North Cascades Photo Tours and Prints

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North Cascades Photo Tours and Prints

The North Cascade mountains in Washington State are rugged, lush, stark and colorful all at once.

Lupine and the North Cascades

Lupine and the North Cascades

Abundant rainfall creates fantastic meadows filled with wild flowers while at the same time sculpting the ridges and peaks into serrated knives of stone.

The two main entry ways into the North Cascades are the North Cascades Highway (Hwy 20) and the Mount Baker Highway (Hwy 542)

Mount Shuksan and Picture Lake, along the Mount Baker Highway

Mount Shuksan and Picture Lake, along the Mount Baker Highway

While there are a few places, such as Artist Point (located at the end of Hwy 542) and Washington Pass (the highest point along Hwy 20) where you can drive to see the scenery, most of the time a trip here involves hiking.

Liberty Bell from the North Cascades Highway

Liberty Bell from the North Cascades Highway

Along these two byways there are many side roads leading to trail heads that take you up (always up!) into the high country. There are so many trails and choices!

The North Cascades Highway (Hwy 20) is a part of the Cascade Loop Scenic Byway. This is the Best Road Trip Vacation in Washington State!

North Cascades Photo Prints

If you are interested in fantastic, colorful prints of the North Cascades to adorn your home or office here is a link to my North Cascades Gallery. There you can purchase Canvas Wrapped prints (framed prints are available) as well as Fine Art prints.

One of the most popular hikes along Highway 20 is the Lake Ann – Maple Pass Loop. This 7 mile hike visits Lake Ann, cupped amongst peaks snow and flowers and offers spectacular views of the nearby summits.

Maple Pass Trail

Wildflowers along the Lake Ann – Maple Pass Trail

North Cascades Photo Tours

This summer I am offering Guided Photo Tours of the North Cascades. We can pick a trail, based on your available time and venture into the mountains for some stunning scenery and photographic opportunities and/or training. Tours are available for both day hikes and overnight trips.

Skyline Divide is a trail reached from Highway 542. This trail leads up and onto a ridge carpeted with lupine, paintbrush and other flowers with grandstand views of Mount Baker, adorned with glaciers.

Mount Baker and Lupine from the Skyline Divide Trail

Mount Baker and Lupine from the Skyline Divide Trail

 

 

If you are looking for a guide book that catalogs most all of the North Cascades Trails, I recommend the book “Hiking the North Cascades” by Erik Molvar (Falcon Press). This book provides accurate info about each trail including mileage, elevation gain, and details of flora and fauna.

 

Another fabulous day hike is the Sauk Mountain Trail.

This trail is an easy(ish) hike up into the high country with smashing views of the Skagit Valley. Skagit Valley from Sauk Mountain

If you like a dash of solitude to go along with your mountain scenery then you’ll need to don a backpack and hike at least a day travel from the parking area. Here the crowds disappear and you have the place (mostly) to yourself.

Hiking along Sahale Arm

Hiking along Sahale Arm

In the next installment I will describe a few of the most stunning overnight and extended hikes in the North Cascades.

Trail along the North Fork, Bridge Creek

Trail along the North Fork, Bridge Creek

 

 

 

 

 

If capturing images of the Night Sky is your thing, check out our Night Sky Photo Tours and the Night Sky Photo Gallery!

 

Glow of Aurora Borealis

Glow of Aurora Borealis

 

 

Lake Ann – Maple Pass Loop

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On July 1 I hiked the Lake Ann – Maple Pass Loop. Usually this trail does not open (due to snow) until late July or even August. But the trail was completely snow free from top to bottom.

I started late to get the evening light. Here are a few images. Oh, and there were a few wildflowers.

If you’d like to go on a North Cascades Photo Tour and get shots like this, here is the place to find out more and sign up!

Lake Ann from Maple Pass

Lake Ann from Maple Pass

Lake Ann from Maple Pass

Lake Ann from Maple Pass

Maple Pass Trail

Maple Pass Trail

Maple Pass Trail

Maple Pass Trail

Stars, Tent and Kids

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Here is another shot from the other night along the Baker River.

Camped under the Milky Way 3

Camped under the Milky Way 3

I had in my mind several images, planning and scheming as we hiked in, having the kids in the tent illuminated with the I-Pad, having them look out of the tent, in awe at the stars.

Here is the i-pad shot. Not too bad! A little overexposed on the face of the kid (Dawson) holding the device.

Then I tried an image with them looking out of the tent. I used the red light function on my head lamp to illuminate their faces and this is what I got:

IMG_8179At first I didn’t even try to edit it, it looked so red.

But later I decided to give it a try. I edited (in photoshop, as a raw file) the foreground, then went back and edited the raw a second time, but edited just the sky.

Then I merged the two and did final editing.

That’s Joe on the left, wrapped in the sleeping bag. And my son, Max is the incredulous one on the right!

Not too bad!

I guess I’ll have to take the kids camping more often!

Looking at the stars

Looking at the stars

AndyPorterImages.com

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After much work (pleading, begging, swearing, despairing, elation, suffering and dejection) I have finally gotten myself a web site which is pretty darned close to exactly what I want. carnival-2em

Here is is!

There are lots of pictures. Gotta like pictures!

There is a list of Galleries where you can purchase a wide variety of fine art prints as well as canvas wrapped prints and digital downloads.

There are links to find out about and register for Photo Tours.

The site accept credit cards and pay pal and the money comes to me directly, not a third-party vendor.

I am excited and hope it flourishes!

If you have a look feel free to send me any thoughts of what you like, don’t like and/or suggestions.

Happy Summer Solstice!

COUPON!!!

The first 30 customers who purchase any print through the web site will get 30% off! The coupon code is: SUMMERSOLSTICE. The discount code is entered when  you check out.

Milky Way and Shooting Star

Milky Way and Shooting Star

 

 

 

Mount Shuksan

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This view of Mount Shuksan in the North Cascades (Washington State, USA) is the most photographed mountain in North America. This is due to its beauty (and Picture Lake!) and the fact that you can drive on a paved road to this very spot!

Here is an image I captured in the fall.

Mount Shuksan

Mount Shuksan

And here is a less common view, an image from last night!

Mount Shuksan and the Milky Way

Mount Shuksan and the Milky Way

Milky Way, Northern Lights and a Cool Tent

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The New Moon is marked every month on my calendar. As it gets closer I start watching the weather service map, looking for where there will be clear skies. Last month was a complete dud, the 5-night window only saw overcast and rain.

But this weekend the sky was clear. I had three people sign up for my Night Sky Photo Tour on Saturday night.

Officially the New Moon is tonight, June 16th, but if you are close, one or two days plus or minus, you will get the lighting you want.

Camped under the Milky Way

Camped under the Milky Way

This first shot I have been dreaming of for some time. My son is 10 years old and he likes to go camping with his friends, swimming and being goof balls. Of course they always bring their electronic devices. I made sure to tell them to save some battery life for dark.

The strip of the Milky Way appeared directly over the tent. The exposure to capture the stars is 30 seconds long, but that’s way too long for the light from the I-pad. So I had them sit and turn it on for a second or two and then quickly off.

Then I spent some time circumnavigating the tent. I got a shooting star in this one.

Milky Way and Shooting Star

Milky Way and Shooting Star

and then as I faced north I captured this image. The pink glow is actually the Aurora Borealis! How cool is that!

Glow of Aurora Borealis

Glow of Aurora Borealis

I had three people sign up for my Night Sky Photo Tour on Saturday night.  We visited the Washington Pass Overlook to capture images of Liberty Bell. Between instruction advices I snapped a few images. This image is from a north-facing view. To the naked eye there was NO color.

Needless to say we were all excited to see the Northern Lights there on the horizon!

Northern lights at Washington Pass

Northern lights at Washington Pass

Hiking Trips for July and August

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This is the tentative plan for backpacking trips in July and August. If you are interested in coming along for any, please let me know!

Amphitheater Mountain, Pasayten Wilderness

Amphitheater Mountain, Pasayten Wilderness

Cathedral Lake Trip – 6 days This trip is a 30 mile one way trip, to the eastern Pasayten Wilderness. The trailhead is at 6000+ feet, so its mostly a ridge hike, Lots of solitude and fantastic scenery. Here is a trip report from a July trip 5 years ago.  This trip is planned to start right around July 4th (maybe July 2 or 3, or maybe July 5th) and return July 8, 9 or 10. This is one of the coolest hikes in Washington! And although the mileage is somewhat long its not very difficult.

Amphitheater Mountain Cathedral Peak, Pasayten Wilderness 6em

Cathedral Peak, Pasayten Wilderness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy Pass – Park Creek Pass – Cascade Pass – 6 days I have had this trip on my radar for a while, the plan is to get dropped off at Easy Pass, hike through one of the more remote parts of North Cascades National Park ending at Cascade Pass, then hitch back to Sedro-Woolley.

Horseshoe basin

Horseshoe basin

I have hiked almost every part of this trip many times, except Fisher Basin. This trip would include a few days of off trail travel and camping. Horseshoe Basin and Park Creek Pass are unbelievable places to visit. Trip planned for July 26- July 31

 

 

 

 

Spider Meadows – Upper Lyman Lake – 4 days I did this trip last year, its awesome! My plan this year is to hike into Spider Meadows, hike up and through Spider Gap, spend a day in the Upper Lyman Basin and then hike back. Check out the story and pics. Trip planned for Aug. 2 to Aug. 5

Upper Lyman Lake, Glacier Peak Wilderness

Upper Lyman Lake, Glacier Peak Wilderness

Spider Meadows, Glacier Peak Wilderness

Spider Meadows, Glacier Peak Wilderness

If you have an interest in coming along on any of these trips, or have any questions, email me at: andyporterphotography@gmail.com

I have several extra backpacks, tents and all that stuff if anyone is lacking.

 

 

 

 

 

Fort Worden State Park and Point Wilson Light House

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I accompanied my son’s 5th grade class on an overnight field trip to Fort Worden State Park, in Port Townsend, Washington last week. The kids all had fun, feeding an octopus and dissecting a fish…

And I had fun taking pictures. Lighthouses are, of course, huge magnets for photographers.

The old fort has a maze of concrete tunnels for artillery.

And the flowers were blooming!

So, it was a great time for all.

Editing Night Sky Images

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I have been working with Photoshop for some time. My learning curve has been rather slow and often painful! Slowly I learn new techniques for manipulating light and shadows.
Images of the night sky demand more work than daytime shots. The camera I have, a Canon 6D, and the 14mm lens I use allow me to set the exposure for 30 seconds.
In the unedited images you can see the strip of the Milky Way and in the edited images it pops out and grabs you!
Here is an image I shot a few years ago with a Canon T2i, a 15mm lens at 30 sec. and 800iso. Its a bit dark!
IMG_9217
Now the newly edited version.
Tent Under Stars
This next shot is from Zion National Park. I used the Canon 6D with a 14mm lens at 15 sec.
IMG_7154
Here is the edited image.
Orion over Zion
Liberty Bell and the North Cascades Highway, Canon 6D, 14mm lens at 25 sec. Before
IMG_2878
And after.
Liberty_Bell_Milky_Way
The last shot is of Mount Rainier from Crystal Mountain. Again using the 6D and the 14mm lens at 30 sec.

If you would like to attend a Night Sky Photo Tour and learn how to capture such images, here is the link with dates and prices!
IMG_4224
And the final version.
Mount_Rainier_Milky_Way
For those of you who are already Photoshop savvy, the most useful tutorials and techniques for editing starry night shots I have found are at Dave Morrow Photography.

If you would like personalized Photoshop Lessons with me online, here is the link!

Happy Shooting and Editing!

Recent publications !

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Here are 5 recent publications of articles I’ve written along with images.

This first link is to an article I wrote for photo students called Elements of Coolness. It was published by the company that does my canvas wrap printing, Canvas on Demand.

Surround Yourself  – Canvas on Demand Lifestyle  – Elements of Coolness

The Washington National Park Fund is a local non-profit raising money for Washington’s 3 National Parks: Mount Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades National Park.

Washington’s National Park Fund – Why I love Sahale Glacier Camp

cropped-untitled_panorama-10-em.jpg

The Nature Conservancy is a well-known organization dedicated to preserving wild lands. I have donated many images to their cause and am happy to be a part of their efforts.

The Nature Conservancy – Enchantments

Colchuck Lake, Enchantments, Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Colchuck Lake, Enchantments, Alpine Lakes Wilderness

Cascade Loop Magazine is a local travel guide here in Northwest Washington. The loop is a wonderfully Scenic Drive encompassing the North Cascades, Lake Chelan, Skagit Valley and several other picturesque locations. I contribute images each year and was lucky to have an image on the cover of this years magazine.

Cascade Loop Magazine – Cover shot!

loop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amateur Astrophotography Magazine publishes a e-zine each month and here is an article and images of Night Sky Images.

Park Butte Lookout and Mount Baker

Park Butte Lookout and Mount Baker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy the articles and images and thank you for stopping by!