Rush Sal Photography

Northwest and Beyond

Northern Lights from Top of Little Si

Rush Sal

Norther Lights behind Mount Si

With the news of the Northern Lights being strong that night, Daniil and I decided to hike up Little Si and do a shoot from there. The hike isn’t too terrible if you have camera gear, and the summit gives you a decent view towards the north, with Mount Si providing some cover from some of the light pollution you would get otherwise. We set up our gear and the waiting began. We got to the top at 9:30 which meant we had to wait a few hours before the sky became dark enough to see anything. Once the sky was dark enough, we still weren’t getting my of Aurora, so we started to play around. Daniil is an avid rock climber so he brought some of his climbing gear and posed for me on the side of the mountain. After we noticed some faint hues in the sky we started shooting towards north. The Aurora was supposed to get gradually increase, but we suddenly had a strong burst and then everything died down. But that burst provided a very nice light show. I did a timelapse video of the whole thing, but that still needs some work and I will post that as soon as its ready.

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Sunrise at Alki Beach – Seattle

Rush Sal

Sunrise behind Seattle skyline as seen from Alki beach

After spending the night at Mount Rainier with very little satisfying photos, I drove to Alki Beach to drop off Mat, when we noticed the clouds building up over Seattle and the rising sun getting ready to paint them all sort of colors. We stopped, set up our cameras and just waited. After 15-20 mins, the light show really began. It was as if mother nature was apologizing for making us drive all the way to Rainier and come back empty handed and was rewarding us with this token of appreciation.

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Tipsoo Lake and Sunrise – Mount Rainier

Rush Sal

Mount Rainier reflecting in Tipsoo lake

After a canceled night shoot at Mt St-Helens, Mat and I decided to make it down to Rainier and do a night shoot there. We have been there before and know the lay of the land and didnt really need to scout the location much. On the way the light was great and we had high hopes for the shoot, but as expectations always go, we ended up with a rather plain sunset and a hazy night, so little stars and definitely no milky way.

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Night Shoot – Artists Point – Mount Baker National Park

Rush Sal

Earlier this year, there was talk of the possibility of seeing the northern lights from WA. So a buddy and I decided to head out at night to check them out. We drove to Mount Baker Ski Area to head up Artists point and get a good view of the mountains to the north and Mt Baker to the south to enjoy the whole light show. When we arrived at our destination, we realized that the mountain was full, parking lot packed with cars and every corner filled with people. Normally as a photographer who hates random people getting in my shot this would bother me alot, but this had a beautiful feeling to it. To imagine being there with all these people in the middle of the night (past midnight at this point) and sharing the mountain had a poetic and romantic feel to it.

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Right Place, Right Time

Rush Sal

Few weeks ago I bought a new 70-300mm Canon L lens and I have been itching to get out and try it. This weekend I decided to head to Juanita Bay Park in Kirkland to try out the lens. I had been there before and I knew there are always some little critters, turtles, ducks and some other birds come and spend the sunset so I went hoping to find some.
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Johnston Ridge Observatory Trail – Mt St Helens

Rush Sal


Another one of the truly magical locations in Washington State is Mount St-Helens. It is a massive volcanic mountain like the rest of the peaks in the state with the difference that is missing its snowey cap. After its eruption in 1983, the peak of the mountain was blown away and spread as ash all over the state, but that only, in my opinion makes this mountain more unique and even more beautiful. In the right season, the wildflowers cover the valleys surrounding it and making it a truly beautiful sight.

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Observing Art – Visiting the Rothko Exibit

Rush Sal

Few months ago Orsolya and I were in Portland and decided to head down to the Portland Art Museum to check out the Rothko exhibit they had there. Though the art works aren’t really my genre – we were there since this one of Orsolya’s favorite artists – I found the scenes with folks enjoying the paintings quite interesting and appealing. Here is my appreciation for this work – observing the admirers.

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Deception Pass – Rosario Beach/Bowman Bay

Rush Sal

About an hour and a half North of Seattle lies Deception Pass. Though most folks may know about the main park, recreation area and the bridge, Rosario Beach and Bowman Bay are usually overlooked due to their secluded location. But this secluded location gives a very nice view of calm waters, tide pools and great sunsets.

Panoramic of Bowman Bay

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