I'll be visiting Oregon in June, between the 22nd and 29th. I wanted to get some info on the Columbia River Gorge, which is high on my places to shoot:
1) I've got the guide book and the hiking trails book for the Gorge. However, I wanted to know some specifics. Are there certain waterfalls better seen in the morning or in the late evening?
2)Are there accessibility issues for some trails, i.e, are they closed during certain times?
3)Do you guys have some recommendations for waders? I figured most of the nice views require you to be in the water
4)Any general tips?
Finally would some of you locals be interested in meeting for a shoot at the Gorge?
Hi Sairam! I was in the gorge about a month ago. I brought chest waders but only needed them when I entered Oneonta Gorge. Its a beautiful place and it starts about 100 yards off the highway. I don't think you will have any issues with access. Many of the main falls are right off the highway. Some require hiking a couple miles. There are dozens of falls in the area, too many to get to in 2 days. My favorites were Oneonta Gorge, Elowa Falls and Fairy Falls. There are many other great opportunities besides these.
As for time of day, in my opinion, all are best shot under overcast skies. Most face north so the biggest risk is a bright sun peaking over the top. Oneonta is probably best in mid morning before 10:00. I was there too late in the morning and the sun made the light too harsh. Earlier and you might capture some beams coming at an angle from the top highlighting the mist while the green moss and ferns are still well saturated.
I would love to join you but I don't think I will be able to. Good luck and good light!
I would second Steve's comments above. I also find Punchbowl Falls captivating, and you might need waders there. It's also a bit further in, but still only 4.x miles roundtrip. It's been quite warm this spring, but we could get a cool turn at any moment. Just check the weather for Cascade Locks, OR and you will have a sense of gorge weather.
High noon is the hardest time to shoot, so pre 10::00 and post 3:00 or on a day with what we dall a marine layer of clouds is apt to be best. I don't think any of these trails are closed this year, but if they are, there will be a posting at the trail head.
I might be able to get out and join you between June 24 and 26, so let me know if you are in the gorge then and still open to company.
Thanks for the info Steve. Yes, that's exactly what I wanted to know. I do plan to shoot early morning and late afternoon as I'll be attending a conference for most of the day. Do you have a recommendation for a chest wader or does anything work?
Well, I did some research and these places are high on my list : Elowah, Wahclella, Multnomah, Punchbowl, Fairy, Metlako, Ponytail, Upper Bridalveil, and Wahkeena falls and Oneonta gorge.
Marylynne, Ofcourse! I'd love to shoot with you at the Gorge between 24th and 26th. I will be spending most of the time I'm there to shoot the Gorge. It's been on my wishlist for way too long. Perhaps we could start a separate email conversation for this?
Apart from the Gorge, I plan to visit both Trillium Lake and Cannon Beach.
Do I need to get any water proof covers for my camera? I do plan to bring a raincoat and some jackets just in case :)
I know a few good photographers who just use plastic kitchen-size garbage bags for rain covers. They seem to work fine. It could EASILY be raining during your stay. If it is, head straight for Oneonta to get the water dripping off the side walls.
As for chest waders, you won't be putting them through much stress. The worst part is climbing over the logjam getting into Oneonta. Ken Smith posted a photo of me and John Williams climbing over the jam here
Well they pretty much covered my favorites. Work that list and you'll be happy! For hiking, dry bags/plastic bags/rain covers all work. For shooting, I much prefer an umbrella.
Thanks John, will definitely keep some plastic bags and an umbrella handy!
Posted by Greg Vaughn on June 14, 2013 at 12:37 PM
I am pretty much in agreement with all the others have suggested above. By late June the chest waders might still be a good idea at Oneonta Gorge, but you probably don't need to haul them up to Punchbowl. An extra pair of shoes or water sandals plus shorts or zip-off pants should do there. I was at Punchbowl at the end of May and it was possible to wade out to less than knee deep to get the classic shot from the creek through the notch and up to the falls.
A step up from plastic bags for camera/lens protection in inclement weather are the Op/Tech Rainsleeves (http://optechusa.com/rainsleeve.html). Quite inexpensive and take up little room in the camera backpack. I believe they stock them at ProPhotoSupply in Portland if you want to pick up a pack locally. http://www.prophotosupply.com/.
On question #2: all trails should be open at all times. The only closures would be in case of something like a recent rock slide.
Question #1: if you have overcast/cloudy days, it won't make much difference if you are there am or pm. As your dates are immediately after the summer solstice, the sun will be at it's furthest north as it traverses the sky, so mid-day on sunny days might not work, but early or late should still be okay as most of the falls are shaded at those times.
#4: you probably know this already, but: sturdy tripod, cable or electronic remote release, polarizing filter + ND filter to get shutter speeds slow enough for smooth water (assuming you like that effect), chamois cloth or similar to wipe spray from lenses/filters.
Besides camera gear, I recommend mosquito repellant (or the clothing that has repellant built in), and a light shell jacket - even in summer it can be remarkably cool standing next to waterfalls for extended periods.
Discussion
9 repliesI'll be visiting Oregon in June, between the 22nd and 29th. I wanted to get some info on the Columbia River Gorge, which is high on my places to shoot:
1) I've got the guide book and the hiking trails book for the Gorge. However, I wanted to know some specifics. Are there certain waterfalls better seen in the morning or in the late evening?
2)Are there accessibility issues for some trails, i.e, are they closed during certain times?
3)Do you guys have some recommendations for waders? I figured most of the nice views require you to be in the water
4)Any general tips?
Finally would some of you locals be interested in meeting for a shoot at the Gorge?
Thanks!
Sairam
As for time of day, in my opinion, all are best shot under overcast skies. Most face north so the biggest risk is a bright sun peaking over the top. Oneonta is probably best in mid morning before 10:00. I was there too late in the morning and the sun made the light too harsh. Earlier and you might capture some beams coming at an angle from the top highlighting the mist while the green moss and ferns are still well saturated.
I would love to join you but I don't think I will be able to. Good luck and good light!
High noon is the hardest time to shoot, so pre 10::00 and post 3:00 or on a day with what we dall a marine layer of clouds is apt to be best. I don't think any of these trails are closed this year, but if they are, there will be a posting at the trail head.
I might be able to get out and join you between June 24 and 26, so let me know if you are in the gorge then and still open to company.
Well, I did some research and these places are high on my list : Elowah, Wahclella, Multnomah, Punchbowl, Fairy, Metlako, Ponytail, Upper Bridalveil, and Wahkeena falls and Oneonta gorge.
Marylynne, Ofcourse! I'd love to shoot with you at the Gorge between 24th and 26th. I will be spending most of the time I'm there to shoot the Gorge. It's been on my wishlist for way too long. Perhaps we could start a separate email conversation for this?
Apart from the Gorge, I plan to visit both Trillium Lake and Cannon Beach.
Do I need to get any water proof covers for my camera? I do plan to bring a raincoat and some jackets just in case :)
Thanks for the info guys. Much Appreciated :)
Sairam
As for chest waders, you won't be putting them through much stress. The worst part is climbing over the logjam getting into Oneonta. Ken Smith posted a photo of me and John Williams climbing over the jam here
A step up from plastic bags for camera/lens protection in inclement weather are the Op/Tech Rainsleeves (http://optechusa.com/rainsleeve.html). Quite inexpensive and take up little room in the camera backpack. I believe they stock them at ProPhotoSupply in Portland if you want to pick up a pack locally. http://www.prophotosupply.com/.
On question #2: all trails should be open at all times. The only closures would be in case of something like a recent rock slide.
Question #1: if you have overcast/cloudy days, it won't make much difference if you are there am or pm. As your dates are immediately after the summer solstice, the sun will be at it's furthest north as it traverses the sky, so mid-day on sunny days might not work, but early or late should still be okay as most of the falls are shaded at those times.
#4: you probably know this already, but: sturdy tripod, cable or electronic remote release, polarizing filter + ND filter to get shutter speeds slow enough for smooth water (assuming you like that effect), chamois cloth or similar to wipe spray from lenses/filters.
Besides camera gear, I recommend mosquito repellant (or the clothing that has repellant built in), and a light shell jacket - even in summer it can be remarkably cool standing next to waterfalls for extended periods.