Wheels in Winter - ©Gary Hamburgh 2004 - All Rights Reserved
I receive questions all the time asking “what is the best time to photograph in the Palouse?”. My answer is that it depends what type of images you are looking to capture. Each season has its own kind of beauty.
When I first began shooting in the Palouse, I didn’t enjoy the winter season because of the lack of color and textures. During winter the landscape can look very bleak and isolated. I gave myself a project to depict the winter landscape in a more meaningful way to me.
An example of this is the image at the top of this post. I used the leading lines of the irrigation equipment to take the viewer to the hills and sky. Also the equipment shows something which is very useful at times but is lying dormant during the winter season. The winter wheat in the area is also lying dormant in the ground waiting for spring.
I now really enjoy shooting during the winter season as I try to capture the beauty of that time. I would caution you as you travel the Palouse in the winter to be careful of the extreme cold that may be present. Consider how you will protect your equipment and yourself. Also consider your driving skills as the road conditions may be less than ideal.
The Palouse Guy 