The Palouse is a farming region in the northwestern United States, stretching across southeastern Washington, north-central Idaho and, by some definitions, part of northeastern Oregon. Its endless rolling hills, blanketed in wheat and other crops, may be the most distinctive countryside in America.
What makes the Palouse so beloved by photographers is how it changes with the seasons and the light. In late spring and early summer, the hills glow a vivid green. By mid to late summer, they turn to gold as harvest approaches. Early morning and late evening sunlight rakes across the slopes, carving soft curves of light and shadow that look almost like waves on a sea of fields. For a sweeping view, many photographers head to Steptoe Butte, which rises high above the surrounding farmland.
A Last-Minute Trip
I came here with my friend Harry Feng on a spur-of-the-moment trip. The good news: every spot we wanted to shoot was easy to reach by car. The catch: you need the right lens. Most rolling-hill compositions call for a telephoto in the 100–200mm range, which lets you isolate the patterns and layers of the hills and compress them into those dreamy, flowing lines.
Here are some of my favorite images from the trip:
