Heading towards Olympic Peninsula. Anything special ?

[jacque_staskon]

Hello to all, so good to find the forum again. I have definately

missed all the wonderful information. I am finally taking a

photographic sojourn. I am leaving the tinder-box of the South-west

and heading north to the Olympic Peninsula. I am taking the 4x5 and

the 8x10. I was wondering if there is anything special I should take

that I might forget about, seeing that ninety percent of my work is

here in the bright south west and I am always looking to control the

contrast etc. Any bright ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Hey Trib glad to see you are still a cantankerous ol'fart. Keep it

up.

[eugene_singer]

Jacque, just be sure to take raingear for yourself and your equipment.Wish I could go along!

[steve_feldman]

Jacque,

 

 

Wish I could go also.

 

 

In Oregon see (and photograph) the Columbia Gorge and the covered bridges. Most are easy to find and very dramatic. Mostly near the I-5 and some near the coast. My favorite is the Yahots bridge. Check google.com - Yahots, bridge or something along that line and get directions from the sites you find. This bridge is one of the best you'll find and IMHO well worth the out of the way treck. P. S. When you think you're lost it's really just around the next bend in the road.

 

Look up Chris Jordan (his e-mail should be on this forum) in Seattle, WA. I'm sure he can give you plenty to look for in Washington.

 

Even noon light is good there.

[brian_c._miller]

Mosquito repellent, or try to find that mesh net hat and shirt. Some places are thick with mosquitos, but most places aren't.

 

The lakes along Hwy 20 are a bit low, and I haven't been to Mt Baker yet this year. Eastern Washington is temporarily green. The Cape Flattery lighthouse is a great morning (sunrise) shot.

[Troll]

This is a serious question, not a smart-ass remark, but I'd like to know what is your thinking behind taking both 4x5 and 8x10. It seems to me that either one is trouble enough. I am planning on joining the Do-It-Yourself Workshop in October, and have trouble deciding on the equipment to take (the Airline restrictions don't help). TIA

[qtluong]

If you're not familiar with the area, a few

back issues of Photograph America

(photographamerica.com) will save you a lot of time and

give you good ideas on where to go. Hitchman has an issue

on the Olympic peninsula, as well as several about areas

on the way. For some ideas, also have a look at my

<a href = "http://www.terragalleria.com/parks/">national parks

landscape site</a>.

[mark_windom]

If I read your question correctly you are asking about equipment choices rather than locations so I'll give you some recommendations based on the fact that I live in Washington.

 

As previously mentioned bring rain gear both for yourself and your camera. It's usually dry most of the time from July thru mid-Sept. but you never know.

 

Bring a selection of lenses from wide angle to telephoto. I find myself shooting primarily wide angle to short telephoto but, of course, everyone has there own preferences. If you plan on visiting the Palouse long telephotos are very useful.

 

If you're shooting color bring Velvia, of course, but also some faster film such as Provia 100F for shooting in forests on heavily overcast days. The extra speed will be very much appreciated.

 

For shooting sunsets at the coast I like using a reverse ND grad. Bring the standard soft and hard ND grads for mountain shooting.

 

If you're camping I would recommend Tom Stienstra's book(s) on Pacific NW (or his new one on Wasington) camping. These books are great resources for finding campgrounds in the areas you will be visiting.

 

You can e-mail me if you would like info on specific destinations.

[wes_carroll1]

The town of Forks on the west side of the pennisula, has a decent motel ( Pacfic Inn ) that I stayed at.

[ronald_lamarsh1]

Location suggestions; rialto beach and Olympic wilderness beach, rain forest, if you're shooting color be prepared for a lot of green. Hurricane ridge take a short to med tele lens as the vantage points are far from the peaks.

[pemongillo]

I have been a field biologist with statewide responsibilities in Washington for the last 25 years and you never go anywhere without raingear. I can't seem to break the habit even when joining my friends every September down in your neck of the woods. I get alot of kidding about it. Mosquitos are almost never a problem during the summer, with the possible exceptions of higher elevations.

 

I am assuming you are interested in Western Washington beaches and rainforests rather than the dryer eastside of the state (just because you are from a dry climate). However, if I am wrong, you will have all the dust problems in eastern Washington that you are accustomed to in the SW. Shoot readyloads or the Fuji version. You will have much less problems with dust in Western Washington.

 

I would not miss the Columbia Gorge. It is spectacular! As you progres east from the coast, the habitat changes gradually from dense confier forests (60 in rain/yr) to sagebrush (10 in rain/yr) in a matter of miles. The Gorge is a rich blend of natural and manmade beauty. As a fish biologist, I have no love of dams, however, as a human I am blown away at the size and technology of these structures. Throw into the mix, massive numbers of windsurfers in some areas and huge tugs and barges going through massive locks and you have a photographers paradise.

 

Have fun.

[paul_mongillo]

I forgot. If you don't already have an umbrella in your large format bag of tricks, you should get one to help block the wind.