Category: Photo of the Week

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Roosevelt Elk

A roosevelt elk grazes with its herd in Northern California
A roosevelt elk grazes with its herd in Northern California

Roosevelt Elk are the largest of the remaining four subspecies of elk in North America. I photographed these elk in northern California, just south of Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. They travel in a herd of about 30-40, and can usually be seen grazing or lazing about on either side of highway 101 in the mornings and evenings. I have seen them about 50% of the times I pass through that area, and it is always worth a quick stop to photograph them.

A roosevelt elk grazes with its herd in Northern California
A roosevelt elk grazes with its herd in Northern California

The herd is mostly made up of females and calves, but there are a few young bulls sprinkled here and there. This male kept pretty far away from the dirt road from which I was photographing, but occasionally he emerged from the brush to give me some clear views.

A roosevelt elk grazes with its herd in Northern California
A roosevelt elk grazes with its herd in Northern California

As with any wild animal, photographing them takes special care and etiquette. Especially with large mammals, keeping your distance and being extremely vigilant around them is of utmost importance, both for your safety and theirs. Using a long lens is a necessity in order to stay far enough away so that they don’t get agitated. I’ve seen too many tourists approaching with small point and shoot cameras, trying to get close enough to get a reasonable shot. In these cases, it is much better to just admire them from a distance, and if you must have a photo, go buy a postcard from a local merchant!

A roosevelt elk grazes with its herd in Northern California
A roosevelt elk grazes with its herd in Northern California

In a world of ever encroaching human presence, it is a joy to see a large herd like this living fairly undisturbed. Next time you are planning a road trip, do some research before hand and look for any wildlife viewing areas along your route. You never know when you might be treated to a personal experience with large wild animals.

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A Broken Down Treasure Trove

On a spring trip to Oregon to shoot the coast, my friend Dan and I were met with gray, overcast days, limiting the dynamic light in which I usually enjoy shooting landscapes. Still wanting to get in lots of time behind the camera, and keep exploring the area, we chose to go for some interesting macro opportunities. We heard word of a nearby boat repair yard and headed to Charleston, Oregon to check it out.

Weathered wood shows a variety of texture on aging boats
Weathered wood shows a variety of texture on aging boats

Upon arrival, I was happy to see a wide variety of boats and parts in various stages of repair or lack thereof. There were many textures and subjects to choose from, which I quickly set about exploring with my 100mm macro lens.

An old weathered bumper hangs off the side of a paint-peeling boat
An old weathered bumper hangs off the side of a paint-peeling boat

Before pulling out our cameras however, we found someone who works in the yard in order to get permission to shoot. It is important to always be respectful to people you are around, and do your part to represent photographers well. In addition, any time I am shooting on private property, I want to make sure I have permission to be there. The added bonus of asking for permission was that we got plenty of local knowledge of what else was interesting to shoot in the area, and met a really nice guy.

Steaks of paint form patterns along the front bow of a boat
Steaks of paint form patterns along the front bow of a boat

As I made my way through the repair yard, I came across what I found to be the most interesting single item, a Trackson Company logging tractor.

Ancient logging machinery rusts in the damp weather of Charleston Oregon
Ancient logging machinery rusts in the damp weather of Charleston Oregon

While I couldn’t find details on this specific model, Trackson Company was founded in 1922 in Milwaukee Wisconsin. They made a variety of excavators and formed a partnership with Caterpillar. This particular machine was obviously made for the logging industry, and it looked very old and was covered in rust.

A frayed rope lies against dark rusted metal in a boat repair yard
A frayed rope lies against dark rusted metal in a boat repair yard

This logging tractor provided many different framing opportunities.

Ancient logging machinery rusts in the damp weather of Charleston Oregon
Ancient logging machinery rusts in the damp weather of Charleston Oregon
Ancient logging machinery rusts in the damp weather of Charleston Oregon
Ancient logging machinery rusts in the damp weather of Charleston Oregon

On the other side, a small plant was growing through the wheel. Here I was able to show a nice bit of nature verses machinery contrast.

Ancient logging machinery rusts in the damp weather of Charleston Oregon
Ancient logging machinery rusts in the damp weather of Charleston Oregon

Finally, the tracks themselves were interesting with all the rust that had built up over the years. Here I created a balanced image emphasizing the symmetry of the tracks. A smaller aperture of f/5.6 let the detail of the rust disappear into obscurity.

Ancient logging machinery rusts in the damp weather of Charleston Oregon
Ancient logging machinery rusts in the damp weather of Charleston Oregon

Eventually we worked our way around the yard and it was time to go. But we were very happy with our decision to change focus for the afternoon due to weather conditions. With all photography, it is always beneficial to be flexible and creative.

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Cape Blanco Lighthouse

Cape Blanco Lighthouse stands on a point that juts out a half mile into the ocean. Its light can be seen up to 23 miles out to sea.
Cape Blanco Lighthouse stands on a point that juts out a half mile into the ocean. Its light can be seen up to 23 miles out to sea.

Cape Blanco Lighthouse stands on a piece of land that juts out into the Pacific Ocean one half of a mile, making it the western most lighthouse in Oregon. Erected in 1870, it is the oldest continually operated lighthouse in the state as well. In order to save money in construction cost, two kilns were erected on site to provide the bricks needed for the lighthouse and other structures.

The stairway up the lighthouse tower circles within a brick structure
The stairway up the lighthouse tower circles within a brick structure

The narrow, winding staircase mimics the logarithmic spiral of the golden rectangle when viewed from above. How could I not capture a perfect composition with these elements laid out before me?

The fresnel lens at the Cape Blanco Lighthouse is one of the largest and oldest in the nation. It magnifies a small light so that it can be seen up to 23 miles offshore.
The fresnel lens at the Cape Blanco Lighthouse is one of the largest and oldest in the nation. It magnifies a small light so that it can be seen up to 23 miles offshore.

The crown jewel of this lighthouse is not the structure itself, but rather the Fresnel lens it houses. Standing about six feet tall, the rotating lens encircles a small electric light. Before electricity was installed in the light house, this service was provided by a simple candle. Due to the lens’ magnifying power, the light can be seen up to 23 miles off shore.

Cape Blanco Lighthouse stands on a point that juts out a half mile into the ocean. Its light can be seen up to 23 miles out to sea.
Cape Blanco Lighthouse stands on a point that juts out a half mile into the ocean. Its light can be seen up to 23 miles out to sea.

Cape Blanco is a beautiful, tall and elegant lighthouse. If you are ever in the vicinity of the southern Oregon coast, it is well worth a visit.

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Common Murre

A common murre perches atop a rock along a southern Oregon beach
A common murre perches atop a rock along a southern Oregon beach

I photographed this common murre in Oregon on an early spring trip geared toward landscape photography. Although I did bring my wildlife lenses with me, I happened not to have them down on the beach the day I saw this little guy. My longest lens in my bag was a 70-200 on a full frame camera.

The common murre only comes to shore to breed, and this one can be seen in breeding plumage. Once these birds breed, both the male and female molt, rendering them flightless for one to two months. I’m not sure if this one had been through this molting yet, but he seemed quite content just to hang out on his rock.

After seeing this murre standing on a small rock, the first thing I did was creep around to the south to approach him with the sun at my back. This made the bird front lit, which is the typical lighting necessary to create a pleasing bird portrait. Once I had the angle of light correct, I began to creep toward my subject (partially to compensate for my short focal length I had available) in a low crouch. I moved very carefully, only creeping forward a few inches when he was looking away. As usual, I balanced my desire to get as close as possible with the bird’s comfort zone.

After taking several photographs at the distance with which I was comfortable, I backed up slowly the way I had come. It is always better to leave your subject undisturbed than to selfishly stand up after you have your desired shots and risk flushing the bird.

Copyright 2017 Hank Christensen