ARRIVAL!!!!!

After stopping off in Idaho for a few hours, we finally arrived late last night at our temporary home (SW of Portland).  The trip covered 11 states, and about 2700 miles. Now it getting down to setting up residence here in the Pacific Northwest. Hopefully our worldly possessions will get here sooner rather than later. EMAILS TO : jack@jackgrahamphoto.com

It’s all good….. I might even get out shooting this weekend!

JG

The Road to Oregon/Wednesday

 

Another 600+ miles—here in Butte tonight. Butte is just west of the Continental Divide about 6300′.  Drove through NE Wyoming and drove by Devils Tower National Monument( Above). There is sure lots of wide open spaces. Tomorrow, I’ll drive up to Sandpoint Idaho and visit Linda’s brother and spend tomorrow night in Spokane before driving through the Palouse on Friday and into Portland Friday night.

Interesting stop along the way:

Duke & Roscoe relaxing before leaving this AM.

Sunset just west of Butte tonight. Shot from the car off I 90

JG

The Road to Oregon/ Tuesday

Tuesday was hot…(98-104 degrees. The dog’s didn’t care for it much but they drank a lot. I drove across Minnesota and South Dakota ans spent the night in Rapid City ( about 1/2 way to PDX). I stopped at Mitchell SD. What a time warp. Everything here is corn this and corn that. It’s the home of the ever famous Corn Palace.( A tribute to corn–the building is actually constructed with corn as the siding. I took some rather amusing shots and some great signs… Check em out.

Tomorrow begins the climb into eastern Wyoming and into Montana–I’ll spend tomorrow night in Butte.

Here is another view of the Corn Palace…

The high school sports teams are known as the kernels!!

The radio station “KORN”

I had lunch at Mustard’s Last Stand—a take off on Custer’s Last Stand—bad pun–worse food.

More CORNEY Signs for local business.

FINALLY —A GREAT SIGN—-I DON’T THINK THEY MEAN HOW IT READS!!!!!

JG

The Road to Oregon /Monday

Well 650 miles today (1/4 there) and I’m here in La Cross Wisconsin. Do I not miss the traffic in Chicago! The dogs were great considering the 10hrs drive and a bit of rain. We walked in a big State Park just south of Madison, Wi. There were fields of wild yellow cone flowers that reminded me of the days shooting the prairies while I lived in Illinois. They are really pretty in their own way.

La Cross is on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border. Tomorrow its supposed to be blazing hot in South Dakota so I’ll pace myself.

JG 

FAVORITE OHIO IMAGES # 13, reflection

Tinkers Creek Overlook, Bedford Reservation

 OHIO REFLECTION

Well, this is my final post of some of my Favorite Ohio Images here on the blog. Tomorrow, its off to Oregon to turn yet another page. I look forward to the new opportunities in the west and returning to an area I grew to love. I will not only miss the photographic opportunities here in Ohio, but above all the friends I made here in 4 short years. I’ll be back here to do some workshops ( October 07, coming soon–see workshop area here on the blog!) as well as to see friends and shoot some of the places that I never made it to.

I know when I pull out of the driveway and take a last look at things I’ll be remembering all the good times here that will serve me ( and us) well to think about  in the future. I think I’ll drive north through the park one last time rather than take the interstate. 

Please keep in touch, send me lots of images from the area, and if you all ever get to Oregon, send me an email and let me know where & when.

Starting tomorrow(Monday 7/16), I’ll be posting (I hope!) an image or 2 a day while driving west. 

Rather than driving the boring route through Iowa, Nebraska and southern Wyoming, my route will take me west to Rockford Illinois, then up to I-90 in Minnesota. Then it’s straight west through Minnesota and into South Dakota through the Badlands, Black Hills , past Devils tower. I’ll pass through N. Eastern Wyoming connecting with I-90 in Montana. I’ll stop in Northern Idaho and then pass through Spokane and spend a little time in the Palouse, just south of Spokane. Then it’s SW across eastern Washington , across the Columbia River and west through the gorge into the Portland area.  Please check back. You never know what I might find!

Thanks again for everything.

See you in the field!

JG

HERE I COME!!!!!!!!!!

FAVORITE OHIO IMAGES #12–Last Ohio Entry Tomorrow!–Please Check Back!

Lanterman’s Mill, Youngstown  Ohio.

I first discovered Lanterman’s Mill from my good friend Tom Schwerin who lives in the Youngstown area. He has some great images from this location.

This image was taken on a NEO Shoots outing. We hit the lighting conditions and high water conditions just right on this day.

 If you are a photographer here in Ohio, check out www.neoshoots.com. Bob Kulon ( see link here on the blog) runs this organization. It’s free to everyone. There is great information on when and where to shoot all kinds of subjects in North Eastern Ohio. There ore many outings to different locations. It’s well worth your time.

JG

FAVORITE OHIO IMAGES #11

TRIANGLE BOG, Kent Ohio

Triangle Bog is an unique natural area east of Akron about 15 miles off I 76. It is a great area for all kinds of photography. In the falls the tamaracks turn yellow/orange before dropping their needles. (They are the only pine to drop their needles). This images was made on a frosty morning , when my good friend Chuck Beatty ( see the link to Chuck’s site) and I made the trek over to the bog. We caught it at just the right time to get the reflections in the calm water.

Below is another image showing what you can do when working this area for different effect. This is an Edward Westonish effect using color and reflections. 

In June the pitcher plants bloom. These plants are carnivorous. The eat insects. Rain water is captured in their bowls. A secretion draws in the insects then kills them prior to consumption. There are small hair like structures that prevent the insect from escaping. Yum! Triangle Bob contains many interesting plants to shoot. Again you could spend hours in just a small area of this  location. Mike Moats and I shot these for a few hours one morning with some good success ( See link for Mike’s great work)

Flowering pitcher plant

Base of the pitcher plant

FAVORITE OHIO IMAGES #10

BLUE HEN FALLS and BRANDYWINE FALLS / CVNP, Ohio 

Most local photographers are aware of these waterfalls located here in the CVNP.  Above and directly below is Blue Hen Falls photographed on October 1006, and January 2007 respectively. The image above is the “classic” image of Blue Hen Falls that many of us shoot. However, most of my favorite images of BHF are made at the base of the falls ( it is sometimes pretty treacherous climbing down into the gorge, but worth it).  Blue Hen Falls is always one of the highlights of my workshops here in the park in the fall.

What isn’t shot too often are these waterfalls in the winter. The image below was made this past winter when the temperature was right about zero.  As you can see the ice in crusts the minimal amount of water coming over the falls. Boots with ice attachments are a must for climbing into this area.

Note the discoloration of the rock. You can see the result of the iron rich water in both the ice, rock and even the water flow at certain times of the year. It adds the reddish/orangish effect that can be noted in all the images below. 

Blue Hen Falls, Winter 07

Below are two images of Brandywine Falls. First is a shot made in Spring 2005. Again note the orange color of the water at the top. That’s the rock below shining through the water. The rock is orange because of the abundance of  iron in the rock. This images was made from the upper viewing platform, which is better for shooting angles in the spring & fall.

The second image below, is  that  of Brandywine Falls in the winter of 2005 from the lower viewing platform. Again boots with ice climbing attachments are a must.

These are both magical places with lots of different subjects and angles to photograph.

Brandywine Falls, Spring 2005

 Brandywine Falls, Winter 2005

FAVORITE OHIO IMAGES #9

 This is the “boardwalk” crossing the Beaverpond in the CVNP. ( Park at the Ira Road trailhead, follow the path north about 1/2 mile to the boardwalk).

This is truly one of my favorite areas in the CVNP. Sometimes I walk by dogs here twive a day when I’m around. You truly never know what you’ll see here. All of these images we ahow within the past 2 weeks or so. In addition to the abundant bird populationthere are many beavers that actually bulit the pond the this boardwalk crosses. If you get there at daybreak, you can usually see them feeding, and working on the banks of the pond as well as their homes. This pond was created by the beavers and is florishing. Alond with the beavers, water snakes, frogs, geese, deer, uscrats & mink, turtles and more are often visiable. The best times to be here are daybreak + 2-3 hours. 

  Blue Heron

 Green Heron

 Tri-Colored Blackbird

 Eastern Meadowlark (immature)

 Young wooducks

FAVORITE OHIO IMAGES #8

I didn’t have to go far for this one. My wife Linda has worked really for 3+ years making our yard look amazing with many different flowers, from native wildflowers to basically anything that will flower & grow. We only hope that the new inmates of our place will not only take care of them, but enjoy them like we do. Somehow I know she’ll do the same in Oregon.

I few of my friends have shot some images here recently. I love to see what other good photographers do with subjects I’ve already shot. I am always looking for other folks input. That’s how you learn.

This day lily was shot last year after a rain. We have over 16 different species growing here now. I look forward to shooting some this week before we leave for Oregon in about 2-16 days. 

JG