Photo Walks Today

Jetty Island Ferry At Sunset

The Jetty Island Ferry has stopped running for the summer of 2008 but in Everett this is still a great spot to capture a sunset.

During the months of July & August the ferry takes you across the sound to this little spit of an island. Once there a photographer can find sand castles, kites, wildflowers, possible sea lions, Osprey and and lots of shore birds as subjects.

There’s free parking in the marina parking at the 10th Street boat launch and the ferry ride is donation based.

Address:

10th St. & W. Marine View Dr.
Everett, WA 98201

Here is a link to the PDF map for driving directions: http://www.everettwa.org/Get_PDF.aspx?pdfID=797

Things to take:

• Sunscreen
• Bug repellent
• Tripod or monopod
• Polarizing filter
• Telephoto lens
• Extra batteries

Summer Sunset At Picnic Point Park

Picnic Point Park – Snohomish County

This park, just north of Lynnwood, inside the Mukilteo area provides a clear view of Puget Sound and the southern tip of Whidbey Island. In the distance the sun sets over the Olympic Mountain Range.

If you stand on the beach and look north you can see the regular ferry from Mukilteo to Clinton. Looking south you can watch the Edmunds ferry crossing the sound.

There are pinic tables and grills so get there early for a sunset BBQ.

Don’t expect to catch those late, after sunset pictures here though. The ranger closes the park promptly after the sun has officially set. Signs are posted requesting picnic and park users to return to their vehicles within 20 minutes of sunset.

How to Get there:

To find Picnic Point Park visit Google Maps by clicking here or the official address is:

12001 Picnic Point Road
Edmonds, WA 98026

* Wheel Chair Accessible *

Well, sort of. The path is step and you may need an extra push or motorized chair to get up to the train overpass. The concrete path takes you to the grassy picnic area, but there is no direct access to the beach along the pavement. There are still plenty of spots to use trees and elements to frame a nice sunset along the path.

Five great places to capture the Seattle Skyline:

1. Alki beach
2. 12th Ave Bridge – North Beacon Hill
3. Kerry Park on Queen Anne hill
4. From the Bainbridge Island ferry
5. Seattle Space Needle

Do you have a favorite spot or photo of the Seattle Skyline? If so, please submit it to my newly formed Flickr group: Seattle Skyline Photos. I look forward to seeing your great night, day, storm or sunny day Seattle Photos. Please be sure to let us know where you took them.

  You won’t see lots of open space or sweeping vistas along this trail, but it’s a nice leisurely walk that allows you to concentrate on taking close-up photos of flowers and foliage. The wooden paths are wonderful focal points as well. The trail ends at the Sammamish river. During the late summer you’ll have water lilies in bloom that make wonderful photographic subjects. Take a deep breath and remain quiet for a spell and you might see a Blue Heron or Crane on it’s quest for fish.

You can access the trail via the east side of the Marymoor dog off-leash area (take photos of happy dogs on the way) or through the Interpretive Parking Lot G.

http://metrokc.gov/parks/images/marymoormap.gif
* Wheel Chair Accessible *
Use the Interpretive Parking Lot G

I had my back turned on the sceen and was photographing some grasses exposed during low tide this morning when I heard the sound of a train. I turned around to see it speeding by.

Equipment Used:

Tripod (slow shutter speed f/22 at 1 second)

Polarizing filter to capture the deep blues and reds

Where:

Harborview Park
11.5 acres – 4700 60th Ave. NE

* Wheelchair accessible *

I had a certain barn in mind this morning. When I left the house I knew there was a risk that the sun might not rise in exactly the correct spot to capture the sunrise, but thought I’d just go see.

The sun rose over the foothills much later than I expected - almost seven before this shot happened.

It’s a nice shot – it captures the mood of the morning – but not exactly the photo I was after. I’m going to have to do a little investigating – latitude and sunrise angles to see what time of year the sun will rise exactly over the Pilchuck to capture the picture in my mind.

Here’s the a link to where the photo was taken, if you’d like to try photographing it.

I had my camera mounted on a tripod and bracketed the exposures to pick the best one (one normal, one under and one over). Shot these in camera raw. Had my polarizer filter on to capture deeper colors. Next time I’ll try to use a half neutral density filter to capture more detail in the sky.

This might be too risky for a wheelchair. The shoulders are narrow and I had to stand in the pasture to have room to set up a tripod.

Taken in Lowell overlooking the Snohomish River at dawn.

I processed this in HDR and although most of the time I don’t like the paint effects, I thought this one worked.

Sunrise happened at 6:00 a.m. this morning. I decided to get up early and try to catch it. This is a photo of the Snohomish river. Hwy two overhead, tug and fishing boats along the banks.

Photo above: Barn across the Snohomish River from Lowell Park 

I meet a photographer several nights ago while I was out hunting sunsets. I had scouted out a very nice grassy area along the banks of an overlook park. I had my tripod set-up and pointed at the Mountains. My camera and I waiting for that special moment when the sun would cast a warm glow on their snowy white caps. As I stood there I noticed a fellow in a wheel chair crossing the busy lanes of traffic. He was too far away for me to see that he had a camera in his lap. As he crossed at the same spot in the road I had earilier  I thought “he’s taking a real risk crossing there. The street is sloping uphill, the driver visability low and traffic heavy” As he struggled across the lane I turned back to my camera figuring he must be on the way to a bus stop, or?

  After a few more tweaks to my lens and lost in thought I looked up to see that fellow directly behind me on the sidewalk. He looked at me, smiled and said “I’m looking to take pictures of a photographers backside” then he chuckled. He had crossed the busy lane of traffic on the same hunt that I had. He was in hopes of finding that spot where he could grab a shot of the mountain sunset. But, he couldn’t leave the concret to cross to where I was.

While the disabilities act has given people with wheelchairs more access to the world, there are still big barriers for them. My new friend went down the sidewalk to scout a spot, but I’m afraid he didn’t find one. After several trips up and down the lane he took a few photos and headed back the way he came.

So, my lesson learned. I can’t help everyone but if I notice a spot that might be accessible for wheelchair photographers – I promise to menton it in the post.

  One such spot is the Lowell Riverfront Park. With paved trails along the river this photo walk is doable for photographers in wheel chairs. While fishermen have cleared nice spots in the undergrowth near the river banks for the non-disabled, there are a few spots where the trees are cleared and a photographer can grab a photo from the paved lane.

  The Lowell Riverfront Park just south of Everett. Don’t be confused, there are two Lowell parks to find the one near the riverfront use this map. The park trail parking lot starts midway through the trail. If you go east you will end up at the boat launch and can wander out to get an on-the-river photograph. At low tide, the mud flats are very interesting and can fill your photo walk time.

Going northwest on the trail, you’ll find the old mill at the farthest end and numerious spots to photograph along the shore. While not many spots are accessable for the wheelchair user, you will find spots of beauty to photograph from the paved trail, including a small pond, water fowl and river views.

  A great time to go is in the evening as the sun is setting. The colors over the river can highlight the foliage and add depth to the scene.

  What you’ll need:

1. A Tripod
2. Shutter release cable
3. Camera and extra memory cards
4. Misquito replent and a light weight long sleeve shirt
5. Walkstool

Don’t put your camera away after the sun has set – some really dramatic sky colors are still there. You can get deep saturated blues and, in some cases, reds and yellows. You’ll get dramatic black silhouettes and striking photographs by waiting, sometime up to a half an hour after sunset.  Make sure you have a tripod because the exposures will be long.

This photo was taken about 30 minutes after the sun set. It was so dark I could hardly see the settings on the camera and had to use manual focus.

Taken at F/9.0, ISO:400, 30 second exposure