Central Oregon is one of the great wonders on the Pacific North West. It has vastly diverse landscapes ranging from Emerald waterfalls in enchanted forests to colorful hills in the desert. Located inland, Central Oregon gets much less visitation and is much more peaceful to photograph than the coast.

On the first day of the trip we headed east from Sisters Oregon to photograph a small mountain scene that seemingly comes out of nowhere. We worked the scene through the morning light and then hit up some abandoned cars on our drive back to the hotel. For the second portion of the trip we headed up the McKenzie Pass to photograph an observatory made of lava rock and a beautiful mountain lake for sunset.

On the second morning we went to one of the most beautiful lakes in the region and we were greeted with incredible reflections of the distant mountains. We once again worked the scene and waited for direct light to fall onto the landscape before heading into town for some coffee and pastries. After the break we headed east to photograph the incredible abstract textures in the prehistoric fossil beds.

On day three we went to two of my favorite waterfalls in the U.S.A. The falls are surrounded by lush green foliage and the water is tinted a beautiful blue hue from minerals. We worked the falls from a variety of angles before heading over to shoot some still life scenes at a historic blacksmith shop and ranger station. After our mid-day break, I conducted a post processing session to show folks a few different editing tips and tricks. For sunset we returned to one of the previous lakes to try our hand at another chance for good sunset light.

For the last shoot of the trip, I took the group to another lake where we were greeted with a fantastic display of backlit fog for sunrise. After sunrise we headed back to the lodge and parted ways. I can’t wait for next years trip!

Until next time,

Mike and the rest of the Aperture Academy team!

P.S. If you'd like to join us at one of our workshops, you can find the schedule/sign up here.

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