Friday Field Trip: Columbia Gorge and the Oregon Coast

Guess who's back? Right. Jason Odell. He's been traveling, which means ... you guessed it ... pictures. And, as always, click to enlarge. Welcome, Jason.

For the past five years, I've co-hosted a photography podcast on iTunes, called The Image Doctors. Each year, we lead a "photo safari" to a fun location. This year, we chose to photograph in Oregon; specifically the Columbia River Gorge and the central coast near Newport. Not only does Oregon offer breathtaking scenery, but it's also the home of good microbrew and amazing cheese and ice cream (we do plan our trips around local cuisine, when possible). These photos represent a sample of the kinds of photographs you can make there, provided you have a tripod for your camera.

The Columbia River Gorge parallels Interstate 84, and it is absolutely full of spectacular waterfalls. If you go, an overcast day is best. Avoid the weekends because the crowds get thick and it can be tough to park. Midweek, you can just about have the whole place to yourself. After we photographed in the Gorge, we relocated from Portland to the town of Newport. There are lots of great little seaside towns, but here was a spot that gave us access to a variety of locations within a two-hour drive. Newport is also home to the Rogue brewing company; a mandatory stop if you like microbrews. We photographed the lighthouses at Yaquina Head, Cape Meares, and Heceta Head. At sunset, we shot in spots like Seal Rock and along the beach in the town of Oceanside, near Tillamook. At Tillamook, we stopped in to the Tillamook Cheese factory for cheese samples and homemade ice cream.


Multnomah Falls (Columbia Gorge, near Portland)



Newport Harbor (Yaquina Bay)



Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Friday Field Trip - Cheyenne Canyon

Today, I'm welcoming Jason Odell back to Terry's Place. He's an expert photographer, and I love sharing his work. I'll let him tell you about getting these shots.



I recently taught a photography workshop here in Colorado Springs. Normally, we expect sunny weather in June, but this time we got the strange anomaly of gloomy, overcast and rainy conditions. While these circumstances were less than ideal for the sweeping vistas we expect from Colorado, they were absolutely perfect for shooting in North Cheyenne Canyon, where the streams were flowing and the wild roses were blooming. Our class participants came away with some wonderful images of waterfalls, flowers and foliage in wet conditions not frequently encountered at this time of the year. In fact, we almost felt like we'd been transported to the Pacific Northwest for a day!

Helen Hunt Falls