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“Snow Fortress (1)”

Location: Smith Rocks State Park, Oregon (2021)

-34 minutes before sunrise and the light of blue hour magically transforms the snow drenched high desert landscape of Smith Rocks State Park in late January.

Like a moat, the Crooked River, wraps around the palace like cliffs of tuff, rhyolite and basalt. To the right – just out of frame, a walking bridge provides access to this fortress of rock.

Snow had fallen during the previous day: an inch had been predicted. But there are microclimates in this region – great mountains, and fractured land diverting and directing the wind and weather. Instead of one, six inches of fresh powder enveloped the landscape.

It was a glorious sight. The snow reflected the light beautifully. Sound was dampened. Winds were still calm. The most I could hear was the babbling of the river, the honk of geese, and the shutter clicks from my camera.

In a place as popular and photogenic as Smith Rocks, you are never truly alone. And as such, I was shortly accompanied by several photographers, each like myself, having made the calculated decision that this was a morning worth vacating the warmth and comfort of a bed for the chance to witness a rare moment of snow and sunlight.

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