Mt. Rainier Panorama

Mt. Rainier in September 2009.

6 exposures stitched, Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 USM @ 35mm

Click for larger version…
mt rainier from ricksecker point

Paradise Valley

One of my favourite places in Mt. Rainier National Park, Paradise Valley. Seems there were some wildfires outside of the park to the East so a lot of my shots from this day had a lot of smoke and haze in them.

mt rainier from paradise valley tatoosh range from paradise valley lane wahpenayo and chutla peaks from paradise valley

tatoosh range from paradise valley lane wahpenayo and chutla peaks from paradise valley

tatoosh range from paradise valley pearly everlasting anaphalis margaritacea in paradise valley tatoosh range from paradise valley

mt rainier from paradise valley lane wahpenayo and chutla peaks from paradise valley

pearly everlasting anaphalis margaritacea tatoosh range from paradise valley

Mt. Rainier – Ricksecker Point to Paradise

A few shots of Mt. Rainier from Ricksecker Point and Paradise Inn from Paradise Valley in Mt. Rainier National Park.

mt rainier ricksecker point pinnacle peak from ricksecker point

mt rainier ricksecker point mt rainier ricksecker point

Ohanapecosh River Bridge

At long last I have been going through and processing the photos from my 2nd trip to Mt. Rainier National Park in September of 2009.

Bridge over the Ohanapecosh River on the trail to the Grove of the Patriarchs, Mt. Rainier National Park.

17 exposures stitched, Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 USM @ 24mm

Click for larger version…
ohanapecosh river

Panoramas from Baker Lake

1. 8 exposures stitched, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro USM

Mt. Baker from the east near Baker Lake.

mt. baker baker lake

1. 8 exposures stitched, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro USM

Mt. Shuksan from the south (usually photographing it from the west) near Baker Lake.

mt. shuksan baker lake

Baker Lake

Baker Lake, Mt. baker Snoqualmie National Forest – September, 2009.

baker lake north end of baker lake swift creek trees

mt blum

2010 Olympic Torch Relay

2nd (or 3rd?) olympic torch bearer on fraser highway

     Had the opportunity today to photograph the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay in Aldergrove, BC.. There hasn’t been a torch relay through here since the 1988 Calgary Olympics and I don’t remember all that much about the brief glimpse I saw of them running by in the dark 22 years ago. However, I had the perfect lens for this and Aldergrove is not one of the centres where I expected a ton of people to show up. I also studied the route map so that I could get in and out fairly quickly – and even catch the torch twice on its Aldergrove journey.

Initially I had picked a spot along the route that apparently was well before the actual start point. This resulted in some quick running down the street as all the official torch relay trucks/support vehicles sailed on by. This did allow me to watch the torch being lit for this leg of its journey, however.

crowding the torch bearer salute the olympic torch relay corporate overlords!

First Torch Bearer: Coleen Christie

first olympic torch bearer before torch lighting first olympic torch bearer before torch lighting first olympic torch bearer before torch lighting

The torch is not run throughout the whole route – it gets a ride in one of the support motorhomes. In the photos below you can see the small thermos sized lantern that carries the flame the rest of the time.

lighting the olympic torch lighting the olympic torch lighting the olympic torch

lighting the olympic torch lighting the olympic torch lighting the olympic torch

aldergrove olympic torch run begins aldergrove olympic torch run begins

At this point I was able to turn and run through an apartment complex parking lot to Fraser Highway where the torch came around the corner and passed me again.

The highway was lined with a lot of people wearing red, and school children in red ponchos. I have no idea what this guy was wearing but it looked interesting.

no I dont know what this g

This time we have a new Torch Bearer – Keary Bott.

3rd olympic torch bearer on fraser highway 3rd olympic torch bearer on fraser highway 3rd olympic torch bearer on fraser highway

3rd olympic torch bearer on fraser highway 3rd olympic torch bearer on fraser highway

The torch was followed by a school group with flags of the participating countries.

school parade of olympic country flags school parade of olympic country flags

school parade of olympic country flags olympic torch relay crowds

Further down the route towards 272nd Street there was a stage setup. Im glad I was able to avoid these crowds – I had enough issues with heads in the way when there were only dozens of people around the torch!

olympic torch relay crowds

North Vancouver Sulphur

North Vancouver Sulphur. 3 exposures stitched, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 macro

In a way it looks like a roller coaster that dumps you into the inlet right after you go over the piles…

Click for larger version…
mt baker from artist point

Bagley Lakes & Tabletop Mountain

Bagley Lakes and Austin Pass Lake (right) near the Bagley Lakes trail at the Mt. Baker Ski area. Tabletop Mountain is on the left in the first image.

Wildflower below is Tolmie’s Saxifrage ( Saxifraga tolmiei ).

tabletop mountain austin pass lakes tolmies Saxifrage saxifraga tolmiei

bagley lakes

Vancouver Pt. 2!

A few more from downtown Vancouver at night.

deadman island in coal harbour vancouver vancouver new convention center

Not entirely happy with the traffic shot on the Lions Gate Bridge. Version I did many years ago (on film no less) had a much nicer outcome (especially when printed). There was just very little traffic after midnight. I guess in order to get a lot of traffic you’d have to be there earlier in the evening, and in order for it to be dark then, it would have to be winter. So in short, good Lions Gate Bridge shots = freezing your face off.

lions gate bridge lions gate bridge

Mt. Shuksan & Mt. Baker Artist Point 360° Panorama

1. 31 exposures stitched, Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 USM @ 20mm

Major mountains I can ID in this photo: American Border Peak, Mt. Larabee, Winchester Mountain, Goat Mountain, Mt. Sefrit, Mt. Shuksan, Shuksan Arm, Mt. Baker, Tabletop Mountain

Click for larger version… (may take a bit to load – this one is big)
mt baker from artist point

2. Another version of the same panorama. This one is cropped to 1) include less of the “superfluous” scenery and 2) to preserve the potential idea that I hiked my ass off to get up there by cropping out the parking lot!

mt baker from artist point

Vancouver Pt. 1

I have to make more trips to downtown Vancouver at night. Here are a few from August, 2009. First we have downtown Vancouver at Coal Harbour, HMCS Discovery on Deadman Island and Yachts in the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club

downtown vancouver and coal harbour hmcs discovery - deadman island

warp speed vancouver coal harbour boats

hmcs discovery - deadman island coal harbour boats

Artist Point

A few more from Artist Point in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

mt baker from artist point american border peak

road to artist point mt shuksan from artist point

mt shuksan from artist point rocks artist point

Picture Lake

I have taken a lot of pictures of Mt. Shuksan at Picture Lake near Mt. Baker. I am still looking for that shot that tells me I don’t have to keep shooting it. Now that I have my foot in the door on a real neutral grad, I expect my shots will get better and I won’t have to try to apply a fake ND in post. One more tool in my bag that makes me think about retaking shots I’ve taken many times already.

mt. shuksan at picture lake mt. shuksan at picture lake

mt. shuksan at picture lake

American Border Peak

Shot of American Border Peak from the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest.

american border peak