Greg Vaughn - Photographing Washington: A Guide to the Natural Landmarks of the Evergreen State

A guide to the most photogenic natural locationsand a few man-made onesin wonderful Washington. Covering the entire state, from the rugged coastline to Puget Sound and islands in the Salish Sea, through the Columbia River Gorge and over the Cascade Mountains, across the Columbia Plateau to mountains and valleys on the eastern border. Come explore coastal cliffs and beaches, lighthouses, wildlife refuges, gardens, waterfalls, verdant valleys, volcanic peaks, sagebrush-steppe desert, the rugged terrain of the Channeled Scablands and the gently rolling hills of the Palouse.

PHOTOGRAPHING WASHINGTON

A Guide to the Natural Landmarks of the Evergreen State

Published by PhotoTripUSA Publishing
An imprint of

Text & photography Copyright 2013 by Greg Vaughn, except as noted

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Executive Editor & Publisher: Laurent Martrs
Book & Cover Design: Sioux Bally-Maloof, Heartstone Arts
Layout: Greg Vaughn & Laurent Martrs

Cover photo: Mount Rainier from Glacier View Overlook
Title page photo: Wildflowers on Tronsen Ridge & view to the Stuart Range
Previous pages: Palouse wheat fields from Steptoe Butte

Printed in China

Important notice: Some of the locations described in this book require travel through remote areas, which may not always be safe. Travel at your own risk and always check conditions locally before venturing out. The author and publisher decline all responsibility if you get lost, stranded, injured, or otherwise suffer any kind of mishap as a result of following the advice and descriptions in this book. Furthermore, the information contained herein may have become outdated by the time you read it; the author and publisher assume no responsibility for outdated information, errors, and omissions.

Publishers Cataloging-in-Publication

Vaughn, Greg.

Photographing Washington : a guide to the natural
landmarks of the Evergreen State / Greg Vaughn.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-916189-19-8

1. Travel photography--Washington (State)
2. Landscape photography--Washington (State) 3. Landscapes--Washington (State) 4. Washington (State)--Description and travel. 5. Washington (State)--Guidebooks.
I. Title.

Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to Laurent Martrs, publisher, friend, and fellow photographer, for giving me the opportunity to do this book, for encouragement as it took shape, his infinite patience and his dedication to producing top quality books and photographs.

I am indebted to fellow photographers Don Geyer, Alan Bauer, Tom Kirkendall, and Vicky Spring, all of whom are also guidebook authors, for generously sharing their knowledge of their home state, and to retired National Park Naturalist Ron Warfield for contributing his expertise and wealth of knowledge about Mount Rainier. Ron provided all of the text and photos for the Westside Viewpoints section in the chapter on Mount Rainier National Park.

Special thanks to Terry Donnelly, Mary Liz Austin and David M. Cobb, outstanding photographers and good friends whom I called upon repeatedly in the course of researching this book. Thanks also to Sally Foster for a number of excellent suggestions for improving both location coverage and my grammar.

Grateful thanks to Roni Freund and Mike Steele of Lake Chelan, and to the Lake Chelan Boat Company, for help in getting to Stehekin. And a big shout out to trail guide and hiking buddy Jill Little Dragon Sazanami, who got me up, down and back on some amazing trails.

This book, and my career as a photographer, would not be possible without the continual support of my wife and sons. Finally, I dedicate this book to my parents, who instilled in me a love of travel and the outdoors, and whose love and support Ive always known I could count on, no matter where I wandered.

Contributing photographers

Many thanks to the photographers who generously contributed to this book. Please visit their websites for more of their excellent photography at a look at their offerings for fine art prints.

Don Geyer - www.mountainscenes.com

Alan Bauer - www.alanbauer.com

Sean Bagshaw - www.outdoorexposurephoto.com

Laurent Martrs - www.martres.com

David M. Cobb - www.dmcobbphoto.com

Kevin McNeal - www.kevinmcnealphotography.com

Chip Phillips - www.chipphillipsphotography.com

Jesse Estes - www.jesse-estes.com

Ron Warfield - www.agpix.com/warfield

Jack Graham - www.jackgrahamphoto.com

Isabel & Steffen Synnatschke - www.synnatschke.com

Tom Kirkendall & Vicky Spring - www.kirkendall-spring.com

Terry Donnelly & Mary Liz Austin - www.donnelly-austin.com

Contents

Tidepool at Point of Arches, Olympic National Park

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Note: Continue your travels south with Photographing Oregon ISBN 978-0916189181

One of Washingtons best known locations for nature photography is a place called Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park. Truth be told, the whole state is a paradise for photographers. Within its boundaries are temperate rainforest, Columbia Plateau desert, iconic glacier-streaked volcanic peaks, rolling hills of wheat and a magnificent coastline of beaches, sea stacks, and rocky headlands. The Olympic Mountains, the Cascades, and mountain ranges to the east are covered with beautiful coniferous forest and agricultural areas across the state offer landscape photographers great subject matter for fields of colorful flowers, endless rows of vineyard grapes and classic wooden barns. Channeled Scablands in the east, remnants of the cataclysmic Missoula Floods, show us the power of geologic processes over eons of time. The mighty Columbia River, starting deep in neighboring British Columbia winds through the state and becomes the border with Oregon on it way to the Pacific Ocean.

Well take a look at every part of the state in this book, with the goal of giving you the kind of information you need to capture great images. Before we begin our tour however, this chapter has some general information youll need to make the most of your journeys throughout the Evergreen State.

Maps

You may find it surprising that the only map in this book is the simple one on the previous page. The reason for this is that Photographing Washington has a different purpose than other guidebooks: think of this book as an illustrated location resource, providing ideas for discovering Washington or expanding on your existing knowledge of the state, and helping you to get the best possible photos on your journeys. This guide is designed to be used with a variety of more detailed maps from other sources.

Good maps are extremely important for any outdoor photographer. A large scale map will give you an overall view of an area and help in making a general plan for your trip; youll want detailed road maps to follow the instructions in the