Deception Pass Bridge

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Deception Pass Bridge

The bridge connecting Whidbey Island to the mainland at Deception Pass is one of the photographic icons of this area. Wooded slopes and sheer cliffs towering over a deep fast channel make it dramatic. The span itself lends to being photographed.

Deception Pass State Park includes several short and spectacular trails, on both sides of the channel.

The luminescence of the green water below the cliffs adds to the magic. The heavily forested slopes above, fed by fog and mist make the place dreamy. Sunsets are especially fantastic.

Prints are available here.

The new 2017 Washington State Scenic Calendar is now available!

Deception Pass State Park

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The bridge connecting Whidbey Island to the mainland at Deception Pass is one of the photographic icons of this area. Wooded slopes and sheer cliffs towering over a deep fast channel make it dramatic. The span itself lends to being photographed.

I visited on Thanksgiving to get air and scout for spots to photograph at night. The light was warm and inviting. Here are a few shots.

Deception Pass State Park Bridge

Deception Pass State Park Bridge

Deception Pass State Park Water

Deception Pass State Park Water

Deception Pass State Park Trail

Deception Pass State Park Trail

Deception Pass State Park Throwing

Deception Pass State Park Throwing

Deception Pass State Park Viewpoint

Deception Pass State Park Viewpoint

Deception Pass State Park Trees

Deception Pass State Park Trees

Deception Pass State Park – Nighttime Imaging

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Encouraged by last Tuesday’s photo shoot along Baker River I headed out to Deception Pass on Friday night to see about some shots. There was a crescent moon, which was almost set by the time I got out there, maybe 10pm or so. Clear skies, cold, good time for capturing stars.
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I started up on the bridge, got a few shots of the channel with Orion…
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Then I jumped the railing, trying to get a better angle with the moon below the bridge. This view afforded silhouettes of the lower bridge structure as well.
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There was so much ambient light that it was difficult to capture the real strip of the Milky Way, so I decided to head down to Bowman Bay.

The road to the parking area was closed, so I hiked down and across the spit to see about some long distance view of the bridge, but that didn’t really pan out. However Bowman Bay had some great lighting…
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And the long pier also suggested some interesting shots…
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Nighttime photography is really a blast!

As for camera settings:

I used a Canon 6D, with a 24-105 mm lens, tripod and cable release. Aperture at f/4 (wide open), shutter speed at 8 to 13 sec. and ISO at anywhere from 12,000 to 20,000.