beauty Archives - Page 3 of 6 - Loree Johnson Photography

Grateful for the gifts

by Loree | Nov 2, 2014 | Birds, Blog, Gratitude, Lakes, Mountains, Photography, Rivers, The Vagabond Lifestyle, Waterfalls, Wildlife

It occurs to me that each time I go out, in search of the perfect photograph, I receive something precious, although it’s not always the perfect photograph. While my intentions and ideas can be pretty specific, the things I am presented with are much more general.

This realization can change my attitude from disappointment to joy. It can be tricky, to notice the obvious. Especially if you have blinders on. I find it especially disconcerting after I’ve just had some amazing photographic good fortune. Such as the day I went to Takhlakh Lake under a cover of low clouds, with little hope of seeing the famous reflection of Mount Adams–and then it miraculously appeared.

Heavenly Reflection

It was easy to be grateful that day. I got what I wanted and what I set out for. And, even a bit extra.

Big Spring Creek Falls – Middle

But there are days when I set out with something in mind, and it just doesn’t happen. Like the Mt. Hood Scenic Byway. I envisioned multiple, beautiful vistas of Mt. Hood and autumn colors, and who knows what else. Instead, the clouds rolled in, the weather got cold, and the mountain disappeared. Yet, I saw and experienced a part of Oregon I had not seen before. And it was beautiful and wonderful.

Or, the trip to shoot some lesser known waterfalls on the Washington side of the gorge. Rain and rough gravel roads and “No Trespassing” signs, as well as my own mistakes ensured that I would not come home with any spectacular photographs. Yet, I experienced something unforgettable and wondrous when the spawning salmon at the bottom of one waterfall swam within inches of me–over and over. It was as if they were getting to know me, in the last days of their life, and I felt their spirit and determination. They had reached this pool, at the bottom of a 33 foot waterfall, by swimming hundreds of miles from the Pacific Ocean and this was as far as they could go. I arrived at the same place by driving my car a few miles and walking several hundred feet. It almost felt as if I had cheated. Yet here I was, and here they were.

So there are times when the experience is perfect for photographing and I capture it and share it.

Unforgettable Day at Takhlakh Lake

And there are times when the photography takes a back seat and the experience is not captured to share. It’s only mine to savor in my memory. And I know now that this is how it must be and I’ve decided to be okay with that.

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Blue Heron over the River

Although, I still reserve the right to squawk about missing the shot!

Sacred Places and Arrogant People

by Loree | Oct 25, 2014 | Blog

(6/14/2016) UPDATE: “Casey Nocket, 23, of San Diego was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheila Oberto in Fresno to 200 hours community service and two years probation. Oberto banned Nocket while she’s on probation from visiting lands managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.”

You can read the whole story here.

Having been fortunate enough to visit several national parks and monuments, as well as many state parks over the past few weeks, you must have known I would have an opinion about the young woman from upstate New York who recently went on a vandalism spree in national parks of the west. If you haven’t seen the story, this is the most recent update (From Modern Hiker). What troubles me most, is that she’s not the only person who feels entitled to deface nature. I’ve noticed more and more graffiti/vandalism in natural places in the last several years. The thing that makes this story so reprehensible, is the level of arrogance expressed by this woman who proudly posts her vandalism on Instagram and calls it art. I will not be mentioning her name in this article, nor will I be posting any photos of her vandalism, because my feeling is that she’s received quite enough attention already and I will not be adding to her ill-gotten fame. Instead, I will add some of my recent photos of places that haven’t (yet) been marred by graffiti.

The Reward

There are good reasons why what she has done is against the law, and I sincerely hope that those charged with enforcing the law will see to it that her selfish behavior carries an appropriate penalty. There seems to be an attitude, among some, that everything that exists is there for the taking. That if you pay an entrance fee, or even just make the effort to go somewhere, you can do whatever you want. Never mind the next person who will visit after you, just go on ahead and paint your mark on it. And it’s that attitude that is slowly destroying whatever is left on this planet that could be considered “natural.” The thing is, these parks belong to us all, not any one of us individually. Millions of people visit these places every year. If everyone had the attitude of this woman, there wouldn’t be a single bit of them without a mark on it.

Perfect Autumn Waterfall

I’ve read opinions of people who say “what’s the big deal?” “so she painted some rocks, so what?” The thing these people don’t understand is the spiritual connection with the natural world. It’s the incredible humility that comes from putting yourself in a position to realize just how insignificant you are in the vast universe. It’s impossible to explain and at the same time, I don’t need to explain it because if you’ve felt it, you know exactly what I’m talking about. For me, and many people I know, nature is our temple, our place of worship. I doubt this woman would walk into a cathedral and paint her graffiti on it, yet that’s exactly what she’s done in my eyes. I realize that I’m not going to change the opinion of anyone who thinks this kind of behavior is okay, but I feel compelled to express how offensive this is to me, and how important it is to actively discourage it with the imposition of negative consequences. Hasn’t the human race already marred the natural world enough? Shouldn’t places that have been set aside to remain as natural as possible be protected from those who would scrawl all over them?

The Chute

I believe that nature’s beauty can absolutely inspire creativity. If the desire to make art comes to you as a result of visiting a natural wonder, that’s not a bad thing. But please make your art in a way that doesn’t tarnish the place that inspired it. Even if you don’t feel the reverence that I do for places like these, at least have some respect. “Take only pictures, leave only footprints.” It really is that simple.

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Good Morning Crater Lake

(Note: according to the story and investigation, Crater Lake National Park is one of the places that was vandalized)

Beauty in unexpected places.

by Loree | Oct 9, 2014 | Blog, Gratitude, Rivers, The Vagabond Lifestyle

When my traveling companion told me he needed to spend a couple of weeks in Pasco, Washington to take care of some business, I was less than thrilled. I googled the place and saw that there are a couple of wildlife refuges nearby, so I figured I would occupy myself by going out and shooting some wildlife while he sorted out his business dealings, and bide my time until we got to the Columbia Gorge. I had no idea what I was about to discover. Pasco is one of the “tri-cities,” here in Washington, the other two being Richland and Kennewick. The beautiful and mighty Columbia River runs through the middle of it all. But, that’s not even the best part. The best part is the sunsets! Oh my, the sunsets! On the day we arrived, we pulled in at sunset. I was lamenting the fact that I had to unhook the car, park and level the RV and get settled in when I’d rather be shooting that marvelous sunset. Little did I know, they have marvelous sunsets here all the time. Maybe not every day, but certainly more often than not.

Columbia River Sunset

And with all that beautiful water for reflections, and the bridges……*sigh*

Blue Bridge at Sunset

The lunar eclipse also happened while we were here, but being kind of a wimp about getting up at two o’clock in the morning, I decided to shoot the moonrise instead. And, wouldn’t you know it, the clouds held off that night so the moon could be seen. There was some smoke in the sky, but it made the scene a bit more colorful.

Moonrise Over the Cable Bridge

Full Moon Over the Cable Bridge

I was not the only photographer on the levy that evening. There was a very nice local photographer also there for the moonrise. We chatted while waiting for the moon and he shared some of his favorite photo destinations in and around the Columbia Gorge. So now I have even more potentially wonderful places to visit over the next month.

But for now, I’m quite happy and grateful about the bit of serendipity that landed me here and gave me the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of this particular place. Did I mention the bridges?

Window of Light

And just now, as I sit here typing this, I’m looking out the window and seeing the potential for yet another completely amazing and wonderfully unique sunset. I may just have to head down to the river!

Serenity

Oh, and I have visited one of the wildlife refuges, and have done some wildlife photography. I plan to visit the other one before I leave here next week. But, that subject will have to wait until the next update because this one is all about the sunsets!

Oregon Rocks!

by Loree | Oct 3, 2014 | Blog, Deserts, National Parks, Oregon, The Vagabond Lifestyle, Wildlife

No, really, I mean literally–Oregon rocks.

While week one was spent in mostly familiar places, week two has been all about the unfamiliar and unknown. Well, unknown to me anyway. Most of this week was spent exploring John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Eastern Oregon. I had seen photos of this place, but never visited. And, I see why few people ever do visit. Besides the remote location, there is no easy way to get there as far as I can tell. All the roads seemed to be narrow and twisty with an average traveling speed of about 40-45 miles per hour. And once you finally get there, the choices for accommodations are pretty slim. I think I saw maybe three motels in a stretch of about 40 miles and two RV parks. There are also a handful of primitive campgrounds. I guess I got lucky because the campground I stayed at was beautiful, clean, well-maintained and affordable. They only have six spaces, but that didn’t seem to be much of a problem. The Fish House Inn and RV Park is highly recommended, should you ever need a place to stay in Dayville, Oregon.

Sheep Rock

The National Monument is actually three different areas, or units, as the Park Service calls them. Closest to Dayville is the Sheep Rock Unit, named for the prominent landmark of the same name. The historic Cant Ranch serves as a museum and visitor center in this unit. Also in this unit, you will find the Blue Basin. Yes, it really is blue. Although a little more toward the green end of the spectrum the day I visited. I suppose it depends on the light.

Blue Basin

Cathedral Rock is just a little farther up the road, and even more spectacular than Sheep Rock in my opinion. But, hey, I didn’t name the unit.

Cathedral Rock

Probably the most well-known and most photographed unit of this National Monument is the Painted Hills Unit, which is about fifty miles from Dayville. That doesn’t sound very far, but take my word for it, it is. See above note about narrow, windy roads. I went there in the late afternoon, hoping for a great sunset. The sunset was lackluster, but the constantly changing cloud cover provided some really nice light that was different from one minute to the next. The Painted Hills are spectacular. When the light is soft, they look like velvet.

Sweeping View of the Painted Hills

Painted Hills

On the drive back, in the dark, an owl nearly flew into the windshield of my car. So, I guess I do have some kind of connection with them. Maybe someday I will find myself in a situation where I can actually photograph one.

And since I’m now at the Columbia River, I hope to get an opportunity to do some more wildlife photography.

Great Blue Heron

I’ve heard these guys like to hang out near the Columbia, and bald eagles, too. I spotted a bald eagle near the Deschutes River in central Oregon, but it was too far away to get a shot. I’ve also seen a couple of amazing sunsets since I’ve been in Washington, so I hope to find a scenic spot to capture one while I’m here.

The RV has been reorganized at least three times since the journey started, and it’s not done yet. I’m starting to think it’s just going to be an ongoing process. More on that in a future post. So, I will be here in southeastern Washington for several more days, then plan to move farther west along the Columbia. Keep your fingers crossed for a colorful autumn in the gorge!

The stuff of dreams

by Loree | Sep 26, 2014 | National Parks, Oregon, Significant Dates, The Vagabond Lifestyle, Uncategorized, Wildlife

My first week on the road has been dreamy and a bit surreal. I intended to write a “bon voyage” post when I set off, but leaving day was rather stressful and very emotional. I didn’t expect the tidal wave of emotions that I experienced. I also didn’t expect it to take ALL DAY to load up and depart, especially since preparations had been ongoing for more than a month. The first two days of this new life were spent in Lava Beds National Monument. This is one of the reasons it was a bit surreal. I have gone on many day trips to the area over the years. The Lower Klamath and Tulelake Wildlife Refuges in the area are a couple of my favorite places for wildlife photography. Only this time, it wasn’t just a day trip. Very weird to think I wouldn’t be heading back home at the end of the day.

After spending the first day organizing my new space, absorbing the monumental change, and getting my emotional balance back, I was ready to get out there with my camera.

Perched

Elegant Egret

The plan was to move on to central Oregon and explore new territory, go some places I had never been. But, after passing a mileage sign on the highway that said “Crater Lake – 38 miles,” well, a spontaneous detour happened. As is the case with most National Parks I have camped in, Crater Lake has few amenities. Two days of camping without any hookups, wi-fi, or cell phone service also happened to coincide with the autumnal equinox and my 52nd birthday. Instead of a cake, I had Oregon-made dark chocolate covered toffee from the gift shop. Yum! It was a birthday unlike any I’ve ever spent, and it was the best!

First Light on the Pinnacles

Cloudcap Sunset

It was hard to leave Crater Lake because it seemed every time I went out to photograph, mother nature obliged with an amazing light show.

Crater Lake Glory

But, after being off the grid for the better part of three days, it was time to get back to civilization, or at least electricity. And this time, it truly is new territory.

So here I sit, in central Oregon, surrounded by mountains, lakes, rivers, forests, waterfalls, and volcanoes, wondering what amazing sights await and where to go next. So far, it’s been even better than I had hoped. And now I wonder why it took me so long to go ahead and live the dream.