Chasing Spring Light: Landscapes of the Pacific Northwest

One of the great things about being a software engineer at ON1 is working with a team that’s genuinely passionate about photography and encourages employees to pursue it. I took advantage of that last week with a six-day, 1,660-mile road trip to photograph spring in the Columbia River Gorge and The Palouse. I thought I would share a few highlights from the trip with the community. All images were edited using the latest version of ON1 Photo RAW.

Rowena Crest above the Columbia River

Nikon D850 | 28MM | ISO 400 | f/13 | 1/320s | View Original Image

About an hour after sunrise, blustery winds made shooting wildflowers a challenge, but at least it wasn’t sleeting and overcast like the previous day. I used a 28mm wide-angle lens at f/13 to maintain a deep depth of field, keeping both the foreground flowers and distant hills in sharp focus.

To counter the wind, I raised the ISO to 400 and used a fast shutter speed of 1/320 to minimize motion blur in the petals. Purple lupine is less common than the more abundant yellow balsamroot, so it served as a strong foreground element for this composition.

I also waited for a barge to move into position on the Columbia River to add background interest and scale.

Lone Tree Balsamroot and Fence

Nikon D850 | 100MM | ISO 400 | f/13 | 1/125s | View Original Image

This scene, located a few miles west of Rowena Crest along Historic Highway 30, took some patience to compose. I worked to isolate the tree and align it with the fence line, using it as a leading line for a cleaner, more professional landscape composition.

It was a good reminder not to get lazy; shooting with a steady tripod helps you pay attention to fine details, even in seemingly simple landscapes.

Indian Paintbrush Overlooking Columbia River

Nikon D850 | 28MM | ISO 400 | f/11 | 1/250s | View Original Image

Indian paintbrush is less common in the Gorge, so when I saw reports of it blooming near the Memaloose Trailhead east of Mosier, Oregon, I made a stop. The wind was still howling and whitecaps were visible on the river, so again I utilized a higher ISO and faster shutter speed. I was fortunate to catch dappled cloud shadows moving across the hills in the background.

For the RAW editing phase, I used the ON1 Vivid Landscapes preset (VL3) as a starting point to make the spring colors pop. You can find more ON1 Presets here.

Having photographed the Columbia River Gorge several times in spring, I’ve found the third week of April to be a premier window for wildflower photography. Other excellent spring photo locations nearby include Columbia Hills State Park, Dalles Mountain Ranch, and areas west of Goldendale, Washington, which offer stunning views of Mount Adams. After two days shooting in the Gorge near The Dalles, I headed north to Colfax, Washington in The Palouse.

Rolling Palouse Hills Late in the Day

Nikon D850 | 50MM | ISO 100 | f/7.1 | 1/125s | View Original Image

The Palouse is a landscape photographer’s paradise, especially during the golden hour after sunrise, the hour before sunset, or on partly cloudy days when shifting shadows add dramatic definition to the hills.

I found this scene while exploring dirt roads northeast of Colton, near the Idaho border, late in the day.

View from Steptoe Butte

Nikon D850 | 200MM | ISO 200 | f/9 | 1/200s | View Original Image

Steptoe Butte rises about 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain, offering sweeping panoramic views of the Whitman County landscape. From the summit, a telephoto lens like my Nikkor 200–500mm creates lens compression, making the hills resemble miniature dioramas. This effect is most prominent during the last 90 minutes of daylight when long shadows accentuate the rolling topography.

Atmospheric haze can be an issue from this elevation, so I used the Haze Slider and applied local contrast adjustments within the Effects Module to improve clarity.

Abandoned House on Hill

Nikon D850 | 50MM | ISO 100 | f/11 | 1/40s | View Original Image

Rural decay, including abandoned farmhouses and barns, is my favorite subject to photograph. One effective way to find these scenes is by following old or abandoned railroad lines. The Palouse town of Rosalia, once the intersection of three rail lines in the early 20th century, led me to this stately abandoned house just east of town.

I experimented with different compositions for the dirt driveway and used a subtle Glow filter gradient, available in ON1 Effects, on the sky and grass to give the photo a dreamlike, cinematic quality.

Abandoned Barn and Fields

Nikon D850 | 130MM | ISO 100 | f/13 | 1/60s | View Original Image

Following the abandoned Milwaukee Road rail bed about six miles outside Rosalia led me to this barn. It sits well off the road, requiring a telephoto lens to isolate the structure within the vast agricultural landscape.

Besides the photos here, I shot about 40 other scenes on my six-day road trip and visited the Walla Walla area, another beautiful region for rural landscape photography. My next planned trip is to Western Nebraska in May to photograph small towns and Oregon Trail landmarks

Jim Choate is a Senior Software Engineer on the Photo RAW team. He just celebrated 12 years with the team. We are blessed to have his keen eyes, creativity, and insights. You can see more of his work at his Flickr page.