Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • The Pacific goose barnacle is a very common find from Alaska to Baja California in Mexico, most often found attached to rocks on North America's Pacific coastline at low tide. While they may be filter feeders that will feed both plant and animal plankton that happen to drift too close to them, they  themselves are prey to gulls, oystercatchers, and multiple species of starfish. These were photographed at low tide on the Oregon coast at Hug Point.
    Pacific Goose Barnacles
  • A vividly memorable and bitterly cold sunset on Oregon's Cannon Beach.
    Pacific Sunset
  • Not too long ago I was traveling across Oregon Coast on a nature photography trip with an old friend and one of the places he wanted to check out was Thor's Well, located about midway down the state's incredible coastline at a place called Cape Perpetua. <br />
<br />
Formed out of natural volcanic rock (basalt), this wild geologic anomaly was probably formed by a cave beaten into the cliff that eventually collapsed forming this unusual seeming deep hole in the ground but is actually open underwater to the surf. This causes water to explode violently upward through the "well", followed by the foamy water to duck back down into the depths of the earth.<br />
<br />
It was utterly fascinating, even if I did get hit and completely soaked by one of the infamous rogue waves of the Pacific Ocean.
    Thor's Well
  • A perfect combination of low tide, the last rays of sunlight, and a spectacular  location made for a very satisfying photograph with rippled sand and ultra-vivid colors as I waited out the sunset on Washington's Ruby Beach in the Olympic National Park on the Pacific Ocean.
    Ruby Beach at Last Light
  • Wind Cove opens out into the Pacific Ocean on the Southern Oregon Coast and is a shallow protected cove and sandy beach. It seems that just about every mile along this coastline has jaw-dropping views and  rock formations (called sea stacks), even if the weather is just a little bit hazy, like this day was.
    Wind Cove, Oregon Coast
  • This wild seascape was shot as a storm was coming in from the Pacific Ocean at the Washington-Oregon border at the mouth of the Columbia River, photographed from the Oregon side.
    Storm Coming In!
  • Found commonly across North America near water with plenty of brush for cover, the song sparrow is a favorite of many birders. This dark Pacific Northwest variation showed up early one chilly winter morning at my campsite on Washington's Point Disappointment (extreme SW corner of the state where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean).
    Song Sparrow
  • Found commonly across North America near water with plenty of brush for cover, the song sparrow is a favorite of many birders. This dark Pacific Northwest variation showed up early one chilly winter morning at my campsite on Washington's Point Disappointment (extreme SW corner of the state where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean).
    Song Sparrow
  • Very early on a chilly fall morning, just before sunrise on the Olympic Peninsula's Rialto Beach on Washington's Pacific Coast. Stands of dead sitka spruce trees line the shore (standing and fallen or washed ashore) on one of North America's most spectacular remote beaches.
    Rialto Beach at Dawn
  • The California ground squirrel is a very common western species that has recently expanded north into Washington, as this one was found at the northwestern point of Oregon where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean in the town of Hammond on the edge of a salt marsh. Highly intelligent, this common prey of rattlesnakes has been known to outsmart attacks using many ingenious methods and is even thought to be somewhat immune to rattlesnake venom.
    California Ground Squirrel
  • The California ground squirrel is a very common western species that has recently expanded north into Washington, as this one was found at the northwestern point of Oregon where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean in the town of Hammond on the edge of a salt marsh. Highly intelligent, this common prey of rattlesnakes has been known to outsmart attacks using many ingenious methods and is even thought to be somewhat immune to rattlesnake venom.
    California Ground Squirrel
  • This first lighthouse in the Pacific Northwest at the mouth of the Columbia River was recommended to be built in 1848, and be located at Cape Disappointment, Washington in what was then the Oregon Territory. It was finally constructed, then officially lit on October 15, 1856 where it served for over 150 years. In 2008, the automated red and white flashing light was finally deactivated. An observation deck has been built since then for the US Coast Guard to monitor traffic and bar conditions.
    Cape Disappointment Lighthouse
  • This first lighthouse in the Pacific Northwest at the mouth of the Columbia River was recommended to be built in 1848, and be located at Cape Disappointment, Washington in what was then the Oregon Territory. It was finally constructed, then officially lit on October 15, 1856 where it served for over 150 years. In 2008, the automated red and white flashing light was finally deactivated. An observation deck has been built since then for the US Coast Guard to monitor traffic and bar conditions.
    Cape Disappointment Lighthouse
  • Also sometimes called the purple sea star, this very common sea star and tidepool favorite is found all along the Pacific Northwest's rocky coastline. Ranging from bright orange to deep purple, they can reach a size of 16 inches, and live 20 years or more! These were spotted in a tidepool on Cannon Beach, Oregon.
    Ochre Sea Stars
  • Also sometimes called the purple sea star, this very common sea star and tide pool favorite is found all along the Pacific Northwest's rocky coastline. Ranging from bright orange to deep purple, they can reach a size of 16 inches, and live 20 years or more! This one was seen under a few inches of water in a tide pool on Cannon Beach, Oregon.
    Ochre Sea Star
  • This purely wild coastline on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, is the meeting point where the Pacific Ocean joins the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
    Washington's Rocky Coast
  • A breathtaking view of Cape Flattery and the Pacific Ocean in Washington's most extreme Northwest corner.
    Cape Flattery
  • This incredibly remote and wild section of Washington's Pacific coastline is only accessible through a 3.2-mile hike from the nearest forest road, and also happens to be the westernmost terminus for the 1200-mile Pacific Northwest Trail (PNT) that many hikers attempt each year. Usually wet, rainy and frequented by seals, sea lions and bald eagles - the magical location is near one of the most northerly rainforests in North America. This massive print is at full natural size a whopping 14.5 feet x 3.3 feet (4.4m x 1m) and was created from five images.
    Cape Alava Panorama
  • A Sitka spruce forest near Oregon's Cannon Beach on a rare sunny winter day. These gorgeous coastal forests stretch along most of the Pacific Northwest's Pacific coast and support a rich variety of wildlife.
    Sitka Spruce Forest
  • A Sitka spruce forest near Oregon's Cannon Beach on a rare sunny winter day. These gorgeous coastal forests stretch along most of the Pacific Northwest's Pacific coast.
    Sitka Spruce Forest
  • This curious Pacific coast chiton is a nocturnal hunter that returns to the same rock after a night of hunting for algae along the intertidal zones of the Pacific Northwest. Often exposed during low tide, they are sometimes so fluorescent that they are known to glow in the dark and flash pink polka dots.
    Mossy Chiton
  • A Sitka spruce forest near Oregon's Cannon Beach on a rare sunny winter day. These gorgeous coastal forests stretch along most of the Pacific Northwest's Pacific coast.
    Sitka Spruce Forest
  • Tillamook Rock Lighthouse on Northern Oregon's Pacific Coastline.
    Tillamook Rock Lighthouse
  • Found only along the Pacific coastline of Oregon and California, this beautiful pale purple to blue iris is found in wet habitats with fresh water, often in forested and open areas near the beach. This one was found growing in a small ravine where a small creek was flowing into a tidal pool below on Cape Perpetua on the Oregon Coast.
    Douglas Iris
  • Found only along the Pacific coastline of Oregon and California, this beautiful pale purple to blue iris is found in wet habitats with fresh water, often in forested and open areas near the beach. This one was found growing in a small ravine where a small creek was flowing into a tidal pool below on Cape Perpetua on the Oregon Coast.
    Douglas Iris
  • These fascinating bird's nest fungi found along a coastal trail in Oregon's Tillamook County on a winter hike are one of the many natural curiosities found in the Pacific Northwest. While it may not look like it, these are actually a mushrooms rather than lichens. These have already fruited and cast off their spores during a rainstorm, dropping their DNA on the forest floor for the next generation to spread and prosper.
    Bird's Nest Fungi
  • This beautiful coldwater-loving anemone is a shocking green color and is found along the Pacific Northwest Coast along the intertidal zone to about 15' deep.  These were found on a rock at low tide and photographed through still water on Oregon's Northern coastline at low tide at Hug Point.
    Giant Green Anemone
  • Unusual but not unheard of, this northwestern garter snake (Thamnophis ordinoides) was unexpectedly found actively hunting in the grass near the beach on a rare February sunny day on the Oregon Coast in Oswald West State Park. One of the smallest of garter snakes in the region, it is also one of the hardest to identify because of the extreme variability in color and pattern. One of the best clues without counting scale numbers and patterns is the head, which tends to be quite small for a garter snake. This one was quite large for this smaller species - it was over 30 inches when the typical northwestern garter is usually around 24 inches. With a range from Vancouver Island in Canada's British Columbia in the north all the way south to Northern California, these snakes mostly inhabit the area between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountain Range.
    Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophi..des)
  • Close-up of a very curious glaucous-winged gull photographed above Ruby Beach on Washington's Pacific Coast, just south from Forks.
    Glaucous-winged Gull
  • This beautiful coldwater-loving anemone is a shocking green color and is found along the Pacific Northwest Coast along the intertidal zone to about 15' deep.  These were found on a rock at low tide and photographed on Oregon's Northern coastline at low tide as they closed up while the tide receeded on Crescent Beach.
    Giant Green Anemones at Low Tide
  • This beautiful coldwater-loving anemone is a shocking green color and is found along the Pacific Northwest Coast along the intertidal zone to about 15' deep.  These were found on a rock at low tide and photographed through still water on Oregon's Northern coastline at low tide at Hug Point.
    Giant Green Anemone
  • This beautiful coldwater-loving anemone is a shocking green color and is found along the Pacific Northwest Coast along the intertidal zone to about 15' deep.  These were found on a rock at low tide and photographed through still water on Oregon's Northern coastline at low tide at Hug Point.
    Giant Green Anemone
  • These beautiful coldwater-loving anemones are a shocking green color and are found along the Pacific Northwest Coast along the intertidal zone to about 15' deep.  These were found on a rock at low tide and photographed through still water on Oregon's Northern coastline at low tide at Hug Point.
    Giant Green Anemones
  • These common native mussels are found along the North America's West Coast from Alaska to Baja California in Mexico, and are found in massive colonies on the rocky coastline, often easily seen at low tide above the waterline. Archeological evidence shows these edible mollusks have been an important food source to humans for the past 12,000 years or more. These barnacle-covered mussels were found at low tide on Crescent Beach on Northern Oregon's Pacific Coast.
    California Mussels
  • Another photo of my newfound buddy while shooting landscapes just before sunset on Washington's Pacific coastline. Townsend's chipmunks are unlike any other species of chipmunk I've seen all over North America. I don't like to personify wildlife, but these little critters are FULL of personality!
    Townsend's Chipmunk
  • One of the largest species of chipmunk in North America, the Townsend's chipmunk  is found only in the Pacific Northwest, from most of the Oregon coast area, all of Washington west of the Cascade Mountains, and just the southern tip of British Columbia in Canada. This curious individual posed for me for about ten minutes at Ruby Beach, Washington.
    Townsend's Chipmunk
  • A cautious Townsend's chipmunk peers out of a pile of driftwood on Ruby Beach on Washington's Pacific Coast. Unlike many forest-dwelling species, Townsend's chipmunks tend to thrive in disturbed locations, and can adapt quickly to major changes in their environment.
    Townsend's Chipmunk
  • Unusual but not unheard of, this northwestern garter snake (Thamnophis ordinoides) was unexpectedly found actively hunting in the grass near the beach on a rare February sunny day on the Oregon Coast in Oswald West State Park. One of the smallest of garter snakes in the region, it is also one of the hardest to identify because of the extreme variability in color and pattern. One of the best clues without counting scale numbers and patterns is the head, which tends to be quite small for a garter snake. This one was quite large for this smaller species - it was over 30 inches when the typical northwestern garter is usually around 24 inches. With a range from Vancouver Island in Canada's British Columbia in the north all the way south to Northern California, these snakes mostly inhabit the area between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountain Range.
    Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophi..des)
  • Unusual but not unheard of, this northwestern garter snake (Thamnophis ordinoides) was unexpectedly found actively hunting in the grass near the beach on a rare February sunny day on the Oregon Coast in Oswald West State Park. One of the smallest of garter snakes in the region, it is also one of the hardest to identify because of the extreme variability in color and pattern. One of the best clues without counting scale numbers and patterns is the head, which tends to be quite small for a garter snake. This one was quite large for this smaller species - it was over 30 inches when the typical northwestern garter is usually around 24 inches. With a range from Vancouver Island in Canada's British Columbia in the north all the way south to Northern California, these snakes mostly inhabit the area between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountain Range.
    Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophi..des)
  • Unusual but not unheard of, this northwestern garter snake (Thamnophis ordinoides) was unexpectedly found actively hunting in the grass near the beach on a rare February sunny day on the Oregon Coast in Oswald West State Park. One of the smallest of garter snakes in the region, it is also one of the hardest to identify because of the extreme variability in color and pattern. One of the best clues without counting scale numbers and patterns is the head, which tends to be quite small for a garter snake. This one was quite large for this smaller species - it was over 30 inches when the typical northwestern garter is usually around 24 inches. With a range from Vancouver Island in Canada's British Columbia in the north all the way south to Northern California, these snakes mostly inhabit the area between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountain Range.
    Northwestern Garter Snake (Thamnophi..des)
  • Sea stacks tower above the sitka spruce that line the Pacific coastline of Washington's Rialto Beach and Olympic National Park.
    Sea Stacks and Coastline at Rialto B..gton
  • Tillamook Rock Lighthouse on Northern Oregon's Pacific Coastline.
    Tillamook Rock Lighthouse
  • This is a fully formed and mature Cortinarius vanduzerensis.  At the base of the stalk, it can (and usually does) develop a light purplish or lilac coloration. It is found along the Pacific Northwest's coastal coniferous forests in the late fall.
    Cortinarius vanduzerensis
  • These "slimy-capped" mushrooms are a very common late fall mushroom found along the Pacific coast from Northern California to Southern British Columbia. This group was photographed among the trees on Washington's Cape Flattery.
    Cortinarius vanduzerensis
  • When this mushroom is just emerging, it appears to be encased in a slimy encasement. Cortinarius vanduzerensis is found along the Pacific Northwest's coastal coniferous forests in the late fall.
    Cortinarius vanduzerensis
  • Cortinarius vanduzerensis is found along the Pacific Northwest's coastal coniferous forests in the late fall.
    Cortinarius vanduzerensis
  • Easily distinguishable from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-3.jpg
  • Close-up view of the slender white piperia orchids, easily distinguished from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-2.jpg
  • Easily distinguishable from the other four native species of piperia orchids in the Pacific Northwest, the slender white piperia (Piperia candida) is the only one with a spur (a small horn-like appendage growing underneath each flower) that is equal to or shorter than the lip (the bottom part that looks like a wide "lower petal"), and also  has white flowers. Two other species fit this description, but both of those have green to yellowish-green flowers. It is also one of the westernmost species, found growing geographically near the Pacific Ocean in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. This one was found growing near the Deschutes River in rural Thurston County, just west of Mount Rainier in Washington State.
    Piperia candida-1.jpg
  • A truly breathtaking sunset with a wildly-colored sky was my reward for waiting out the sunset on this otherwise, hazy/foggy evening on the Oregon Coast near the Pistol River. Just as the light was fading and nearly gone, the fog cleared up just enough for me to wade out into the surf with a heavy tripod to get this shot.
    Oregon Sea Stacks in Fading Sunset
  • California sea lions and Steller's sea lions share space and safety as a storm rolls in on Oregon's Simpson Reef in Coos County. These huge marine mammals will regularly group together in bad weather and take shelter on the numerous rocks found just off the beach all along the West Coast of North America. The lighter brown sea lions are the Steller's sea lions which are on the endangered species list, while the dark brown sea lions are the common California sea lions.
    Sea Lion Colony
  • The Oregon Coast is renowned for its natural beauty, sea stacks, and gorgeous sunsets. I caught this rock formation in the late afternoon "golden light" and focused on the interplay between light and shadow.
    Oregon Sea Stacks in Golden Light
  • Sometimes there are patterns that emerge in nature that you can't help but notice. I saw this wavy, wet pattern of sand and salt water at Crescent Beach just outside of Crescent City, California.
    Surf, Sand and Water
  • After spending much of the day waiting for the fog and haze to lift, I managed to get this shot while walking up and down the beach just outside of the Del Norte Redwoods State Park in Northern California.
    Misty Late Afternoon on Crescent Bea..rnia
  • There is nothing like the California Coastline. That was evident here as I climbed high atop the cliffs in the Del Norte Redwoods State Park on a windy, hazy November afternoon. It just takes your breath away to stand in this spot in person!
    Del Norte Coast, Northern California
  • Haystack Rock on Oregon's Cannon Beach is one of the world's biggest sea stacks  and is a must-see on one of the most amazing coastlines in the world, just at the perfect moment of low tide, sunset and as a storm was coming in at full speed!
    Cannon Beach
  • The black huckleberry is considered by many to be the prize of the mountain berries. These juicy, sweet member of the blueberry family are found from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean (with a few isolated locations eastward) and have been enjoyed by wildlife and humans for millennia. This official state fruit of Idaho is a particularly important food source for grizzly and black bears, and traditionally the Native Americans have been eating them in dozens of different ways: fresh, dried, smoked, crushed up in soups or mixed with salmon roe - to name a few. These huckleberries were photographed (then eaten) just below the tree line at the edge of a subalpine meadow in the North Cascades National Park, near the Canadian border in Washington State.
    Black Huckleberry
  • One of "The Needles" - one of three tall basalt spires of volcanic rock near the massive Haystack Rock on Oregon's coast on Cannon Beach. Around about 15 to 16 million years old, these columns are very slowly eroding with every wave and every changing tide.
    The Needles at Sunset
  • One of "The Needles" - one of three tall basalt spires of volcanic rock near the massive Haystack Rock on Oregon's coast on Cannon Beach. Around about 15 to 16 million years old, these columns are very slowly eroding with every wave and every changing tide.
    The Needles of Cannon Beach
  • Haystack Rock on Oregon's Cannon Beach is one of the world's biggest sea stacks  and is a must-see on one of the most amazing coastlines in the world, just at the perfect moment of low tide, sunset and as a storm was coming in at full speed!
    Cannon Beach
  • Haystack Rock on Oregon's Cannon Beach is one of the world's biggest sea stacks  and is a must-see on one of the most amazing coastlines in the world, just at the perfect moment of low tide, sunset and as a storm was coming in at full speed!
    Cannon Beach
  • Haystack Rock on Oregon's Cannon Beach is one of the world's biggest sea stacks  and is a must-see on one of the most amazing coastlines in the world, just at the perfect moment of low tide, sunset and as a storm was coming in at full speed!
    Cannon Beach
  • Haystack Rock on Oregon's Cannon Beach is one of the world's biggest sea stacks  and is a must-see on one of the most amazing coastlines in the world, just at the perfect moment of low tide, sunset and as a storm was coming in at full speed!
    Cannon Beach
  • Haystack Rock on Oregon's Cannon Beach is one of the world's biggest sea stacks  and is a must-see on one of the most amazing coastlines in the world, just at the perfect moment of low tide, sunset and as a storm was coming in at full speed!
    Cannon Beach
  • Haystack Rock on Oregon's Cannon Beach is one of the world's biggest sea stacks  and is a must-see on one of the most amazing coastlines in the world, just at the perfect moment of low tide, sunset and as a storm was coming in at full speed!
    Cannon Beach
  • This massive rock on Oregon's Cannon Beach is one of the world's biggest sea stacks. This one was photographed just at the perfect moment of low tide, sunset and as a storm was coming in at full speed!
    Haystack Rock
  • Dusk settles and sea mist rises among the cliffs and seastacks at Tolovana Beach on the Oregon Coast.
    Light and Shadows
  • One of the most beautiful coastlines in the world - Oregon's Clatsop County from Ecola State Park to Cannon Beach, at sunset.
    The Oregon Coast
  • The black huckleberry is considered by many to be the prize of the mountain berries. These juicy, sweet member of the blueberry family are found from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean (with a few isolated locations eastward) and have been enjoyed by wildlife and humans for millennia. This official state fruit of Idaho is a particularly important food source for grizzly and black bears, and traditionally the Native Americans have been eating them in dozens of different ways: fresh, dried, smoked, crushed up in soups or mixed with salmon roe - to name a few. These huckleberries were photographed (then eaten) just below the tree line at the edge of a subalpine meadow in the North Cascades National Park, near the Canadian border in Washington State.
    Black Huckleberry
  • The artist's fungus is a common species of very large polypore mushroom found on every continent except Antarctica. It gets its name from a very interesting style of art where the  mushroom is picked and the white pores of the fruiting body are scratched away to reveal the brown woody inside, creating a sort of natural canvas. This is where the artist can scrape away just enough to create scenes, images of people or nature, or anything else he or she can imagine. A simple search on the web can give you plenty of examples of artwork created with these mushrooms. These were photographed close to the edge of Coal Creek in Bellevue, Washington on an early autumn afternoon.
    Artist's Conk
  • The artist's fungus is a common species of very large polypore mushroom found on every continent except Antarctica. It gets its name from a very interesting style of art where the  mushroom is picked and the white pores of the fruiting body are scratched away to reveal the brown woody inside, creating a sort of natural canvas. This is where the artist can scrape away just enough to create scenes, images of people or nature, or anything else he or she can imagine. A simple search on the web can give you plenty of examples of artwork created with these mushrooms. These were photographed close to the edge of Coal Creek in Bellevue, Washington on an early autumn afternoon.
    Artist's Conk
  • This colony of aggregating anemones were found at low tide in Northern Oregon attached to the underside a large rock just north of Cannon Beach. These were photographed from above-water, and some distortion resulted. Above the water-line, they retract their feeding tentacles and aren't so beautiful as they are underwater. Notice the larger green anemones deeper in the water - they are a related, yet separate species.
    Aggregating Anemone Colony
  • This iconic North American hare in its summer brown coat is found in a vast range that covers most of Canada and stretches south into the United States in several locations. While these larger cousins of rabbits are known for having white coats in winter and brown coats in the summer, individuals in the Olympic National Park such as this one photographed in summer at Ruby Beach, Washington will retain their brown coat all throughout the winter.
    Snowshoe Hare
  • From a distance, I watched this pair of Townsend's chipmunks scurry back and forth, over and under the bleached logs along the beach on the coast of Washington State's Olympic National Park. This jumble of logs provides more than adequate protection from eagles, foxes, bobcats, and other predators.
    Townsend's Chipmunks
  • A fresh, beautiful example of these vibrant shelf mushrooms growing on a tree near La Push, Washington just into the trees on Rialto Beach.
    Western Sulphur Shelf
  • An amazing late afternoon on Ruby Beach on Washington's Olympic Peninsula during the golden hour, when the light is warm and radiant while the evening cools and colors can appear both warm and cool at the same time.
    Ruby Beach
  • A spectacular sunset at Washington's Ruby Beach. These wild formations in the sand are what remains when Cedar Creek empties directly onto the beach, and the freshwater runoff washes the softer sand and silt into the surf creating these amazing miniature canyons and washes. Next low tide, a whole new micro-landscape will be created.
    Low Tide on Ruby Beach
  • The artist's fungus is a common species of very large polypore mushroom found on every continent except Antarctica. It gets its name from a very interesting style of art where the  mushroom is picked and the white pores of the fruiting body are scratched away to reveal the dark brown woody inside, creating a sort of natural canvas. This is where the artist can scrape away just enough to create scenes, images of people or nature, or anything else he or she can imagine. A simple search on the web can give you plenty of examples of artwork created with these mushrooms. These were photographed on the side of a tree just outside of La Push, Washington near Rialto Beach.
    Artist's Conk
  • A common western member of the lily family photographed here in Northern Oregon, this plant was historically a critical food source many groups and tribes of North American native Americans. It is documented that Lewis and Clark depended on the cooked bulbous roots of this plant for survival on their historic journey to find an overland route to the Pacific Ocean.
    Common Camas
  • The rocky coastline of Cape Flattery is located at the most extreme northwestern corner of the contiguous United States. Millennia of pounding waves, tides and erosion have sculpted the landscape into something from a fairytale.
    Sea Stacks of Cape Flattery
  • An incredible fiery sunset on a rare sunny winter evening on Oregon's Tillamook Head - just north of Cannon Beach.
    Sunset on Tillamook Head, Oregon
  • An incredible fiery sunset on a rare sunny winter evening on Oregon's Tillamook Head - just north of Cannon Beach.
    Sunset on Sea Lion Rock, Oregon
  • Ancient monolithic sentinels of basalt and time, these wondrous sea stacks were photographed near the Pistol River on Oregon's southern coastline.
    Sea Stacks on the Oregon Coast
  • A curious yearling California sea lion near LA's Del Rey Lagoon catches some rays on a beautiful sunny California day.
    California Sea Lion Yearling
  • A curious yearling California sea lion near LA's Del Rey Lagoon catches some rays on a beautiful sunny California day.
    California Sea Lion Yearling
  • A curious yearling California sea lion near LA's Del Rey Lagoon catches some rays on a beautiful sunny California day.
    California Sea Lion Yearling
  • A curious yearling California sea lion near LA's Del Rey Lagoon catches some rays on a beautiful sunny California day.
    California Sea Lion Yearling
  • A curious yearling California sea lion near LA's Del Rey Lagoon catches some rays on a beautiful sunny California day.
    California Sea Lion Yearling
  • A curious yearling California sea lion near LA's Del Rey Lagoon catches some rays on a beautiful sunny California day.
    California Sea Lion Yearling
  • A possibly abandoned yearling California sea lion on a beach in Los Angeles, California shows that it is far too thin. This has been a common sight in recent years with far too many pups and yearlings not getting enough food to eat. Warmer waters in recent years means that the mother has to venture out further to sea to get enough food to nourish her young.
    California Sea Lion Yearling
  • A curious yearling California sea lion near LA's Del Rey Lagoon catches some rays on a beautiful sunny California day.
    California Sea Lion Yearling
  • Given its somewhat similar appearance and fragrance to an orange blossom (besides the four petals vs. the orange's five) the mock-orange is the State Flower of Idaho and is native to Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, British Columbia and Alberta. First collected by Meriwether Lewis himself on the famous Lewis and CLark expedition to find an overland route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, it was later named after him in his honor. This one was found growing halfway up a steep arroyo above the Cowiche Creek in Yakima County, WA.
    Mock-Orange
  • One of the many intensely beautiful coastal locations of the Pacific Northwest, the waters around the San Juan and Orcas Islands look like nowhere else in North America.  This view overlooks Rosario Strait from Washington's Fidalgo Island.
    Anacortes Landscape-13.jpg
  • The thatched barnacle is common barnacle found along the Northern Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California, but is most common on the rocky shores of Washington state and Oregon. It is easy to identify by the interesting vertical ribbing on the six wall plates that form its shell. This one was found at low tide on a rocky outcrop in Washington's Deception Pass.
    ThatchedBarnacle2020-1.jpg
  • The thatched barnacle is common barnacle found along the Northern Pacific coast from Alaska to Baja California, but is most common on the rocky shores of Washington state and Oregon. It is easy to identify by the interesting vertical ribbing on the six wall plates that form its shell. This one was found at low tide on a rocky outcrop in Washington's Deception Pass.
    ThatchedBarnacle2020-2.jpg
  • One of the many intensely beautiful coastal locations of the Pacific Northwest, the waters around the San Juan and Orcas Islands look like nowhere else in North America.  This view overlooks Rosario Strait from Washington's Fidalgo Island.
    Anacortes Landscape-14.jpg
  • Snail Rock with a lone bald eagle perched on top on the Makah Indian Reservation near Neah Bay, Washington. This huge rock stands in the Strait of Juan de Fuca which separates Washington State from British Columbia, Canada (which you can clearly see in the background). When the tide is lower, more exposed rock on either side of it (where the surf is) makes it look like a giant snail!
    Snail Rock
  • Standing in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Seal Rock is a favorite resting place for various species of seals, sea lions and seabirds on the on the Makah Indian Reservation near the Northwestern tip of Washington State.
    Seal Rock
  • An insanely vibrant and colorful sky Rosario Strait as the sun sets behind Washington's  Decateur and Lopez Islands in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. About 35 miles due west in this direction is Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
    Anacortes Landscape-5
  • An insanely vibrant and colorful sky over Rosario Strait as the sun sets behind Washington's  Decateur and Lopez Islands in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. This view shows Blakely Island to the left and Cypress Island to the right. Photographed from Fidalgo Island in Anacortes.
    Anacortes Landscape-15.jpg
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