Rocky Brook Falls

I have a story.  A story to turn into a campaign for a tabletop roleplaying game.  I think it is why I am drawn into the forest and the surrounding landscape.  There is something a little mysterious and dangerous about the fogged topped mountains deafened by the loud rush of a waterfall swollen with snowmelt. 

And just as a reassurance to my Sunday Game Group: Yes, I have been working on the current campaign.  I promise I just didn't go running off into the woods ;)

Pacific Bonsai Museum

The first time I had even heard of the Pacific Bonsai Museum was when a co-worker and bonsai artist himself managed to arrange for a small exhibition at the store we both worked.  It was fascinating to see miniature versions of trees arranged in artful displays.  

You'll notice that I'm not featuring photos of the of the entire bonsai, just close-ups.  One of the many types of photography styles/formats I like is macro.  I guess it is because I don't like to miss the tiny details that can be overlooked.  While I will not claim this is true macro photography, I liked the taking a piece of the whole for my memories.

This small museum seems almost hidden away on the former Weyerhauser Corporate Complex near Federal Way, WA.  Admission is by donation and they feature different exhibits through the year.  The current exhibit is their permanent and will be featured until April 20th, 2018, with the upcoming exhibit being Living Art of Bonsai: Elements of Design.  When I visited last year, it was Natives.  

It is a tiny wonder found in our evergreen trees.  Admission is by donation.  

Directly next to the museum is the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.  When I visit again, I will feature this location with some photos as well.

I highly encourage paying a visit.  I know I plan on going again when the next show is ready.

Ludlow Falls

This is pretty old news if you follow me on any other social media platform but I upgraded from my very first DSLR, a Canon Rebel T3 to a Canon EOS 6D.  I went straight from a beginner's crop-frame camera to a full-frame with really nothing in-between.  It was a big purchase for me since even though I love photography I barely have time to explore and use my camera.  With 2018 almost 4 months in, I'm making an effort to go out and take photos and hopefully keeping a weekly blog will help facilitate that (oh boy, keeping this promise is probably going to bite me in the butt again).

I've made a pretty good effort of getting out and taking pictures and today after my D&D game was canceled, I decided to try and hit one of the waterfall spots nearby.  I've played around with long exposure before last year when I got a little lost and ended up on National Forest trail 2361.  Deciding I didn't want to get lost again (although I did get turned around), I went to Ludlow Falls, within Port Ludlow, WA.

Tip: Have good waterproof hiking boots.  I managed to sploosh my foot right into some deep water getting here.

Thankfully for my sedimentary lifestyle, the trail was only 1/2 mile loop.  I, by accident, walked the loop.  I honestly could have skipped the walk, but I'm glad I went the wrong way otherwise I would not have gotten this lovely photo.  Unfortunately, spring in Washington means it's still a little cold, so I could not cross some of the deeper parts of the creek to get a better angle.

I used two Neutral Density filters, this one was with an ND2 and the next few were with an ND8.  For a better explanation of how these filters work, here is a link with photo examples. 

The creamy, smooth look of the water is always fun to view.

When I finally managed to get up to the actual waterfall, it took a little maneuvering on my part to get to a stable landing.  Thankfully, it was relatively dry land and not a shallow spot in the creek with mud.  

The amount of water was quite surprising and I had to get at least one shot of the waterfall stilled, with all the bubbles and froth.

I spent about an hour and a half there, not including the 48 min drive to and from the location.  And of course, I had fun finding a new place to explore.