastic landscape opportunity. If you are driving near the Tri Cities in eastern Washington, and the light is good, it's worth visiting the Two Sisters basalt formation on HW 730 along the Columbia River near Wallula, WA. Be prepared. The site is undeveloped, there are no restrooms or drinking water, just a parking area where the steep trail starts. I shot this site for the first time in late afternoon and early evening. You can circumnavigate the Two Sisters, looking for the right angle and lighting. Meander south of the Pillars and there's a fine view of the Wallula Gap. I'll be back many times, most certainly in the early morning.

Two Sisters Basalt Pillars.

The Wallula Gap on the Columbia River.

Palouse Falls Aerial Shoot

Wed, 10 Feb 2016 17:05:49 GMT

A fine clear winter day on the eastern Palouse yesterday - a good day for aerial photography in the low winter sun. We flew from Walla Walla, WA 34 nautical miles northwest to Palouse Falls State Park. Palouse Falls is often visited by photographers, it's a bit remote, but well worth the trip. The gravel road to the park is usually in good shape and the park facilities are nice. Overnight camping is available if you want to shoot early in the morning or at night. Someday, I'm going to try a starry sky shot over the falls...

Today's objective was to capture aerial oblique images of the falls during high winter flow. I especially wanted an image with a rainbow formed in the surging mist from the plunge pool. Below is one of the photos. Palouse Falls is not far from our home airport, so I plan to produce a collection of seasonal images from the air.

A note of concern for photographers: the park has closed the trails leading to the escarpment above the falls, so you now can't get sweeping shots of the falls and downstream canyon. I guess too many careless hikers were getting in trouble, hurt or killed scrambling around the falls and canyons. Maybe the park will let photographers beyond the fence with special permission. I haven't tried yet.

McNary Wildlife Refuge

Tue, 29 Dec 2015 02:30:00 GMT

It looked like a good day to photograph water fowl at the McNary Wildlife Refuge near Wallula, WA. It turned out that few birds were close enough to photograph. Instead, the parapet of an old bridge suggested an introspective landscape of the calm water of the Walla Walla River.

A Snowy Steptoe Butte

Sun, 27 Dec 2015 02:30:00 GMT

The snow stopped, the fog lifted, and the sun broke out for a few hours today. It turned out to be a good day capture a snowy image of Steptoe Butte.

Snow and Sun on the High Palouse

Fri, 18 Dec 2015 18:22:15 GMT

Into the bright sun over fresh snow for an afternoon of shooting on the High Palouse at the edge of the foothills of the Blue Mountains in eastern Washington. New snow mutes the wheat stubble and low camera angles invite exploration of the textures of the drifted snow and grassy edges. Soon to melt, a light frost on the bare shrub catches sidelight of the low December sun. A polarizing filter adds a gradient to stark blue sky, and by this balances the weight of the grass and shrub in the composition. Peer beneath the clouds and you'll see wind turbines near the horizon line.

Sun and snow also brought out the complex textures and shadows of the rugged North Fork of the Touchet River basin. Golden tones of the late afternoon sun sweep through the grass of the canyon slope in the foreground and the tumult of clouds above. You, with the lone pine tree, reach from its prominence to partake the expanse.

Snake River Canyon

Wed, 16 Dec 2015 17:38:18 GMT

Partly cloudy weather yesterday between storm systems gave an opportunity to photograph early winter landscapes in the Snake River canyon of eastern Washington State. Shooting was quick in late afternoon as thick clouds moved in from the west to mask the sun just as it lowered to the canyon rim. In shooting the river and basalts it is always a bit tricky to find a position that balances the basalt layering, water reflection, and clouds while still giving the viewer a comfortable place in the foreground. In the view below, I like how layers of high cirrus clouds parallel the basalt layers and reflections, and the empty patch of blue sky mimics the shape of the water element. Using a wide angle lens, the dominant leafless shrub is made to be about the same size as the basalt edifice, a means of balancing the composition. The leading lines of the grass shoreline, water and basalt layers draw attention to the shrub, which identifies with the viewer and lends its emotion of stalwart persistence and patience.