Magical Sunset at Devil's Churn

Somewhere in Oregon, on the coast, lies a trail that takes you down the cliff to Devil's Churn. I took this on that trail. It feels like Narnia. It feels like Rivendell. With slippery-trail warning signs. Because Oregon.

Disgraced Superhero

The flies were thick at the county fair this year, so several horses wore these protective suits. This one--I call him... Nighthoof--had a dramatic blue pattern and a wistful gaze, as if his archnemesis had finally managed to convince the corrupt officials that the latest rise in criminal activity was actually the hero's fault somehow. Now he languishes in horse jail, itching for the chance to prove his innocence and dispense justice upon his enemies with his hooves of lawful goodness.

Redleaf Flare

Camera chose to focus on the flare instead of the leaf. I like it.

Raining Sunlight

A sprinkler at the edge of the high school track shoots into the trees in front of the sun, forcing an atmospheric lens flare effect that would otherwise be nearly invisible.

A Flare for the Historic

Lens flare goes violet in front of this historic old cabin just down the road from my house. Boarded up and uninhabited, its wood is nonetheless gloriously heterogenous in color. Love all the textures in here, too.

Human Effort

One of my favorite pix. Taken on the get-in-free-with-a-donation-of-nonperishable-food day at the local corn maze. It was crowded with hundreds of people and the dust was over an inch thick on the path from all the tracking and backtracking. The air was positively Dust Bowl-esque. My son and I were inside for an hour and a quarter. Toward the end, a path led directly toward the sun. Like the herd animals humans are, we strangers crowded together and followed each other's leads to dead ends and misleading corners, trusting each other's instincts until we triumphantly found the way out.

Serve

You had one job, Christians. Put down the misspelled hate signs and get back to it. I'm ashamed of you.

Corny Before It Was Cool

Unpicked corn tips its stalk down in a corn maze. While the kernels wither and desiccate, the silk takes on the color and texture of hipster beard.

A Ton of Bricks

The old bricks from the WWU front walkway to the ad building, stacked under a tree in early autumn. I love the textural and coloration differences.

Book of Paper Leaves

Peeling birch bark at the park on a gorgeous early autumn day. These many layers were basically pinned in place by a knot in the bark that kept them from sloughing off.

Berry Patch

Volunteer blackberry plant in my backyard. Can you smell the cobbler? I can.

Albany Gothic

In the spirit of Halloween, here's a spooky church picture. Mwa ha ha haaaa! This is Whitespires, a church in Albany, Oregon, constructed in 1891 in the Carpenter Gothic style. I applied the Anguish filter (how very Halloween) after some other tweaking, and this gorgeous, creepy image is the result.

Bee on the Sun

This bee was so generous and patient with me, letting me paparazzi the hell out of her while she was just doing her job. I took like two dozen pictures of her. This is my favorite.

Piano Wired

The old, beaten up grand piano still boasts its gorgeous red felt. Hammers in the distance promise a softer control that masks the wires' tension.

Balloon Ribbon Knots

Tied onto an old green farm gate, these bright balloons make a lovely rainbow of happiness.

Autumn Vine

Taken up the street on a neighbor's retaining wall. This single trailing vine turning absolutely crimson for autumn was an irresistible image. I had to have it.