Washington

Astrophotography and Night Scapes Mount Rainier Washington

Milky Way and Stars at Night Over Mount Rainier

In this single image (not a composite), made with a special combination of low-light camera and extremely fast lens to best capture the details and colors of the gas areas of the Milky Way, our galaxy rises in the night sky over Mount Rainier. A few specks of light can…

Phil CollaSeptember 5, 2013

Landscape Panoramas Washington

Photo of North Head Lighthouse, Washington

While in Astoria recently, we took a little drive across to the Washington side of the Columbia River to see North Head Lighthouse. It was overcast, sort of pre-storm looking, perfect weather for walking around a blustery promontory high above the coast and checking out an old lighthouse. Below is…

Phil CollaAugust 29, 2007

Landscape Panoramas Washington

Mount St. Helens Panoramic Photo

From the 2005 archives: I left Seattle in the late afternoon and began my speed run south, home to Carlsbad. I planned to stop at three spots: Mount St. Helens, Crater Lake and Oakland. I reached the Johnston Ridge viewpoint of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument (say that three…

Phil CollaAugust 15, 2007

National Parks Olympic Trees Washington

Nurse Log Photo

A "nurse log" is a tree that has fallen and, in the process of decay and rotting away, provides nutrients and a substrate for other plants, including seedling trees, to root and grow. Eventually these plants overwhelm the nurse log which rots away and is completely replaced by the new…

Phil CollaSeptember 9, 2006

Mount Rainier National Parks Washington

Photo of Paradise Falls, Mt. Rainier National Park

Last summer we visited Mt. Rainier National Park for the first time. We timed our visit to coincide with the peak flower bloom in Paradise Meadows, and we were not disappointed. The weather was spectacular, hardly a cloud in the sky, and we enjoyed hiking and driving the route around…

Phil CollaMay 3, 2006

National Parks Olympic Washington

Photo of Marymere Falls, Olympic National Park

Phil CollaNovember 9, 2005

National Parks Olympic Washington

Photo of Sol Duc Falls, Olympic National Park

Sol Duc Falls is one of the gems of Olympic National Park. Located in the Sol Duc Valley, not far from the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, the trail to Sol Duc Falls is an easy 1.5 mile round trip walk through old growth hemlock and douglas fir trees (some…

Phil CollaNovember 5, 2005

Washington

Seattle Skyline Photo

While in Seattle this past summer, I made a quick trip to Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill to catch a view of the downtown Seattle City Skyline. I was hoping to get some nice Space Needle photos. When I arrived I was surprised to find 50+ photographers there, at…

Phil CollaOctober 14, 2005