Three Fingered Jack Excursion: The Experience
We left Bend at 3:00 am. We arrived at Jack Lake trailhead at 4:15 am. Civil twilight would happen at 5:32 am and sunrise would follow at 6:05 am. With headlamps lighting the path, and gear laden backpacks serving as required ballast, we hiked the gradual uphill trail. Our photo objective was to capture wildflowers at sunrise in the Canyon Creek Meadow area on the Northeast slope of the mountain.
Chasing Optimal Experience, Flow
The truth is this whole exercise is a way to give myself permission to think and work outside my current creative box.
Focused On The Details
“I was determined not to make the same mistake twice. I checked my focus, then check again and checked once more.”
A Postmortem: Almost But Not Quite The Perfect Capture
“I thought I was walking away with a pretty special photograph, perhaps even a portfolio image. But I made some elementary errors that would render the image unworthy.”
In Search of Redwoods & Rhododendrons
“I would be too late to capture spring flowers and too early to capture fall color. Nonetheless I was eager to explore the natural beauty. I zig zagged down the trail. I saw a lone, thin branched tree with bright yellow leaves. Just enough sun was filtering through the canopy to light up the leaves. This is one of my most favorite photos of the trip.”
Seeing The Forest For The Trees
“The fog was perfect for creating atmospheric coastal forest images. Sunlight, filtered by the fog, streamed in from my right. I hunted for a composition.”
A Short But Moving Story
She caught my attention and said the photos were beautiful. She went on to say that the photos were similar to those next-door in the hospital. I thanked her for the kind words and explained those in the hospital were my photographs too.
Put Nature First
The irony of course is that our goal is to capture the beauty of the natural world and to share our photos and the experiences with our audience! But with each step beyond the sign we are damaging the very beauty we hope to capture and share.
First Entry
“It didn’t take long to decide I needed my own darkroom. I hired an electrician friend to run power to a small storage room attached to the house. We cut a hole in the outside wall and added an air conditioner - a most have in an airtight room in Arizona!”