Second Beach, Washington

(click image to see on black)

This week's image is from Second Beach which is located just outside of La Push, Washington! If you are not a photographer, you have probably never heard of this place. The only exception is you Twilight fans out there, of which I am not one of them. Mostly because I'd be too embarrassed to admit to my friends that I was into teenage vampire love story novels :). La Push apparently was one of the areas that some of the films were shot in, thus many tourists have gone on tours to the area. Signs can even be seen saying "No Vampires Beyond This Point".

As for the shot. I tried to get a unique shot of Second Beach, as the stack in the right background has been shot to death. As with many photography meccas, it can be hard to get creative, but I think this turned out pretty well. I believe I took 2 exposures for this shot. One for the sky and the silohuetted stacks, and then another for the water which was a much longer exposure thus giving the streaming effect. Exposures were stitched together in photoshop.

If you'd like a canvas print, please do let me know. Orders can be shipped within 2-3 weeks.

Punchbowl Falls, Oregon

(click image to see on black)

This is an amazing waterfall, one of the most photographed as well. It is hidden back on Eagle Creek which is situated in the Columbia Gorge, sort of where I grew up. And for you avid cliff jumpers out there, the left side of this waterfall has a platform for taking great leaps. I took such a leap a number of years back, in my youth :). And I still remember the bruising my butt cheeks took. After I took my leap I had some onlookers tell me that just the previous week EMS was called out to haul some poor guy out who broke something from doing the same thing. Needless to say, that was my first and last jump.

I took this shot about a year ago, I forgot my fishing waders so my feet were freezing as the water doesn't warm up much at all in Oregon no matter what time of year. And behind me was my sister who was watching 3 kids so I could get the perfect shot. It was in the middle of the day, and amazingly I was able to get a descent shot that didn't have the highlights all blown out. However, I did have to take advantage of some HDR software, which I don't normally like to do.

This shot is a blend of 5 exposures which were brought into Photomatix, and then touched up and rebounded with an additional exposure in Photoshop.

Again, 16X24 canvas prints are available for $175. Contact me directly (montesjesse@psmail.net), or visit our website: http://montesphotography.com/

Vancouver Island - Juan De Fuca Trail

(click image to see on black)

Life on Vancouver Island is a dream.........was a dream. I don't live there anymore as of 2 months ago, and I already miss it. There is so much to explore in terms of waterfalls, hidden beaches, secret fishing holes, and tremendous beauty. One of these fine gems is the Juan de Fuca trail on the south western tip of the island. This 40 kilometre hike is less well known than its sister, the West Coast Trail, but still retains much of the grandeur. Old growth forest, waterfalls, isolated beaches, wildlife, and much more.

This picture comes from Bear Beach, near the southern end of the hike. By far this is one of my favourite spots to stop for a night. But do take heed to the name of the beach, many bears do frequent this trail. So be very bear aware.

This photo was taken with a Nikon D300, and my Tokina 11-16mm lens set to 11mm. F-stop was around 18, and I blended 3 exposures manually with masks via photoshop.

If you are interested in prints, do let me know. We have a sale on canvas prints for $175. This is definitely one of my personal favourites!