Sometimes you shoot the same locations again and again. If you live in Oregon and fancy yourself a photographer, then you have probably shot Multnomah Falls about a dozen times. Me too. When the cherry blossom trees peak at the State Capitol in Salem, it’s hard to stay away. The thing is, I had been there a good number of times before. So what to do? Look for another angle. I found myself strolling through the lantern-adorned sidewalk doing just that.
Naturally, because it’s in Oregon, it had just rained. That’s actually good. I started looking for reflections. There were some, but none that made me want to try them. And then I noticed that the bench had a bit of a reflection on it. Ok. Now the challenge was on. How to get the reflection, the colors in the trees, and the lanterns and still capture a sense of the place to help tell the story. Bonus if I could get the Caiptal building. I couldn’t get that in, but I did find a way to get the rest. I looked like a contortionist getting this, and there were several people trying to figure out what the heck I was trying to photograph. In the end, I loved the image, and I don’t think anyone else has shot this quite the same way.
Naturally, by the time I was done, a short line queue had formed behind the Instargamers trying to comp-stomp me. Sigh. That happens when you shoot in a crowded place, I guess.
Let me know what you think.
