Central Oregon’s Smith Rock State Park has always been one of the crown jewels of Oregon’s State Park system. Personally, I’m of the opinion that if Smith Rock had more acreage, it would merit National Park status. As Smith Rock is a short drive from my hometown of Bend, Oregon, I’ve been there dozens of times for landscape photography purposes. Many of my photo missions to Smith Rock have targeted sunrise but the morning I captured this stunning image with my large format film camera, was by far the best morning light I’ve ever seen at Smith Rock State Park.
Sunrise on Oregon’s Smith Rock State Park.
Just before sunrise, in the direction opposite of the sun, a phenomena, known as an earth shadow can be witnessed. It is the earth shadow which creates a pink line across the sky where the sun is striking the earth’s atmosphere and a blu/purple line beneath the pink line where the sun’s rays have not yet contacted the earth’s atmosphere. Because the primary ambient light at this time immediately prior to sunrise is pink, rock formations on the earth’s surface can take on amazing colors, light the ones seen on this wonderful rock formation commonly know as the Smith Rock group. This wonderful light on Smith Rock’s always beautiful rock formations is only part of what makes this photo special. I also am very fond of the composition, with Oregon’s glacier clad South Sister to the left of the Smith Rock Group and Oregon’s Mt. Jefferson to the right. To finish of this photograph, the Crooked River gently meanders through the high desert foreground at Smith Rock.
For those of you who haven’t had the pea sure of visiting Oregon’s Smith Rock State Park, it is truly a wondrous place of vertical rock formations and breath taking high desert views. My primary aspiration regarding my fine art landscape photography is to capture the essence of the beautiful locations near my home town of Bend, Oregon. I was so excited about this new image that I decided to make a greeting card out of it too. To purchase greeting cards of this image, please visit, Smith Rock Greeting Card. To date, I believe this is my best effort at capturing the grandeur of Central Oregon’s Smith Rock State Park. To view this Smith Rock photo and many other Oregon high desert images, please visit the portfolio page of my website. Smith Rock Oregon Photos. I hope you enjoy my new Smith Rock Print. Please contact me for purchasing information.
Thanks for Visiting,
Mike Putnam
