Enhancing design with natural forms, open space, and uncommon light from the Pacific Northwest
Though I've enjoyed photography since my youth, it wasn't until years later that I discovered photographs could inspire in a dynamic way. Maybe a better term than "inspire" is "invite." Visiting an outdoor store, I passed by some large and vivid photographs of climbing expeditions. The realities behind those pictures awakened my spirit and invited me to step out. Over the next several years I undertook adventures that included solo climbing the three highest peaks of the Olympic Mountains and team climbing the four highest peaks of the Washington Cascades. None of this would have happened without the quiet and fearless invitation in those far-flung images.
Deer Ridge, Gray Wolf Ridge, Olympic Mountains
Mt. Angeles and West Klahane Ridge, Olympic Mountains
North Ridge, Mt. Angeles, Olympic National Park
Deer Ridge, Olympic Mountains
Mt. Olympus and Mt. Tom over forested ridges
Charlia Pass, Cloudy Peak, Desperation Peak, Inner Constance, Olympic Mountains
Sentinal Rock (foreground) and Warrior Peak, Charlie Pass, Olympic Mountains.
Eagle Point (foreground), Hurricane Ridge & Grand Ridge (background)
Aptly named Eagle Peak, Hurricane Ridge high point, Olympic Mountains
Upper Blue Glacier, Mt. Olympus
Gray Wolf Ridge (Olympics) and Glacier Peak (Cascades) at sunrise.
Mt. Baldy & Gray Wolf Peak, Olympic Mountains
First Top, Second Top, Mt. Angeles
Klahane Ridge, Olympic Mountains
Mt. Angeles, Olympic Mountains
Rocky Peak & Mt. Angeles summits, Klahane Ridge, Olympic Mountains
Sunset over Baldy Ridge & Pryamid Peak. While the rest of the sky was clear, the western horizon continued to gather color and texture.
Sourdough Ridge, Mt. Olympus, Olympic Mountains
Eagle Point, Hurricane Ridge, Olympic Mountains, and the light of Jupiter
Lake Crescent, West End, Olympic Peninsula
High point of the Gray Wolf ridge, the last cloud-holding ridge of the Olympic Mountains for north-bound weather systems moving toward the Sequim area.
Copper Creek Valley, Buckhorn Mountain
Deer Ridge, Olympic Mountains
Mt. Angeles, Olympic Mountains
Copper River Valley and Buckhorn Mountain, Olympic Mountains
Mt. Baldy & Gray Wolf Peak from Deer Park, Olympic Mountains
Gray Wolf Ridge, Tyler Peak, Olympic Mountains.
In response to a guide book that terms the Gray Wolf Ridge “barren.”
Original Tubal Cain Mine. Far distant background: Gray Wolf Ridge
Lake Angeles, Olympic National Park
Grand Ridge (foreground) and Klahane Ridge, Olympic Mountains
Upper Dungeness River Valley, Buckhorn Mountain, Mt. Mystery
Mountains over Grand Valley, Olympic National Park
Mt. Cary, Olympic Mountains
Lillian Valley, Elwha Valley, Olympic Mountains
Hurricane Ridge, Olympic Mountains
Rocky Peak, Olympic Mountains
Mt. Olympus from Hurricane Ridge
Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, Hurricane Ridge
Eagle Point, Mt. Angeles, Olympic Mountains
Second Top & Mt. Angeles, Olympic Mountains
Klahane Ridge, Mt. Angeles
Second Top & Mt. Angeles, Olympic Mountains
Blue Glacier, Mt. Olympus
Burnt Mountain, Klahane Ridge, Olympic Mountains
East Gray Wolf Ridge, Olympic Mountains
Blue Glacier Icefall, Mt. Olympus summit (background)
Pyramid Peak (distant), Mt. Storm King, Happy Lake Ridge, Hurricane Rige (foreground)
Lake Crescent, Mt. Storm King, Baldy Ridge, Happy Lake Ridge (distant).
This view roughly looks back from a lower elevation at the previous photograph’s perspective.
North Cascades, Washington
There isn't a more unassuming way to travel than through a forest. Forests don't merit summit posts in blogs or trip reports. They don't offer unobstructed views that can untangle our spirits. But they offer special familiarity and intimacy. On a forest trail below our driveway, my wife and I have given names to its landmarks, like fishermen do with rivers. "High Point," "Big Bend," "Owl Grove" are clear in our imagination when we converse about where we we'll walk our dog that day. A special evening light in spring and summer crosses the second growth trees in a place of the trail communicating to me the beauty, wealth and resilience of resources in the earth.
Little River Trail, Olympic Mountains
Upper Elwha River Valley
Marymere Falls, Olympic National Park
Western Cedar, Barnes Creek, Olympic National Park
Dogwood flower on the rugged Upper Lena Lake trail, Olympic mountains
Sword fern, Maidenhair fern, Hoh River Valley
Glines Canyon, Elwha River
Rica Canyon, Elwha River
Elwha River, Olympic National Park
Elwha River at Goblin’s Gate, entrance to Rica Canyon
Glines Canyon, south entrance, Elwha River
Upper Morse Creek, North Olympic Peninsula
Low water, Morse Creek Canyon
Morse Creek Falls, North Olympic Peninsula
Glacier erratics up South Branch, Little River, Olympic National Park
Upper Dungeness River, Buckhorn Wilderness, Washington
Upper Ennis Creek, Olympic National Park
American Dipper, Queets River, Olympic Peninsula
Elwha Valley, Olympic National Park
South Branch Little River, Olympic Mountains
Lyre River, North Olympic Peninsula
Elwha River Vally
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is very different from Puget Sound, where I grew up. The Strait doesn't have the plethora of islands, harbors and deep inlets that frequent the Sound. Compared to Puget Sound, the Strait can appear one-dimensional and inhospitable, particularly on windy days. But once on its waters, the Strait takes on a different character. On calmer days, several hours on the Strait takes one across a diversity of wave sizes and textures. Its spacious rollers make dreamy countermovement in a cruising boat. Whether on or off the water, light in the Strait is special. Being in the shadow of mountains that often block the stream of clouds, the Strait gathers a wide, lingering light through sundown.
Counting colors over Juan de Fuca strait.
The Lyre RIver’s entrance to the Juan de Fuca strait.
Strait of Juan de Fuca
North Olympic Coast, Strait of Juan de Fuca
Lyre River and the Juan de Fuca strait.
Happy Lake Ridge, Baldy Ridge, North Olympic Peninsula Coast
Unforeseen tones of blue after sunset on the Juan de Fuca strait.
Elwha River Spit, Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island
Humpback Whale, Mt Angeles, Unicorn Peak
The haze in the Elwha Valley in is from a forest fire in the upper valley (2016). Summits (left to right): Mt. Fairchild, Mt. Carrie, Mt. Olympus.
Fin Whale, Strait of Juan de Fuca
Klahane Ridge (background)
Near the mouth of the Elwha River, on a clear day, within a corridor about 1/4 mile wide, the summit of Mt. Olympus can be seen from a shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca . Mt. Olympus is the glacier-covered peak in the distance off the west (right) shoulder of the more prominent Mt. Carrie.
Elwha River and the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Rhinocerous Auklet, Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca
Unexpectedly, I discovered the accessibility and navigability of the ocean's open water. Venturing with my son from Neah Bay on fishing excursions for salmon soon led us to the Pacific Ocean. When he left home for college, I retraced those waters in search of birds and whales.
Shi Shi Beach, Washington coast
Shi Shi Beach, Washington Coast
Steller Sea Lions, Tatoosh Island, Washington Coast
Cape Flattery and Tatoosh Island, Washington Coast
Washington Coast
Washington Coast
Birds are natural saluteers. With their charisma, color, and songfulness they bring people to meadows, streamsides, beaches or simply move them to look unexpectedly out their windows. Because of their ability to fly, they always have the option to flee, yet so often they don’t. They make use of our structures for perches and nests that can be charming, intrusive, or comical. The blessing of birds is to bring us the gift of the wide-awake, bountiful natural world. Mammals are more like us, laden with bodies unable to fly. There is a solidity and fittedness to environment in wild mammals that is easier to identify with as mammalians. Except for migratory sea mammals like whales and sea lions, most mammals don’t travel great distances. They move locally and therefore stealthily, qualities familiar to us. Birds and animals can moreover be iconic to an individual person. A species can mysteriously summon an individual’s connection to themselves in a fresh way. My images recognize this possibility with compositions that include open space for the viewer’s participation.
Field of daisies and buttercups, North Olympic Peninsula
Great Blue Heron, Port Angeles Harbor
Common Loon, Port Angeles Harbor
Common Murres, Strait of Juan de Fuca
Bald Eagle, Whidbey Island
Blue Heron on fallen Madrona, Puget Sound
Flowers of a big-leaf maple, before the tree’s leafing.
Orchard tree, Olympic Peninsula
Orchard tree, Olympic Peninsula
Orchard tree, Olympic Peninsula
Note: the hummingbirds on this page can be purchased as a set of 2, 3, or 4. A set of 4 square photographs arranged in a wider square can make an attractive layout.
Fucshia flower, Olympic Peninsula
Humpback whale and calf, Strait of Juan de Fuca
Common murre and young juvenile, Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca
More whale images can be found in Sound & Strait and Sea & Coast galleries of this website.
Harbor Porpoise, central Strait of Juan de Fuca
Harbor Porpoise, central Strait of Juan de Fuca
Black Tailed Deer, Heather Pass, Olympic Mountains
Olympic Marmot, Grand Ridge
North Olympic Peninsula
North Olympic Peninsula, Washington
North Olympic Peninsula
Washington coast
North Olympic Peninsula
Brant’s Geese, Strait of Juan de Fuca
Queets River, Olympic Peninsula
Sequim Prairie, Washington
Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge, Washington
North Olympic Peninsula
For prints, email, text, or instagram dm and an on-line order will be set up. Prices are according to size and are uniform for each image. Common sizes and prices are 8" x 12" $40; 12" x 18" $90; 16” x 20” $100; 20" x 30" $175. All images are printed on professional photographic paper and include postage.
Thank you for your interest. troos63@yahoo.com 360-565-6047 @troosphotos (instagram)