The Oregon Lavender Farm

Wanting to get a good picture of lavender fields, I headed up to the Oregon Lavender Farm near Oregon City and was allowed to get some pictures after waiving my rights to press charges in case I was injured while at their farm. All I have to say about their location is Wow--they not only has a clear line of sight of Mount Hood, but also could see Mount St. Helens from less pretty areas of their farm. Walking fast through the rows of lavender covered with honeybees, I found a nice location that would feature the lavender in the foreground and Mount Hood in the background...

Silver Falls State Park June 22nd Hike

Yet another trip to Silver Falls State Park, this time with some of my relatives from California, hence the humorous title "California Tourists" under the first picture as I couldn't think of anything better...

California Tourists

 Indian Hellibore

Within the Foxglove

Silver Falls State Park June 17th Hike

Once again, I headed out to Silver Falls State Park to get pictures that might be different than before. New types of flowers were in bloom, including some daisies...

 Salmonberry Dew

 The Monkey Flower

 The Rainflower

Yellow Daisies

Oregon Coast Photography Trip

After going to Silver Falls State Park once a week for the past two months, I needed a break this week to go somewhere else. It just so happened that a short, overnight photography trip fit into my schedule. The photos below were taken between Lincoln City and Florence...

I really liked the patterns in the sand when I was at this one beach, as they reminded me of fine art that would be hung in a gallery.

"Footprint of Humanity"

I  don't often take metaphorical pictures, but after stepping to close to a creek and causing the miniature sandy cliff to fail, it made me think of humanities' footprint on the environment.

First Prints and the Salem Shutterbug Photo Contest

Earlier today, I headed over to the Shutterbug store at the Lancaster Mall in Salem to print off what I considered to me the best 8 pictures I have so far. These photos include three waterfalls of Silver Falls State Park (South, Lower South, and Middle North), a landscape (South Fork of Silver Creek), two plants (Common Camas and Oregon Iris), and two animals (a Townsend's Chipmunk and a Red-winged Blackbird). As I was walking through the mall, I noticed that the Shutterbug was having a photo contest that ends June 30th.

After I printed off the pictures I wanted, I decided to enter since I didn't have anything to lose and I got the three pictures that I entered for free. I entered the Lower South Falls for the "action" category, South Falls for the "landscape" category, and the Townsend's Chipmunk for the "general" category. The other category was "portrait," and as I don't have much experience in that category, I will not be rushing to get a picture of someone. If you happen to live near Salem, check out the contest and see which pictures you like. There are quite a few talented photographers that entered the contest.

Silver Falls State Park May 27th Hike

As I was heading out on my weekly excursion to the park this morning, I decided that I would hike an area that I have never been at before--the bike loop trail. Aside from getting spooked by a small animal--possibly a rabbit--due to whatever it was running right behind me when I had my audio equipment on as high as it could go, it was a fairly nice walk. I also saw two Western Thatcher Ant hills that had been ripped open by a Black Bear, and as I noticed the ants were scrambling to move the baby ants still in their white pods, I was spooked once again when I came to the conclusion that those ant hills could have been ripped open that very morning--so I walked a little faster. As usual, below are some of my favorite pictures of the day...

 Western Trumpet Honeysuckle

 Oregon Iris

 Pacific Fritillery

 Baldhip Rose

 Early Blue Violet

 Red Elderberry

Pacific Rhododendron