“Palouse”

Location:
Steptoe Butte, Washington
47°01'58.3"N 117°18'17.6"W
https://goo.gl/maps/TyjtuKMHTxF5fJNp6

Time: 20:11 PDT (30 minutes before sunset)
Date: June 6th, 2022

Camera & Settings:
Nikon D810, NIKKOR 200-500 mm f/5.6E, CPL Filter, Tripod
ISO 64, 480 mm, f/8.0, 1/5 sec

Summary:
The rolling hills of the Palouse reminds me of the ocean. And the buildings look like ships. Driving through the region you feel as if you’re in a lifeboat surrounded by monstrous waves threatening to swallow you up in fields of wheat.

From the slopes of Steptoe Butte, the green ocean looks inviting. “Idyllic” and “pastoral” are common references to the beauty. But this beauty can only be accessed with the use of binoculars or long telephoto lenses. It’s through the compression from the lenses that the rolling hills bunch up and rise. The phone makes the scene look much flatter. (See photo below.)

The best time to photograph this area is in the late spring – beginning of June. It’s quite a popular time. There’s usually a photography workshop or two as there was the evening I photographed. I found a spot away from the groups near a bush that protected me from the wind – it seems like the wind never stops blowing here.

I arrived a couple hours before sunset and enjoyed watching the shadows elongate as I waited for the right moment to approach.

-Brendan