Photo Galleries

The surface of water has magical qualities. It is ‘fluid’, undulates and shifts, while reflecting any light that reaches it, either directly from the sun or anything nearby. Waves, wind, birds, and boat wakes continually affect how the water lies, moves, changes, and, most importantly, reflects light. These photos are an exploration into capturing the awe and wonder of water …

Winter has always been one of my favorite seasons. While some fly south to relax on warm sandy beaches, I love heading out into the cold, quiet stillness after a fresh fall of snow; experiencing the sting of snow in a winter storm is an invigorating experience. Discovering nature’s new creations, which often take the form of abstract art, is …

Hiking through the Cascades in autumn fills me with a quiet peace found nowhere else. The cool, crisp mountain air feels clean and alive, carrying a stillness that settles deep within. Each step along the trail quiets my thoughts, allowing me to take in the magical beauty surrounding me. Hillsides blaze with deep reds, golden yellows, and rich ambers—like wildflower …

As the sun set over the mountains south of Mt. Adams, I experienced a quiet, golden moment that sparked a creative awakening. Surrounded by soft light and vivid alpenglow, I realized that a picture on a phone couldn’t capture the beauty before me. That moment marked the beginning of a more profound passion for photography, moving from spontaneous snapshots to …

Spring is timeless in the North Cascades. Where does it begin, and when does it end? Does it rise with the wildflowers on the eastern slopes and tumble with the last trickle of melted snow? Does that mean spring never arrives on the summit glaciers and never fades in the lupine fields? Is it the heat of the sun, the …

Sometimes, rather than capturing a grand scenic vista, a small portion of the vista is more interesting. These photos depict the abstract beauty of our region from above, an unfamiliar viewpoint that captures the striking patterns and vivid colors of our beautiful local landscapes. The photography of Tore Ofteness will be on display at the Allied Arts Gallery December 6-20, …

I find nothing more invigorating than a mountain adventure in the fall. At this time of year, temperatures are comfortable, the bugs are gone, salmon swim upriver to spawn, and birds fly overhead on their southern migration. Glorious alpine meadows feature red, orange, and yellow foliage, while ripe blueberries provide trailside refreshment. And nothing tops the iconic larches glowing like …

The North Cascades offer some of North America’s most spectacular mountain scenery, with more peaks that rise 3,000 feet in the last horizontal mile to their summits than any other range on Earth. But these mountains—in addition to their dramatic topography—also offer sublime intimacies: incandescent moss gardens, snow-melt pools reflecting the sky, twisted Krumholtz trees clinging to the fractured rock, …

The old idiom “can’t see the forest for the trees” describes being too wrapped up in details to see the big picture. But in close-up photography, the details are what matter—a recognition that the blanket of frozen, dead leaves on the ground or the tiny mushroom sprouting from a rotting log is the “forest,” just as much as the towering trees …

Twenty-five years ago, I moved to Bellingham, Washington to ski and pursue a degree at Western Washington University. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Mt. Baker was about to set a world record for snowfall. That first winter totally changed the course of my life. I instantly became hooked on the deep powder skiing and the rugged and seemingly endless …