Flying above the clouds with the DJI Spark

Earlier this week I took the DJI Spark out to fly up near Mt. St. Helens. I got some amazing footage from above the clouds (which was scary to film!), as well as of the Toutle River flood plain created behind the Sediment Retention Dam.

DJI Spark First Flight Photo and video gallery

Giant Sequoia surrounded by goat trails in the field. 

I finally have a drone! The DJI Spark is the latest addition to my photographic tool kit, and I don't know of any other piece of gear that has done more to expand my creativity. Everything looks totally different from the air - even with just a few dozen feet one can look down and see patterns otherwise indiscernible.

My New Youtube Channel Trailer

The epic waves of Waikiki Beach

At Waikiki Beach the raw fury of the great Pacific Ocean clashes against the craggy lighthouse topped cliffs of Cape Disappointment State Park. As the crests of the waves rise up before vaporizing in a sparkling tower of spray, their deep green hearts are revealed, portals into the hidden depths of the sea.

Close Encounter on the Crooked River

Arriving at the end of a long, dry summers day in Eastern Oregon, we pulled into Smith Rock State

Park. The excitement of seeing the towering faces of the stunning rock formations that tower over
fields and desert scrubland never dwindles with repeated visits. However, on this occasion we were
more interested in setting up camp and jumping into the cool river waters than in admiring the views.
As it turned out, the water was only cool in comparison with the air - still heavy even with the sun
close on the horizon, and thick with the heady scent of baking sagebrush.

Winter snow, Summer heat - the perfect adventure at Mt. Rainier

December is typically a difficult month for outdoor adventuring in the Pacific Northwest. Weeks at a
time may pass without an unobstructed glimpse of the sun as it skulks briefly across the southern horizon for those precious few hours every day. Not even the ski slopes appeal, if they are open at all - the best of the snow not swirling in till around Christmas. There was no way I was missing out this week on the first streak of sunny skies I can remember experiencing in the first quarter of the month.

Dreaming of the Magic Mile on Mt. Hood

Despite the promise of an early ski season, November was a season rife with sudden, inexplicable changes in temperature that took things from freezing one day to near summer temps the next! This has played chaos with the snow on the ski resorts here in the Pacific Northwest, and so I decided to revisit one of this spring's finer excursions high on the slopes of Mt. Hood. I've been to Timberline several times, but this is the first that the Magic Mile has been open, and was it ever worth the wait! I could have spent the day just taking photographs and forgotten about skiing entirely. Hopefully this gallery will help take the edge off your impatience to hit the slopes and fuel your dreams of the coming months of winter.