Photography In and Around Portland, Oregon

PhotoTripUSA Publishing

• T H E S H O W C A S E •

In and Around Portland - Photography by Ken Dietz

NOTE: this exhibit appeared in February 2000. Click here to visit the current showcase.

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		Fairy Falls Fairy Falls is on the Wahkeena Creek trail. It's about a 1 mile hike on a good path, but it's a fairly steep climb. A graduated neutral density filter helped to bring out the moss-covered rocks. Tech notes: Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. 6x7cm format on Fuji Velvia film.
		Cliffhanger This house can be seen from the trail to the Cape Meares Lighthouse. I didn't have much hope for this shot because it was a pretty gray day, but the soft light almost makes this look like a painting rather than a photo. Tech notes: Cape Meares, Oregon 35mm format on Kodak Royal Gold (25 ASA) film.
		Portland's Waterfront The marina in front and the gathering storm clouds behind are interesting counterpoints to Portland's skyline. Tech notes: Willamette River, Portland, Oregon. 35mm format on Fuji Velvia film
		Lace-leaf Maple The trunks of these trees create some interesting forms. New Spring foliage comes out with a strong orange color, then turns green. In the Fall, the leaves turn an even more brilliant orange before falling. It was a fairly sunny day, and I thought I wouldn't have much luck, but the distant sunlit azaleas create a good background. Tech notes: Japanese Gardens, Portland, Oregon. 35mm format on Fuji Velvia film
		Latourell Falls in Ice Latourell Falls puts off a substantial spray. A week-long cold spell coated the area around the falls in ice. Tech notes: Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. 35mm format on Fuji Velvia film
		Moss-covered Lantern Fall colors and moss highlight this ornamental lantern. Tech notes: Japanese Gardens, Portland, Oregon. 35mm format on Fuji Velvia film
		Sunset Stroll I didn't notice the people walking into the scene until I snapped the photo. I repeated the photo after they had passed by, but having them in view makes this a much more interesting scene. Tech notes: Cape Kiwanda, near Pacific City. 35mm format on Fuji Velvia film.
		Waterfall behind Fall Colors Visitors are required to stay on the paths in the Gardens, but a 300mm telephoto lens allowed me to get in close to this tree. The falls provide an interesting "path" for the eye through the brilliant orange leaves. Tech notes: Japanese Gardens, Portland, Oregon 35mm format on Fuji Velvia film
		Crown Point This classic view of the Columbia River Gorge is very popular with photographers. The ever-changing light makes every shot an original. Tech notes: Because of the area's geography, the best time to get evening light on Crown Point is near the start of Summer. 35mm format on Fuji Velvia film.
		Columbia Gorge Vista Though similar to the previous image, the large tree framing the view makes for a less common view of the Gorge. Tech notes: 35mm format on Fuji Velvia film.
		Strolling Garden The Strolling Garden is perhaps the most picturesque section of the Japanese Gardens. Portland's Gardens are considered to be among the most authentic, outside of Japan. Tech notes: 6x7cm format on Fuji Velvia film.
		Morning Reflection An early Summer sunrise and a very calm lake allowed me to capture this image. Tech notes: Trillium Lake, near Government Camp, Oregon. 35mm format on Fuji Velvia film.
		Moon Bridge The Moon Bridge is so named because, when you stand on the bridge at a certain time of year, the Moon is reflected in the pond. Tech notes: 6x7cm format on Fuji Velvia film.
		Upper Horsetail Falls The closest trailhead to these falls is at Horsetail Falls, on the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway. The first ..8 mile is quite steep, but the rest of the hike is easy. Tech notes: 35mm format on Fuji Velvia film

Note: For best viewing, set your monitor to High Color or True Color (Thousands or Millions of Colors on MacOS) and 1024x768 pixels. These images have been carefully prepared with a Gamma of 2.2 using the BruceRGB color space. This should work well with high-quality Windows monitors. If you are a MacOS user, set your Adobe Gamma control panel to "Windows Default" or, at the last resort, choose the sRGB calibrated profile in the Color section of your Monitors control panel.

Copyright Notice: All photos featured in this showcase are Copyright © 1999 Ken Dietz, all rights reserved. These images are protected by United States and international copyright laws and may not be used or reproduced without permission in writing.

About the Exhibit:

As a lifelong Oregon resident, I am somewhat embarrassed to say that, although I have been to most parts of the state, I have not explored any area in great depth. With my decision to get serious about this hobby, that is beginning to change. I credit photography with taking me to places in my own "back yard" that I perhaps had always known about, but never visited. It has also taught me to see my favorite places in different ways. I fairly quickly decided that I wanted to do a "series," to pick some subject and explore it carefully with my camera. Waterfalls have always held a certain fascination for me, as they do for many people. I chose, therefore, to "collect" as many waterfalls as I could, and to capture them as artfully as my eye would allow.

This showcase depicts what success I have had in this pursuit. My film of choice is Fujichrome Velvia. There may be a shot or two here that were taken with Fujichrome Provia 100F. This is a fine film, with a grain half the size of Velvia, but I feel the color saturation is not as vivid as Velvia. My gear consists of 2 Pentax 35mm cameras; a PZ-70 (my first), and an SF-10, which I acquired as a backup. I also purchased a Mamiya RZ Pro II medium format camera last year. A few shots from this fine system are in the showcase as well.

I am grateful to Laurent Martres for inviting me to participate in this Showcase. I feel honored to be included with such a list of fine photographers as those who have been featured here. I would also like to thank Kerry L. Thalmann for his friendship and advice.

About the Photographer:

On a weekend in 1996, I pulled out my old Pentax IQZoom camera and took a few shots at a 4th of July party. I remember being dissatisfied with those shots and, not having had a serious hobby for as long as I could remember, I decided to do something about it. I went to a local camera store and picked out a Pentax PZ-70 35mm camera. It seems a bit funny now, but one of the major reasons for my choice was that this camera would work with the $40 electronic shutter release cable I had recently purchased for the IQZoom. I have since moved up to a Mamiya RZ Pro II system, which, by all accounts, is a "serious" camera for an amateur. I suppose my careers in technical support and quality assurance have made me a bit uncompromising when it comes to choosing equipment. So far, I have not regretted the choice.

During a visit to the Columbia River Gorge, not long after taking up the camera, I had an experience that is perhaps the single most important reason that I love this hobby. I had spent an hour or so photographing a beautiful sunset. When I was through, I put the camera away. For some reason, though, I could not bring myself to leave. It was a blustery evening with dramatic clouds moving rather swiftly. I stood there at the rim of Crown Point for another full hour, simply watching it all. It occurred to me that I had not given a single thought to the things in my life that some might call "stress." Somehow, magically, they had all floated away for a while, leaving behind a relaxed, peaceful "me" to appreciate what I was seeing. In that moment, I knew that I would be back. Not just to this place, but to anyplace where nature's beauty awaits with healing hand.

If you would like to see more of my works, you are welcome to visit my website at http://www.kendietz.com.

I would also like very much to receive your comments on this exhibit. Please send them to Ken Dietz.

Find photos of the Colorado Plateau in Land of the Canyons, the Photo Trip USA landscape photography guide book.

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