This photo was taken at the summit of 17,500-foot Gokyo Ri in the Mt. Everest Region of the Himalayas in Nepal. Gokyo Ri, while much higher than any mountain in the US outside of Alaska is really just a small hill in the Himalayas. It is located above the third lake in the Gokyo Valley which lies directly to the west of the Khumbu Valley, the main drainage leading from the base of Mt. Everest’s south side. From the Gokyo Valley Mt. Everest is obscured from view by a high ridge of peaks running between the two valleys. However, those who make the additional effort to ascent Gokyo Ri are rewarded with a grand view over the intermediate peaks to the world’s highest peak beyond. At least they are when the summit of Gokyo Ri is not enveloped in thick clouds as it was when I arrived. Shivering in the cold wind and physically exhausted by the steep climb at such a high altitude I was disappointed not to see the vista I had been anticipating. However, it was still powerful knowing that I was standing on the brink of a great drop and that the large peaks of the Himalayas spread out beyond my feet. I could almost feel the gravitational pull of Mt. Everest’s huge mass out there in the fog.

Even without the view of the mountains, the strings of Tibetan prayer flags blowing in the swirling wind and fog and isolated from their surroundings created a powerful image in my mind. Despite cold and fatigue I set up my camera and took several shots. I think the one above best captures the sense of windy isolation I experienced on top of Gokyo Ri that day.

On the descent the fog thickened and it began to snow. For a while I lost the trail and veered off course before coming out below the clouds and making my way back to the village at dark.

Fortunately I was able to stay in Gokyo for a while longer. Two days later I made the climb again before dawn under clear skies. The sun rose directly behind Mt. Everest sending out rays of light across the valleys and peaks. The second photo is one I took that morning not far from where I had taken the one in the fog two days earlier.

Canon EOS 5D

28-135mm lens

First Image .6 sec @ f/36

Second Image 1/60 sec @ f/6.3 with fill flash

Gitzo Carbon Tripod

Oregon is home to some of the most astounding waterfalls in the country. In the spring, with good water flow, lush greenery and filtered, overcast light, they offer some great photography opportunities. While waterfalls can be found all around the state, there are a few regions that have many waterfalls in a relatively small area, making it possible to visit a bunch of them in one trip. The three areas that I find particularly visitor friendly are the Columbia River Gorge Wilderness, Silver Creek State Park and the upper North Umpqua River. There are many excellent websites where you can get visitor information and directions to Oregon Waterfalls. Here are a few I like:

www.waterfallsnorthwest.com

www.waterfalls-guide.com

http://geology.com/waterfalls

In mid April, my dad and I took a three-day trip to photograph some waterfalls. The first day we visited falls and lush creeks along the North Umpqua River. The second day we spent exploring and photographing the falls of Silver Creek State Park and on the third day we visited only a few of the many falls in the Columbia Gorge.

Photographing waterfalls and rainforest streams can be challenging. The dense forest setting can create a situation of “too much going on” and make it difficult to get unobstructed views and find coherent compositions. Additionally, on a sunny day there is too much contrast between the bright and shadowed areas of the forest making it nearly impossible to balance the light and show detail in all areas of an image. Here are some tips that I have found helpful when photographing waterfalls and dense forest streams.

• Shoot when the light is soft and balanced. This includes overcast days, mornings, evenings, and canyons deep in shadow.
• Light rain or mist is your friend. Wet foliage really pops and light fog can add a very mystical dimension to photos.
• Use a circular polarizer to cut out light scattered off the surface of shiny green plants and the surface of water. The difference this makes is amazing.
• Shoot on a tripod. Since the best conditions for shooting are lower light conditions, your shutter speeds will necessarily be longer than you can hold steady. Add in a small aperture setting for increased depth of field and a polarizing filter and you could be looking at shutter speeds longer than one second.

• For the best “smooth water” effects try for a shutter speed between .5 and 1.5 seconds. If your exposure is too long then the water loses all its texture.
• If shooting digitally, shoot two exposures, one for the water and one for the foliage. When the foliage is properly exposed, the white, foamy areas of water will often be blown out and lacking detail. Shooting two exposures allows you to blend them later in Photoshop to achieve the correct exposure throughout. For my article on how to do this kind of exposure blending click HERE.
• Look for interesting vantage points. Try angles down close to the water, up on a rock or a rise, across a ravine or from the side.
• Don’t simply shoot the waterfall or stream centered in the middle of the image. Place the waterfall off center and show some of the surroundings to give a sense of place. Look for ways to have curves in the stream lead your eye through the image at an angle. Try to cut out paths, bridges and other signs of people unless you are going for a “humans in nature” shot.

• Tread carefully and preserve the beauty. Stay on trails in sensitive areas. Don’t step on delicate plant life. Avoid muddy and eroding areas. Avoid entering off trail areas that are clearly getting too much use.

In April and May of 2006 I trekked through four valleys in the Mt. Everest region of Nepal. This region, known as the Solokhumbu, is home to the Sherpa people. Living high in the Himalaya the Sherpa are more closely connected geographically, religiously and ancestrally to the Tibetan people than they are to people living in the lowlands of Nepal.

At over 16,500 feet in elevation Gokyo is one of the farthest outposts of habitation in the Everest Region. Located on a glacial lake directly below the massive south face of Cho Oyu, the world’s eighth highest peak, Gokyo has several lodges that serve trekkers and climbers. The lodges are owned and operated by Sherpa people. While I was there the owner of one of the lodges was killed. He was walking from a lower village in the night and fell off the narrow mountain path. Within hours a contingent of Buddhist Monks were summoned from Khumjung to perform a funeral ceremony. In this photo the monks are leading a procession carrying the body into the mountains to perform the traditional cremation.

Canon EOS 5D

Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens

1/200 sec @ F/8

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