Mid Winter Blues

January....My least favorite month of the year. And it has nothing to do with snow or cold temperatures.
I've always fought a bit of January depression.

Lake Coeur d'Alene

It's not as bad, now that I've found my purpose in photography, but still, with taxes looming and the evergrowing list of things that weren't accomplished last year, it takes a bit of resolve to get through these winter months.

Athol, Idaho

On the up side, for me as a photographer, fresh snow is quite literally a gift from above.

Sanders Beach, Lake CdA

I can't begin to explain the joy of searching out a photo opportunity and finding one after an overnight snowfall.

Rathdrum Prairie

Elk, Washington

Coeur d'Alene Forest

Those sub-zero temperatures make the waterways steam beautifully in the morning sun.

Spokane River

They create shoreline ice sculptures.

Lake Pend Oreille

Lake Pend Oreille

Additionally the shorter hours of winter actually provide longer hours of prime low angle lighting,

so important to good landscape photography.

I was also fortunate enough to have a little mid January getaway to the North Puget Sound area. 

 

A change of scenery is therapy for my soul!

I would be more than happy to have another good snowfall before spring.
I guess that's why I was born and live in North Idaho.

A snowless winter....

Amazingly we have had no snow since I posted last, sometime before Christmas. Had I know then, that one morning at the lake was going to be my only chance at the white stuff....

I'd have worked that scene for a lot longer than I did!

So, in an attempt to make the most of a snowless winter, I have decided to embrace this non-traditional winter shooting. All shooting has been local the last couple of months, but it has been a good opportunity to increase my hometown coverage.

Although I might be able to pass these off as a different season, they do seem to have a different look to them.

Maybe it's the simple fact that there isn't much lake traffic this time of year, or tourists to contend with,

because these shoots have really felt as

quiet and tranquil as the images look.

I am pleased to announce I will soon be represented by a downtown gallery.

A selection of framed prints will be available around the 1st of April.

The gallery has specifically requested that I supply them with identifiable local art landscapes.

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I am happy to report my new, completely designed by me,

website is up and running, (OK it's a template)

Still... I did a lot of work on it. My son is transferring colleges soon and will no longer be able to do updates for me.

It will be good, as I can now update whenever I want.

If you haven't seen it yet, it is here.

With the launch of my website, there are some new products like mousepads and a photo collage of Beautiful North Idaho Scenics.

I realize this will have a limited appeal,

but it looks beautiful in a black frame and would be

great in an office or waiting room.

Here is a quick link to my webstore.
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I am now booking for 2011 senior photos.

If you know a 2011 senior in the greater CD'A area,

who would prefer outdoor, natural light photography...

please share a link from my seniors page.

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I am pleased to announce my new

Scenics for Charity Program

If you are involved with a charity or a local business with a lobby type area, please read about this new offering.

Together I hope we can help out.

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I recently delivered new art brochures to the Coeurd'Alene Visitor Center.

If you've never stopped in, you should check out this beautiful new building.

While your there, pick up a copy of the 2010 Business Directory featuring a photo gallery exclusively by me.

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Here is some of the only snow I've found over the last two months.

Near the top of Fourth of July Pass.

I'm not complaining...as I realize many parts of the country are currently crippled by the stuff. We had record setting snowfall last year. I just miss it a little....and of course this is the year

I finally got snowshoes.

Well I am excited to make a leisurely, albeit brief trip to the Boise area with a night in the McCall area both coming and going. I am delivering my youngest son to the State Capitol to serve for six weeks as a page to the State Legislature.

Hoping for anything but rain!

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Don't forget~~~20 % off prints purchased through my archives. Use coupon code FEB20 through the end of the month!
It will work on any gallery, but if you make your selection from the image of the month gallery...That's some significant savings!

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In support of Fair trade photography- I am providing the following link to a great blog by Chris Barton- at his request to spread the word. Any photographers reading this...be vary aware of these attempts to get free image content by parties who wish to claim all rights to your photography.

Another photography rights grab

Photographers must band together to save our industry from the downward spiral of ever cheapening licensing models or before we know it....no one will pay for quality images. Just say NO to microstock, offers of publicity in exchange for content, and rights grabbing thieves!

What happened to fall?

Sadly, it is becoming evident that we are not going to get a good display of fall colors this year around the Coeur d'Alene area. An early freeze seems to have killed the leaves before they could change colors.

This river image shows what I mean....the trees just look dead.

I went down on the St. Joe twice recently,

once by car, arriving before the sunrise, and again on a tour boat.

  

This is Falls Creek Falls right beside highway 50.

I caught this shot from the boat as we left Independence Point for what ended up being a very long day.

There is just something about September sunsets... I have been noticing for several years now there seems to be a lot of lavendar skies in September.

I stayed in town one clear morning and felt like a voyeur taking pictures over and through fences, just trying to get a view of the lake.

I'm quite happy with this Spokane River shot, and think it will remain one of my all-time favorites. Suprisingly I didn't think much of it when I shot it and only spent a few minutes on it, taking only a couple different exposures.

I found this canoe scene one morning and hope it is still there for a foggy day shot.

This last month has been quite productive and according to my lightroom stats, I shot 16 out of 30 days in the month of September.

This was overlooking the valleys to the East in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains after a night of rain.

Here are a few more of our beloved Lake Coeur d'Alene...

Looking forward to a trip into Montana soon and hoping they have better fall colors than here in North Idaho.

Glacier Park, Waterfalls and around North Idaho

I haven't done as much shooting this last half of the summer as I would have liked, but I have been "minding the store" so to speak and have some exciting things happening.

A book publisher has selected a large number of my images for use in a local interest book, and my largest art installation to date, is being hung in the near future. Here are two of the largest pieces.

I wouldn't mind a little feedback on this river rock image. It's probably one of those "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" type of shots. I found it intriguing..in fact I made a set of three images. (I probably just waited so long on the riverbank while Ted was fishing, that the weeds started looking artistic) 
Let me know what you think...good or bad.

Ted and I managed to get away for a weekend in Glacier National Park for which we had some beautiful weather. Not particularly the type of weather I like for photography...so I tried to be a tourist. But still...how could anyone go to Glacier and not get some nice shots.

I wish I could have been at Saint Marys Lake at sunrise, but we were camped on the opposite side of the park, so we bought a annual pass and will plan on that for next year.

Our campground was great though..

near beautiful waterfalls

and trails.

Going to the Sun Road...while under construction...was as creepy as I remembered it and its been about 15 years.

We went out for some waterfalls twice this month...once up the Coeur d'Alene River, and again to Bonners Ferry.

While I've never found waterfall shots to be in high demand...they remain one of my favorite things to shoot.












I'ts been killing me to miss all these great sunsets lately, but I did get out for a few....these on the Rathdrum Prairie,

and these on Lakes Coeur d'Alene...

and Pend Oreille..

The family spent one night way up the St. Joe River, so far in fact... we returned home through the Bitterroots by going over Gold Summit and into Montana.

This shot of the river is a five second exposure with a 4-stop Neutral density filter...to allow for some movement in the water.

The guys picked berries on Gold Summit and I photographed them.

(the berries)

We spent another day looping Lake Pend Oreille.

Ted caved to my whining one moody afternoon

and went with me to Wolf Lodge Bay.

I wasn't planning on getting wet...but I had to for this shot.

It seems I post to facebook quicker than anywhere...If you'd like to follow me on facebook, click here:

Idaho Scenic Images

If you happen to be flying the West Coast skies this September. Check your in-flight magazine for this image.

I will give away a 2010 calendar to the first person who can find it for me.

(The agency that sold it does not disclose client information...and I have had no luck finding it.)

Sold for Aug.-Sept. periodical.
West Coast USA
Travel/Airline industry
Spot (small)
2 million (print run)

I am looking forward to fall, and hope to get out camping one last time this year in the autumn colors.