Photos of Dirt: Capturing Colors in the John Day…
When a window of warm clear weather arrived in late winter of this year, I jumped at the chance to drive to central Oregon and spend some time in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument taking photos, exploring, and taking in a more comprehensive view of the national monument.
Located in northern central Oregon, the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is huge, a sweeping landscape of rolling hills through the semi-desert shrublands of the John Day River valley. It’s also home to some really unique and interesting rock formations and geology. And not a lot of people. It’s the type of place where you can drive for hours and not see another vehicle. But 90% of the cars you do pass will give you a wave.
During my visit, I really enjoyed watching the morning/evening light accentuate the rolling hills and grasses, highlighting some beautiful shapes, colors, and textures.
Although my camera and lens were pointed skyward at night, the unique dirt and mud in the region made me want to point my lens straight downward during the day. What follows are a handful of my photos from the area, an exploration of the textures, colors, and patterns of the soil in the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument as seen during twilight, the golden hour, and even in the midday sun.
So, without further ado, here are some photos of dirt from the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
With its blue streaks, the rock in this gulley looked completely out of place. It was also the only rock of this size for at least 50 feet, maybe more. The contrasting colors were irresistible to me.
These mud cracks didn’t benefit from any sort of direct lighting, giving the mud muted, cooler hues.
I really liked this scene because it illustrated how a little lighting could completely change the perceived color of the ground. The morning light warms the ground in the bottom half of the frame, while the shadows in the upper part of the frame stay cooler. Note the tiny green blades of grass bottom left, bravely trying to eke out a life.
I really liked the smoothed over, yet granular look of the dry caked mud, with its ribbons of rust color.
Morning light filters through the undulating folds of the Painted Hills.
The crunchy but perfect mud crust reminded me of popcorn ceilings. Here it can be seen in the morning twilight, prior to daybreak.
This photo is a little different from others in the collection, in that this is a much wider photo.
A lone rock sits on the steep flank of a red hill, in central Oregon’s Painted Hills.
The texture looks similar to that of “Popcorn floor,” but the color is completely different. The scene reminded me of a gritty industrial building with rust on it and maybe a little graffiti.
