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Oregon Day 2 – Washington

Cook, Washington (Kyle Jones)

Spirit Falls – Cook, Washington (Kyle Jones)

Day 2 of our Oregon trip brought us across the Columbia River into Washington. My goal was Spirit Falls. I had never visited this one before but I had been captivated by its turquoise waters in pictures I had seen online. Access to Spirit Falls is somewhat sketchy. As I understand it (because the internet says so) the falls themselves are public. However, access to the falls may be across private property and the owner has been known at times to make that clear (as is his right). So we decided to leave early in the morning to minimize the likelihood of running into anyone and arrived at the “trailhead” just after sunrise. The trail is mostly just a scramble down some loose rocks, eventually reaching a wet, wooded area and the Salmon River.Continue reading→

Behind the Shot – Cover Art for Steve Brockmann “3”

(Kyle Jones)

I have been friends online with Steve Brockmann for over a decade. I have admired his work musically and he has supported my photography as well. Steve is a fantastic musician and I was excited to learn that he was putting together a new album. I want to say he’s a fantastic guitarist (because I love rock guitar), but he plays multiple instruments and doesn’t miss a beat on any of them. A few months ago he sent me a message asking if he could use one of my photographs as the cover art for his album “3”. We quickly worked out the details and I sent him the file, honored to be a part of the project. The album features 12 instrumental tracks written and performed by Steve, and I have been enjoying it immensely. “3” is slated for release on April 2 and you can check out some of the tracks (and maybe even make a purchase) here. For one low fee you get both Steve’s amazing music and one of my photos on the cover – how can you lose?Continue reading→

Horsetail Falls

Yosemite National Park, California (Kyle Jones)

Black & White Horsetail, Yosemite National Park, California (Kyle Jones)

Horsetail Falls in Yosemite National Park has received a lot of attention on social media and even in the press lately. There are a few reasons for that: (1) February is the time when the phenomenon occurs (when all the right conditions line up); (2) Since California has gotten some rain and snow this winter, the falls are actually flowing; and (3) It really does look spectacular. Horsetail Falls is a small, seasonal waterfall just east of El Capitan in Yosemite. For a couple of weeks in February the geometry of the cliffs align with the setting sun to make the falls appear like a ribbon fire against the shadowed cliff face at sunset. Continue reading→

Bay Area Waterfalls

Uvas Canyon, California (Kyle Jones)

Black Rock Falls, Uvas Canyon, California (Kyle Jones)

I took advantage of the nice weather last weekend to do some hiking in the Bay Area, which also gave me a chance to see how the rains we’ve gotten this year have affected some of our local waterfalls. On Saturday, Sandee and I hiked the waterfall loop in Uvas Canyon south of San Jose and on Sunday I hiked one of my favorite loops in the Sunol Regional Wilderness. There was definitely a lot more water in the creeks flowing through these parks than I saw last year.Continue reading→

2015 Favorites

I figured I should get this posted before we get into February, so here are my 10 favorite photos from 2015. I pick my favorite (not necessarily best) photographs based on several factors, the most important of which is “do I like it?”. I also account for the feedback I’ve gotten over the year along with how much I enjoyed actually going out to get the shot. I’d appreciate hearing your thoughts in the comments below!

Presented in no particular order…

  1. Lunar Eclipse at Pfeiffer Beach
Big Sur, California (Kyle Jones)

Big Sur, California (Kyle Jones)

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