Zen Pool, North Santiam River

Description

Zen Pool, North Santiam River

Willamette National Forest, Oregon

Zen Pool.  This elegant and peaceful riverside pool is located near the Three Pools Recreation area in Oregon’s Willamette National Forest.  My intention on this day was to capture a sweeping scene of the North Santiam River and its wonderfully tinted waters with a hint of fall color. I had a distinct composition in mind but I was repeatedly hindered by autumn rainfall which helps characterize this beautiful corner of Oregon. Frustrated by the unrelenting rains, I cleared my mind by exploring the area. I was astounded. The intimate textures of the nearby rock formations were wonderful. The heavy rains gave the rock a blueish tint and released the wonderful aroma of decaying organic debris. The smells and textures heightened my artistic awareness.

As the rains began to relent, I was drawn back to this beautiful Zen Pool. As the surrounding rock began to dry, a color gradient developed between the wet and dry rock which accentuated the peaceful rocks submerged in the pool. The gentle burble of the small waterfall at the head of the pool added a serene background noise to this enchanting scene.

As I worked the composition of the pool with my 4×5 film camera this small body of water took on its own elegant character. With most of my fine art landscape photography, I hope to capture the essence of place. This often means grand scenes with open sky, mountains, wildflowers and rushing waters. This fine art print is a capture of the sensation of a place. A burbling waterfall, the aroma of forest floor, soothing water and peaceful rock formations make for an elegant fine art print of this magical place. For more information about my 4×5 camera, the “Big Rig” which I used to capture this new landscape photograph, visit this page, Large format film photographer.