Sunset over the Mauna Kea Volcano © Jay Goodrich

Hawaii in November equals RAIN. Then, more rain. And then, some more rain. What most people don’t understand is that the island of Hawaii has two massive volcanos that rise over thirteen thousand feet bisecting the landmass and thus bisecting the weather.  These peaks are so high that in “man bar speak” they would be classified as fourteeners. Everything grows when men get drunk, come on you should know that by now. These two volcanoes are so massive that they get snow year round. This is great for me as a skier, but even better for me as a photographer. You want unparalleled light, just head directly up to the dividing line and you will find the light that causes a true photography addiction.

During my recent Hawaii workshop with Gavriel Jecan it rained nine out of nine days, and out of those nine days, we only missed a spectacular sunset once. The sea was a bit angry on that particular day and almost the whole island had rain and clouds. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Always remember though, weather equals drama and drama equals amazing photographs. Well, it’s time for me to board my private jet back to the mainland, re-enter society with the minions, and work harder to make enough money to pay my bills next month. Yes, I was fortunate enough to hitch a ride on a friend’s private jet into and out of Hilo for this journey and man that was an experience. Also remember, that reality can sometimes come crashing down upon you when you least expect it. God it is going to suck flying coach after this trip.

The Palouse at Sunset During a Thunderstorm © Jay Goodrich

There are times, when no matter how much experience you have, things do not necessarily go according to plan. This was in fact one of those times. The good thing was that my friend and fellow photographer Gavriel Jecan had as much trouble as I did. Phew! I would have had to bury him in a shallow grave and confiscated his camera as my own.

The set up. I have somehow, with my extremely limited skill-set in marketing and business matters, have landed Marriott as an architectural client. This job was a two-day job in the Tri-Cities area of Eastern Washington. Two days of shooting, with a day on the front end for scouting and prep. Gav and I arrived early to scout the property which in turn gave us the ability to head out for a little personal shooting that evening. We decided to run up north to the Palouse to shoot sunset. What came next was the crushing blow. A death blow of sorts.

There was a growing thunderstorm on the horizon. It was clear to the west and the storm was traveling from the south to the north. It was the perfect photo situation. We were going to get a sunset during a storm. Well there in-lies your problem. Nature is fast. Way faster than any human can perceive. We were in Colfax, Washington when the storm exploded at the same time the sun broke through its western edge. Now if you haven’t been to the Palouse, the town of Colfax is in a deep valley and ah, not so good for the sunset.

I drove up one of the miscellaneous roads as fast as possible to head for higher ground. Breaking speed limits I am sure. Within minutes we had a location to shoot the sunset. The problem was that we were in the direct path of the storm. The blessing and the curse. It wasn’t raining too hard, but the wind was blowing at about sixty miles per hour. Those drops of rain hit like bullets. The came the lightening. We tried and tried to photograph it. Every time it went off we were talking about it. Every time our shutters were open it was a no show. Then there was the run-for-the-truck-we-are-going-to-die-up-here moment. Followed by the lack of foreground at our location. Followed by the soaked gear. Followed by the fact that neither of us thought to get some video. Yes that’s right, collectively we both have been shooting forty years and today it seemed like forty minutes.

All was not lost. Yeah right! As the storm passed and the light dimmed, we headed back out for super long exposures for the again elusive lightening. And it did exactly as it did before. Lightening, who me? Yeah, I’m on a coffee break when your cameras are open. And then there was the deer. Bambi. I hate that guy too. As our scene went to black and the flashes of lightening illuminated the now northern horizon, we saw something familiar. Every thirty seconds or so we watched as the final dream of ours fleeted to the east. A four by four buck walked the horizon line, perfectly illuminated by mister coffee break lightening. Again only to be on exact opposites of our camera shutters.

The lesson of this story. No matter how good you get or how good you think you are, there will be a time when you and I miss. The key, I got to see some crazy stuff that evening, I do have a witness, and although the evidence is purely circumstantial, I don’t need to prove it in a court of law. Thank god.

Lake Crescent Olympic National Park WA © Jay Goodrich

Oh yeah it’s one of those scenes…I can here you now, nice colors Jay, I like the textures, interesting perspective. This scene is not what you think my friends. What you don’t see in this image is the devil, pure concentrated evil. I am speaking of the 666 variety. Just lurking below the calm waters of of Lake Crescent here in Olympic National Park exists a serpent. Last weekend I was leading a workshop there with a great group of 25 photographers and all of them were just as unsuspecting as you are to the events that were about to transpire. Hell even I wasn’t on board.

It wasn’t mere minutes after this wonderful, peaceful scene was created on my sensor, sent through the buffer, and written to my flash card that the world was about to change. I moved in closer to the water to create abstract reflections of those branches in the right of this scene. Some great compositions. And then in an instant. FUCK! Yes, I managed to knock my brand new 1D Mark IV and 70-200 f2.8 IS II lens, tripod, ballhead, and shutter release into the lake. I mean that unseen fucking serpent took it–I can’t blame it on my own stupidity now can I. Not just a little, but into the depths, complete submersion. Listen to the needle drag across the record here.

My alter ego, (Tyler Durden from Fight Club) wanted to beat the crap out of me, but he resisted in this case, so the 25 severely concerned witnesses didn’t have me committed. After going fishing to bring the whole rig out, Art and Gavriel helped me dry it off. What the heck was I going to do? There were still two days left in this workshop? I decided to go for it and press the shutter release to see what would happen, and to my surprise, the damn thing took a picture.

Arms raised like I had just won the SuperBowl. YES! A true testament to a Canon professional body and lens. After toweling off the exterior, I went in. Opened the battery compartment, flash card compartment, lens off, everything completely dry. Looking through the lens no water, nothing. This can’t be happening to me. I never have this kind of luck.

And then, after about 2 hours, the scene from the Empire Strikes Back came blazing into my life. “Chewy, let’s make the jump to lightspeed.” Han Solo pulls the lever, and in the true spirit of his luck, the ship shutters and slows, as if to say, I am just too tired my friend you are out of credits once again. The lens fogged, camera produced an error message, and menu went blank. “But, but I thought I fixed the hyperdrive?” Laser blasts all around. FUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKK! No water anywhere inside? What the hell? Again?

After kicking the tires, scratching my head, and other various body parts, trying to figure it out, it came to me. Wait, wait, I went from the clear blue warmth into the cool, moist, shaded rainforest of the Hoh. Temperature gradiant and just enough moisture left in those seals? What if I open everything up and put this puppy in the hot car, in the sun for a few hours?

Hours later as we walk down the water’s edge of the Pacific on Second Beach, my thought process was about to be tested. Had I come up with a legitimate solution? Was I worthy of the “Professional” title in front of my name? “R2 what do you mean the hyperdrive was disconnected?” The flick of a little lever and…The stars all of a sudden align and blur like a long exposure. Hyperdrive fixed once again. Click. Time to photograph the sunset.

I am now off to the desert to lead a group in Zion, where this no water–no water, just rocks…

Mt. Moran, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming © Jay Goodrich

The Teton Range rises abruptly over Jackson Hole. Dominated by the Grand Teton, they are the most dramatic escarpment in the lower 48.

There is much more than stunning scenery in the Jackson Hole area. The meadows and marshes are frequented by moose and elk, bears roam the woods, and deer abound. Ansel Adams captured one of his signature images above a bend in the Snake River with the backlit Tetons looming in the distance.

I will be teaching a photo workshop with premier nature photographer and television host Art Wolfe and associate instructors John Greengo, Gavriel Jecan in an intensive four day workshop in one of the world’s most beautiful locations. This workshop is designed for the serious amateur and semiprofessional photographer. Expect days of long, but enjoyable hours, photographing from early morning until sunset.

The workshop is limited to only 12 people so don’t delay. For more info visit my workshop page on the trip or visit the Art Wolfe Workshop Website. To sign up visit Art Wolfe’s online store.

We are proud to announce two new workshop/tours for the summer of 2010. For more information click the links below to see all of the details of the trips.

The Bears of Lake Clark National Park, July 21-27, 2010

The Altiplano of Chile, August 6-13, 2010

Clouds over Mount Rainier, Washington © Jay Goodrich

Those who know me best know that I have been friends with Art Wolfe for some time now. He was a huge inspiration before I even had a career in photography and now our relationship has turned into a great friendship. I have spent the last 10 days with him traveling around Washington, sometimes photographing, sometimes driving (12+ hours straight one day), sometimes working and more often than not, laughing. I can count on him to make me laugh to the point that my stomach muscles are sore by time our trips are over. He invokes a drive in me to work harder and push my creativity farther than ever before. Sitting and watching the world pass you by is not an option for Art nor is it even in his vocabulary.

Here are two more photos from Mount Rainier National Park. The star trails image resulted in only 3 hours of sleep in order to be at Reflection Lake for sunrise. The high pressure that has been in place in the Pacific Northwest gave way briefly one evening to produce enough clouds for an unbelievable sunset. I now get to go home for a month, shoot a bunch of architecture projects, and catch up on running my business before it all starts again in Grand Teton National Park when Art, Gavriel Jecan, and I will be leading a workshop together. The whirlwind never stops…

Star Trails over Mount Rainier, Washington © Jay Goodrich