I must have been in the camera groove when I went to Mt. St. Helens. I am merely trying to sort and organize my photos to upload them to flickr, but I keep impressing myself. Some of these are stunning. I cheat, because I was standing in gorgeous scenery. But still… wow.
Evening sun turns the silvery spikes of dead trees into copper. And do my eyes deceive me, or is that blue sky through an arch? You can click for a larger image.This one makes me think of candy. No Photoshop here, just pure atmospheric luck.This was so much more astonishing in person, but it’s still nice here. The North Fork Toutle River sparkles as it flows West to the sea. All the particulate is…yes… volcanic dust kicked up in the wind.Ash kicked into the air as high winds tornado into the crater.I want to paint this with oils – all that blue shadow. These are the hummocks in the valley below the observatory.Awww… ok, I threw this one in for cuteness.Pow! What color!I am about the world’s biggest huckleberry fan. Imagine my delight when I found bushes just loaded with ripe berries beside a trail.The contrast was just irresistible.I am on the East side of St. Helens, and the wind is Easterly. So the air is clear over the forest, but in the places where the volcanic dust is still on the surface, the particles are raised high in the air. You can see the cloud moving off to the West.
…and a shout out to anyone who can tell me why sometimes my images are displayed in sharp focus and sometimes they look blurry, or grainy low quality, when displayed in WordPress. Is it just my computer that does this? Is it the template that I’m using?
Thank you so much, Bruce! I have been humbled by some distinctly talented photographic artists on Word Press. Compared to them, I tend to think less of my own shots. But on their own merit, my photos are nice, too. Thank you for the validation.
Stunning scenery indeed! While it helps to have beautiful surroundings, it s not always possible for people to capture the beauty. Some can’t (like me) and some can (like you).
Not sure about your blurry photo problem. My guess is it might have something to do with the number of pixels. But that’s just what I would start looking at.
Your compliment is much appreciated, and I know you mean it. I think the beautiful surroundings help, because I get inspired.
You must be right about the pixels, and that’s the conclusion I have suspected, as well. If I take the time to mess with sizes, I can custom shape each image till it appears in sharp focus. But…that’s time consuming. I wish the media tool in my template automatically did that for me.
Conscious Engagement 
These photos DO work. They are gorgeous. You found all the angles.
Thank you so much, Bruce! I have been humbled by some distinctly talented photographic artists on Word Press. Compared to them, I tend to think less of my own shots. But on their own merit, my photos are nice, too. Thank you for the validation.
Absolutely, Crystal.
Stunning scenery indeed! While it helps to have beautiful surroundings, it s not always possible for people to capture the beauty. Some can’t (like me) and some can (like you).
Not sure about your blurry photo problem. My guess is it might have something to do with the number of pixels. But that’s just what I would start looking at.
Your compliment is much appreciated, and I know you mean it. I think the beautiful surroundings help, because I get inspired.
You must be right about the pixels, and that’s the conclusion I have suspected, as well. If I take the time to mess with sizes, I can custom shape each image till it appears in sharp focus. But…that’s time consuming. I wish the media tool in my template automatically did that for me.
Bravo!!! Your photos are incredible, Crystal! wow, wow, wow!
Oh, thank you so much for the enthusiastic compliments! It means much to me, coming from you, since you pay attention to photography. 🙂
gorgeous geography you have there!
Thank you Bipasha, and thank you for stopping by to take a look at my blog. I am lucky to live in a particularly beautiful part of our planet.