A Day of Leading Photography Tours in the Palouse

A Day of Leading Photography Tours in the Palouse

Yesterday I spent from 4:20am until 8:10pm sharing many of my favorite locations in the Palouse with a Hasselblad and Canon photographer from Seattle. The day may have been long, but the opportunities are vast and we had lot of territory to cover.  

The morning sky was clear as can be which allowed the sunlight to dance along the hills planted in wheat, lentil and peas. We were at eye level with those fields as the sun rose and he captured images in all directions with his two cameras  - the day was starting off wonderfully. 

Next I found a yellow crop duster spraying the peas for weeds - if you happen upon such a sight please stay a safe distance from them as not to 1. Disturb their work 2. Be able to smell the chemicals. This shot was strictly captured with his Canon in full burst mode as the plane swooped along the field. 

We continued our morning to a mustard field near the modern wind turbines and then to many postcard perfect red barns. 

However as the day continued with bald blue skies and then cloud cover that created a flat light box effect, good for portraits but not so much landscapes, my job as tour leader was continually challenging. 

I took him to Henning Hill where an abundance of Oliver Tractors, International Trucks and various machinery are lovingly displayed in honor of Mr Henning, Sr. Then we drove to my favorite Abandoned Farm where an array of weather worn buildings, a windmill and even an old Chevy are displayed in ghost town like fashion. It was near here that my client saw the shot he was looking for all day, a tractor plowing and fertilizing a field for next winter's wheat. 

You see a plowing tractor creates an impressive plume of dust and the scene was such that the sun would back light the plume as the tractor plowed the field against the backdrop of the rolling green hills. We waited one hour for the tractor to appear in the perfect location but when he did the image was fantastic!

My client was satisfied with his shot so much that he wanted to reward himself and his friend with a early dinner out, so I drove back to Pullman and I dropped him off at 8:10pm. 

It was on my drive back to Colfax that I saw this magical opportunity presenting itself. The clouds were parting in such a way that I knew the sunset would be a light show of color. So I started to drive to a place I felt worthy of such an event. 

It was this dip in the hills that I so fortunately found in time to capture this moment. Imagine me running up the hill with my iPhone on my tripod. Running until I saw this scene before me and then quickly working to capture 5 images to create a pano as I caught my breath. Yes that is how my day happily ended. Full of continued wonderment for the Palouse and for the ability of the iPhone to capture the moment perfectly!

While I appreciate the quality image that the Hasselblad and Canon produce, I am still extremely happy with the possibilities of the iPhone and my results. 

If you are interested in a private tour please contact me at teri@terilou.com or 509-674-8424