FROM $70.00 – $415.00

“Solitude at Lee Falls”

Location: Tualatin River, Gaston, Oregon (2021)

The Tualatin River marches over Lee Falls, a popular swimming hole with locals, outside of Gaston, Oregon in mid-spring.

I was balanced on top of a couple rocks half-submerged near the shoreline with my tripod extended low over the water. The sound of the falls blocked my peripheral senses.

A can of bear spray was dangling off my right hip – a local said black bears lived nearby. I checked periodically over my shoulder as I adjusted my camera settings and lined up my composition.

Clouds streaked overhead, providing opportunities to both conceal and reveal the sunshine. Like most photographers, I prefer to shoot waterfalls under cloud cover because otherwise the water is too bright, and the shadows are too dark.

I took several test shots and looked over my shoulder for any bear sightings as I waited for a cloud to momentarily pass in front of the sun.

This waterfall, I’ve been told, is quite popular for diving and swimming in the summer months. But only for locals because parking isn’t even an option. And here I was with the place just to myself.

True, it was a weekday in mid-May, but finding a moment of solitude in today’s world is getting harder and harder for everybody.

Sizes are in inches.
Print and canvas sizing are slightly different.