Learning From A Master Photographer

Bill Fortney is one of the best photographers I know, a great teacher, and an even better person.   I've come to know Bill from attending his programs at Wilderness Wildlife Week in Severville Tennessee each year and several of his workshops.   I also regularly read his blog The Pilgrim's Chronicles for photographic and Christian inspiration. 

One of the photographic techniques Bill teaches is what he call extraction.  This is finding "the interesting details, the parts of the scene that may get lost in the over all scene."   Bill posted an article on it on his blog this week and I realized I had some photos similar to what Bill had taken.  That's when I knew I had not only learned something but retained it!

So, here's my tribute to my teacher Bill Fortney.

Thank you Bill.

Historic Sites Of Washington and Oregon Coast

When we visited Washington and Oregon we went in search of landscape and nature photographic subjects.  We found those in abundance but we also enjoyed visiting several of the historic sites along the southern Washington and northern Oregon coasts.

Checkers Anyone?

We visited the old historic Fort Nisqually Historic Museum, the WW II Fort Stevens, a four-masted steel barque sailing vessel that ran ashore October 25, 1906, several light houses, and even stayed in an old historic inn.  Later we stopped and wandered the streets of historic Port Townsend and Fort Warden.

Fort Nisqually in Point Defiance Parkthe first European settlement on Puget Sound, was a bustling center of trade that expanded into a large-scale agricultural enterprise. is a great place to spend a couple hours.  Experience life in Washington Territory during the fur trade era.                                              

The Peter Iredale is the wreck of a fort masted ship that ran ashore in 1906.  Today all that's left is the rusting steel ribs like an ancient beast.

There are numerous lighthouses along the coast, most are easily accessible.

I was surprised by the old World War II forts along the coast.  We explored Fort Stevens and discovered an old radar installation being swallowed by the rain forest along the coast.

We only scratched the surface.  You could spend days exploring the historic sites in this area. 

Peter Iredale

Chetzemoka

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

These photos and many more are available on line on The Siggins Photography website Check them out and let me know what you think.

Life On The Rocks - Common Murres

I'm not a fan of the beach (just ask my family) but the coast of Washington and Oregon is very different from what we are used to on the coast of Florida and the Carolinas. The Pacific Northwest coast has numerous coves, bays, rocky coast lines, and even waterfalls.   One feature I found interesting is the sea stacks, which are blocks of erosion-resistant rock isolated from the land by sea. Sea stacks begin as part of a headland or sea cliff. Relentless pounding by waves erodes the softer, weaker parts of a rock first, leaving harder, more resistant rock behind.

Three Arch Rock

Three Arch Rock is an example of a Sea Stack about 1/2 mile off the Oregon shore near Oceanside where we spent a couple nights.  Another example is Pillar Rock off shore of the Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge.  We could get closer to this rock and get a good look at the residents of this inhospitable place.

Pillar Rock at Common Murres

Common Murres are penguin-like birds that live in the cooler northern oceans.   Common Murres nest on the tops of these sea stacks in colonies so dense that there may be 20 nesting pairs in one square meter.

Close Quarters

Nesting on a Blue Egg

Common Murre eggs are pointed at one end; when pushed, they roll around in a circle, preventing them from rolling off into the ocean. The variation in egg color and markings allows parent Murres to recognize their own eggs when they return from sea.

These birds are abundant along the coast, which makes them easy targets of eagles.   We talked with some birders at Cape Meares and learned that eagles will swoop down and grab a baby or even adult right off the rock.  Sometimes they will land just a few feet away to eat their meal right in front of the other birds.  

Later that day we were down at Yaquina Head Natural Area in Oregon when we heard Sea Gulls making a racket and chasing a young Bald Eagle.  You can see this eagle has a Common Murre in it's talons and blood and feathers on his beak. 

 

The surprising thing is it was the Sea Gulls that were harassing the Eagle.

Life is pretty rough on the rocks.

If you're interested in seeing more photos from our trip to Washington and Oregon and hearing more about the photography, join me at the Twin City Photo Club in Bristol Tuesday September 3.  I'll be doing a program using photos from this trip.