Whenever I go through old photos, I look for things I’ve learned as a photographer. Sometimes it’s a little depressing. It’s hard to say what improvements have come from skill vs luck vs improvement in technology.
However, I found one obvious improvement that can only be attributed to me having learned something–straight horizon lines.
Well, it’s not actually true that only my skill has straightened my horizon lines. In truth, it wasn’t until I recently upgraded cameras and started using the in-camera electronic level that I can truly claim I had straight horizon lines. But, setting that aside for a moment, as I look through images taken on my first trip to the Olympic Peninsula, shortly after I’d purchased my trusty old Powershot G3 circa 2003, I realize I didn’t even think about straight horizon lines back then.
So, there you have it. Solid evidence that I have retained one piece of information about how to have better images in 9 years. I feel much better now.
The trek to the Olympic Peninsula from just North of Seattle seemed somewhat epic. When you look on a map, Olympic National Park looks like it’s right next to Seattle–like it should take a couple of hours to drive there. But the first hint that maybe it’s not so straight forward is when you try to get driving directions from Seattle to Olympic National Park–google says, “We could not calculate directions . . .”
Our route may not have been the most direct. We went North through Deception Pass to Whidbey Island and, from somewhere in the general vicinity, we took a ferry over to Port Angeles on the Northern end of the Olympic Peninsula. From there, we made our way along the coast down into the park where we visited an ancient lodge and trekked through an even more ancient rain forest.
Oh wait . . . that’s how we got there on our second trip to Olympic National Park. Sorry. On our first trip, we went South to Mount St. Helen first and then North to Olympic and then back via Port Angeles and Whidbey Island. I had things reversed.
If Olympic were in the Northeastern United States and you asked someone for directions, they would tell you, “You cahn’t get theyah from heeah.”
I would love to go back to Olympic for a week. Both times we went before, we did more of a drive by, taking only a couple of very short hikes. I would love to do a through hike of many miles in the rain forest. The number of elk that we saw in just a mile or so of walking in the midst of the deep shadows of giant trees was amazing–it wasn’t the kind of terrain I expected to find elk in.
It’s too bad it’s so difficult to get to–otherwise we would probably go every year as a short side trip from Portland when we’re out visiting my dad.
Maybe next year.
nomadicmainstream 
You guys are so adventurous!! I can’t even begin to imagine how that would be. Seeing all of these wonderful places with a partner and having pictures to always be able to go back and talk bout the adventure with each other. lol! Anyway, I thought that Sasha was going to get to have a play date yesterday. My friend and neighbor across the street has a beautiful dog, a little smaller than mine. We have for a while now let them get to know each other out side on mutual territory while they were on leashes. Her dog seemed to be the one not sure but Sasha was the one ready to play. Yesterday, when they came and I opened the door I expected a bit of territorial talk between them and then play. But as soon as the dog started to step foot in the door, Sasha attacked and I have never heard her with such viciousnes. I had to drag her into my room and shut the door. So that didin’t work out. I told her she blew it.
To tell the truth, I’m always suspicious that my husband enjoys the trip more in the retelling than he did when he was there. 😉
So sorry Sasha is that territorial! Maybe she can just stick to meeting friends on neutral territory! Too bad, though. 😦
It sounds like a wonderful place to visit. I really think I was born in the wrong part of the states sometimes. There seems to never be enough time to visit places I really want to visit but I guess that is why I want to return to certain destinations.
I am so glad you found areas of improvement but don’t be too critical. I find when I am overly critical of myself-especially on the technical side-that I do not see all of the beauty I was trying to capture like watching a movie and seeing all of the flaws without experiencing the story–just something I have discovered about myself.
The photo of Tisen waiting patiently is so precious! I wonder what goes on in his mind.
I think a person could spend their whole life within a two-hour driving radius and not run out of places to hike in this part of the country. Not sure if you’re further away than that, but I think about how few trails I’ve actually hiked in Great Smoky National Park, for example. I’ve been there 4 times, but I have never seen the same thing twice–even when I was in the same part of the park.
That’s wise. It is easy to get caught up in looking for what’s wrong to the point that there’s no more joy in it.
I wish I knew what Tisen was thinking! Sometimes I think he’s worried he’s not going to come back so he’d better take all he can with him!
Catching things that have fallen through the crack…GSMNP…I’ve been going there most of my life and there is always something new to explore but I’m not able to do what I could do 🙂 .
🙂
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