Tipsoo Lake, Mt. Rainier National Park · Leica Q
This is the scene that called me from San Francisco to the Seattle area, and the reason I made my home here. It was the most romantic, poetic moment I have ever known behind a camera.
A Morning Dream
Imagine being wrapped in total silence. All you see are green meadows, the first blush of red on the clouds and a snow-capped mountain glowing above the trees. The air carries the sweet fragrance of grass and wildflowers.
Then, all of a sudden, you hear it: the soft rhythm of water parting. Crisp and clear, yet far away at first, then closer, and closer still. You know something gentle is coming, like a little angel.
I turned my eyes to the left, and there they were: two young deer, walking gracefully through the shallows on their morning stroll. With my trusty Leica Q, I pressed the shutter quietly. One, two, three. Perfect moments, captured.
It lasted only a few precious minutes. It felt like a morning dream, so surreal I almost wondered whether it had really happened.
Today, this photograph hangs on my dining room wall, and I relive that morning every time I sit down to eat. It also marked the beginning of a new chapter: moving to the Seattle area started my love of hiking and outdoor adventure.
Three Years Ago Today
Exactly three years ago today, on August 9, I stood at this very spot during a photography workshop that changed my photography forever. For almost ten years I thought I knew photography. That workshop showed me how much I didn’t. For the first time, I understood the deeper meaning of capturing the light.
I spent that whole night, apart from a couple of hours of sleep, learning night photography. The photo below is one I took on August 9, 2014. Compare it with this morning’s image and you can see how my color style has evolved, from deep saturation to something softer and more subdued.
A Landscape Photographer’s Heaven
The mountain in the background is Mt. Rainier, mirrored in the calm water of Tipsoo Lake. This corner of Mt. Rainier National Park is a landscape photographer’s heaven. Everything is close together and easy to reach, so you can spend less time hiking and more time waiting for the light.
The best time to visit is August, when the snow has melted, the meadows are alive with wildflowers, and on a quiet morning, you might just share the shore with a pair of deer.
- Aperture: ƒ/8
- Camera: LEICA Q (Typ 116)
- Focal length: 28mm
- ISO: 200
- Shutter speed: 1/160s
