Point of the Arches and Shi Shi Beach

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Andy Porter

Seastacks and seagulls.

Arch and starfish.

Boy on the beach.

Reds and blues.

Gulls in the morning light.

Starfish.

Sunset.

Camp fires along Shi Shi Beach.

Arches under starlight.

Sunrise, the morning after.

RAW Image Manipulation

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Andy Porter

Between mundane tasks like work and exercise I try to entertain myself by studying PS books and navigating the mental fog to apply new techniques for image manipulation.
My most recent “new” technique are the brushes in Camera RAW.
Here is an image in its untouched state:

And here is the finished version.

After opening the image in Camera RAW and hitting “auto” for the exposure setting almost all the additional changes were made with the brushes, altering saturation, clarity, contrast and exposure on various sections, one at a time.

Its a new way to bring out colors and textures. The image is taken at Point of the Arches, Olympic National Park.

Point of the Arches and Shi Shi Beach, Olympic National Park

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Andy Porter

I have camped at many places. Sometimes you find a spot with such beauty, such a personality that you fall in love.

Point of the Arches is one of those places for me. When the tide is out the beach stretches beyond the sea stacks. Wandering among the tide pools, excited to see what’s next, I am astounded at how much things change each time I visit, yet stay the same.

The sound of the waves, first muted and now roaring create a soundtrack that calms and thrills. The gulls and wind add their parts to the symphony.

A fire at night and the feel of sand and smoke.

The stars and darkness crashing.

Perched on the edge. Taking it all in.

Point of the Arches and Shi Shi Beach, Olympic National Park

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Andy Porter

Fantastic weather and a waning moon brought me to the coast on Saturday in another attempt to capture some decent nighttime images.

Sunset comes before starlight.

This image is facing north along Shi Shi Beach. There were probably 30 people camping along its arc. Several campfires interspersed…The orange glare is from the settlement of Neah Bay.

Here are the sea stacks of Point of the Arches with a starry crown.

Morning presented some sumptuous lighting…

Mount Olympus and Blue Glacier

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Andy Porter

Mount Olympus, Olympic National Park

Morning at Shi Shi Beach, Olympic National Park

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Andy Porter

Seagulls greeting the morning

First Beach, Olympic Coast

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Andy Porter

The pacific coast along the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State has several magnificent beaches. The weather is often unsettled and dramatic. Clouds and wind, crashing waves and stormy seas, its a feast for the senses.

There are several Native American towns there on the coast, Neah Bay to the north and La Push further south, west of the town of Forks. Both have resorts run by the local tribes where you can rent rooms and cabins and enjoy the scenery.

First Beach is part of the La Push Resort. The wide, arcing beach is capped at both ends by towering sea stacks.

It’s a photographers dream!

First Beach Reflection