Adventures in the Rain

So this weekend was a fun filled rain and cloud fest on the Denny Creek trail up to Melakwa Lake. Saturday my friend Erika assisted me on a model shoot with a friend of mine from Eastern WA who I've photographed before, she wanted to get some good foresty type shots and so we settled on the forests in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. We got there, a little misty, but not too bad, and settled in for a couple location shoots as all 3 of us also took photos (in addition to being a model she's also a photographer) until finally being rained out at the bathing rocks area at Denny Creek. It was actually a lot of fun and I feel like I got some good stuff, and was so excited to finally have an assistant to...well... assist me! She held the flash, she posed the model, she helped her change, she provided good humor and kept it all fun even when we were shooting in the rain.

Brenna as "Forest Traveler"

The second part of the weekend ended up as a return trip by me and a couple of other friends to the same trail, this time to attempt to hike up to Melakwa Lake at the end of the trail (5 miles in). Though we didn't quite make it, and it was pouring rain 80% of the time (thus testing our waterproofing extensively) we still got to see some amazingly moody shots, as well as my first time ever salamander, which also happened to be an amazingly cool animal, the Coast Giant Salamander, which happens to be one of the largest terrestrial salamanders, reaching a max length of about 12-13 inches. Our guy was probably between 10 and 12 inches long, and was in the process of consuming a mouse when we stumbled upon him on the way back down the trail.

The Coast Giant Salamander eating a mouse

Keekwulee Falls


The clouds made layers that were just SO gorgeous

Anyway, it was an awesome time, and I will definitely have to go back, I can see a lot of places to explore and the trail, though moderately difficult for a while after the denny creek slide area, is very interesting in it's variety, and I could easily see it becoming a favorite spot to head to in different weather and seasonal conditions. This year has definitely been the year of the reptiles and amphibians for me (so far on my photo count: Coastal Giant Salamander, Western Toad, Red Legged Frog, Bullfrog, Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, Garter Snake, Painted Turtle, Red Eared Slider (turtle), and today, Pacific Tree Frog). Yay for these often overlooked denizens of Washington!