Yesterday I was at my parents’ and saw some geese out by the pond behind their house.  I didn’t have my camera with me, so I grabbed my sisters’ D80 and 55-200 kit lens (a 6 year old camera).  Maybe these aren’t the greatest images ever captured, but as I drool over the new camera bodies that have recently been released, this is a nice reminder that it doesn’t matter what camera I have in my hands because the knowledge and eye for what makes a good image is much more important.

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Craig and I headed out to McDowell Creek Path with no specific plan in mind. We spent most of the time off trail climbing fallen trees and risking life, limb, and camera to get the best shots possible.

Royal Terrace Falls

Near the end of the trail we came upon a bridge showcasing a beautiful view of Royal Terrace Falls.  Although nice, the view was much too distant for our likings.  With a little bit of climbing we were able to get to the top portion of the 119ft. falls.  It was exhilarating and a bit scary walking up to the edge of the fall and seeing the huge drop down to the creek as water is rushing along your ankles.

Crystal Pool Falls

As we were heading back to our car, on the other side of the road was a short trail leading to Crystal Pool Falls.  Although it is the smallest waterfall (14ft.) along McDowell Creek, it is better known for its pool at the bottom of the falls.

Sahalie Falls

After we left McDowell Creek we went looking for Iron Mountain.  At the time we were bummed out because every trail was closed off and covered in snow.  We attempted to hike one path but after a hundred yards in about 2ft. of snow, we decided to find somewhere else to shoot.  Fortunately, this took us to Sahalie Falls, the tallest waterfall along the McKenzie River.  Measurements range from 70-140ft (a large range, possibly depending on the volume of water present in the river).  Sahalie Fall is famous for being featured in the movie “Homeward Bound”.  By now I have visited quite a few waterfalls in Oregon, but this was by far the most powerful waterfall I have ever experienced.  The mist spread all the way to the beginning of the trail where the was a beautiful viewpoint of the falls, however, once again we needed to get closer.  We climbed down through the mist, mud, and trees to get to the base of the falls.  We trekked through the mud and got as close as we could and still be able to shoot through the mist.  The McKenzie River rushed by and made the climb that much more thrilling.  In the end, I was drenched and at one point lost my shoe as it was submerged the mud, but it was more than worth it.

All photos of me (green jacket) were taken by Craig Metke.

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All photos by Daniel Sloan or Sarah Smith are credited.

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Saturday, my grandparents took Sarah and I out to the Cabrillo National Monument at the tip of the Point Loma peninsula.  Unfortunately there wasn’t a lot of activity in the water, but I was able to grab some shots of the bay, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, and the Cabrillo Statue.

Ocean Beach, San Diego

On Monday, Adam took us down to Ocean Beach to check out the Ocean Beach Pier and to get lunch at Hodad’s.  The pier happens to be the longest concrete pier on the west coast, measuring nearly 2,000 ft.  After walking the length of the pier and back, we were ready for lunch.  The main reason Adam took us to Ocean Beach is so we could have lunch at Hodad’s, which is an awesome little burger joint that has won several awards and was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (click to watch).

Balboa Park

After we finished lunch, we headed out to Balboa Park.  We took the tram to a few different spots in the area.  We could have easily spent all day there, but chose not to.  The highlight for me was the squirrel who jumped right in front of  us to give us its best “Blue Steel” look.

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Toketee Falls Trail:

On our way to Crater Lake we decided to make another stop.  We had such a blast at Toketee Falls that we couldn’t wait to start shooting again and stopped off at Lemolo Lake Resort.  We parked and hiked through some trees to see what we could find and ended up right in the middle of the frozen lake.  The view was amazing and we couldn’t have been any luckier with the weather conditions.

Lemolo Lake:

We stopped off to get gas in what really felt like the middle of nowhere.  The attendant had to remove boards from the doors to let us inside and the only other patrons were on snowmobiles.  Another hour or two through the hills and snow led us to Crater lake.  We didn’t have to go far from the car to get an awesome view.  Hiking around Crater Lake was difficult at times.  With each step I sank into the snow anywhere from 2 inches to 18 inches.  We ran into a few other people out there all wearing snow shoes and walking poles, but we toughed it out in our sneakers.  We didn’t stay too long at Crater Lake, but only because we didn’t need to.  The views were awesome and the weather couldn’t be better with the sky blue and the sun behind us.

Crater Lake:

After Crater Lake we were both starving and exhausted.  We managed to find a shack in the middle of nowhere to get some hot food and then headed out in search of a final spot to shoot.  We ended up about 30 miles from Klamath Falls, but the sun was setting and it was starting to rain, so we decided to call it a day and head home.

All photos of me (grey beanie) were taken by Craig Metke.

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At one point when shooting on the street, and older man approached and asked if he could be in a shot. We laughed along with him, but then he asked again. I quickly realized he wasn’t joking, so I said “sure, real quick” thinking I could snap a quick shot and then he’d be on his way. Unfortunately, he overstayed his welcome and we had a hard time getting him to move along. I told him I’d drop a photo off at his place (which I have no intention of doing) and he finally continued on his way.

We had planned on the Burnside skate park to be our last location, but I was a bit disappointed with the lack of good graffiti. (Side note: Google maps, you need to update your street-view images) We made due with what was there until one of the skaters decided that he was going to have a nervous breakdown.

(Although his appearance isn’t important for the story, I do think it worth mentioning that he looked to be in his 40′s, was not in athletic shape, but still went shirtless and had nowhere better to be than at a skatepark at noon on a Friday. Also, for the record… I did not see him anywhere near a skateboard the entire time we were there. In retrospect, I should have snapped a quick photo of him.)

For whatever reason, this guy was beyond annoyed by our presence immediately. We shot against the concrete walls outside of the skate park (never once stepped foot where anyone was skating). Once he saw us he went on a tirade of curse words demanding we get out of his sight. I tried talking to him once, asking if I was doing something that was bothering him or if I was in his way, but he was too much off his rocker to listen to any reason. We weren’t planning on staying long anyway, so after getting a handful of shots, I decided to just pack it up. It wasn’t worth dealing with that guy any longer.

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Model: Amanda Hatheway
Assistant: Daniel Sloan

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Model: Tara Marie K
Assistant: Daven Mathies

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