The hike up Rattlesnake Ridge

Last weekend meant a break in the recent wave of Saturday photo shoots, so I was able to do a lot of the random fun stuff around the house and around town. So when Heather suggested that we go on a Sunday hike, it sounded like a great idea. The weather has been fantastic lately, and lord knows exercise is always good. So Heather, our little dog Tokey, and I joined up with my buddies to ascend the 4 mile (mostly vertical) Rattlesnake Ridge trail just east of North Bend, WA. The photo to the left was taken at the trail head and looks up at the peaked destination.

The pace we established during our ascension wasn’t exactly that of a nature walk. My buddies were subconsciously going for time, and I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Poor Tokey, who likes to spend hours smelling every little object, was having a hard time keeping up. Even though I began the hike keeping pace with the dudes, about 80% of the way up I started feeling reeeeally tired. Turns out, a knit hat and sweat shirt can add to fatigue when hiking on a warm day. So I removed them and continued the remaining distance. Heather and Tokey stopped on occasion to meet the dogs going the opposite direction, which was a nice reason for us all to eventually slow down a bit.

We made it to the top in good time, and took a seat to enjoy some lunch, WATER, and the pretty amazing view.  We were also able to snap a few fun photos (mostly to document this experience). The day was amazing. Not too hot, not too cool. There was some light cloud cover that made a much more dynamic photo subject, and cast shadows on the expansive landscape beneath us. Such a sight.

If I had camping gear, I might’ve suggested an overnighter in order to avoid the return trip, but alas we were ready to get a move on.

Bummer of it, was that Tokey was so exhausted from the trip up, that he was determined not to take another step until he was good and ready. He’s still pretty much a puppy, so we didn’t have the heart to force him down. Although, if he were a larger breed of dog, I’m not sure we’d have any other choice. Thankfully, Tokay weighs 12 lbs. and conveniently fits in my backpack (he’s very much not a purse dog, so this was something we learned on this trip).

He did surprisingly well in the back pack. I guess it beat walking. I only had one loss of footing on the way down. I started to fall backwards, but dropped a knee instead. Tokey’s alright and he wasn’t all that concerned, but my knee got chipped up, and Heather showed some motherly protectiveness (which, in retrospect, was kinda cute).

 

The rest of the way down was a breeze and Heather and I were both able to pause and capture some photos along the way. I typically photograph people, so scenic shots present a challenge. To me, it’s hard to take a unique and interesting scenic shot. That said, here’s a few from the trip. Enjoy!!!

 

 

 

 

 

3 shoots in one day: The other Seattle marathon.

One in the morning, one studio shoot in the afternoon, and a third in the evening at sunset. Wah wah we wah… that’s a lot of photos in one day.

A couple weeks back, I overbooked myself. My ambition got the better of me, and I accepted three shoots in the Seattle area on a weekend during which all main streets were closed due to Seattle’s Rock n’ Roll marathon. Needless to say, it turned a challenging day, in to an almost impossible one.

Don’t get me wrong, the results were very much to my liking, and to my knowledge all clients were pleased with the outcomes. That being said, it was definitely a challenge to meet my standards, and my promised timeframe for delivering final images (one week)… but I did it. Please, please, no applause.

The first shoot was my second with this family. The Pinters recently brought little Jimmy in to the world, and since then he’s grown so much. For this shoot we ventured out to West Seattle  and incorporated the family and some props a bit more. Jimmy Jr. is always so expressive. He looks around with such curiosity, which makes for some great shots. Toward the end of the hour, he started growing impatient which allowed me to capture the obligatory “crying” shot. There’s a photo of me as a crying baby, and it still lives on in infamy.

The next photo shoot at Maya Whole Health is below the break. 

The second Shoot of the day took place inside Maya Whole Health. This establishment is a yoga studio and health spa. In addition to yoga classes, they offer massage, facials, hair removal, and more. They recently decided to undergo a website re-design, and needed images for this project that showcased the feel of the studio and their fun, low-key, and friendly culture. In addition to two large studio spaces, a hand full of service rooms (for massage, facials, etc.), and changing rooms, they also have a large retail floor that’s full of yoga supplies, books, clothing, and knick knacks. I did my best to capture it all.

Final photo shoot below the break.

To finish off this three-headed dragon of a day, I drove back in to Seattle for an evening shoot at Kerry Park. This patch of green is positioned half way up Queen Anne, and looks directly out at the space needle, Puget Sound, and the rest of the Seattle skyline. The happy couple requested some quick and basic shots in honor of their engagement, and wanted to complete them prior to the groom-to-be shipping out to Afghanistan. I was happy to oblige, and believe the results demonstrate just how beautiful the couple and the setting were on this particular day. Out of respect for the couple’s wishes, I will only be posting a few of their photos.

Still booking appointments for this summer, so if you’re interested in photos for you/your loved ones/your business/your family, you can email me from my website www.elldubphoto.com.

-Elldub