Old Barn on Cold Winter Day – ©Gary Hamburgh – All Rights Reserved

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Corvair with Barn - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

A couple weeks ago as I was driving the countryside in the Palouse looking for barns, when I noticed the barn that you see in the image at the top of this post. When I stopped to check it out, I made a discovery of several old cars and trucks on the deserted property.

Corvair Pair - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

I love cars from the 50′s and 60′s and have owned a Corvair and a couple of Mustangs from the 60′s. As I walked around I saw two Corvairs sitting side by side in the weeds. They were pretty much in disrepair and in various stages of rust. Still they were of interest to me as I thoroughly looked them over and took pictures. This was a fun experience for me and I hope you enjoy the images.

Rusted Corvair - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

One thing I have found in the Palouse region as in many other farming areas is that the farmers rarely get rid of an old truck or piece of farm machinery. There is a great opportunity to see and photograph these old vehicles if you have the desire.

Busy at Harvest - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009- All Rights Reserved

Lines are wonderful elements in a photograph. They draw the viewer’s eye through the image from one spot to the next, sometimes all the way around and sometimes in one direction. In the image above the line in the wheat as well as the direction of the combine leads you to the other elements in the scene.

Truck Fills the Landscape - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Lines can put emphasis on distance or illustrate a relationship between foreground and background elements. The truck in the image above acts as a leading line as well as gives some perspective to the combine hard at work in the background.

Riding the Slope - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Curved lines or S curves suggest sensuality, elegance and a serene sense of balance.  S curves don’t necessarily need to be S-shaped; any form of a winding line can be used.

Combine at Work - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Evening Harvest by Gary Hamburgh - All Rights Reserved

A busy time of the year is upon us in the Palouse. According to my local sources, wheat harvest has begun in some areas. When the wheat is ready, work is happening seven days a week from dawn to dark. For me, it is an exciting time with the dust, large combines, golden wheat and the exotic patterns that are created as everyone rushes to gather in the bountiful harvest.

Creating Patterns by Gary Hamburgh - All Rights Reserved

It is interesting to photograph all aspects of the harvest. Visiting small one man operations as well as large scale farming lets you see the full spectrum of this seasonal event. Many opportunities to see the combines at work can be seen as you drive along the highway. It is also a thrill to travel some of the gravel and dirt roads in the region to see the harvest in the back country.

Harvesting the Wheat by Gary Hamburgh - All Rights Reserved

I usually ask around who is cutting and it seems as though most people are very much aware as to where the harvest is taking place. Another way that I find a field that is being cut is to follow the large trucks that are in the process of hauling the grain to the various elevators in the area.

A Deere at Work by Gary Hamburgh - All Rights Reserved

I hope you have the time to get involved in this fascinating world of big time productive farming in the Palouse. I know you will come away with wonderful memories and a great collection of images from your experience.

Farm in the Fog by Gary Hamburgh - All Rights Reserved

My favorite place to spend time while visiting in the Palouse is Steptoe Butte. This thimble-shaped quartzite butte with an elevation of 3,612 feet provides a viewpoint to observe the rolling landscape in any direction. I truly enjoy how a different view is provided each time based on the available light and time of year.

I visit the butte each time I am near Colfax because I am always rewarded with the exhilarating feeling of driving the narrow road with its switchbacks to the top. The feeling is that you are on top of the world.

Allow plenty of time to enjoy the changing light either in the early morning or  evening.  This will provide you the opportunity to be a part of the entire experience. Capturing great images is always a bonus but this is still a great adventure even if the light is not perfect.

Take the time to visit this butte and enjoy an incredible “mountaintop” experience.

Laser Show at Grand Coulee Dam by Gary Hamburgh _ All Rights Reserved

I decided to try something different for observing a fireworks show this year. We traveled to eastern Washington and attended the show at Grand Coulee Dam. There were many light sources at the dam including an almost full moon, the normal lights at the dam, a laser light show and the fireworks that were special to celebrate the 4th of July.

The image at the top of this post is from the laser show that was accompanied by music and had a theme about water and irrigation in the region. The remainder of the images just show various light sources at the dam and of course most of the emphasis is on the fireworks.

Moon over Grand Coulee Dam by Gary Hamburgh _ All Rights Reserved

I

Firworks 1 by Gary Hamburgh _ All Rights Reserved

Fireworks 2 by Gary Hamburgh _ All Rights Reserved

Fireworks 3 by Gary Hamburgh _ All Rights Reserved

Fireworks 4 by Gary Hamburgh _ All Rights Reserved

Fireworks 5 by Gary Hamburgh _ All Rights Reserved

Fireworks 6 by Gary Hamburgh _ All Rights Reserved

Fireworks 7 by Gary Hamburgh _ All Rights Reserved

Fireworks 8 by Gary Hamburgh _ All Rights Reserved

Fireworks 9 by Gary Hamburgh _ All Rights Reserved

Fireworks 10 by Gary Hamburgh - All Rights Reserved

t was a fun trip and in addition to the light show, I found several new vistas so once again the area in the Palouse and eastern Washington offered a great opportunity for capturing images.

Moon above Wheat Field by Gary Hamburgh - All Rights Reserved

Many times it can be a struggle getting a print to match what it looks like on the screen. The following article by David Saffir entitled “Screen to Print Match for Photographers” gives some good advice for dealing with this problem. Utilize this information and it can save paper, supplies and headaches as you are printing your images.

Canyon View by Gary Hamburgh - All Rights Reserved

I stated in an earlier post while talking about Palouse Falls State Park that there are some good opportunities for views of the canyon in the area. It is alway difficult lighting so I used a series of three exposures to create an HDR image. I am using the software program Photomatix Pro for combining and processing the images to the final HDR. It has been a good tool for me as it actually includes tonal mapping to get the final image.

I will outline the steps below that I used to process the final image that you see at the top of this page. The 3 original images are pictured below. I took them at a 2/3 stop exposure difference.

Image 1 by Gary Hamburgh

Image 2 by Gary Hamburgh

Image 4 by Gary Hamburgh

At this point I imported the HDR image into Aperture for storage and some final adjustments. Once in Aperture I used the plugin Color EFX Pro 3.0 by Nik software for some tonal curves adjustment. After this process the image as seen at the top of this page was created.

I have been very happy using Photomatix Pro software to create these kinds of images. As with any special processing, I believe this kind of tool should be used sparingly but it is useful in high contrast situations to control extreme lighting.

Hopefully this view of the Palouse will encourage a trip for some unique photo opportunities to this beautiful area in eastern Washington.

The Codger Pole by Gary Hamburgh - All Rights Reserved

While visiting the Palouse you will encounter in some of the small towns a landmark or statue that has significant meaning to the residents of the town. In Colfax, if you ask a local what are the sights of interest I almost always hear “Have you seen the Codger Pole?”

This Pole is located in the middle of town and as you drive down Main Street you can see it from your car. I would suggest getting out and exploring the Pole and the sign that tells the story. Below in the photo, I have included the sign that tells the legend.

The Codger Pole Legend by Gary Hamburgh - All Rights Reserved

These side trips can be taken during the middle of the day while you are waiting for the evening light to photograph the landscape of the Palouse. Exploring the small towns and getting a feel for the culture can provide some very rewarding experiences for you.