8/14/2023 0 Comments Barn landscape photoIn the spring months of May and June, the rolling hills are mix of green wheat fields, yellow canola fields, and deep brown soil. Texture, color, and shape make this a paradise of sorts for landscape photographers, especially those seeking pattern and abstracts in their images. What makes the Palouse so unique and visually striking is the endless rolling terrain. The Palouse landscape is what photographers flock here for. It’s all about the rolling hills and fields. You can find additional geology information on the Wikipedia Palouse page. The Palouse is truly unique both in geology and fertile farming grounds, and it is now recognized as one of the top places in the United States for photography. The dust bin of last Ice Age was primarily to blame, as winds picked up the fine sediments from glaciers and deposited them in this region, creating a landscape of rolling hills that resemble sand-dunes in shape and size. These gentle rolling hills were formed over tens of thousands of years ago from wind-blown dust and silt, called “loess”. Canola is also grown here, which is easy to identify in the spring due to its vibrant yellow color. In fact, it’s widely recognized as the most productive farmland in America for wheat. The Palouse is an agricultural mecca, primarily producing wheat, legumes, lentils, barley, and chickpeas. Also, Palouse Falls is an extraordinary waterfall that most people have heard of, but it is outside the general boundaries of the Palouse area, and will be covered later as an individual topic. This can cause confusion, so it’s best to clear that up right away. Special Notes: There is a small town in Washington State named Palouse, which is within the boundaries of the general “Palouse area”. From north to south, I would stay between Oakesdale, Washington and Uniontown, Washington. I consider the prime photography range to be from Lacrosse, Washington to the west to Troy, Idaho on the east. Although I’ve heard it covers as much as 5000 square miles, the photogenic area is closer to 3500 square miles. The Palouse is a unique geographic region rich in agriculture that encompasses parts of eastern Washington and northern Idaho. Palouse Photography Maps Links to detailed maps of the backroads How long should I stay? - Recommended number of days needed to photograph the areaīest Time to Visit - My favorite months to photograph the Palouseīest Locations - Specific locations for photo opportunities How do I get around? - Best mode of transportation Where do I stay? - Local hotel and motel recommendations How do I get there? - Travel Information - Airports and Roads What can I photograph? - Photography subjects and ideas Geology of the Palouse - Brief history of how this land was formed Where is the Palouse? - Location Information I hope this article helps you answer the following questions, and please shoot me an e-mail if you have any questions. It’s almost to the point that I can’t get lost on the backroads anymore. Sometimes I will see a photo of an old barn or even a tree, and chuckle since I know exactly where that subject is. I think I’ve been on every dirt road in the county and know many of the twists and turns of the rolling hills by heart. Every season is different, and I always come back with new and fresh images. The Palouse is a short half-day drive from my home near Seattle, and I can’t wait to go back each year. I took up nature photography shortly after college and have spent hundreds of hours since then taking images of this region. Thirty something years later, I still return to the Palouse every year to either visit my sister-in-law, attend alumni events, and to photograph this beautiful landscape. Many of my college friends are from the Palouse area and still live there today. During those college years, I explored the area and all its back roads, state parks, remote towns and bars. What makes me qualified to write a photography field guide to the Palouse? For starters, I grew up in Idaho and spent four years at the University of Idaho which is smack dab in the heart of Palouse country. So, I decided to fill that void and write one myself. I’ve seen a few blogs and online Palouse photography guides, but none that were comprehensive enough to answer detailed questions that photographers have about this region.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |