Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

• Robert Anton Wilson.

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The most awesome thing about visiting Washington in spring is the abundance of waterfalls everywhere. We had earmarked tons of waterfalls to visit like the Snoqualmie, Narada, and Franklin falls but we also saw lots of other amazing falls along the way. This waterfalls and cascades were located a few feet away from the Franklin fall trail. There were no names or directions just a small spur leading away from the main trail to an overlook point.

This image is an example of focusing at the hyperfocal distance, to get most of the frame in sharp focus. Now my camera has a setting that will take multiple images that will slowly shift from the closest point the farthest point which I can later combine to create a very sharp image. The problem to that approach is the moving water in the frame, in my experience when moving elements are present the results of the approach is a hit or miss. Another factor is that I was taking a long exposure shot and it would simply take too much time to takes multiple exposures. So I preferred the hyperfocal method, which allowed me to get the whole scene in acceptable focus by approximately focusing a third into the scene.

Picture Lake, Mount Baker National Forest, Washington

I had one heck of a great time exploring the Mount Baker area over labor day weekend. I...

Mount Baker towers above a sunlit meadow on the skyline divide.

Skyline Divide, Mount Baker National Forest, Washington

Here's a view of some of the paintbrush we found with Mount Baker in the background. The...

Picture Lake, Mount Baker National Forest, Washington

From my first sunrise at Picture Lake. There wasn't epic color but we had mist on the...

I spent the night on the Skyline Divide in Washington State to capture some late day and eraly morning photos.

• Theodore Roosevelt.

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Here is a composite image I made at Franklin falls on the Snoqualmie river. We went to a waterfall day trip immediately after returning from Olympic peninsula before leaving for Mt Rainier National Park. We did some moderate hikes and generally relaxed before the long drive to Mt Rainier. Visiting the pacific northwest and its waterfalls is one of our favorite roadtrip traditions.

The first thing that strikes you about the waterfall in the incredible size of the falls and the power of the falls as a massive ravide drops of a sheer cliff. The water spray near the fall was equivalent to standing in a fancy shower, a very cold shower at that. From my experience I have learned that this kind of massive falls ooks better when the motion is frozen rather than using a long exposure method. But the streams in the foreground usually looks better as a long exposure. So, this is where a composite image looks better, this one is a combination of along exposure and a faster shot taken without the ND filter to freeze the motion of water, this way I can better capture the power of this stunning waterfall. Care should be taken to focus manually and not to move the tripod while switching the ND filter but other than that these shots are straightforward to make and its just a matter of alingning the phots and using a layer maek to select the bits you want in the final photo.

Sunset on Mount Baker from the Skyline Divide trail

Mt. Shuksan sunset view from the aptly named Picture Lake near Mt. Baker Ski Resort in the Cascade Mountains, northern Washington.

I don't usually spend a lot of time processing shots to look unrealistic. But this one was begging for it. I took this one of the ceiling in Big Four...

One of the most exhilirating and irresponsible things I have ever done - and I have no regrets. My wife waited outside while I explored this unique,...