Thursday, July 19, 2012

Mount St. Helens


Thank you so much to all of you who continue to follow NikonSniper. This website started less than three years ago at the prompting of my wife and kids to place photos in a place that they could see them. For years, I had taken photos and had just stored them away on hard drives and no one had access to view them. I had no idea that they would receive this much interest. Last month NikonSniper received 8,500+ hits. That's crazy! All I can say is thank you. In actuality, your comments have become the majority of the words found on this blog ... and they are so appreciated. I enjoy looking at your blogs too! I learn so much from you and your ideas. They help me to keep improving at this art.

This photo is very special to me. Here are the words I wrote on 6/21/09 after taking the photo. I wrote this while seated at the Alaska Airlines gate in Portland getting ready for a night of flight back to Chicago after a two week road trip in Washington and Oregon.

Today, I took my last sidetrip before my flight home. I drove up to Mount St. Helens to kill some time while waiting for my cheap-o flight back to the Windy City. My flight is one of those "red eyes" that departs Portland at 9pm for Los Angeles, then another jump to Dallas before I reach Chicago a little after 9am on Sunday. I am not as young as I used to be!

After checking my bags and passing through security in Portland, I saw an open power plug at my gate, plugged in and accessed the Airport wireless network. I just had to post one of these incredible photos from Mount St. Helens before I left.

Earlier today, while heading to Mount St. Helens, I stopped in the tourist information center and was told that there really wasn't much to see on the south side of Mount St. Helens. I just kept going anyway because I really didn't have enough time to go to the north side.

After seeing what I saw on the southside ... I beg to differ on the worthiness of the south view. The photos I captured there did not do justice to what I saw with my own eyes. I saw an absolutely beautiful array of violet flowers growing in the lava path from the volcano. The people at the information center said there was nothing to see. HA!

Isn't that just like SO many things we take for granted if we see them everyday? Being a flatlander from Illinois, I found this location to be truly stunning. In fact, I called home this afternoon and told my son that I may have taken the best landscape photos that I have ever seen in my life. I did wish that the sun would have popped through a bit more today while I was there but I'll take these 1000 photos anytime. I am so glad I added them to my collection.

Look at what the hand of God did and continues to do with His on-going creative power! I know that I have been fortunate to have taken some pretty cool photos in my lifetime ... but this photo had nothing to do with me. I simply held the camera, pushed a button and became the beneficiary of collecting evidence of God. The 2nd law of Thermodynamics states that things left to themselves lead to chaos! God intervened to leave this stunning fingerprint on the surface of His Earth.Hope you enjoy what you see here! Thanks Washington and Oregon for these and future memories.

NikonSniper Steve

27 comments:

Brian Miller said...

we do tend to take for granted that which becomes common place in our lives. nice capture. have a great fathers day tomorrow!

PurestGreen said...

I'm sure they meant well, but the people who advised you "nothing to see here" are really missing out on something spectacular. I even love the cloud formation, like the ghost of an ash plume.

Anonymous said...

Divinity captured!

Kate said...

I lived in Western Washington when Mt. St. Helena's erupted. The ash blew eastward, so we didn't get any at our house at all! We did travel east not long after, though and were stunned with the mountains of ash everywhere. We collected some and I have a jar of it sitting on the computer desk next to me right now.

Lucy said...

Just beautiful. My son takes wonderful pictures. I would love to follow in his footsteps. You do have an eye for the beautiful, unusual. Thank you for sharing. Lucy

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

AMAZING! The reason I love to travel!

Kathy said...

I am looking at a plastic bottle of ash from the eruption on May 18, 1980...two days after the birth of second child. My brother lived out there at the time and collected it since it was everywhere. I was amazed that volcanic ash is really nothing like ash as we think of it at all. It's more like a extremely fine sand.

What a gorgeous photo and yes many people do miss out on so much because they go through life with their eyes "closed".

Thanks for sharing!

Susie said...

Wow, just beautiful!

forever lost said...

These pictures are very very special! It is amazing what you have captured with color and details. I am so glad I checked here today thanks

Lydia said...

I have such a personal history with Mount St. Helens. In Sept. 1980 (she blew in May) I commissioned a private pilot to fly my mother over the crater for her 65th birthday. The pilot, a friend of my boyfriend at the time, got "press clearance" to fly over the mountain because he said they were writing an article for a law school newspaper (not the truth). The mountain was active again. There was danger. Indeed, we had a very close call and nearly crashed inside the crater. The pilot said we fell 3000 feet in one minute. My boyfriend got GREAT photos because he shot the entire episode.
Then in 1993 my husband and I climbed the mountain with a hiking club. We had lunch sitting on the rim, looking down at the inside of the crater.
It is one special place with sacred ground and wonders to behold for those who have the eyes to see...like you...just how special even the smallest purple flower can be in the shadow of the mountain. I love this shot so much.

Michele said...

Western Washington is home for me though I'll never move back (too wet & cold). We try to visit a couple of times a year. Looks like the mountain has come back quite a bit since I last saw it. Thanks for sharing these lovely photos.

Linda said...

Breath takingly Beautiful Scenery, amazing photographs, enjoyable read too, TY for sharing. Linda:)

BaysideLife said...

WoW! My husband and I were at Mt.St. Helens about 6 years ago and it was still a dark, barren landscape. Mother Nature seems to be holding her own. Lovely photos Thanks

Monts said...

Great photo essay of a fantastic trip, loved every minute and every image. Look forward to many more.

OldeAnniePrimitives said...

I never tire of visiting here! But I haven't seen this side and need to explore it further. Thanks for pointing it out! Absolutely gorgeous!

child of God said...

WOW! Wow, wow!! This is stunning. Isn't it just like our God to give such wonderful gifts? What a treasure it must have been standing there taking it all in. Also, what a blessing to see you give credit to God, because you sure are a very talented photographer. I think He is smiling. :)

In Him,
<><

Flutterby said...

I was in Spokane celebrating our daughters 1st birthday and the television was filled with the devastation. Now over 30 years later look at the beauty there is to behold. Thank you so much for sharing this.

Traveling Hawk said...

Really awesome, Nikon Sniper!

Loulou said...

You are more than probably right... but one's need to BE THERE and SEE the beauty around! Otherwise, such evidence has no reason to be.
Your prism allow us to see the world, as it is, as it was in our memories, as it will be in our future...
The photo you took is simple and complex at the same time, you should treasure it for sure, as you should treasure your eye, your heart and your soul.

child of God said...

Hi Mr. Nikon :)

May I use this picture on my blog for one of my posts?

http://cprezra823.blogspot.com

Please let me know your thought.
Thanks!
<><

NikonSniper said...

Child of God,
If you would like to use a photo for posting on your blog, all we ask is that you credit the photo to NikonSniper and add a link back to the original posting of the photo on NikonSniper.
This is the standard policy for use of these photos for blogs.
God bless, nikonsniper steve

child of God said...

Thank you Steve!

<><

Almost Precious said...

When Mt. Saint Helens erupted, the devastation was unimaginable. Everything decimated. But like the fabled Phoenix, life again emerges from the ashes. God's handiwork!

The more I learn about the vastness of our universe the greater my Lord becomes.

child of God said...

Hi Steve,
I just wanted to let you know that I used this picture on my blog again. Thank you so much for opening this option up!

God Bless,
<><

Judy said...

As I looked at this picture, I thought about how when you took this photo you had no way of knowing how your life was going to "blow up" in two years, and yet God gave you a peek into His ability to turn the most catastrophic events into awe-inspiring beauty, in His time. I need this reminder, too. My life "blew up" last January, and I've been fretting about the destruction and the lack of change, but God is creating something beautiful, if I will quiet my heart and allow it in His time.

Red Rose Alley said...

What a lovely place to take a picture. When my husband went to Seattle, he flew over Mt. St. Helens and he could see where the volcano errupted. He also climbed Mt. Shasta three times. In photography I have learned that... I may take a good picture, but it is God's beautiful world that enables me to do so. Have a great week.
~Sheri at Red Rose Alley

NikonSniper said...

WOW Judy!
Thanks for that comment. I needed that today. Struggling with some things and trying to see God in what is happening. Some days it is easy and then there is today.
Thanks.
nikonsniper steve