Oregon Photo Advice

I have the opportunity to go to Oregon for a few days in mid September.  So I'm looking for interesting places to photograph.  I grew up in Seattle, have done the Oregon coast once in 2009, have done the Columbia River Gorge waterfalls a couple of times and Crater Lake, otherwise I'm not that familiar with the rest of Oregon.  Day hikes are fine.  What I take depends on what opportunities there are, and could range from landscapes to long lens wildlife.  For example, is there a location at this time of year for a lot of birds, including raptors?  Is there much in fall color changes this early?  I'll also do night photography landscapes if clear, so mountain and waterfalls are cool at night, or on a foggy day.  Any guidance is appreciated.

Roger

Roger, as you know, you are only talking about 1/3 of Oregon. Are you limiting yourself to that area? Raptors will all be in migration and a good place to view in the air is Green Ridge in Central Oregon. The East Cascade Audubon Society has a daily watch and count set up. Elk will be visible at Jewel Meadows near Portland and they will getting ready for the rut. Eastern and Central Oregon have many big game opportunities. The desert waterways (Pacific Flyway) have been hit hard by the drought (avian botulism has already broken out in the Klamath basin). Summer Lake always has water and is conducive to photography even if the bird are a little shy (many waterbirds, shore birds, both species of eagles and other raptors). Fires will always be a problem, so be flexible. Mike

Thanks Mike,
I didn't mean to say I was only considering 1/3 of Oregon, just those are the places I've visited and I'm fine with visiting them again. I'm open to pretty much all of Oregon, except perhaps the SE corner as that would be a pretty far drive from Portland, though I would consider that too if there was some must see location there. I live in Colorado so I would be looking for things I can't get in Colorado (can do Elk in rut less than 30 minutes from my house). But even though Colorado has great mountains, mountains like Mt Hood and Shasta are different (duh - volcanoes), so great views of these and similar mountains would be cool too.

Roger

I like this book about the photographic highlights of Oregon:
http://www.amazon.com/Photographing-Ore ... +of+Oregon

If you want to take pictures of volcanoes, Century Drive out of Bend is your best bet.

Thanks Lelouam, I ordered the book.

Thanks Mike, I'll check out Century Drive.

Roger

Roger
a few suggestions for volcanos -- Hood:  Try Timothy Lake early morning (looking north across the lake), and Lost Lake in evenings (looking Southwest).  Mt Adams - Look into Conboy NWR in Washington, south of Adams.  Mt St Helens - enjoy the view and the crowds from the usual route in from Castle Rock Washington,  or do the more interesting morning view right into the crater from Windy Point (take tne roads into Ape Cave from Woodland Washington, going east beyond Ape cave to NF-25. Go north on NF25 to signs pointing to Windy Point (NF-99).  Larch Mountain (accessible by road leaving the main waterfall route east of Troutdale and Corbett ) has distant views of all the main peaks but bring a long lens.

Great views of Hood in the morning from Bonney Butte, which is also a Hawkwatch International site from August to October.  Maps online at Hawkwatch site.  Mornings are best after 9am when the hawks start moving.

SE Oregon is just ok for birds right now -- Summer lake is dried and full of dust devils. the refuge does have limited water areas but the birds are really scarce now amongst the floating pads of algae.  Klamath has only water in the Tule Lake Sump (nice dike drive on the south side) but they are experiencing Avian Botulism deaths right now -- but the Eared Grebes still are feeding the young riding on their backs. Tule Lake is in California but part of the Klamath Complex (which is the the NWR of California, not Pacific Northwest).

Area around Bend, particularly the Cascades mountain parkway has a few nice lakes with views of smallish volcanoes (like Bachelor and Sisters) but come early as once the breeze starts at about 9 am, the mirror surface disappears.  Its a pretty bleak landscape with a lot of dry forest blocking other views.  Lots of AA lava flows almost completely devoid of life excepting a few hardy/lucky trees, Golden Mantled Ground Squirrels and Rabbitbrush(Ericamera sp.).  If you've been to craters of the moon, that's the sear landscape you will see.

Its pretty dry here in Oregon, so waterfalls are at their lows until the rains return in October.  You should look at Silver Falls State Park northeast of Salem, particularly if you are bored with the Gorge waterfalls.

Fires right now in Oregon are concentrated near highway 58 east of Eugene (Deception Complex) and well east of the Cascades over in the southwestern Blues (Bald Sisters, South Fork and Lost Hubcap fires) -- the air is extremely clear down in Southeast and central Oregon this weekend.

Where to go for concentrations of birds that you can photograph near to Portland???  Try Ridgefield NWR. The coast at Seaside, Astoria, and up in Washington at Tokeland, Grayland and Westport are good this time of year from southbound Sandpipers etc (mostly Juvies this time of year -- the adults pass through in late June-July).  Its pretty grim in September for bird photography in many places.

Don,
Thank you very much. I'll check these out.

Roger

Great run down Don...though I may take issue with the description of C. Oregon volcanoes, 3 around 10,500 and 2 over 9,000 instead of 1 11,000 (Hood).  Oregon's largest glacier (Collier) sits in the saddle between North and Middle Sister.  Because the road is close to timberline at Bachelor, the forest is mostly Mtn. Hemlock moving towards White Bark Pine at timberline.  The meadows at Todd Lake are still ablaze with wild flowers.  Bow season will be starting in Oregon so pay attention Roger.

Bow season has already started down here in the Bend area over two weeks ago.  Wear some international orange if you are out in the woods.

Roger - if you are going to do Star photography with a volcano as foreground, I recommend Mt Hood from Lost Lake as you are looking southeast across a lake.  Nice paved road to this one from Hood River (or dirt if you come over Lolo pass from highway 26)

Hi Don, Mike,

Thanks for the heads up on bow hunting season. Is that all of Oregon/all National Forests, or?

Don, Lost Lake looks like a great location for nightscapes. But the orientation with the view to the SE means the best time to include the Milky Way is spring/early summer. By September, the Milky Way is to the SW in the evening sky. Orion does rise before dawn in the east.

I've decided to spend a number of days on the coast in the Bandon to Brookings area as I have not explored south of Bandon before. Then I'll head inland, just not sure where yet but you guys have given me some great leads.
Thanks,
Roger

Bow season is everywhere, but I wouldn't worry too much, archery isn't like rifle season.  I am headed to Gold Beach area also to do a little steelhead fishing.  If you are into golf, Bandon dunes is great.  The Oregon NWR can be good for birds.  http://www.fws.gov/oregoncoast/bandonmarsh/index.htm
edit...the Umpqua is probably the most beautiful river anywhere flowing through the Cascades.  Also, I hope you know how to recognize Poison Oak.

Roger


ok, you want to do Milky way looking to SW -- the Windy Point location looks SW into Mt St Helens. Also along the coast just south of Brookings, consider the lighthouse at Cape Blanco. - You are high off the water and can work the lighthouse into the scene from the state park location.

If you are down by Brookings, then consider heading just a little further south to the Jeddidiah Smith Redwoods and take Howland Hill Road. Consider coming back up hiway 199 - just past Gasquet on the left is a marked Botanical wayside (left side as you head toward Grants Pass). One of the nicest Darlingtonia stands on the west coast.