Greeting Cards

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Greeting cards are now available!

There are 6 different images that you can order.

Each card is printed on 80lb smooth, high quality paper. The folded size is 6.25″ x 4.5″. The inside of each card is blank. Cards come with matching envelopes.

The cards come in bundles of 18 (three of each) and 30 (five of each).
Here is the link to order the cards online.

If you would like a different mix of greeting cards please specify how many of each card when you check out, or email me at: andyporterphotography@gmail.com

Winchester Mountain Lookout

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I made two trips up to the Winchester Mountain Lookout in September. Both times I spent the night in the lookout.

What an incredible spot!

Just being in any mountain lookout is special. The remoteness, views, air, sky and colors…

Here is the gallery where you can purchase prints.

Here are a few more images from the second trip.

em and amber

Fall colors 1

Fall colors 2

Fall Colors at Twin Lakes

Hiking Winchester Mountain

Mount Larrabee

Mount Larrabee2

Rainbow at Winchester Mountain

Rainbows over Twin Lakes

Sunset at Wincehster Mountain

Tomyhoi Peak and Lake

Twin Lakes 2

Amber and Em on the trail 1

Amber and Em on the trail 2

Christin, Em and Amber 1

Christin, Em and Amber 2

Morning skies in the North Cascades 2

Mt Baker

Winchester Lookout 3

Winchester Lookout

Halloween Sale! 50% OFF All Prints!!!

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I am offering a special 50% OFF discount on all Canvas Wrapped Prints and Fine Art Prints.

Simply visit the Gallery Page (here) scroll through the images, find your favorite(s) click the image to see the sizes and options available and go to check out. Then enter the coupon code: HALLOWEEN and you’ll receive 50% your entire order!!!!

SALE ENDS OCTOBER 31st AT MIDNIGHT!
Winchester Lookout 3

Diablo Overlook Panorama

Diablo Overlook Panorama

Skagit Valley

Skagit Valley

Here are some details about:
Canvas Wrapped Prints: Our traditional gallery wraps feature wood frames and hand-stretched, top-quality canvas–not unlike those found in a typical art gallery. Our 1.5 inch thick wrap remains our most popular option, they are ready for display out of the box.

If you would like your Gallery Wrap framed, there are two categories of option: Floating Frames and Traditional Frames.

Floating Frames

Traditional Frames

Fine Art Print Options

Archival Watercolor Fine Art Paper A vellum surface (lightly textured) paper ideally suited for luxurious fine art. Listed size is the finished image, we also add a white 1″ border.
Archival Smooth Fine Art Paper A luxuriously smooth surface that delivers excellent dmax and color gamut. Listed size is the finished image, we also add a white 1″ border.
Photo Luster Paper Produces vivid, lifelike images that rival those of traditional silver halide prints. Listed size is the finished image, we also add a white 1″ border.
Rolled Canvas A museum-grade matte poly cotton blend that is a performance leader in color gamut, and print permanence. Listed size is the face of the canvas, we add room for the wrap edge as well as 2″ for stretching.

Winchester Lookout

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Twin Lakes Panorama

Twin Lakes Panorama

Last Saturday I made it up (finally!) to Twin Lakes and the Winchester Mountain Lookout.

Winchester Mountain Lookout

Winchester Mountain Lookout

Located on the north side of the Mount Baker Highway (Route 542) the trail is approached via the Twin Lakes Road. It’s 7 miles from the highway to the start of the trail, 4.5 miles are easy for any car, and the last 2.5 miles require a high clearance vehicle, its a bit rough!

Weekends in the late summer and early fall will find more than 200 cars and pickups parked along the road over the last 3 miles. There is a veritable network of trails originating along the Twin Lakes Road such as Yellow Aster Butte, Tomyhoi Peak, High Pass and more.

Twin Lakes

Twin Lakes

If your vehicle can make it up to Twin Lakes there are camp sites along both lake shore, out houses and camp fire rings/grates. I saw quite a few parties there car camping with bikes for kids, small boats for fishing along with lawn chairs and coolers.

Here the road ends and the hiking begins. From the parking lot you are right in front of Winchester Mountain, and you can see way up above the flag flapping next to the lookout. Winchester Lookout Flag 3

The trail zigzags up the mountain side, 1,300 feet in about 2 miles to the summit. The lookout tower is open to the public, and you can spend the night there. If you get up there and its already taken there are plenty of spots close by to pitch tents.

The view from the top is choked with stark jagged peaks. Goat Mountain, Mount Larrabee, the Pleiades, Tomyhoi Peak crowd the horizon. Mt Shuksan and Mount Baker loom up about all other summits.

The crisp air is perfect for hiking up a steep slope and the fall colors create a luscious palette.

The Winchester Mountain Lookout was clean and spacious, sporting a table, chairs, bed and a wide selection of books.

Saturday was the new moon, and one of the reasons of our visit was to hope for clear skies at night to capture images of the Milky Way.

The low angle of the setting sun set the blue berry bushes on fire.

Carpet of Color at Winchester Mountain

Fall Colors from Winchester Mountain 2

Fall Colors from Winchester Mountain 3

Fall Colors from Winchester Mountain

Sunset from Winchester Mountain

Winchester Lookout Sunset

An hour after sunset the sky exploded with stars.

I opted to sleep out under them, with no tent.

The early morning found the mountain surrounded by clouds. Just as I arose the sun breached the canopy and the sun dance atop the summits across the valley commenced.

Starry Sky from Winchester Mountain

Choosing images for the 2016 Washington Scenic Calendar

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September is here, soon autumn will be with us. This is my signal to start work on the 2016 Calendar.

My task is to sort through the years images and somehow come up with 13 stunning shots.

As I review the files there are a few special shots which will almost certainly be included in this next years calendar and in other cases I have a series of shots from a particular spot and need help choosing which is the best one for the calendar. This is where you come in, I will post a grouping of images from a specific spot. Please vote for your favorite in each section by making a comment below or emailing me at: andyporterphotography@gmail.com

Park Butte Lookout

Ferry Boat

Point of the Arches

Barn

Lake Ann

Sahale Arm

Stars and Tent shot

Enchantments

Here are a few images that have already made the final cut:

Sahale Glacier Camp – 2015

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Last weekend I made the yearly sojourn up to Sahale Camp, in North Cascades National Park. The 6-mile hike in and up was very dry. The winter’s lack of snow fall has jumped the cycle of flowers and melting ahead  a full month.   Link to Buy Prints

Wildflowers on Sahale Arm

Still, there were a few patches of flowers left. Wildflowers on Sahale Arm 2

 

 

 

 

Link to Photo Tours Page.

Clear skies did not lend to much of a sunset panorama,

Camped at Sahale Glacier Camp

Camped at Sahale Glacier Camp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but did present great opportunities for the night sky.

Camped at Sahale Glacier Camp

Sahale Peak at night New link to see all upcoming Photo Classes!

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

 

 

New Web Site Launch!

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I have been dreaming of this for some time, today is the launch of my new web site Andy Porter Images. Snow Geese on Fir Island

The site includes 10 Galleries of images for sale. Canvas Wrapped Prints and Archival Paper Prints in various sizes are available. Framing of the canvas prints is also an option. This is a big step, as now any orders for my work come directly to me.

The new site provides a place to provide a complete schedule of the Photography Classes I am teaching. Starting this Spring I will be teaching classes in Burlington, Bellingham and Marysville.

Another exciting part of the new site is that there is a section to promote Photography Tours! This Spring and Summer I am offering

Tulip Tours,

Night Sky Photo Tours

North Cascades – Skagit Valley Photo Tours.

We’ll see how it all goes! Thank you all very much for your support, comments and attention!

Wildflowers