I found the magnificent Columbia River gorge somewhat diminished (in gestalt if not in topography) since my previous visit years ago.  Maybe this had to do with the time of year. Early spring was splendid but this visit in the heat of August not so much. But also in the interim a massive fire had severely damaged the environs, and so many people “found” the area—just a hop skip and jump from downtown Portland—during the pandemic year that the result was gated access, difficult parking, and general overcrowding.

That said, the sheer wonderfulness of all the falling water makes the gorge a must-visit for any photographer. As was my plan, like with the models, I photographed with my Leica Monochrom, using longish exposures to still the water in motion. One more entry in my chasing waterfalls saga!

Speaking of sagas, here’s the Godafoss waterfall in Iceland, and (below) Kegon Waterfall in Nikko National Park in Japan.