Taking a Walk

In general, I really like the sun. I like the way it feels when it shines on me and I miss it when it's gone for a while. On the other hand, aesthetically when photographing outdoors I prefer it to be overcast. I like the diffused, even and sometimes grayness of the look. This is something that's been on my mind a little more since spending some time in Portland over the winter. The sun has come out. The sky is clear right now as a matter of fact, but it hasn't been out as much as I'm used to and because I haven't taken many photos outside in the daytime while I've been here my feelings about it have been more on the side of missing it.

The other day I was inspired to get out and go for a hike. Take advantage of all this beautiful land just a short drive away. I picked a day that had a low chance of rain and drove out to the Columbia River Gorge area. I had a hike in mind but accidentally missed the exit to get there. When I took the next exit I was in the parking lot in front of the Multnomah Falls. I still planned to go back to the other hike but when I found out it was much more trouble than just going back to my missed exit I decided to stay and take this hike.

Here is where my earlier mention about the light comes back in. There seems to be, at least in some areas, a special quality to the light here that I haven't seen other places. It's somehow bright and dark at the same time. I noticed this the most on this walk and I think a lot of it had to do with the subjects and the way they react to the light. Almost everything up here is covered in moss and when the moss and the overcast light get together it seems to almost glow.

Getting to the top of the falls I followed a paved switchback path but once at the top there was another path that was unpaved and rocky that lead to a smaller falls. That was the part I enjoyed the most. Everything felt much more secluded and natural there.

The path ran along side the stream that connected the two falls to each other.

I have done almost nothing to these photos. I usually don't do much post work but I feel the need to emphasize that because looking at some of these I think they seem to have almost a painterly look to them and the subject didn't need any help from me to look like that.
(if you click on the photos you can view them larger)

Multnomah Falls itself was surely one of the largest waterfalls I've ever seen and I like the way you can get pretty close to it at the bottom via the bridge that sits between the upper and lower cascades.

I could really get a sense of it's powerfulness as it loudly crashed against the rocks behind it. I probably could have sat there and watched it for a while if I were dressed more appropriately for the wetness and had more time.