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Cascadia – Where Oregon Meets

Cascadia – Where Oregon Meets

I am pleased to announce that I am collaborating with Crossroads Carnegie Art Center in Baker City to bring this beautiful book to you as a special holiday offering. In April of this year, Crossroads curated the Cascadia Photography Exhibition for Oregon photographers. I had the very good fortune to be able to participate in this wonderful photography show.

“The story of Oregon has too often been a tale of two halves – east and west, urban and rural – divided historically, geographically and politically by the Cascade Range. The Cascadia project was launched the Crossroads Carnegie Art Center as a way to bridge these divisions through the art of photography.” – Rich Bergeman, Cascadia Judge

Lori Rowland – Magic of Christmas Morn

The Magic of Christmas Morn Panorama features rare full moon on Christmas morning, 2015, sets over Baker City & The Elkhorn Mountains in Eastern Oregon.

Magic of Christmas Morn © Lori Rowland, Baker City – Best of Show & Baker City People’s Choice

The image above is the cover of Cascadia. The top image is by Lori Rowland, (a.k.a. Me) The Magic of Christmas Morn — Best of Show. I wish I could take full credit for this image but I cannot. All I did was anticipate the moment, a full moonset on Christmas morning. I simply showed up with my camera. Magic and Mother Nature did the rest.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen an image that evoked the feeling of Christmas morning more completely than Lori’s photograph. It is truly magical.” — Rich Bergeman, Cascadia Judge

Adam Sims – Face Rock

Face Rock @ Adam Sims, Pendleton – First Place – Views of Oregon

The ocean image on the cover is by Adam Sims, Face Rock — First Place. The low tide reflects the warm colors of the sun as it drops behind the horizon at Bandon, Oregon.

“The dramatic use of light and dynamic composition make this a powerful image. Too many panoramas fail to engage the eye all the way across the frame, but no problem with that here — this is a carefully balanced composition that offers something for the eye to play with from east to west. Sunsets at the coast can be considered cliches, but when done well, like this image, they are transcendent.” — Rich Bergeman, Cascadia Judge

About the Cascadia Exhibit

The call to artists drew 165 entries from photographers all across Oregon, their images influenced by the many diverse cultures that make Oregon unique. The exhibit had two categories, Views of Oregon or Oregonians at Work or Play. Forty-eight of the submitted images went on to be selected as part of the traveling art exhibit. The exhibit was on display for one month in each of these Oregon communities; Baker City, The Dalles and Corvallis. Cascadia is a beautiful collection of all the images included in the traveling exhibit. With this book, you can visit all corners of Oregon without leaving the comfort of your favorite chair.

For me, it’s fascinating to see Oregon through the eyes of its photographers. Every photographer has a unique vision which is so incredibly wonderful. I often travel with other photographers and am amazed at how different all our images are, even if we are standing right next to each other when the photos are taken. Each one of us seems to have the magical ability to see in our own unique way. We choose different settings or use different lenses to emphasize what we each think is the most important element in the scene. I love seeing the work of other photographers. It helps me learn to see in new ways, to open my eyes and my heart, to more fully experience a landscape before me in a way that I might not have experienced on my own.

The purpose of this post is to share a small collection of the images and stories from the book. So, grab a mug of hot tea and head for your favorite chair. Let’s take that trip across Oregon together…

Josh Chadwick – Old Blue

Old Blue © Josh Chadwick, Eugene

The first image I would like to share with you is by Josh Chadwick of Eugene. He writes,

“I took this picture one day while wandering the streets in downtown Eugene. I was looking for colors that complimented each other, as well as dominate colors and juxtaposed colors. I was close to the farmers’ market when I spotted this lone farm stand. ‘The Organic Redneck’ is what it said on the side of this truck. The vibrant blue from the truck kind of glowed given the light that day. I also like the fact that this old truck was sitting in the middle of a very busy modern downtown. The blue and red really worked for me. A great example of juxtaposed colors.” — Josh Chadwick, Photographer

Kendrick Moholt – Packin’ the Wallowa’s

Packin’ the Wallowas © Kendrick Moholt, Enterprise — Second Place – Oregonians at Work and Play

This next image is by photographer, Kendrick Moholt of Enterprise. Living in Northeast Oregon gives Kendrick easy access to one of Oregon’s most beautiful mountain ranges, The Wallowas. Fortunately for us, Kendrick carries his camera with him when he ventures into the Wallowas, which is not always an easy task when you are trying to cut excess weight from your pack.

“Carrying camera gear and following a pack string, on foot, up a steep wilderness ridge is no easy task. However, after many miles I saw the shot I was after, set up on a tripod and was composing when outfitter Barry Cox turned over his shoulder and yelled, ‘Hey look at that cloud. This would be a great picture.’ I replied: ‘You run the horses and I’ll run the camera and got the shot” — Kendrick Moholt, Photographer

Scott Hoyle – Smoke and Mirrors

Smoke and Mirrors © Scott Hoyle, Lake Oswego – Honorable Mention

This beautiful image is by Scott Hoyle of Lake Oswego. What I find interesting about this image is the contrast between mother nature on one side of the river and the presence of man’s activities on the other. In the real world, these two things often seem to be in contradiction but in this image, they are portrayed as peacefully co-existing together. Well done, Scott!

“The West Linn Paper Co. just across the river from Oregon City, which recently went out of business after all these years” — Scott Hoyle, Photographer

Eric Valentine – Horseshoe Lake

Horseshoe Lake, Eagle Cap Wilderness © Eric Valentine, La Grande – Corvallis People’s Choice Award

As someone who loves to go backpacking into the Wallowas, I love the calm peacefulness of this scene. Fog often rises in the mornings, especially on Fall days when the water temperature is actually warmer than the air temperature. Eric captured this moment perfectly with his photograph.

“It was a dark and stormy night as I slept fitfully in my backpack tent at Horseshoe Lake in the Eagle Cap Wilderness. However, when I woke up and opened the tent flap to a chilly fall morning, the light was filtering through a low, clearing cloud cover. It eliminated distracting, unnecessary features around the lake. In a Chinese or Japanese style, the light and fog brought a simple clarity to this scene.” — Eric Valentine, Photographer

Vern Bartley – Yaquina Head Nebula

Yaquina Head Nebula © Vern Bartley, Newport – Second Place, Views of Oregon & The Dalles People’s Choice Award

This next photo is by photographer, Vern Bartley of Newport, Oregon. Night sky photography is quite a challenge, one that I enjoy myself. In addition to needing a camera and lenses that are capable of capturing images in the dark, but you have to wait for the perfect moment. The Milky Way has to line up with your landmark and the Moon cannot be in the sky since it’s bright light will obscure the faint light of the Milky Way. Vern persisted and he finally got his shot!

“It took me nine months and five photo shoots to finally capture Yaquina Head Nebula. Between the challenges of the coastal environment, the phases of the Moon and the changing locations of the Milky Way; I was very pleased when on a late night in September, the stars did truly line up for me and the result is yours to enjoy.” — Vern Bartley, Photographer

Becky Fajardo – Silver Spring

Silver Spring, Silver Falls State Park © Becky Fajardo, North Plains

This next image is by Becky Fajardo of North Plains, Oregon. Often a photograph can be elevated to the next level by waiting for just the perfect light, which Becky has skillfully done. The soft light coming from the upper right of the photo is like a gentle guide to take your eye right to the waterfall. Becky’s image is calming and makes you want to breathe in deeply.

“A classic view of one of the Northwest’s iconic waterfalls. I liked how the photographer gives the falls some room to breathe, showing us the environment and surroundings, and doesn’t simply zoom in to the tumbling water as photographers are often tempted to do.” — Rich Bergeman, Cascadia Judge

Bryan Andresen – Abert Rim Sunrise

Abert Rim Sunrise, Lake County © Bryan Andresen, Eugene

Abert Rim is located in south central Oregon about 25 miles from the town of Lakeview. This is a rugged landscape quite different from the lush vegetation that grows on the western slopes of the Cascades. That is one of my favorite things about Oregon, it has so many different types of environments from coastal, to mountains, from lush forests to desert… truly an amazing state!

“For one minute, with my back to the sun and a bitter cold wind, a spotlight illuminated lava at my feet while a mantle of beautiful light glowed on the surface of Abert Rim. Perhaps the most beautiful sight in all of Oregon, for one fleeting moment.” — Bryan Andresen, Photographer

Dave Schaerer – Crossing the Nehalem Bar

Crossing the Nehalem Bar, Northern Oregon Coast © Dave Schaerer, Portland – Honorable Mention

Photos like this take a lot of skill to capture. When photographing a moving subject such as the boat, you must wait for the perfect moment to capture the peak of the action, the boat at the crest of the swell. In addition, all the elements in the scene must be in focus and properly exposed. Most importantly, all this must be done while while keeping a firm grip on your camera so you don’t drop it in the ocean! Dave pulled it all off perfectly and received an Honorable Mention in the process. Nicely done, Dave!

“Salmon fishing on the Nehalem River Bar has its ups and downs.” — Dave Schaerer, Photographer

Helen Hall – Grains of Light

Grains of Light, Baker County – Helen Hall, Baker City

Last, but certainly not least, is an image by my friend, Helen Hall of Baker City. Helen and I have enjoyed many photography outings together over the last several years. This image is a perfect example of what I mentioned at the top of the article. We shot together this evening and stood not too far apart, however Helen managed to pull all the elements together perfectly; the light on the wheat and the last of the Sun’s rays as they danced through the clouds. A perfect end to a beautiful Eastern Oregon day!

“Great use of light and color to describe Oregon agriculture and industry. A simple, yet powerful image of light and land. It’s poetic. From the earliest days of the Oregon Territory, wheat has been a major crop. It was the principal food of the early settler; by territorial law it was even legal tender for a time. It also served as the main source of outside revenue. Wheat shipped to California, the Hawaiian Islands, and the East Coast. It paid for stoves, clothes, books, tools, musical instruments — all the things needed in the new Oregon settlements.” — Terri Axness, Cascadia Juror

Order Your Own Copy of Cascadia – Where Oregon Meets

Well… That about wraps up our easy chair tour across Oregon. I want to encourage you to continue the journey and get a Cascadia book of your own. What I have shown you here today is merely the tip of the iceberg. Cascadia has page after page of stories and images of the people and landscapes of Oregon. I invite you to visit this Crossroads Carnegie Art Center link and purchase a copy of this beautiful book for your coffee table (cause I’m pretty sure your coffee table wants one!) 🙂

Cascadia Books are also available at the Crossroads Carnegie Art Center, located at 2020 Auburn Street in Baker City. Wanna feel even better? Your order of Cascadia will help Crossroads continue telling their story and their mission to create opportunities for others to be engaged, inspired and transformed by the arts. Enjoy!

 

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