May 2013

I have just returned from an 11-day trip up and around (literally) the state of Oregon. I’ve been to the state many times over the years, but not as much as I would have liked in the last few years. I need to remedy that situation, as Oregon is one of the absolute best states in which to photograph in. I know that I will probably come off sounding like a public relations piece for the Oregon Tourism. But seriously, Oregon delivers. Can there be a more diverse state in the union? Choose from ocean, mountains, rainforest and desert all in one medium-sized state. There are hundreds of miles of rugged coastline where sea stacks jut out from the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean. I went back to one of my favorite spots in Cannon Beach and finally captured the iconic Haystack Rock and Ecola State Park with some very worthy new images. Lucky for me, my visit to the coast coincided with the edge of a passing weather front (always a good thing) and I had very dramatic clouds and lighting. The shot of Haystack Rock was literally 45 seconds of great sunrise light bursting through a hole on the clouds before the next band of showers hit. Being ready, persistent and in proper preparation combined with a little lucky timing cumulates in great images. Inland lies majestic snow capped mountains of the Cascade Mountains where numerous lakes can yield stunning reflections. Those high mountains block a lot of rainfall heading eastward creating a rainforest environment where shades of green dominate and lush moss covers the forest while waterfalls drop gracefully from rocky ledges. My photography workshop students and I found a treasure trove of pleasing images to shoot. In Oregon’s valleys there are covered bridges, fruit orchards and colorful wildflowers blooming. In the drier rain shadow of the Cascades there are unique areas such the Painted Hills where the multi colored bands of ancient sediment can come alive under the right lighting conditions. I finally ended my Oregon adventure in the sparsely populated northeastern corner of the state where stately old barns sit pretty under the snow capped Wallowa Mountains. There’s plenty more, I am planning on going back in mid-October for autumn colors. I’ll most likely come back sounding like a travel guide again. It’s hard to hold back when you are enthusiastic about your craft. I tend to enthusiastically tout most of the places I end up going. I guess. I like my job!

A sampling of new images from Oregon;

http://www.agpix.com/platform2/AGPix_chaney/

While I was in Oregon, I had the opportunity to try out Canons flagship camera body, the 1DX. I put it to the test shooting fast moving mountain biking and wind surfing action. Wow, 12 frames per second and lightning fast auto-focus really helps nail the hard-to-get shots. On the downside, the camera is a bit on the heavy side and then there is the $6800 price tag. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

My new Montana and birding images;

http://www.agpix.com/platform3/AGPix_chaney/

My new coffee table book, “North Dakota Unforgettable” is now out. I was very pleased by the quality of the printing and the book really looks stunning! I think you will be surprised by the amount of cool spots there are in North Dakota. Perhaps the book will inspire you to visit sometime, if not then it is simply a collection of images that are very pleasing to the eye. I put a lot of work (and many early wake up calls) into the making of the book. I have copies in stock at my office and I would be glad to sign and personalize your copy. Please order one today on my store page.

Next up;

It’s time to head down to the Mission Valley of Montana, which is always special in May. Kayaking to Wild Horse Island on Flathead Lake where spring wildflowers will be abundant.

I’ll be heading to San Francisco and the northern California coast for the 2^nd workshop the year in a couple of weeks. There are still openings for the Missouri river canoe trip in June and both autumn classes in the UP of Michigan and Zion National Park in Utah. I’ll guide you to amazing places, we’ll have a good time and you’ll become a better photographer.

New covers! I got the Montana "double" this month with both Montana Magazine and Montana Outdoors!

If you haven’t done so already, please click on the “like” button on my homepage, that way you can follow the latest news and view my new images first on my Facebook photography page.

My website has undergone some really Big changes. The site now features a portfolios page where you can view the “best of the best” images at a much larger size. I feel it will make searching for the right image for your next project or enjoyment easier. You will enjoy the viewing! There is a link to the page from the homepage or you can go directly to the site here, http://portfolios.chuckhaney.com/

For a more refined search, you can still log onto the searchable stock page where there are over 13,000 images on file.