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I’ve finally returned home after a long month on the road. Because my computer wouldn’t allow me to upload any pictures from the trip (my old memory card reader wouldn’t accept the high density cards found in the new Canon behemoth), I’m changing this post around slightly. Instead of usual more considered piece, I’ll be taking you on a day-by-day tour of my commissioned trip to the magnificent Pacific Northwest of America.
DAY 1 – Arrival and Orientation
The plan this week is start in Seattle and then head to Mount Rainier and onwards to the Olympic Peninsula. Seattle itself is a great city as it offers a myriad of outdoor pursuits (e.g. sailing, hiking and mountaineering) on its doorstep. I must admit that it’s odd hearing all the coffee table talk on the rising price of gas when it’s over $10 in the UK! Time is limited here, however, as there’s a lot of shooting to do over the next week. As ever, the journey begins properly on day 2 so stay tuned…
DAY 2 - Hit the Road Jack
Driving around Washington State always reminds me to live here one day. Today’s route runs directly from Seattle to Mount Rainier and already I can sense something is not quite right. Although the ambient temperature is around 90c at sea level, I’m hearing consistent stories about heavy snowfall on the higher ground. My fears are confirmed when we check in to Paradise Inn on the south side of Mount Rainer and there’s over 20 feet of snow (I kid you not – check out the accompanying picture). Moreover, this is not pristine, photogenic snow but the sort of compacted ice that only a fridge-freezer could love. I make a few exposures but my unspoken thoughts are filled with disappointment…
DAY 3 – Change of Plans
One of the constant aspects of photography is the continual changing of plans. Its only day one of the 3 night stay at Rainier and I’m guessing springtime in Oregon maybe a good place to ‘lose’ a few days. Passing some tulip fields on the way and I can’t resist some ‘opportunistic photography’. Funny how life presents new pastures as soon as you break out of the comfort zone.
DAY 4 – Columbia River Gorge
Wow. Oregon has surpassed all expectations with the sublime Columbia River Gorge. It’s verdant, lush and packed with waterfalls! This is photographic manna from heaven and I’m keen to make the most of it. Cue 18 hours days and lots of muddy gear (my $5 lens wipe has never come in so useful). Rainforests and waterfalls need overcast light - the fine mist acts as a giant diffuser ‘spreading light’ into the shadows and reducing the overall contrast range. It’s a perfect damp, drizzly day and I’m spending lots of frustrating hours coping with the latitude of film in the Linhof and little or no time with the Canon; a true testament to the digital coming of age.
DAY 5 – The Photography Rollercoaster
Driving to a sullen, coastal Long Beach and the photographic opportunities suddenly vanish. We drive on immediately. Things suddenly improve with the incredible Quinault and Hoh Rainforest. These are some of the rarest and largest temperate rainforests in the world and its very surreal - and more than a bit spooky – being amongst the moss and lichen hanging from the trees. I’m running out of film so I go into ‘preservation mode’ and only shoot the Linhof when absolutely required (swaying trees, for example, don’t work to well with digital stitching).
DAY 6,7 and 8 – Down to the Sea
Driving up through Forks and onto La Push we come to the mightiest sea stacks on the Washington Coast. It’s a completely cloudless sky and I haven’t shot a single frame (for me, no clouds equates to no drama). Frustrated, I repeat the exercise the next day and there’s a storm blowing in. Perfect for me as this is where the magic happens. It’s cold and as the sun dips beneath the cloud base the sky comes alive! Absolute magic. I chance my arm on the third night but again it’s a cloudless sky. A lot of photographers have turned up tonight because its Memorial Day weekend and I don’t have the heart to tell anyone of what happened yesterday!
DAY 9 – Homeward Bound
A low snow line in the Olympic National Park means that most hikes are closed. The resulting lazy afternoon on Hurricane Ridge is punctuated with a very nice sighting of a young black bear. The trip is nearing its end so things are winding down. These are both the ‘best of times and the worst of times’ as the disappointment of finishing is counter-balanced by the happiness of going home!
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There you have it – the tumult of a landscape photographer’s life over the course of a frenetic week and over 1,200 miles of road travel.
Clients often say that they wish they could do my job for a living (invariably in a gallery looking at an epic sunrise or something similar). I always have a wry smile at these occasions because the tip of the iceberg belies the sheer amount of hard work which supports it from below.
I hope you enjoyed this vignette and if you did please drop me an email and we’ll see if we can do it again soon.
Keep shooting!
Jaspal Jandu
