All images © 2007-2013 Aaron Meyers
5 months have gone by in 2014 and I’ve barely gotten my camera out of its bag. I’m not sure what exactly I’ve been doing that has pushed photography to the back burner but I just haven’t shot much this year. When Willie and I both saw the forecast for this particular evening we debated quite a long time about where to go. We were feeling slightly lazy and decided to head down to the beach. The California coast has thousands upon thousands of amazing spots to pull over and watch the waves crash against the rocks. This particular inlet kept Alan and I busy for quite a while. There were so many options. I think I spent at least 30 minutes watching the way the waves and water came crashing in. So many possibilities! Ultimately I loved the way the water looks like it’s coming straight for me in this photo. I just love the motion! The marine layer blocked any chance of a colorful sunset but I found the black and white helped with the mood of the photo. Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 ED-IF AF-S: 17mm, f/9, 0.6 sec, ISO 125
I’ve traveled to Portland a few times now and every time I go I love the area more and more. In fact, I’ve been back once already after taking this photo and I’ve already booked another trip to return. Between the beautiful nature, the amazing breweries, the donuts, the fish … what’s not to love?! Andy and I visited Oneonta Gorge on our first day in the Columbia River Gorge. It was his first time here and he absolutely loved it. We were late in the spring season and although it wasn’t the ideal time to be photographing, we still had a blast exploring the giant moss covered canyon walls. Andy fixated on this spot and had to convince me that it was even worth looking at. When I got there I liked how the walls drew the eye in, the fallen tree provided an extra line, the cliffs on the left framed the photo, Oneonta Falls peaks around the corner in the background, and the giant rock in the center ... well, it’s there. Sure there are better photos of the Oneonta Gorge but I thought this represented quite well why this place has people coming to visit over and over and over. Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S: 35mm, f/18, 6.0 seconds, ISO 100
Everything about Proxy Falls in Oregon is an overload. Emotional overload, water overload, moss overload, stunning overload ... breathtakingly overloaded. Photos of this beautiful waterfall don't do it justice because it's so much grander than you can imagine. Had I used Andy as a frame of reference he would be so small in the photo that you would barely see him. Our 3 day trip to the Columbia River Gorge ended at Proxy Falls and that gave us a few days to practice and be ready for the grand finale. After days spent hiking to a number of waterfalls, several breweries, and a few hours stuck in the snow, we spent the night in Sisters, Oregon at a hotel that made both of us think that we should have been there with girlfriends/wives and not each other (think modern log cabin vibe with jacuzzi and fireplace!). A short jaunt in the car, an easy hike, and a scramble down to the falls and we finally made it to Proxy! We arrived early so we could have time to figure out what compositions we wanted. The sun stayed behind the trees and out of the way until just after 10:30am, giving us over 2 hours to shoot with beautiful soft light. Once the sun came out we watched as the classic “light beams” came out. Ultimately I decided not to use those photos because I felt they distracted from the stunning waterfall! Knowing how wet things would be here I had picked up a few extra micro-fiber cloths to ensure I kept the lens clean from droplets. I didn’t want to pull an Alan Chan and find my shots ruined when I got home. I went through every cloth I had but I came home happy and droplet free! Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 ED-IF AF-S: 17mm, f/9, 0.8 sec, ISO 100
