North Cascades Greeting Cards

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Andy Porter

North Cascades Greeting cards are now available!

There are 12 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 back of each card has a description of the location of each image.

Here is the selection.

: Camped under the Milky Way

: Palouse Falls

: First Beach, Olympic Coast

: Goode Mountain, North Cascades National Park

: Liberty Bell, North Cascades

: Maple Pass, North Cascades

: Mount Logan, North Cascades National Park

: Skagit Valley

: Daffodils at Sunrise

: Glacier Peak

: Mount Larrabee

: Mount Rainier

There are two packages to choose from.

Assorted Pack of 24 cards (2 of each image, or you choice) $48

Assorted Pack of 48 cards (4 of each image, or your choice) $80

Follow this link to order your cards today!

If you would like a different mix of cards please specify how many of each card when you check out, or email me at: andyporterphotography@gmail.comIndividual Cards are now available at the North Cascades National Park Bookstore on Highway 20 in Sedro-Woolley and at the Skagit Valley Food Coop, in Mount Vernon.

Green Trails Maps

Posted on March 12, 2016 by Andy Porter

Green Trails Maps has created a new ad campaign using one of my images!

This image was taken last June, using a Canon 6D with a Rokinon 14mm lens.

I planned the trip location, we went on the New Moon and were lucky with very few clouds.

I asked the boys to save some I-Pad battery for night time and when it got dark got them to pose inside the tent.

The shutter speed was 30 seconds, and while the exposure was going I had them sit “still” and turn their device on (for one second) and then off so as to lighten their faces.

Skagit Valley Tulip and Daffodil Photo Tours

Posted on February 14, 2016 by Andy Porter

Skagit Valley Tulip and Daffodil Festival Photo Tours

Daffodil Photo Tours start next week, Feb 21! Here is the link with the details!

Every spring the fields of the Skagit Valley explode with colors.

First the daffodils arrive, spilling yellow and green paint buckets over the browns and grays left over from winter.

: Skagit Valley Daffodils

: Daffodil Sunset

Depending upon the weather this happens any where between late February and early March. In 2015 we had full fields of daffodils abloom in the third week of Feb. and it looks like we may see the same this year.

Skagit Valley Tulip and Daffodil Photo Tours get info on registering here.
Tulips arrive 3 to 4 weeks later, anywhere from mid to late March into April. fields upon fields of tulips of all shapes and colors spread across the valley their quilt like pattern changing each year with the annual field rotations.

The valleys main tulip grower, Roozengaarde updates their Bloom Map each day or so, showing where the fields are and when they are in bloom.

What is a Photo Tour? A Photo Tour is a guided tour specifically for anyone who would like to capture stunning images. Each sprint I spend time reconnoitering the fields, noting where are the best views and backdrops. I can offer advice for not only the best locations but also tips on exposure and composition as well as post editing so that you come away with fantastic images.

I also offer North Cascades Photo Tours and Night Sky Imaging Photo Tours as well.

: Skagit Valley Tulips

: Skagit Valley Tulips

: Skagit Valley Tulips

: Tulips Photo Tour

500th Post

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Andy Porter

January 2009 is when I began this blog.

Time is an illusory creature. 7 years ago seems like yesterday and a different lifetime, all at once.

During that span I have posted stories of hitchhiking, near death experiences and other adventures.

I have posted travel reports and given advice.

But mostly I have posted pictures. Lots of pictures!

Images of the Mountains,

: Sahale Arm

: Sahale Camp

: Enchantments

: Maple Pass

: Sahale Camp

: Sahale Camp

Images of Tulip Fields,

: Skagit Valley Tulips

: Skagit Valley Tulips

Pictures of Ocean,

: Shi Shi Beach

and pictures of Night.

: Night Sky Photo Tour

I hope you have enjoyed looking as much as I have enjoyed sharing.

Thank you all.

I’ll be seeing you soon!

Winchester Mountain Lookout

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Andy Porter

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.

Sunrise from Winchester Mountain

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Andy Porter

Morning skies in the North Cascades

This image is from Thursday morning Sept. 23, at about 5am. Taken atop Winchester Mountain, along the Mount Baker Highway in the North Cascades. That’s Venus, the bright light on the right.

Exposure: Canon 6D and Rokinon 14mm lens; f/2.8 at 30 seconds

The next Night Sky Photo Tour(s) are scheduled for October 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th. If you’d like to come along, here is the link!

Milky Way from Big Rock

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Andy Porter

The usual thinking of night sky and Milky Way images is that you must travel a good distance away from the lights of towns and cities to get any decent shots.

I don’t live near big city, Seattle is 65 miles away, but there are several towns grouped together where I live. But I decided to head up to a local promontory called Big Rock to see about a few night sky images last weekend during the last New Moon.

These three images show that although the lights DO wash out the details of the stars there is still a chance to get some interesting images.

Mount Baker is visible as a small bump on the horizon. The green glow is the aurora borealis, adding some alien color to the edge of the sky.

The next New Moon is October 12th. If you’d like to register for the next Night Sky Photo Tour, here is the link.

Panorama of Mount Baker and Park Butte Lookout

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Andy Porter

Sunset at Park Butte Lookout

The Park Butte Lookout is located on the south side of Mount Baker, in the Mt. Baker, Snoqualmie National Fores, in the NW corner of Washington State. The lookout was “retired” from use as a fire lookout many years ago and was then adopted by the Skagit Alpine Club, who maintain the lookout for public use.

Diablo Overlook, North Cascades Highway

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Andy Porter

Last night I drove up the North Cascades Highway to do a Photo Tour Slide Show for campers at the Colonial Creek Camp ground in North Cascades National Park.

I got there a little early and tooled up a bit further to the Diablo Overlook. The green waters of Diablo Lake and the suns rays as the sunset approached were stunning.

Diablo Overlook

Sahale Glacier Camp – 2015

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Andy Porter

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