Revealing my Intent: Image 1 "Looking Down from St Helens"

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As I stood looking across from the Johnston Ridge Johnston Ridge Observatory, more commonly known as the Mt St Helens Visitor Center,  the mountain itself, appeared while magnificent, not so spectacular. Rather ordinary to me. No smoke was emanating from its dome, no great lighting showing off early morning clouds. Nothing to remember other than the rock face itself. I didn't want such a dull print on my wall, and I didn't want to offer for sale such a dull print. So after walking around the viewing landscape I took several shots anyway, thinking I could take this back to my desktop to look it over more carefully. After an hour or so looking over the images, I decided I wanted to bring this image to life.

I wanted to remember it as a much more spectacular scene. Something with the colors that would inspire me to return to Mt St Helens and shoot more images as time allowed. And so the creativity took hold. I wanted color, so much color that it would be a standout print. I punched up the exposure, increased saturation and contrast, and in the end, I was able to mix it all together as if I were looking at the age of the mountain from the Mesozoic Era, some 252 million to 66 million years ago. As such it took on a completely new and customized look, as if I were in that time traveled feeling. No longer in the present, but back when dinosaurs roamed. When I finished I knew then I had accomplished a view of Mt St Helens that I had not seen before nor might I be able to duplicate it quite as ancient again. 

I hope this has revealed to you the breadth and creativity, and the time I spent in bringing this view to those looking for a very special print of this beloved mountain.





How to get there







Next in this Series Locomotive Engine 4449



















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