It’s cherry blossom time and the trees are blooming all over the country. In Washington State, Seattle residents and visitors look forward each spring to the beautiful sight of big old cherry trees covered in delicate pink flowers on the University of Washington campus. The annual bloom is certainly an event for photography, and on a sunny, spring day there will be many people at the campus Quad, almost all with cameras, using everything from a cell phone to a [read more ...]
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 ...]
February 14 is not only Valentines Day, it is the anniversary of Oregon Statehood. Please enjoy some of my favorite images of this wonderful state, and let me know which are your favorites. To view this slide show in a slightly larger format, or to purchase prints or licensing rights, click on this Oregon Photo Gallery link.
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 ...]
Spirit Falls, Umpqua Natonal Forest, Cascade Mountains, Oregon. A very scenic drive on Forest Service roads in the Umpqua National Forest will take you to a trio of waterfalls between Cottage Grove and Oakridge, Oregon. I found conditions for photography just about perfect the other day for waterfall photography, with soft light overcast light and good water flow in the creeks thanks to recent rains. To add to the attraction, there is still a bit of fall color left in [read more ...]
Since 1981, the Society of American Travel Writers has honored the finest travel photography with the annual Bill Muster Photo Competition, named for long time SATW member and accomplished travel journalist Bill Muster. In the past, I have won individual awards in categories such as Best Action Photo and Best Natural Scenic. This year I am pleased to announce that I won the Silver Award for Single Subject Portfolio with a selection of my Thailand images. Click on the link [read more ...]
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 ...]
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 ...]
16 de Septiembre is commemorated throughout Mexico with perhaps even greater fervor than the 4th of July in the USA. On this day in 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo, the priest of a small town parish, declared Mexico’s independence from Spanish rule. This event generates huge celebrations throughout Mexico, perhaps even more so this year in that Mexicans are celebrating the bicentennial of their independence. Somewhat surprisingly, there has been almost no mention of this in the general American media. Perhaps [read more ...]
National Geographic Traveler magazine recently rated coastal destinations all over the world, with a ranking based on, among other things, environmental health and visitor experience. I am very pleased to find that two of my favorite coasts are among the top-rated. Both the Oregon Coast and the Na Pali Coast on Kauai are, according to the magazine, “In excellent shape, relatively unspoiled and likely to remain so.” The rugged and remote Na Pali coast is one of the scenic wonders [read more ...]