I-90

Winter Blues

More often than not, the mountains of the Pacific Northwest are often mired in grey clouds under gloomy skies. But when the never-ending miserable weather does break, the mountains transform into a winter wonderland; acres of conifers laced with fresh snow stand guard like winter sentinels, smothered by the occasional fog drifting up the steep slopes of the Cascades, while high above, snow-capped peaks glint in the warm morning light under bluebird skies.

I trudged through fresh snowdrifts on one such recent outing under such conditions, the terrain transforming from featureless shade to fresh glinting snow in the early hours. My snowshoes sank a foot or more in heavenly powder, while the eerie silence of the forest made me forget that I was right across from one of the more popular ski areas of Washington. Despite being alone, I felt connected to the forest, the snow, the mountains, the wind and the silence. But by the time I returned however, that peace had given away to large groups of families and kids playing around in the winter wonderland.

Have you experienced that connection?

Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
WA USA

Welcome to Seattle

The sweeping arc of the onramp races below me to merge onto the busy deck of an expressway, which, in the distance, leads to the gleaming lights of downtown Seattle. The tendrils of automotive traffic snakes its way through the concrete network carr…

The sweeping arc of the onramp races below me to merge onto the busy deck of an expressway, which, in the distance, leads to the gleaming lights of downtown Seattle. The tendrils of automotive traffic snakes its way through the concrete network carrying commuters home after a long day and bringing tourists in to enjoy a beautiful summer weekend. The pulse of the city can be easily measured by the traffic patterns on this busy arterial thoroughfare for Seattle.

I had always wanted to shoot from this location, a bridge connecting Capital Hill and Beacon Hill overlooking the busy junction of I-90 and I-5, and over the last week, I finally managed to. While the sunset was less than spectacular, it was worth waiting until twilight for the lights of the skyscrapers to turn on. While the viewpoint was great, I am not entirely satisfied with the location, and I need to find another vantage point that avoids the emptiness on the right side of the image. I hope to return back to try out other compositions under more colorful sunsets. This particular shot was an 8s exposure at F11 and ISO 400

Seattle
WA USA