8/7/08 - A Tourist in Oregon, Part III

The dramatic change between the lush Columbia Gorge and the High Desert is sudden and almost hard to believe. One moment your in green forests with cascading waterfalls and suddenly your in dry, arrid country with nothing but sand and sage.

We timed it so that we reached the desert in the late afternoon so the sun was low and the lighting more suitable for dramatic desert shots.


For this shot, I used a polarizing filter to bring out the blue in the sky, to contrast against the light green sage bush and the the yellow black-eyed susans. The shadow under the bush helps give the image some depth.


This was one of the last shots I took on this particular day. The sun had nearly reached the horizon from my left, casting an orange glow over the landscape, and deep shadows for detail. In this case, I had to use the polarizer to prevent the sky from seeming to be blown-out. I was able to get just enough blue to save the image.