As a photographer, if you went to Arches National Park and didn’t see Delicate Arch, you’d have missed a nice experience and a beautiful photo. So when I take groups there, as well as to other iconic locations, I make sure they have that opportunity. However, I also take them to places other people don’t visit as often, because those tend to produce everyone’s favorite photos. Why? Those images are more unique. And that’s a big part of why I think my recent Palouse trips were so enjoyable for the two groups that joined me those weeks.
In the last fifteen years, the Palouse has become a “go-to” location for landscape photographers. An area of fertile, rolling farmland straddling Idaho and Washington, it makes for beautiful images. Unfortunately, most photo tours go to the same spots, over and over, year after year. Some of those locations are great (like the views from Steptoe Butte, above), and should absolutely be visited. But there’s SO much more to see and shoot, if you’re willing to spend a little time exploring.
I’ve got an old friend who was born, raised and lived his entire life in Idaho. Jim’s also a very good photographer who’s traveled around the world. About five years ago, he started bugging me to lead a trip to the Idaho Palouse. As Jim explained it, “Everyone goes to the Washington side, but there are some fantastic locations few photographers have ever seen on the Idaho side.” I’m always looking for new and different places to run workshops, so I visited him in the fall of 2019 to see if he was right. He was. We spent two long days driving back roads on the Idaho side, scouting, and found some great spots. Then COVID hit, and that derailed our plans.
Fast forward to last fall, and I was finally able to start promoting a trip to this area, with Jim as my co-leader. There was so much interest we ended up leading two trips, back-to-back. And while yes, we visited a couple of the iconic locations, most of our time was spent on roads and in areas other photographers visiting the Palouse have probably never been. Not surprisingly, that resulted in some really nice photos.
So if you’re planning a trip to an iconic location (Grand Canyon, Arches, Acadia, the Oregon coast, etc.), make sure and do your research. I bet you’ll find other areas nearby that, while not well known, will make for some great pictures. And don’t be surprised if those end up being your favorite photos from that trip. Here are a few of mine from the Idaho side of the Palouse. And if you’d like to join Jim and me when we lead another photo tour there, drop me a note!
This was a favorite for both of our groups, an abandoned farm that Jim had found on a previous trip. We visited at dusk, and as daylight faded, I used three Lume Cubes to light the scene. And even got lucky on one frame with a shooting star. Nikon Z 9, Manual exposure, Sunny white balance, ISO 3200, 30-seconds at f/5, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 16mm.
We drove by this “bumper crop” and just had to stop. While photographing it, the farmer who owned the land stopped by and invited us up to his house to see (and photography) his collection of old farm equipment. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 64, 1/320 at f/8 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens at 110mm.
Another barn that Jim found on an earlier trip. Having it in shadow and the sky behind fully lit made for a graphic image. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 64, 1/400 at f/8 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens at 54mm.
Jim and I had turned down a gravel road to check out some ponds when we found this scene. And both weeks we returned with our groups, we were rewarded with some great skies. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 64, 1/250 at f/8 in Matrix metering, +0.7 EV, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens at 93mm.
This was out behind a historic old church we visited. I’d brought along my full-spectrum converted camera, and used it occasionally to make infrared black-and-white photos. Nikon Z 6, Aperture Priority, Preset white balance, ISO 100, 1/160 at f/11 in Matrix metering, +1.7 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 19mm.
This was a spot we’d scouted back in 2019 and then returned with our groups because there was a beautiful old barn nearby. But once I saw this combine, I knew it would make a great light painting subject. I used three Lume Cubes and a Lume Panel Pro RGB. Nikon Z 9, Manual exposure, Sunny white balance, ISO 500, 20 at f/5, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 20mm.
Another beautiful church, another opportunity to shoot an infrared black and white. The springtime blossoms on the overhanging limb really made the picture. Nikon Z 6, Aperture Priority, Preset white balance, ISO 100, 1/320 at f/9 in Matrix metering, +1.0 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 30mm.
In 2019, when Jim and I scouted, we found a beautiful old tractor off the side of a road. But when we returned in April this year with our first group, it was gone! So we went to Plan B, lighting a caretaker’s building at a small cemetery. Three Lume Cubes did a nice job of making it stand out. Nikon Z 9, Manual exposure, Sunny white balance, ISO 1250, 10-seconds at f/4.5, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens at 32mm.
Serendipity can be your best friend in photography. This wasn’t a planned stop, but when I saw these horses while on the way to our sunset shoot, I had to stop. Nothing like friendly horses! Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 125, 1/250 at f/5.6 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens at 24mm.
Another of our finds from the scouting trip back in 2019. Jim was able to track down the owner of this abandoned farm and get permission for us to go on the property to shoot. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 160, 1/60 at f/14 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 18mm.
We didn’t always have sunshine, which in cases like this actually helped. The soft light really brought out the colors, much better than if it was brightly lit. Nikon Z 9, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance (I stay in Sunny most of the time, regardless of clouds, rain or snow), ISO 160, 1/100 at f/5.6 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens at 94mm.
Another lucky find, we were driving some gravel roads on our way to an old railroad trestle when we came across this historic schoolhouse. Black-and-white infrared again. Nikon Z 6, Aperture Priority, Preset white balance, ISO 100, 1/125 at f/13 in Matrix metering, +2.3 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 14mm.
Believe it or not, this is a B&B. You can stay in the big dog and have a truly unique experience. Great for photos, too! Nikon Z 6, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 100, 1/640 at f/8 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 14mm.
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Great photos Reed! The time you and Jim put in before the photo trek proved invaluable! Always great treks. Can’t wait for the next one I can join!
Thanks Reed- you excel at seeing the opportunity and beauty.
Thanks Reed. Wonderful images–especially the night photography & infrared. Glad the trip went well!