Elk Cove is a lesser traveled area on Mount Hood. An area of very small meadows that boasts very big views of the glaciated north face.


After my move to Seattle last year, returning home to Mt. Hood is the best kind of nostalgia. While backpacking in to this point isn't the most relaxing stroll through the woods I've ever had (mosquitos and scorching sunlight), I'm always rewarded with secluded camping, amazing views, and good memories.


I lead workshops to Elk Cove... and to pretty much any beautiful place you would like to see. I also teach my photoshop workflow online or in person. For info, or to just see more of my images, visit my website!

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This is the ever-popular Reynolds Mountain high up on Logan Pass in Glacier National Park. I actually didn't intend to shoot this scene, having photographed it dozens of times already over the years. But since it was coming up on the last day of a long trip with 40+ miles hiked already and severe achilles tendonitis, I decided to lay off the longer hiking for the day and take the quick jaunt out to this little (VERY little) meadow. I had already had bear scares, an evening of shooting where I got over 50 mosquito bites, and seen some backcountry I had yet to visit in previous years... so I took this as more of a "night off" shoot.


Well, my night off went from clear blue skies to some of the most dramatic thunderstorm lighting I have ever seen in about 45 minutes. The light was absolutely insane. I was with a non-photographer friend at the time, who wasn't thrilled with the extremely close crashes of lightning, the howling wind, or the rain. So I did what any friend would do... I told him to quit being a little girl and to hold his Dora The Explorer umbrella over my camera to shield from wind and rain while I worked! Damn, some people can be selfish.


I'm kidding, he's pretty rugged and will probably kick my ass for saying that. He was actually kind enough to offer to hold his Dora The Explorer umbrella over my gear and held me while I cried from the lightning strikes.


This is a pretty standard shot here. Nothing groundbreaking. But these Glacier Lillies are small. REAL small. I was as close to them as my camera would allow me to get. Even still, I did some warping of the flowers to get them to appear a little bit larger. I also blended for focus, dynamic range, and low/high ISO's to get unblurred flowers.


Anyways, like everyone else in this crowded nature photography scene, I lead workshops, I teach processing instruction in person or worldwide via Skype or Google Hangout screen sharing, and have a website with images, workshop info, prints, and yadda, yadda, yadda.

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The night skies in rural Africa are some of the best I’ve ever seen. Spotting galaxies with the naked is eye is a luxury we don’t really get back home.
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Learn how I edit my images at WWW.RYANDYAR.COM or the link in my bio! 👍

Tags:   tree desert Ryan dyar magellanic galaxies galaxy milky way astro night deadvlei africa Namibia

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Waves crashing upwards of 30 meters on a sandstone cove on a small cape on the Oregon coast at sunset. This image was shot in 2009, before I vowed to never step into this spot ever again. Several people had died due to slipping on the slick rock and falling into the ocean with no means for escape… one occurrence while I was in the area trying to make stupid pictures one evening. As a husband, father, and a dude who genuinely has a phobia of the ocean, I just can’t bring myself to risk it.

Anyway, on a completely unrelated note, I just released a new processing tutorial on www.ryandyar.com if you’re into that type of thing.

Tags:   Oregon coast sunset sandstone ocean sea water seascape Ryan dyar northwest Pacific Northwest rock cove cape

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In the 15 years that I’ve been chasing light and weather, this is the only time I had ever seen lightning at sunrise. It was awesome to experience with a camera, some great friends, and amazing scenery of spring wildflowers and the volcano Mt. St. Helens.

BTW, if you’re interested in learning how I create my images, you can head to www.ryandyar.com to learn a few new things. ¡Ahora con subtítulos en Español!

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