I first posted some photos of this trip up highway 242 to the Dee Wright observatory, to capture the Aurora Borealis, in October of 2024. That was before I purchased this new Luminar Neo Photo processing program. I didn’t like the quality of the photos and couldn’t wait to see if I could make them better with this new program and the Digital Neutral RAW files. They came out much better than I expected, but the files were huge, and I could not download them onto my Facebook page. Time to learn how to lower the size of the photos, without losing the quality. In other words how to make a photo that is 20 mbs into one that is 6 mbs or 3 mbs… This photo just happened to be the smallest of the photos I picked to share. I liked the look of the moon rising over the main structure of the observatory, with North and Middle Sister mountains on the left side. It was about 9 in the evening and everything was dark except for the moon. I was packing that sort of fixed tripod, that had broken, and hoping I didn’t run into anybody since the legs were extended. My housemate Susan and I climbed to the top and got set up before the larger crowd of people showed up.
I loved the look of the cars coming up to the parking lot and the reflection onto the blue coats of the two people coming up the lower steps.
The light show started of gently with a light blush of color and you really couldn’t see it unless you had a camera.
Then the color took off.
I loved that I could see the stars behind the light show and even headlights coming up Highway 242 from the east and passing Black crater.
Within an hour of arriving at the observatory the light show was pretty much over and the moonlight was again reflecting off of the clouds with North and Middle Sisters silhouette at the horizon. I hope I can see the Auroras again and maybe next time I will have new tripod legs.
Winter has finally decided to arrive. We have awakened to fresh snow on the ground, several mornings, the most we have seen all season. Cloudy breezy days, clear crisp warm afternoons, then the snow is gone by evening only to return the next morning. it feels like late winter and early spring here.
I think I have mentioned that my favorite laptop is dying. In anticipation of this a year ago, I bought a computer tower to replace the laptop. I hated the new windows 11 program and had it removed. So, the tower sat for a year+ unused. Now, things have gotten so bad with the laptop that I finally decided it was time to switch my photos and processing programs to the new tower. It has not been easy. The tower refused to recognize my external hard drive and everything I use. The final straw was that my favorite photo processing program that I used daily would not transfer over. I then found myself downloading my photos onto the laptop and processing them then transferring them to a flash drive and uploading them to the computer tower. The laptop crashed several times during this process; I then decided to download the photos onto the tower and then pick the ones I wanted to process and transfer them to the flash drive and ultimately to the laptop process them and then transfer them back to the tower. That worked ok but if I had another idea and went out to photograph it the whole process had to be started over again. Photos were getting lost or left behind. The computer tower program was different, photos were getting lost, files were getting lost. The computer has a different idea of how I should organize my photos, and I couldn’t find them by their date. In order to get the photo processing program, I had been using onto the computer tower I would have to buy the program again. The thing is, the program I was using was limited, it did what I wanted with the photos I had, I knew that there was more that could be done with my photos. I had been photographing with the basic JPG photo program and with the RAW digital neutral program. That means I could go deeper with my photographs but only if I had a program that could work in the RAW and then convert the photo to the JPG program for showing. I decided that if I was going to have to use the new computer for my photo processing it was time to upgrade my processing program. I had an idea of what program I wanted to purchase but I could not remember the name, So I asked my friend Neil Schmottlach, a fellow photo enthusiast what program he was using. He said he was using Luminar Neo. I checked it out found that it was indeed the program I wanted and purchased it. I Love IT !!!! So much easier and faster than my old program. Now to start practicing using it. What to start with ?…. I am so ready for spring, I decided to go back to last year’s April photographs. There were spring flowers on the west side of the mountains and I had photographed them. The waterfalls were flowing at full force and I had photographed them…. On this gray day where the skies are threatening snow but not actually delivering, I will enjoy last year’s spring flowers.
I will admit these photos are from two different weeks last April, but I just wanted to enjoy them and am putting them in one post.
Sahalie Falls on the McKenzie falls is one of my favorite falls and in the morning, you can photograph a rainbow. This was early in April. I headed down towards the valley and stopped off at my favorite resting spot where I can get out stretch my legs walk down to the river.
because it was early in the spring there were few leaves on the maple trees. I took this shot with the plan to process it from the RAW file. Otherwise the shot is impossible to get a good photo, too much light too much shadow….
This shot was the same idea the only thing lit up were these leaves against the dark Douglas fir tree.
On my return trip home a few hours later I stopped off at Sahalie falls again. The sun had moved further west, and this area is in shadow. It would have been harder to see in those shadows with the regular program, and I am always trying to capture the turquoise color that seems to move through the water as it falls down to the base. Success. after this shot I backtracked about a mile or so and stopped at Koosah Falls which is below Sahalie.
Again the late afternoon light was not the best but did enrich the turquoise of the water. I have shot this in the mornings as well and sometimes the sun blows out the details of the falling water. I ended that day’s photo shoot with a shot of this little sword fern in growing in the moss.
It was kind of dark for photos but I always try to get the shot…. with the new program another success. The next group of photos were taken about two weeks later when I knew there would be my favorite calypso orchids.
This trillium was just past its prime, when the white petals change to magenta. The trail down to the river was very shady, perfect for trilliums orchids and wood violets
Because it was April and we were in the shade of the Maple and Douglas fir trees, a warm spot in the sunlight was a good reason to stop and enjoy. Which my housemate did.
It wasn’t long before she had her sweatshirt on though. I admit I am having a lot of fun with this new processing program and well I did go back into my files two years ago to 2024 and the Aurora Borealis shots I took in the spring and fall. Tomorrows post.
This morning a friend and I both shared a post on Facebook about mother earth being a church. I have always thought of the forest as a church and a place to rejuvenate. A place to talk to the trees work through issues and in general calm my restless soul. Plus, the trees never tell your secrets. When I came to Central Oregon, I lived near a place I could hike in the pines. And those pines heard a lot. A few years later I moved a few miles east and my hiking place was in the Junipers. Honestly it took me a few years to find the right place that calmed my soul.
This area is big an open it has canyons and buttes I can climb up or go down. I hike the area so much I am not likely to get lost because I have many visual landmarks that guide me. I call this area Sage Ranch rd. butte and canyon, I also refer to it as my church of the Junipers and sagebrush.
This area has ancient history, it holds secrets since the beginning of time in Central Oregon.
Today’s hike was not to calm my soul or to vanquish things that anger me. It was simply a good winters day to get out and enjoy the old beings that have lived here for 500 -1000 years or more. My original plan was to hike down into the canyon climb up the canyon wall close to where the Sage Ranch canyon, Deep canyon, and Fryrear canyon seem to meet. Those plans changed when I noticed someone parked in the parking area for the main trail. I drove a few yards further and parked across from the butte, deciding to climb it instead. It doesn’t matter to me which direction I go in this area it is so big we can all enjoy it. I can let my German Shepherds run without bothering anybody.
You will notice in most of these photos large piles of cut juniper. For many years we have let this land go natural except that we put out all the fires. So natural wasn’t natural and the area is overgrown with dead sagebrush, tall bitterbrush, and young flammable juniper trees. At one time I had found a plan for this area that BLM had been working on. It involved making a new trail head closer to Fryrear road and adding more horse trails. It wasn’t specific enough for me to determine but I had hoped that it included this area. Because lets face it My Church of the Junipers really needed a make over. A rejuvenation. This year is the year for that to start, and I hope next year these piles are burned.
in the mean time I am enjoying all of the views opening up that I couldn’t enjoy because there was a tree in the way…
After an hour up on the butte it was time to work my way down into the lower area and the main trail.
Time to go back to my car feeling refreshed by a good hike in the Junipers
The purpose of this blog is to share my work. It is a many pronged process where I plan on sharing my hiking adventures, my photography visions while out and about, my creations in my little photo studio, and the notecards I had made several years back when I was planning on retiring from retail. It is a way to keep my photography going and to keep me going. And hopefully a way to sell my notecards, on eBay.
It starts with the camera a simple tool used to record things around me in this world. I started with a simple to use manual camera, as my experience grew, I went up to the much larger and clunky 6×7 camera to supplement the much smaller 35mm SLR camera. Then I quit for 20 + years. I got too busy. My photo journey started again when I got a simple digital SLR 35mm camera, and on my days off from work going hiking with my German Shephard.
That simple digital camera only survived 2 hikes. It was too simple, I couldn’t use my many, much loved vintage lenses, and I accidently spilled some Gatorade on it, short circuiting the electronics. But I was hooked on photography again. I bought another used digital camera that was more advanced. I photographed anything and everything to share on Facebook. A power outage was an opportunity to get out and take photos of my dilemma
After a couple years I decided to step up my game and I had some notecards of my favorite shots made. I knew that I would be retiring from retail soon and wanted to have an avenue to support myself.
I had a website created and hoped to blog and sell my photo notecards maybe even my photographs. I left my retail job a couple of years earlier than I had planned. It opened me up to explore and enjoy. Everything was paid for, and I didn’t owe anybody for my work. It was freeing…. but my cards were not selling on eBay, or Etsy, or even on my website. I heard from many people Why should I buy notecards when I can use e-mail or Facebook? My website got hacked and I was constantly removing scams, I had pulled my notecards from eBay and Etsy. Tried relisting them again and nothing was selling. I became frustrated and angry, and the blog was reflecting that. Then Covid hit. I let the blog go because I didn’t feel it was doing what I needed. I was following a photographer whose books I had read, and in one of his articles he mentioned another photographer that was a local to Oregon. I soon started following her and at the end of covid she offered to Do a 52 week photo challenge. I jumped on it and did some of my best most creative work over the next 4 years… I also wore out 5 cameras. Pretty easy to do when you are trying to come up with new ideas for the weekly challenge, and there are no limits… taking 100 photos a day was not unusual. I put together a small photo studio on my back deck where it was protected from the weather in the winter. If I had an idea, I grabbed the camera and started putting it together…. It didn’t matter that it was 25 degrees outside or 85 degrees outside…. While working on the challenge I ran across this troll doll with pink hair and he became a major influence on my photographs and the challenges.
Meet Pinx whom I have mentioned in the earlier blogs as my alter ego.
After a while there were 3 Trolls
and a few plastic dinosaurs they called lizards. And Now
there are 8 of them and a whole bunch of dinosaur lizards
My whimsical side has evolved and maybe, new plans for notecards. But first I need to sell the older note cards, and the two new notecards I had printed this last summer.
So if you are interested in my notecards you can find them on eBay at deannedementphotography
And Thank You for taking the time to read my post. Deanne
For the last three days the Troll family tribe has been on exploring trips. Poppa T, Pinx, and Aqua have been taking Lime, Pumpkin, Gemma, Blew and Pinky on tours of a couple of their favorite places to hike. Monday it was Reilly Ranch Preserve.
They enjoyed the views towards the mountains over the meadow.
The different views from the overlook.
and the lizards wanted to see the views too
There were views of the Deschutes river below,
Pinky and Blew were assigned to make sure Aqua didn’t decide to go swimming again. After their tour of Reily Ranch they decided to explore the area closer to home. So Tuesday it was Sage Ranch Canyon and Butte. they decided to warm up with a little rock climbing in the parking area.
Soon we were on our way down into the canyon a bit so we could do some more rock climbing up
Poppa T chose this route because he likes the view of the mountains as they climb the rocks to the top of the canyon. Because this area has coyotes, he also hired a couple of guards…
Well truth is that Nova and Aurora insisted that we were not going hiking without them. After we got to the top of the canyon we headed south up to the top of Sage Ranch Butte.
There were a lot of trees to climb, and every snarly snag had to be checked out, soon though we were at the top of the butte.
After they climbed some rocks and checked out the flat areas it was time to head home. We chose the path that took us down the easy slope and overlooked the canyon wall we climbed up earlier.
For today Wednesday, Poppa T wanted to go to the mountains…. Yeah Right…. I simply explained that I had other plans and was going to the pool…. They thought that would be a good trip, but I said that they didn’t have swim passes and couldn’t go… Plus we had to clean up the photo area so we could start the new year with a fresh blank slate…..
So Good Bye 20…. Hey wait What are you all doing???
What do you mean we are not done photographing???
All right one last portrait session for 2025 Good by 2025…. Time to make photo plans for 2026
For those of you who read my post a couple weeks ago, and those of you who didn’t, this story is Aqua’s big adventure story. For some reason Aqua decided to jump off the bridge at lower bridge campground across the Metolius River. He very quickly floated down river and out of sight around the corner.
Now he is back safe and sound.
Nobody is happier to see him then Poppa T. Except maybe me. And what an adventure story he has to tell.
It all started with a handwritten note.
and a delivery from Fed Ex.
Apparently Aqua is the sibling finder and Blew had come from Texas with a message…
On the day Blew arrived we had a trip planned for the Metolius and just before we left for our hiking trip, he whispered the message to Aqua. There were more siblings lost in Florida…. and they too were trying to come back home. So Aqua dove into the river in hopes of finding them.
I don’t know how he thought he would make it to Florida from Oregon, but he did.
According to his story he hopped a ride on a swan, that took him down river to lake Billy Chinook. He was ever so grateful for the swan coming along because that water in the Metolius was freezing cold.
At Lake Billy Chinook he managed to catch a ride on the Canada Goose Express heading south. He said it was quite a ride across the United States and was glad that the geese had charted a course south through Texas and Louisiana. They had heard that there were some lost trolls in Florida, it would be no problem to find them.
and there they were hiding in the ferns.
They were so glad to see Aqua that they came running out to surround him. He told them that his plan was to book them all on a one-way flight through Fed Ex and that they would all be back home with Poppa T soon.
So, Poppa T’s Tribe is growing and while he knows there are other kids out there, he can be patient because they will find their way home. Meet our new cast of Troll kids
Aqua with formally introduced Blew (on the left.)
Pinky (Pinx twin) And Lime
Pumpkin or Kin for short and Gema. Looking forward to what adventures we can all get into this next year.
Last week my Friend Robin asked me to go with her and another friend to collect greenery for wreaths. I did my last blog on that trip the with her and her husband. It inspired me to think about going out and picking some greenery for photographs. I don’t need much and don’t want to get too much because I would not be able to use it before it faded. Plus, I would not be able to go out again to another place and get something different. As life goes though thinking about an idea and going out and doing that idea, doesn’t always happen. So Monday, Robin asked me if I liked challenges. I love photo challenges…. Her challenge was for me to go out with the dogs and take 5 photos. I modified it to taking the trolls and the dogs. Especially since the German Shepherds are too busy checking things out to be good photo subjects. Then she said “Oh and no Juniper.” Well Shoot…. I guess I have to go back to Camp Sherman / Metolius river Area. I decided that we would start as far out as we could go at Candle Ck Campground. Normally we cannot get there this time of year because of snow. This year no problem good dry road all the way… I love worn out picnic tables in the national forest and this table had a lot of character. So Robin…. Challenge photo #1
Poppa T, Pinx, Aqua and their little brother Blew brought several of their pet lizards to play in the forest. We wandered around the campground a bit then headed back towards the main road. Collecting nature and greenery on the way back.
We stopped at Abbot Ck bridge because the kids wanted to check things out.
And then we hear a squawk from the car…. Thomas Turkey thought this might be a good place to find some of his family
Challenge photo #2 We did a search but didn’t find anything not even a feather. So, we continued back to the main road and lower bridge campground Bridge 99. Where there was this beautiful reflection on the river.
The trolls wanted to get out and take photos of the river from the bridge
Challenge photo #3 It wasn’t long before they moved along the bridge railing to a better view
Challenge shot #4 Just after this shot was taken Aqua, (on the right) decided that he wanted to go swimming and dove off the bridge into the freezing Metolius river. I hoped that he would catch the swirl and end up against the shore at the campground but no he went for the rapids and around the bend. After that the photo session was over for the day. I do hope that if he decides to swim with the fishies he has a good time. However we still have Poppa T, Pinx, and little Blew. I convinced them that we needed to set up the photo area and use the greenery and branches we collected.
Challenge shot #5
And so, another personal challenge begins, Making floral arrangements with Christmas in mind. We love a good challenge….. and maybe Aqua will figure out how to join us again….
This is my second visit to Shevlin park, Robin and I chose to hike the part of the park that heads up Tumalo creek southwest. I hadn’t been here and also wanted to explore that portion of the park. It was fun going with a guide who had hiked the park several times. Robin said that this park is always different every time you hike it no matter what the weather and season is. I can’t wait to see it in other weather situations. Monday was a nice clear crisp day. A good day to get out before the weather changes.
The trails are well used and free of tripping hazards, making them usable for anyone year around whether they are hiking, biking, or with mobility issues.
Since this was my first trip I really found myself photographing impressions. like the sunlight hitting the yellow leaves of the brush under the Ponderosa Pines
the silver bark of young aspen trees after all of their leaves have fallen.
The early afternoon light on Tumalo Creek from the bridge
the red stems of brush along the creek.
Rose petals tossed into the water, maybe to honor someone lost or to symbolize a happy event.
A tamarack / larch tree glowing against the darker pine trees.
We reached the southern most point of our hike at Fremont meadow then started back to the main parking area. I photographed more impressions on the way back.
A fallen bird’s nest captured by the brush along the trail.
Horse tail rushes glowing in a spot of sunlight.
A memorial for a loved family member.
White Snowberries and red Rose hips. Fruits of the brush along the trail and food for the critters who live here. I also noticed the different light on Tumalo creek, at different times of the day.
Looking up stream and downstream from the bridge at about 12:30 in the early afternoon,
and from the same location at 2:15 in the afternoon.
The deep shadows along Tumalo creek as the sun is lowering for the day.
We ended our trip back at the parking area feeling a bit tired after a 4 mile hike but pleased with the photo opportunities. Like our hiking trip to the east side of Shevlin Park My camera decided to go a bit rogue. However I did catch it pretty quickly and decided to keep the shots.
I am also thinking that I need to budget for another used camera, this next year.
Last week early in the morning I heard what sounded like off road motor bikes ripping through the BLM area I call Sage Ranch Butte and Canyon. I was Angry…. but have over time learned that trying to turn them in is pointless. I can’t get to the trailhead fast enough to find them, and BLM law enforcement can’t get here from Prineville. A good 45 minutes away or more. The next morning, I heard the sound of small engines again at the same time, and this time I realized that it was not motorbikes but chainsaws. My first thought was who is cutting firewood but just as quickly I remembered that I had found a plan by BLM to clear up this large area in the Cline Buttes BLM recreation area, make a new trail head on Fryrear and in general clean out the excess junipers and brush. Improve the trails and build more horse trails. Return the area to a more natural state. Mostly they have been working along Fryrear road. The Cline buttes recreation area is a huge area. The time to work in the sage ranch canyon and butte area has finally arrived. About Damn Time ….. What took you all so long…… and then I did a little dance. But curiosity got to me and that afternoon I went out to my favorite parking area with my housemate Susan and the two German Shepherds. I also took photos, but I wasn’t really happy with them figuring I would go back another day. Saturday was my day. It was supposed to be nice; I had been talking to one of my pool /hiking pals arranging another hike and she said why don’t you go on a hike today. What a good idea, I gathered up my German Shepherds and the camera loaded everything in the car and headed out to my trail head parking area. My goal was to hike up to the top of Sage Ranch Butte, and see what they had cleared, hoping that they had not cut some of my favorite sacred trees…..
After 20+ years of hiking this whole area I had photographed many of these old snags and burned-out junipers. Some trees I just called my old friends. They had survived fire, wind, heat, drought, and snow, each has it’s own personality. when I got to the parking area there were a couple vans for the cutting crew parked there so I chose to park along the road and just hike up the south and east side of the butte. With a raven flying overhead we started out.
I was glad do see that there had been a lot of cutting around the base of the butte and most of the older snags had been left. The views were better than ever. looking east you could see the southernmost cline buttes
To the West you could see the 3 Sisters mountains
I was impressed that while a lot of the junipers had been cut it was not a clear-cut situation.
Finally after several minutes of hiking up the south side I reached the base of the final rocky summit. I was amazed because I had climbed around this but never saw it because of the heavy growth.
The view looking south towards Bend. Something you could not see before. and there on top was one of my favorite snags that I had photographed many times from the top looking south.
inspired I continued around the butte from the east approach. A lot of much needed work had been done along here.
My quest continued to the top hoping to see the leaning juniper still there. It was
And it was easier to photograph because some of the blocking trees had been removed. From here it was just a few steps to the top
and the view from the top of the 3,300 ft butte always good but now even better
I had planned on going down on the west side of the butte but found there was another hiker coming up that side so I chose to go back down on the southeast side. Photographing along the way. I particularly like these old burned snags. They have survived many years of weather . 30? 40? 50 years…..
It was a really good hike for myself and both of my German Shepherds. My plan was to have this posted on my blog page, but it took all afternoon to go through the photos, so I decided to post it Sunday morning, but… As I was working on which photos to use for the blog I got to thinking about hiking down into the canyon, knowing that the workers would not be there …. I went hiking and took more photos for another blog instead ….
I had wanted to hike the trail from Tumalo State Park upriver to the Reily Ranch park. So when Robin asked me where did I want to hike? I said ” Uh… that park above the Shevlin park trail… You know that uh… Ranch….” Ok a little bit of brain fog there. Lucky for me she knew where I wanted to go. So, the plan was we would meet at Tumalo St. park leave my car there, she would drive us up to the Reily Ranch Park and we would start the trail there, hiking along the Deschutes River down to Tumalo St. Park.
It was a beautiful sunny morning with no wind and Reily Ranch Nature Preserve Park is beautiful. The mountains were playing hide and seek in the clouds. We started on the juniper loop then went on the Sage flat loop, where we stopped and checked out the Canyon Overlook
Moving on we walked to the Robins Run trail head and went down towards the river
It is a bit steep compared to the rest of the trail but not unreasonable.
the views of the river were incredible
Robin and I took our time and enjoyed the conversations, the views and the weather. We came to the confluence of the Tumalo Creek with the Deschutes River and commented on how beautiful it was.
Soon we came to a bridge that went over the boulders along the bank of the river allowing hikers to continue on easily
Robin and I both wondered what it took to build this bridge so that it held. against possible floods or shifting boulders…. After the bridge we stopped and had a lunch, the pace was easy and I had been stopping a lot along the way to take photos.
The one thing about this trail is it does cross private properties, and they have allowed hikers to cross as long as they stay on the trail. So, when hiking along the trails be respectful of their property. Because these views are just too beautiful to miss.
Too soon we ended our hike at Tumalo St park and when we were done, we had hiked 3.1 miles. I had taken 175 photos, and we did it in a little over 2 hours.
Robin asked if I wanted to do it again only maybe hike from Tumelo St. park back up to Richardson Ranch Park? Absolutely!!! Because every view changes when you look at them from a different direction…. and hopefully we can pick a time when the other two members of the hiking group won’t have prior appointments.
Deanne Dements Photography 