Chasing Light in the Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest has a light unlike anywhere else I have photographed. Soft, diffuse, and ever-changing — it transforms an ordinary forest path into something luminous, and turns a still lake into a mirror for the sky.
I have lived in Washington State for most of my life, and I am still not tired of the light here. There is a quality to it — particularly in autumn and early spring — that I find endlessly compelling.
On overcast days, the clouds act as a giant softbox, diffusing the sunlight and eliminating harsh shadows. Colours become richer and more saturated. The greens of the forest deepen. Water takes on a pewter sheen. It is, for a photographer, a kind of gift.
Autumn is my favourite season to photograph in the Pacific Northwest. The deciduous trees — big-leaf maples, cottonwoods, aspens — turn gold and amber and rust. When those colours are reflected in still water, the result is something that feels almost unreal.
The best landscape photographs are not taken — they are waited for.
I have learned to be patient with landscape photography. I will return to the same location many times, at different hours and in different seasons, waiting for the conditions to align. The best landscape photographs are not taken — they are waited for.
If you are new to landscape photography, my advice is simple: go out early, stay late, and pay attention to the weather. Some of the most beautiful light I have ever seen has come in the minutes after a storm.