Nature Photography

Washington State Parks Anniversary

Mar 222013

Washington State Parks – Images by Greg Vaughn Washington State Parks celebrate their centennial this year. Created in 1913, the system now includes over 100 state parks. Many of these parks are fantastic for nature and landscape photography. Among my favorites as photo destinations are Cape Disappointment, Steptoe Butte, Palouse Falls, Columbia Hills, Steamboat Rock and Deception Pass. As part of the centennial celebration, all Washington State Parks will have free admission on March 30th. There are also events scheduled [read more ...]

Bald Eagles on the Skagit River

Jan 152013

The Skagit River in northwestern Washington state vies with Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge on the Oregon-California border for the highest concentration bald eagles in the lower 48 states. A few eagles inhabit the area year round, but each winter, hundreds of these magnificent raptors come to the Skagit River to feed on the salmon that swim upstream to spawn. The eagles (and the salmon) arrive in late November and stay through January, with peak numbers from Christmas until mid-January. [read more ...]

Award Winning Nature Photography

Sep 142012

I am very pleased to announce that I won both Bronze and Gold awards in the Society of American Travel Writers annual Bill Muster Photo Competition. The Muster Awards honor the very best in travel photography, and I’m happy to be a winner again this year. Laceleaf Maple tree in Autumn This photo of a Laceleaf Maple tree in brilliant fall color won the Gold Award in the Natural Scenic category of the Muster contest. The photograph was taken in [read more ...]

Columbia River Gorge Wildflowers

May 102012

Early May is the prime time for wildflower displays in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. There are a number of locations on both the Oregon and Washington side of the river that are great for finding and photographing wildflowers. Here are three of the best places for getting photos with masses of color. Tom McCall Preserve, pictured above, is a Nature Conservancy holding at Rowena on the Oregon side of the River. An easy stroll just a few [read more ...]

Alabama Hills Arches

Jan 152012

The fantastic rock formations of the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California, have been favorite subject matter for photographers for many years. The combination of jumbled and roundly eroded rock rising up from the Owens Valley with a backdrop of the dramatic eastern face of the Sierra Nevada mountains is hard to beat. Scattered throughout the Alabama Hills are a number of interesting rock arches. At one time, some photographers and concerned conservationists tried to keep the location of the [read more ...]

Bandon Beach, Oregon Coast

Dec 082011

One of the most scenic places on the Oregon coast is Bandon Beach. It’s one of my personal favorites, and I think it is has some of the most photogenic scenery on the entire west coast. The main attraction for photography is the sea stacks – monolithic rock formations that provide dramatic subject matter for photographers in just about any weather condition. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better location for sunset seascapes. Nowhere else on the coast has such [read more ...]

Seattle Area Japanese Gardens in Autumn

Nov 072011

The Seattle, Washington area is home to several beautiful Japanese Gardens, and right now they are at their very best. The fall color is at peak and the maple trees are brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow. Best known of the Seattle area gardens is the Japanese Garden at Washington Park Arboretum. This garden, part of the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, is a photographer’s delight most any time of year, but especially in fall. The ornamental maple trees [read more ...]

Where in Washington for Fall Color Photos

Oct 242011

Interested in where to find the best autumn foliage for landscape and scenic photography in Washington State? I did a quick circuit around the Cascades last week and found quite a range of fall color. In most locations, the color was just starting to get good, so this week and the next should be optimal for making photographs, or just viewing for the pleasure of it. In the southern Cascades, around Trout Lake and Mount Adams, there were places with [read more ...]

"Nature of the Northwest" photo show

Oct 072011

A selection of thirty of my scenic landscape and nature photos is currently on display in the upstairs gallery at the University of Oregon School of Law. The photographs were taken over a period of years during my many wanderings and journeys in the Pacific Northwest, and highlight some of the best locations for nature photography in Oregon and Washington. Each of the 18×24″ prints in the show were custom printed using archival inks, paper and framing materials (for the [read more ...]

Waterfalls on the Big Island of Hawaii

Sep 302011

The Big Island of Hawaii was my home for a number of years and is still one of my favorite destinations. Largest of all the Hawaiian Islands, it contains a full range of environments from arid desert to tropical rainforest. Plentiful rainfall on the Hamakua Coast and in the Hilo area – the northeast side of the island – makes for lush forest and a number of waterfalls that are great subjects for nature photography. Best of known of the [read more ...]

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