Category Archives: Landscape

March 28, 2020 · 1:51 pm

Angular Unconformity Along OR Hwy 207 To Mitchell

I love geology. I went to school to study it. So when I travel, I like to read about the geology of the places I visit and the roads I travel. In hindsight, I wish, now, that I’d have bought and looked through the Roadside Geology of Oregon, by Marli B. Miller *before* rather than after I’d driven to John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. At least, then, I would have been able to follow the mile markers and understood what I was seeing.

Anyway, I’d stopped here because I happened to turn my head to look at the scenery right when my car was passing by these awesomly-colored outcroppings. Turns out, my inner geology radar must have been working intuitively. What you see here is called an angular “unconformity.” An angular unconformity is – in easy terms – when you see tilted beds (the green and reddish outcropping of beds) overlain by straight beds (the red-brown lines of columnar basalts you see above. It shows there is a gap in the geologic time record. So, if you are following a series of formations along a geographic distance, you might suddenly see that one formation or sediment layer of that formation is totally missing from the order of deposition, and all you see is this contact line dividing angular tilting beds from straight layers above. Any of this make sense? If not, then just admire the pretty landscape.

This image was captured using my new Sony Alpha a7r IV and 24-105mm lens. I am loving this camera!

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Filed under Geology, HDR, Landscape, Oregon, Photography, Sony Alpha a7r IV, Travel

Tagged as A7r IV, Alpha, angular unconformity, full-frame, geology, Hwy 207, landscape, March, mirrorless, Oregon, photography, scenery, Sony, travel, unconformity, where the trails take you

March 26, 2020 · 10:31 am

It’s Take A Trail Thursday

Ok, so how about instead of Throwback Thursday, let’s make it “Take A Trail Thursday.”

Can you guess which trails these are? Hint: they are all from a national monument in Oregon.

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Filed under John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Landscape, National Parks, Oregon, Photography, Travel

Tagged as hike, John Day Fossil Beds, landscape, landscapes, leading line, leading lines, national monument, National Park, Oregon, trail, travel, vanishing point, where the trails take you

March 1, 2020 · 1:41 pm

A Sunset For Your Sunday

Sunset and silhouettes on Kalaloch Beach, Olympic National Park

How about a sunset for your Sunday?

As most of you know, I’m a sunrise kind of gal (because I’m an early riser). Sunsets are a little more difficult for me because I’m usually tired and ready to call it a day so I can download and work on photos. I made an exception, though, while staying along the Pacific coast of Olympic National Park. I knew that the sunsets would be far more dramatic and dazzling than any sunrise would be. And I was glad I did stay up! I need to stay up longer more often when visiting national parks and national monuments.

Speaking of national park visits, I made reservations for a camping cabin (via Recreation.gov) for a week’s stay in Lassen Volcanic National Park this coming June. I’m stoked! I have been wanting to visit this national park for a long time. It’s about a 9-10 hour drive from where I live – far preferable than having to fly. I can actually take the photographic- and camping- equivalent of the kitchen sink, now! Woo hoo! I’d rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

FYI about making reservations for a campsite or camping cabin (as in, no electricity or running water or toilet in the cabin) via Recreation.gov: It’s kinda tricky. I had to keep refreshing and revisiting that site and it was just a mess. I felt like I’d won an award when the site finally confirmed my reservation!

As a matter of fact, the National Parks Traveler wrote an article awhile back about making reservations through this site:

https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2019/02/updated-got-those-recreationgov-blues

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Filed under Canon, Landscape, National Parks, National Parks Traveler, Olympic National Park, Photography, sunset, Travel

Tagged as beach, Canon, Kalaloch, landscape, landscape photography, National Park, National Parks Traveler, Olympic, Olympic National Park, photography, travel, where the trails take you

February 21, 2020 · 9:29 am

It’s Fun Fact Friday 2/21/2020!

The view along the Lost Mine Trail, Big Bend National Park, in Texas

Hey folks, it’s Fun Fact Friday! Here are some interesting facts for you about Big Bend National Park, in Texas.

There are over 60 species of cactus, 450 species of birds, 1,200 plant species, and 3,600 insect species found in this national park.
The name Big Bend comes from a bend in the Rio Grande River, which runs along the park boundary.
In 2012, the park was named an International Dark Sky Park, which means it’s awesome for star gazing.

I first visited this national park in 2013 and made 4 more trips there before moving out of Texas. I visited during the winter and spring, when the temperatures were at their most ambient. Late spring was awesome for blooming cactus. And, speaking of visiting, Big Bend is entering it’s busy season, so if you are planning to travel there anytime soon, you’d probably better have alternate lodging plans in case you can’t find an available campsite, according to an article published in today’s edition of the National Parks Traveler.

To read more of that article, click on the image at the top of this post.

Strawberry Pitaya Bloom

A strawberry pitaya bloom, Big Bend National Park, in Texas

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Filed under Big Bend, Big Bend National Park, Canon, flowers, Fun Fact Friday, Landscape, National Parks, National Parks Traveler, Photography, Seasons, Spring, Texas, Travel, winter

Tagged as Big Bend, Big Bend National Park, cactus, Canon, Chihuahuan Desert, Chisos Mountains, desert, landscape, mountains, National Park, National Parks Traveler, spring, Texas, travel, winter

September 5, 2019 · 8:57 am

The Difference Between A Summer Morning And A Summer Sunset

The Difference Between A Summer Morning And A Summer Sunset
Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington

I’ve hammered this in to my National Parks Traveler readers as well as you, I know, but visiting a place more than once, during different times of the day, during different seasons, and/or under different weather conditions can really make a difference in what you see through your camera’s viewfinder.

The first shot was taken around 8:30 a.m. PST. I was just too tired to get up to get a sunrise and I already knew that coastal sunrises along the Olympic Peninsula – at least when staring out in the direction of the sea – are lovely, but not dramatic (at least, not during the time I was there). Sunsets, on the other hand, are spectacular and I’d already gotten sunset shots on two different days at Kalaloch Beach, so I wanted to get a sunset image or two (or a bunch) at a beach with some interesting topography to it. I’d captured images of the actual sunset, and the tide was coming in, so I decided to hike back up the trail to the parking lot. I’d gotten up two-thirds of the way, turned around, and saw the sky an incredible pink-orange color, so I dropped everything and handheld the camera for this shot, taken almost exactly 12 hours later, at 8:32 P.M. PST. That tall piece of rock you see is called Abbey Island.

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Filed under 5DSR, Canon, Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L III, Canon Lens, Landscape, National Parks, Olympic National Park, Photography, Seasons, summer, sunset, Travel, Washington State

Tagged as 16-35mm, 5DSR, August, beach, Canon, colorful, morning, National Park, Olympic National Park, Olympic Peninsula, Pacific, Pacific ocean, photography, Rebecca Latson Photography, rebeccalatsonphotography, summer, sunrise, sunset, travel, Washington, Washington State

August 24, 2019 · 9:35 am

The Bridge Over July Creek

When I visited Olympic National Park this past January 2019, the government shutdown was still in force, and the park entrance to the Hoh Rainforest was closed and blockaded due to heavy debris on the road with no ranger service to clean it up. I was aching to see some park rainforest (and wanted to get photos for my National Parks Traveler articles), so I drove south of Kalaloch about 27 miles to enter the park portion of the Quinault Rainforest. Not too far along the road after entering is a parking lot for a picnic area and short loop trail over July Creek. Nobody else was there that damp, moody morning, so I had the place to myself. I spent quite awhile photographing the creek and the greenery around it, just from my vantage point on that bridge in the photo. After a bit, I moved off and turned my camera and tripod toward the bridge. I also used the “silky water” technique to make the creek water look satiny. For those of you who might want to try this technique for yourself, you should have either a polarizer filter or a neutral density filter on your lens. Set your camera on a tripod and experiment with slow shutter speeds while keeping everything else set for good exposure. The dark tint of the filter allows you to smooth out the water while preventing overexposure of everything else.

I will be bypassing the Quinault Rainforest for my next Olympic National Park trip (which I start tomorrow), so I’m glad I was able to visit this particular area of the park earlier in the year.

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Filed under Canon, forest, Landscape, National Parks, nature, Olympic National Park, Photography, Seasons, Travel, Washington State, winter

Tagged as Canon, January, July Creek, Olympic National Park, Olympic Peninsula, photography, Quinault, rain forest, rainforest, Rebecca Latson Photography, rebeccalatsonphotography, silky water, travel, Washington, Washington State, winter

August 16, 2019 · 9:57 am

Sunrise Over Bryce Amphitheater

Sunrise in this national park is sublime, no matter whether it’s a sunny day, an overcast day, or an in-between kind of day.

And now, in addition to sunrises being sublime, so are night skies, since this national park has been certified an International Dark Sky Park.

https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2019/08/bryce-canyon-national-park-certified-international-dark-sky-park

The park’s 20th Annual Astronomy Festival will be June 17-20, 2020. I’ve made my reservations for a room during that time. Maybe then, I’ll actually stay awake late enough to get some cool night shots, since I didn’t do that during my previous two visits (sigh). I readily admit that Bryce Canyon is one of my favorite national parks.

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Filed under Bryce Canyon National Park, Canon, Canon Lens, Geology, Landscape, National Parks, Photography, Seasons, summer, sunrise, Travel

Tagged as Bryce amphitheater, Bryce Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canon, geology, hoodoos, landscape, morning, Rebecca Latson Photography, rebeccalatsonphotography, red rock, scenery, sunrise, Sunrise Point, travel, Utah

June 27, 2019 · 8:50 am

Sunrise Over Desert And Mountains

Big Bend National Park is out in a remote portion of southwest Texas. But if you can get there, then you won’t be disappointed with what you see. This national park is full of interesting volcanic geology and gorgeous landscapes of the Chihuahuan Desert and the Chisos Mountains. Sunrises are lovely here. This shot was taken right off the side of the road, not looking toward the rising sun, but instead, toward the mountains and desert which the winter sun gilded.

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Filed under 24-70mm f2.8L II, 5DSR, Big Bend, Big Bend National Park, Canon, Canon Lens, Geology, Landscape, National Parks, Photography, Seasons, sunrise, Texas, Travel, winter

Tagged as 24-70mm, 5DSR, Big Bend, Big Bend National Park, Canon, Chihuahuan, Chisos, desert, geology, January, landscape, landscape photography, morning, mountains, National Park, photography, Rebecca Latson Photography, rebeccalatsonphotography, scenery, southwest, sunrise, Texas, TX, winter

May 11, 2019 · 10:00 am

Sunrise Saturday

Upper Inspiration Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

No, I’m not in Bryce Canyon. I’m instead going through a few archived shots and using them to create HDR images.

For those of you who have never been to Bryce Canyon National Park, sunrises at Upper Inspiration Point are amazing. Actually, sunrises anywhere in this park are amazing. There’s Inspiration Point, and there’s *Upper* Inspiration Point, accessed via a very steep, but short hike on a very well-maintained trail a little further up along the Rim Trail from the regular Inspiration Point view area.

I used a single image and then copied it a couple of times, using different exposure settings. I then combined all those images into HDR. The reason for this is because I did not bracket my original shots (which I should probably do more often, for when I want to use HDR), and because I handheld the camera. The fence at Upper Inspiration Point is just a little too tall for me to stand on tiptoe with my tripod, trying to look through the viewfinder. There was a tall guy standing next to me with his tall tripod, and he didn’t have any problems. I did. So, instead, I handheld the camera and used the “burst method” of holding down on the shutter button for several clicks. I knew out of all those shots, at least one of them would be nice and sharp. The caveat with the burst method is that it takes up space on the memory cards, so I always bring lots of extras with me, in varying sizes of 16GB to 128GB.

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Filed under 24-70mm f2.8L II, 5DS, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canon, Canon Lens, HDR, Landscape, National Parks, Photography, Seasons, summer, sunrise, Travel

Tagged as 24-70mm, 5DS, Bryce Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canon, canyon, geology, HDR, hoodoos, landscape, landscape photography, morning, National Park, photography, Rebecca Latson Photography, rebeccalatsonphotography, scenery, sunrise, Upper Inspiration Point

May 6, 2019 · 8:30 am

Mountain Monday

Dawn’s rosy fingers gilding the top of Mount Rainier, looming over Tipsoo Lake

Ok, I don’t really know what alliterative thing it is for Monday, but since it’s the start of the work week for most of us, it probably feels like you are climbing a steep mountain to even get out of bed this morning, right?

So, how about a little bit of colorful sunrise to go on that mountain top?

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Filed under autumn, Canon, Canon Lens, Landscape, Mt. Rainier National Park, Mt. Rainier National Park, National Parks, Photography, Seasons, sunrise

Tagged as autumn, Canon, lake, landscape, Mount Rainier, Mount Rainier National Park, mountain, Mt Rainier, Mt. Rainier National Park, October, photography, Rebecca Latson Photography, rebeccalatsonphotography, scenery, sunrise, The Mountain, Tipsoo Lake, Washington, Washington State