📥 Download FREE desktop wallpaper
🖼️ View artwork details & shipping
📸 Request a free wall preview
“Portland’s Autumn”
Description:
The Mount Hood Overlook at the Portland Japanese Garden frames the city and its iconic snow-covered peak amid vibrant autumn foliage. Created in 1963 as a cultural bridge with Japan, the garden is known for its tranquil landscapes, seasonal color, and one of the best skyline views in Portland.
Story:
Trees become their own skyscrapers and blend into the skyline as Mount Hood dominates the background in this classic autumn scene photographed from the Portland Japanese Garden.
I had just paid for a photography membership in anticipation of photographing the famous Japanese maple that artists flock to during peak fall color. That day, I was exploring the garden and pre-visualizing without my camera how I was going to photograph the tree.
With a rough plan in mind, I wandered deeper into the garden and circled around the perimeter toward the Pavilion Gallery. The Flat Garden was the main attraction there — a meticulously raked rock garden synonymous with Japanese culture's attention to detail. But just like the Japanese maple, though, the garden was still weeks away from peak foliage. “Let’s keep exploring.”
I wasn’t expecting to do any photography, since I was still at a stage in my career where I thought the only time worth photographing was sunrise or sunset. So when I rounded the backside of the Pavilion Gallery and stepped into the Mount Hood Overlook, I was flabbergasted!
The scene before me was straight off a postcard: Mount Hood drenched in snow behind the Portland skyline, framed by trees in full autumn color. It became clear that the garden had its own microclimate. While the maple wasn’t ready, this view certainly was. But there was a slight problem — my camera was in the car.
I power-walked past the Pavilion Gallery and Flat Garden, through the Nezu Gate, and into the gift shop. But I was only halfway there. I still had to descend the long stairs and the meandering path that drops a couple hundred feet to the Antique Gate at the parking lot.
Worried I was going to miss the moment, I panicked and grabbed only one lens. I retraced my steps, back through the Antique Gate, up the path, up the stairs, through the gift shop, back through the Nezu Gate, past the Flat Garden and Pavilion Gallery, and finally returned to the overlook. I was sweating as I lifted the camera to my eye… and something looked wrong.
Ah, drats. Wrong lens. I needed my telephoto to make Mount Hood appear larger and closer to the city. With a deep breath, I knew what I had to do. I immediately began the thousand-foot power walk again.
When I returned, out of breath and fully sweating, I was excited to finally take the photo. The telephoto brought everything together — until I noticed again that something wasn’t right.
Oh, crap! The tripod. I had forgotten the tripod.
I made my third trip back to the car. By then I was ready for a shower, but the light was still good, and I finally came away with the photograph I wanted.
A valuable lesson in my journey as a photographer.
-BAP
Location:
Mount Hood Overlook
Portland Japanese Garden
Oregon
45° 31' 7.5'' N, 122° 42' 26.7'' W
Google Map Link
Time: 15:08 PDT
Date: October 11th, 2019
Camera & Settings:
Single shot
Nikon D800E, NIKKOR 70-200 mm f/4G, CPL Filter, Tripod
ISO 100, 200 mm, f/9, 1/15 sec
📥 Download FREE desktop wallpaper
🖼️ View artwork details & shipping
📸 Request a free wall preview
“Portland’s Autumn”
Description:
The Mount Hood Overlook at the Portland Japanese Garden frames the city and its iconic snow-covered peak amid vibrant autumn foliage. Created in 1963 as a cultural bridge with Japan, the garden is known for its tranquil landscapes, seasonal color, and one of the best skyline views in Portland.
Story:
Trees become their own skyscrapers and blend into the skyline as Mount Hood dominates the background in this classic autumn scene photographed from the Portland Japanese Garden.
I had just paid for a photography membership in anticipation of photographing the famous Japanese maple that artists flock to during peak fall color. That day, I was exploring the garden and pre-visualizing without my camera how I was going to photograph the tree.
With a rough plan in mind, I wandered deeper into the garden and circled around the perimeter toward the Pavilion Gallery. The Flat Garden was the main attraction there — a meticulously raked rock garden synonymous with Japanese culture's attention to detail. But just like the Japanese maple, though, the garden was still weeks away from peak foliage. “Let’s keep exploring.”
I wasn’t expecting to do any photography, since I was still at a stage in my career where I thought the only time worth photographing was sunrise or sunset. So when I rounded the backside of the Pavilion Gallery and stepped into the Mount Hood Overlook, I was flabbergasted!
The scene before me was straight off a postcard: Mount Hood drenched in snow behind the Portland skyline, framed by trees in full autumn color. It became clear that the garden had its own microclimate. While the maple wasn’t ready, this view certainly was. But there was a slight problem — my camera was in the car.
I power-walked past the Pavilion Gallery and Flat Garden, through the Nezu Gate, and into the gift shop. But I was only halfway there. I still had to descend the long stairs and the meandering path that drops a couple hundred feet to the Antique Gate at the parking lot.
Worried I was going to miss the moment, I panicked and grabbed only one lens. I retraced my steps, back through the Antique Gate, up the path, up the stairs, through the gift shop, back through the Nezu Gate, past the Flat Garden and Pavilion Gallery, and finally returned to the overlook. I was sweating as I lifted the camera to my eye… and something looked wrong.
Ah, drats. Wrong lens. I needed my telephoto to make Mount Hood appear larger and closer to the city. With a deep breath, I knew what I had to do. I immediately began the thousand-foot power walk again.
When I returned, out of breath and fully sweating, I was excited to finally take the photo. The telephoto brought everything together — until I noticed again that something wasn’t right.
Oh, crap! The tripod. I had forgotten the tripod.
I made my third trip back to the car. By then I was ready for a shower, but the light was still good, and I finally came away with the photograph I wanted.
A valuable lesson in my journey as a photographer.
-BAP
Location:
Mount Hood Overlook
Portland Japanese Garden
Oregon
45° 31' 7.5'' N, 122° 42' 26.7'' W
Google Map Link
Time: 15:08 PDT
Date: October 11th, 2019
Camera & Settings:
Single shot
Nikon D800E, NIKKOR 70-200 mm f/4G, CPL Filter, Tripod
ISO 100, 200 mm, f/9, 1/15 sec
