I am very excited to release this new fine art print of Central Oregon’s stunning Smith Rock State Park this Friday, 2/1/2013 , during Art Walk in Downtown Bend, Oregon. Smith Rock is one of the places that make my hometown of Bend an amazing place to live and I’m thrilled with how this print turned out. I’ve been to Smith Rock countless times in the past and it is always a stunning park to visit.
"Pinnacles of Light", Smith Rock State Park
I discovered this composition of Smith Rock several years ago while hiking with a friend. While the scene has always been beautiful, with the Crooked River streaming off into the distance, the rugged basalt walls of the Crooked River Canyon and finally the towering spires of the vertical pinnacles, commonly referred to as “The Monument”. Despite having composed and shot this same scene several times in the past few years, something was always missing. I made a conscience decision to return this past fall in hopes of finding some fall color in the riparian areas along the Crooked River, to add an extra element to the scene. When I returned, I was in luck! Warm shades of gold and patches of vibrant red osier dogwood bushes awaited me but something was still missing. The day was overcast and the scene was too flat. I strategically returned twice more before I lucked into the light I’d envisioned. The Pinnacles of “The Monument” were illuminated by warm morning light drawing the viewer through the steep walled Crooked River Canyon. It was stunning! As always, I was shooting with my 4×5 camera. The delay between shooting the image and the completion of processing was excruciating! When my processed 4×5 transparencies arrived, I felt like my 10 year old daughter, Emma does on Christmas day! I’ve since made a 30×50 inch print of this beautiful high desert image and I’m excited to unveil it this Friday(2/1/2013) at Patagonia of Bend, which is located at 1000 NW Wall Street in downtown Bend. I hope to see some of you there between 5-9 PM.
Thanks for Reading,
Mike
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