I often receive questions if I capture my photos while out hiking.
It may be because many of my photos are of intimate landscapes—tight, close-up views that could be deep in the wilderness or in a county park.
The answer is yes and no. Yes, I do hike into areas. It’s a favorite pastime. I would love to spend more time deep in the backcountry.
However, because of time constraints, I often photograph while exploring the back roads of the Pacific Northwest in my Jeep. Sometimes these explorations take me deep into the mountains or forests. On other days, I may be within a short distance of civilization.
The following image provides an example of finding landscape subjects anywhere I travel. The scene could be anywhere west of the Cascade Mountains of Washington or Oregon.
In reality, I shot this photograph along an on-ramp to I-90 west of Snoqualmie Pass, Washington. Not a location you would expect. And not a popular spot you will view on social media.
From a creative perspective, unless it’s at dawn or dusk, I visualize my image captures as black and white images. Sometimes this works; other times, it doesn’t.
With the bright highlights of the trees contrasting with the dark shadows, I felt this scene was a great candidate for an expressive black and white.
