For me, learning happens in spurts. Call it a growth spurt of the mind. Over the last few weeks I have been spending many hours learning advanced Photoshop techniques to help me process my photos. This gives me better tools to recreate exactly what I saw, and the mood I felt when I took the photograph.
Now, I’m no slouch when it comes to Photoshop, but that application is so deep and allows for so much creativity, there is always more to learn. Once you’ve become expert in all the individual tools Photoshop has to offer, combining them to work for you becomes a life-long practice.
Needing to try out some of the new techniques I was exploring (detailed selections, channel masking, blending modes, etc), I decided to reprocess the photo above, which I took two years ago in Eagle Cap Wilderness. I always loved the photo, but never felt that I achieved that sense of awe that I experienced hiking down East Eagle Creek canyon. My latest reworking of the photo is above – here is the result of my original processing two years ago:
Painted cliffs descend to a mixture of fir and pine along East Eagle Creek, Eagle Cap Wilderness, Oregon
One of the things that I love about digital is that as time goes on, the experience I gain not only impacts my photographs going forward, but can have a positive impact on old photos as well. It can also be seen as a curse – that feeling that you’re never really finished working on a photograph. But I’d rather see my work (even old work) improve over time, and I’m more than willing to put in the time to make that happen.
About a month ago I took a five day backpacking trip, accompanied by my brother and father. We decided to check out Eagle Cap Wilderness, Oregon’s largest National Wilderness area. Our loop took us through a “back door” approach to the very popular Lakes Basin management area of the wilderness, which features dozens of mountain lakes surrounded by towering peaks.
Two backpackers ascend the steep Little Kettle Creek trail to Crater Lake, Eagle Cap Wilderness, Oregon
After a 5.5 hour drive from Portland, we got to the eastern side of Whitman National Forest, at which point we spent another 1.5 hours on unpaved forest service roads. Now I understood why our route was completely devoid of other people. The much more popular route into the Lakes Basin is to leave from Wallowa Lake from the north. After parking, we had a steep climb of 3000 feet in 6 miles. We got to our destination of Crater Lake with just enough daylight to set up camp.
Two backpackers pump water from Crater Lake in the early morning as the surrounding hillside reflects off the lake's surface, Eagle Cap Wilderness, Oregon
The next morning we enjoyed the sunrise, broke camp, and pumped our water for the day. The photo above shows my brother and father getting water from the lake, with the reflection of Krag Peak in the surface of the water. Due to the lack of clouds that morning, the sunrise was rather dull, but the water was so still and clear that it provided very nice reflections. Once we were done, we hiked around the north side of Crater Lake and caught our first view of Cliff Creek Canyon.
Boulders give way to dense forest along Cliff Creek canyon, Eagle Cap Wilderness, Oregon
Cliff Creek flows from an outlet of Crater Lake to the north east, eventually joining the Imnaha River. Cliff Creek Canyon a V-shaped valley interspersed with forest and meadows. I could see the remnants of various wildflowers here, although I think we were catching the tail end of the season. The trail was fairly uneventful, until we reached the Imnaha itself – a much bigger river, in a more impressive valley.
The Imnaha River sweeps through a river valley surrounded by trees, Eagle Cap Wilderness, Oregon
After an easy creek crossing, we wound up the Imnaha River Valley in a northerly direction, following the South Fork of the Imnaha River. Here the landscape exploded with beauty, informing us that everything before was just a prelude. Towering white limestone cliffs greeted us at every turn.
Limestone formations form wave-like patterns underneath towering limestone cliffs, Eagle Cap Wilderness, Oregon
Broad meadows stretched before us, with mountains to each side. Lush grass bloomed with wild flowers, growing near the many tributaries running out of the mountains.
Limestone cliffs tower above the Imnaha River Valley, Eagle Cap Wilderness, Oregon
We hiked on until close to sunset, at which point we found a shaded camp site next to the river. Although the temperature dropped significantly that night, we had a pleasant night sleep listening to the quiet burbling of the water.
To see more, be sure to check out part two of this trip.
