Sawtooth Sunset Odyssey

It is rare to find a roadside hotspring deserted, relaxing in steaming pools along a crystaline creek we surmised that the unexpected solitude might have something to do with the not-so-distant rumbles of thunder. Formidable looking black walls of roiling cloud are inexplicably off putting to most casual wilderness bathers.

Rokinon 14mm F/2.8 Wide Angle Lens Review

If you're on a tight budget, but want to expand your lens collection to open up more creative possibilities, the Rokinon 14mm F/2.8 wide angle lens might be your best option. It's a solid, dependable performer that can deliver dramatic images in a variety of situations, and is available for most cameras at a price that even the most frugal photographer won't find prohibitive.

Mt. St. Helens dons the icy shroud of winter.

The peaks and ridges of the Mt. St. Helens blast zone are finally layered in their winter blanket of snow and ice. Hints of what lies beneath this shroud of winter can still be seen, yet soon the lumps and bumps will be smoothed by the gentle yet relentless accumulation of powder. Roads, blasted stumps, struggling alpine trees, soon all will be indistinguishable until the spring thaw.

Storms over Silver Lake

When the power went out on Monday I decided to take the opportunity to get outside and do some photography. The weather didn't make this easy - as I was capturing timelapses the wind was blowing so ferociously that I had to stand constant guard to make sure it didn't fly off into the seething waters of the lake!

 

Winter comes to Mt. St. Helens

In 2017 the seasons seemed to fade into one another - winter flowed gradually into spring, spring merged slowly with brilliant summer sun, summer melted into the crisper autumn season. However, last week, fall was violently deposed by old man winter with a hammer blow of snow and ice.

Ocean of Clouds

The Willapa Hills rise over the fog-drowned
Cowlitz Valley like a distant continent.

Normally you look up at the clouds, they block the sun, pour down soaking rain, and just generally make the day mildly less pleasant. However, when one is privileged to that rare opportunity of looking down upon the clouds it is an entirely different story. Bright sun, clear air, and the rippling waves of vapor spread beneath you - to stand upon a mountain looking down upon a sea of clouds is a truly special experience.

Canon 55-250mm IS STM F/4-5.6 Review

Quality optics, or a balanced budget - that is the question that plagues so many photographers not blessed with a vast disposable income or the professional capitol to justify the cost of high end glass for photography work. You can, of course, compromise with third party manufacturers such as Rokinon - give up luxuries like autofocus, zoom, and image stabilization for great image quality. Fortunately, if you’re looking for a good telephoto zoom lens that won’t break the bank, yet has awesome modern tech, there is the Canon 55-250mm IS STM.