Photographing Oregon
A guide to the natural landmarks of Oregon
Photographing Oregon received the Benjamin Franklin Award for best travel book for 2009 from the Independent Book Publishers Association.
Photographing Oregon is an exceptional photography / travel guide. It has twelve score color photographs beautifully decorating three hundred pages of clearly written text. Greg Vaughn has been Photographing Oregon for over 30 years and this book is the by product of his dedicated research. I see this work it as a gift to other photographers.
Photographing Oregon reveals a multitude of places across Oregon. Some locations in the Cascade Mountains are only accessible in the summer, others are reachable year around. The guide tells you when to arrive and details directions to a number of places where excellent photographs can be taken. For example, I hiked the beautiful Smith Rock state park one day on the advise of this book. Afterward, I read sunset is the best time to shoot the Painted Hills. I got to two wonderful photography locations in a single day.
Greg Vaughn's is a superb travel guide. I always have it when I camp in Southern Washington. When we go to the Oregon coast for a weekend this book describes attractions in Oregon's costal cities, it lets you know where the best waves are and where the best caves are, and the best seastacks, and trees, and covered bridges ... The Ratings Chart in the back of the book is a real time saver. It would take years of searching and sight seeing to find these locations. I suspect I'll spend years traveling to these locations for landscape opportunities. The author also recommends "Benchmark Maps Oregon Road and Recreation Atlas" and the "Benchmark Oregon Recreation Map".
I love the remarks that explain how to photograph tide pools. I haven't gotten it right yet, but I'll keep practicing. I also appreciate the advise on lens selection and composition. Greg Vaughn has an artist's eye and a professional's understanding of how to get into the best light.
The book is well organized.
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Photo Advice
Chapter 3 Northern Oregon Coast
Chapter 4 Southern Oregon Coast
Chapter 5 Southwest Oregon
Chapter 6 Southern Oregon Cascades
Chapter 7 Willamette Valley & Portland
Chapter 8 Columbia River Gorge & Hoot River Valley
Chapter 9 Norther Oregon Cascades
Chapter 10 Central Western Cascades
Chapter 11 Central Oregon
Chapter 12 Southern Oregon
Chapter 13 Northern Oregon
Appendix
Ratings
Index
Here are a few examples of the places described in this excellent book.
Please take a look at my gallery.