Photography and Activities

While computers have a way of being worked into all of my indoor activities, photography is a hobby which I enjoy in tandem with most of my outdoor activities. With the exception of skiing, which seems a little too fast paced to be fiddling with the shutter, I usually carry my camera along when I remember to pack it.

I'll give a brief explanation of each photograph. This collection should tell you a little about my hobbies and also show some of the many ways to enjoy the few remaining undeveloped areas of Washington State.

Because of the large true-color photographs, this page will look best if viewed with at least 800x600 24-bit pixels - it was composed on an 1120x832 true-color display.

February 25, 1993
Red Mountain,
Cascade Mountain Range,
Washington,
USA

This was my first excursion into the unmarked trails near Snoqualmie Pass off I-90. I hiked in on snowshoes until the slope became too steep, while my friend sped along on skis fitted with back-country bindings. After a brief rest on the 45° incline that you see here, I managed to take a couple of photos of my friend skiing down a snow-covered valley.

August 1, 1993
above "Inspiration Point,"
Eastern Washington,
USA

I could not figure out a good way to take a well-composed picture of myself while paragliding, so here is the underside of the paraglider in mid-flight. At the time this photograph was taken, I was about 2,000 to 3,000 feet above the landing area.

May 14, 1994
Frenchman's Coulie,
Eastern Washington,
USA

Rock climbing with a couple of friends in my favorite summer spot. These six-sided columns are basalt. A view of the Columbia River can be enjoyed from this vantage.

December 5, 1994
Valley of the Kings,
Luxor,
Egypt

My travelling partner and I hiked to the highest spot above the Valley of the Kings, where the Tomb of Tutankhamun was found. Luckily, there were three Australians and two New Zealanders there when we arrived, so we asked them to take this shot. I really wish I had packed a paraglider for the trip to Egypt. The landscape was so perfectly flat along the Nile that you would think you could see forever.

Equipment:
All photos were taken with my Canon EOS Rebel on Kodak EKTAR 25, 100, or 125 speed film. Development was handled by the fine folks at Cameras West in Bellevue, WA. All remaining work was done on my NeXTdimension computer. The prints were scanned on an Epson ES-800C 400dpi scanner at a resolution of 100 dpi and subsequently edited to 72 dpi for a slight enlargement. The photos were brightened by adjusting their gamma by .55 (or c ^ 1/.55) with my ImageMangler application, and then converted to JPEG format using GraphicsWorkshop (in which the JPEG Converter is credited to Alex Raftis, Copyright © 1991, Cal Poly State University / The Independent JPEG Group).