Water is a common part of the Pacific Northwest landscape, so streams and small creeks often catch my attention when I’m exploring.
On this particular day, I was traveling along Forest Road 73 near Greenwater, Washington. Looking at the map, I noticed a road crossing of Skookum Creek at the end of a lightly used forest road. Farther downstream, the creek eventually becomes Skookum Falls, a much larger and better-known waterfall near Highway 410.
I decided to take a look.
The road narrowed as I drove farther into the forest and eventually ended before reaching the creek. From there, I continued on foot along an overgrown roadbed.
Because it was late summer, I wasn’t expecting much water. Smaller creeks can be reduced to a trickle by that point in the season, and sometimes they are dry altogether.
When I reached the remains of an old bridge crossing, I climbed down into the creek bed.
That was where I found the photograph.
Looking Smaller
The creek was flowing over moss-covered rocks in a quiet section of forest. The broader setting was beautiful, but it was also visually complicated. Trees, branches, rocks, foliage, and uneven light were all competing for attention.
Rather than trying to photograph the entire setting, I concentrated on the smaller relationship between the water, moss-covered rocks, and the surrounding forest.
That became “Summer Cascade, Skookum Creek, Washington.”
It’s a decision I still make often.
I may begin by looking at the broader landscape, but sometimes the photograph appears only after I stop trying to include everything. A smaller view can say more about what caught my attention than the wider scene ever could.
That idea has become an important part of how I photograph forests.
Behind the Photograph
I also recorded a short behind-the-scenes video during this visit. It shows the wider forest setting around the creek and gives a better sense of how much more complicated the landscape was beyond the finished photograph.
Sometimes the most interesting photograph is not the widest view.
Sometimes it is the small piece of the landscape that makes me stop.
Further Explorations
Photographing the Summer Forest, Greenwater, Washington
