The bridge over Frying Pan Creek can be a popular spot for people to stop along the way to the Sunrise Visitors Center at Mount Rainier National Park. But since the big open views of the mountain are further up the road (and many times the parking lot is full during peak times), many probably drive on by the views of this beautiful forested valley.
Due to my schedule on this day last June, I wasn’t able to arrive at this location until late morning, well after any potential golden light. Later in the evening, this area would be in the dark shadows of Mount Rainier and the surrounding ridges.
Because of the hard light of mid-day combined with a high contrast scene (white snow on the mountain ridge; dark shadows of the forest; many gray values in between), I chose to develop this image as a black and white photograph.
The light shades of gray along the bed of the creek lead the eye up to the sunlit forested slopes of the partially snow-covered Cowlitz Chimneys, standing tall under partly cloudy skies.
EXIF: Nikon Z7, Nikkor 80-200 mm ƒ2.8 lens, ISO 64, 80 mm, ƒ8.0, 1/160 second.
Purchase Print
