Why They Call It Paradise
Earlier this week, Tanya,, Carson and I went camping for three days at La Wis Wis near White Pass. I took the opportunity to drive up to Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park for one sunset and one sunrise. Though it looked like they were slightly past their prime, the wildflowers were incredible at Paradise. If you want to see them this year, you best get up there fast.
For my sunset shots, I hiked from the visitor center eastward on the Skyline Trail then partly up the Golden Gate Trail. The flowers were great on the Golden Gate Trail, but the view of Rainier is partially obstructed by a ridge. Luckily for me, the view of the Tatoosh Range to the south put on a good alpenglow show.
The next morning, after arriving at Paradise at 5:45 a.m. (no trouble finding parking at that time!), I headed north on the Skyline Trail to Glacier Vista, then back to the visitor center via the Deadhorse Creek and Waterfall Trails. Again, great flowers, but also more unobstructed views of Rainier (the featured photo above is of Rainier from the Deadhorse Creek Trail). Unfortunately, there wasn’t much color in the sunrise. However, low-lying clouds below Paradise made for some good shots.
Anyway, I just wanted to post a few photos from the trip to show you why they call it Paradise!
Tatoosh Range from the Golden Gate Trail
Mount Rainier from the Golden Gate Trail
A crescent moon mixing it up with the sunset
Clouds covering the lowlands below Paradise in the morning
View of Rainier at sunrise from Glacier Vista
Morning clouds below the Tatoosh Range
Bonus Photo: Carson enjoying camping at La Wis Wis (taken with my cell phone)
Twisp Time Lapse
A month or so ago, I purchased a Vello Wireless Shutterboss for project and then ended up not using it. This device allows remote control of a camera, including the ability to shoot a series of photos at regular intervals. I’ve been looking for an opportunity to play with the Shutterboss, and finally found that opportunity last weekend. Tanya and I spent the weekend in Twisp, Washington with friends at their cabin. Saturday night I set up the camera to do a time-lapse sequence of the sun setting over the hills across the valley.
This was my first attempt at time-lapse photography. I set the Shutterboss to record 75 images, 2 minutes apart starting just after 7 p.m. in the evening. I processed the images and made the video in Adobe Lightroom 4.
You can see the result above, though it looks better if you click the link and watch it on the Vimeo site. What do you think? I rate myself with a solid C+ effort. In hindsight, I should have set up the camera for more frequent shots, perhaps every minute or even half minute to make the transitions a bit smoother and the video longer. But overall, not bad for a first try.
Gorgeous Wedding
Last weekend my niece Michele got married in Mosier, Oregon. For those of you who don’t know where Mosier is, it is in the Columbia Gorge between Hood River and The Dalles. The Columbia Gorge, also known around here just as the “Gorge”, where the Columbia River cuts through the Cascade Mountains on its way to the Pacific Ocean. It’s a special place, best known for windsurfing and waterfalls. Despite a 100 degree F (38 degrees C) day, it was a “gorgeous” wedding.
It was a quick trip for us, down on Saturday, back on Sunday, and I didn’t get my camera out very much. But here’s a few shots from the trip, nothing too special. One is from the wedding reception of my niece dancing with her new husband, one is of a cloudless sunset over the Gorge, and one is of Mount Adams that I took on the way home (driving US Forest Service roads instead of the highway). Enjoy.
joebeckerphoto 