Sunrise on the Deschutes River

October 28, 2013 (Updated October 28, 2013)
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October along the Deschutes River is always a stunning — and even more so recently when I went there with a German photographer friend. Its always great when you can impress visitors with the scenic beauty here in Central Oregon.

This morning turned out to be one of those moments you crave in nature photography. First we got stunning images along the river just upstream from the falls with the sun lighting up the yellow foliage of the trees along the river. After our sunrise shots, the clouds moved in and we had even light— soft, even light like the kind you get under a large studio soft box. This is the light you want for nature details, colorful leaves on the floor and waterfalls.

We followed the river downstream into the canyon. After climbing over rock outcroppings on the edge of the cliffs, we found what we were looking for: perfectly arranged trees with red leaves in a beautiful river setting. The green of the rivers water contrasted perfectly with the colors of the trees. I used a medium-sized lens to frame this image with my camera on a sturdy tripod. Set at 100 ISO, I set the aperture to 18 and added a Polarizer Filter to enhance colors, lower reflection and prolong the overall exposure. I exposed for half a second. Needless to say, I was pleased with the results and my German friend had just one word for it: “Wow.”

Editor’s note: Capturing Oregon” brings you the stories of Oregon photographers as they traverse the state to capture its beauty. To see more of Christian’s photography, visit www.ccophoto.com.

About The
Author

Christian Heeb
Christian Heeb is a well know international Photographer who lives in Bend, Oregon. Christian has published over 120 books worldwide and his work appears in national and international publications. He is the author of the book Travel Photography and together with his wife and partner Regula Heeb runs the Cascade Center of Photography, a studio, workshop center and gallery devoted to photography in Bend. Christian also leads photo tours worldwide. He loves to share his love for Oregon with other photo enthusiasts and is a contributor to our "Capturing Oregon" photography series.