Photography

Give us your BEST - photos that is! It's time to update our chapter slide show and what better way to do it than to run a photography contest! This slide show is shown at all our public events and showcases all of our great activities.  Follow the instructions below to submit photos in any of the nine categories and win recognition and eternal bragging rights. Read more…

The Seattle Photography Committee started the Behind the Shot series last fall with a goal of inspiring others to go on their own photo adventure. These presentations will not only show you gorgeous photos, but will give you information about camera equipment and planning trips. Join us September 24 to explore Costa Rica, and save the date for other upcoming presentations. Read more…

Asahel Curtis described Mount Shuksan in the first Mountaineers annual as “a beautiful mass of igneous rock with cascade glaciers flowing outward on all sides, except the north.” He, along with W. Montelius Price, claimed the first ascent of the peak in 1906 (Shuksan’s Curtis and Price glaciers serve as namesakes to the climbers). Asahel brought his faithful companion – a 10+ pound box-style camera – with him to the top. As was his trademark, he was simultaneously pioneering two fields: mountaineering and photography. Read more…

In a June 18 essay— I'm a Climber, and a Mother, and Doing Great, Thank You—in The New York Times, professional climber Beth Rodden talked about the birth of her son and the fears she had about how the decision to become a mother would impact her climbing career. It's a moving piece. A new book by the photographer Corey Rich releasing in September includes a story about Beth and her pregnancy. Usually we wouldn't release an excerpt for a book that is a few months from publication, but because this is so complementary to Beth's article (and written long before it), we thought we'd make an exception.  Read more…

I belong to several committees in The Mountaineers (photography, naturalists, and hiking), and I work hard to integrate the work of all of our committees into each of my trips. I do this because participants, like leaders, have varied interests, and the more we showcase the great offerings of The Mountaineers, the more engaged our participants will be! Read more…

Olympia Mountaineers - join our 2019 Photo Contest Committee! Our branch photo contest not only gives recognition to our amazing photographers, but the entries are used throughout the year at our branch events (including our branch banquet). Our last photo contest was in 2017 - help us refresh our photo library and discover the hidden talents of our fellow Mountaineers!  Read more…

Whistler is know for its skiing and snowboarding and was the location of the 2010 Olympics. It's been on my bucket list for a while now, but I've been so involved with hikes at Mt. Rainier during the summer, that I forget about it until the season turns cold and wet. It's also supposed to have good hiking trails for the warmer months, so that's why I wanted to go. Read more…

During my previous life as a sportswriter, an NBA player once made me wait for an arranged interview while he horsed around with ball boys in front of his locker. After a long spell of this, he grew bored and finally turned to me. Read more…

Mountaineers seem to be in constant motion: skiing, hiking, climbing, paddling, scrambling, and exploring. Yet moments of stillness can bring equal restoration to our restless souls. Capturing all of these moments in wild places is a legacy many adventurers share, and today it’s easier than ever to bring others along on our trips through social media. Instagram is an incredible place to find inspiration, meet new people, and connect with the world around us. Read more…

Our Photography Committee is back for another round of  exciting ways for new photographers to get their feet wet, and wise hands to build on their existing skill set. With a wealth of options for activities, classes, and events, we have something here for everyone.  Read more…

Braided River, the conservation imprint of Mountaineers Books, is proud to present a brand new photography exhibit "Colorado: Sage Spirit and Roaring Rivers" in Concourse A of Denver's International Airport. An award-winning photographer, Dave Showalter has captured the spirit of Colorado wildlife and paired them with stories of Westerners working to preserve the land they love. Read more…

Each year, The Mountaineers pair up with the Puget Sound Mycological Society to host a mushroom weekend at Meany Lodge. This special weekend offers attendees a great space to learn about foraging mushrooms in the northwest, both for in food and for other purposes. Besides a bed at the lodge, guests are treated to a wide range of mushroom treats and entrees, making this much-anticipated weekend an event not to be missed! Read more…

The Seattle Mountaineers Photography Committee is launching a new photo presentation series to celebrate the extraordinary photography adventures our Mountaineers members (and others in the Seattle area) have experienced around the world. We will be hosting these presentations to share photos, videos, and storytelling from the photographers among us. Read more…

The rain came steadily through the mountain hemlocks as my group huddled under an overhanging branch. Misty waves of water had been passing through this forest for the last half hour, but distant thunder was what caused us to pause. Raincoats and hats dripped. Read more…

The following is excerpted from Paul Souders' new book, Arctic Solitaire: A Boat, A Bay, and the Quest for the Perfect Bear. This is from Chapter Five: A Hole in the Water. Read more…

Dense fog concealed the subalpine meadow in an eerie white veil. Water dripped from the firs and cedars, and our pant legs were soaked from touching the grass, lupines, and mountain hemlocks. Only a hundred feet in front of me, my friend, Laurie, began to disappear into the white. Waves of heavier mist drifted across the field and lasted for just a few minutes before passing. Every snap of a stick in the surrounding forest would cause us to stop and look. Spray Park is well known for its black bears, and we didn’t want to meet one in a cloud. Read more…

Name: Kristan Tea
Hometown: Ithaca, NY
Member Since:  2014
Occupation: Retail Regional Manager
Favorite Things to Photograph: Kristan is attracted to colors and shapes. Sometimes that’s something organic, sometimes not. She rarely photographs people, because she can take her time with inanimate objects. Kristan considers herself a slow photographer. Read more…

For the second weekend in August, the photography and naturalists committees teamed up for a weekend of events at Baker Lodge. We used the great opportunity to share our love of the outdoors together and develop an enhanced sense of connection. And to take in the Perseid Meteor showers - or so we hoped! Read more…

My first time as a photographer “in the field” is stored in a place in my memory banks reserved for other indelible firsts — kiss, published story, time I set my eyes upon my daughters. I remember slogging along in a flooded farm field with a small group led by Paul Bannick, the renowned owl expert and photographer and Mountaineers Books author. Well, I was slogging at least; I’m sure Bannick was prepared, as usual, wearing some sort of waders. I was stepping daintily in my duck boots, fearful of sinking to my thighs in water and mud that smelled faintly of rotten eggs.  Read more…

Name: Anita L. Elder
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Member Since: 2007
Occupation: Freelance Graphic Designer
Favorite Things to Photograph: Landscapes, animals, nature, and old architecture Read more…

The photography and naturalists committees have teamed up for a weekend of events at Baker Lodge. This is a great opportunity to share our love of the outdoors together and develop an enhanced sense of connection. Read more…

Today is National Nature Photography Day. Mountaineers Books and, especially our conservation imprint, Braided River, works with a number of amazingly talented and dedicated nature photographers. These folks frequently spend long hours alone in the wild capturing images that the rest of us would never see without them. These images have a huge impact on how we come to understand and feel about nature. Often their photos are the only reference we have for faraway places, and they move us to care about those environments. Nature photographers are on the leading edge of connecting us emotionally to the world that we depend on for all of our physical needs and for which degradation in a faraway place  affects the place where we live. Read more…

Name: Erwin Buske
Hometown: Fairwood, Washington
Member Since: 1995
Occupation: Erwin Buske Photography & Procurement Cost Analysis Consulting Read more…

We are launching a new photo presentation series to celebrate the extraordinary photography adventures our Mountaineers members have experienced around the world. We’re hosting four presentations in the next year to share photos, videos, and storytelling from the photographers among us, and we invite you to send us your stories! Read more…

Name: William Francis Butler Jr.
Hometown: Seattle - Ballard
Member Since: 1999
Occupation: Retired School Administrator
Favorite Things to Photograph: Sunsets, especially when something makes them extra interesting. Objects, like backlit Joshua Trees and flowers. Read more…

Six of us ventured to the Bremerton Waterfront on Sunday, March 26, for a photography scavenger hunt. The weather was wonderful, blue skies with interesting clouds, not too hot and not too cold...perfect weather for being outside! Read more…

Name: Steve Johnson
Hometown: Urbana, IL
Member Since: 1986
Occupation: Retired Cartographer, Graphics Supervisor, GIS Manager
Favorite Things to Photograph: Cultural and natural landscapes, Travel, Waterblurs, Nature, Urban Form Read more…

For April, get down low and shoot images of feet. It can be your feet doing something interesting, or other people’s feet, or even animal feet (paws). Include faces if you want – but make sure the true subjects (the feet) really stand out. Read more…

You can capture the magic of nature right in your own backyard. Join us this spring for field trips with our Seattle Photography Committee to explore a city lake, the waterfront, downtown, a ghost town, see migratory birds, and more! Read more…

The Seattle branch Photography Committee has three workshops coming up between now through May, two of them brand new! Join us to learn how to  master landscapes, close-ups, and street scenes. Read more…