Pacific Northwest

The part of the Pacific Northwest shown in this series is shaped by the contrast between ocean and mountains. In western Washington, the Puget Sound lowlands lie between the Olympic Mountains and the Cascade Range. Rivers, islands, inlets and forested coasts divide the landscape.

Moist air from the Pacific often brings clouds, subdued light and extensive temperate rainforests west of the mountains, while much drier country begins beyond the Cascades. Dark coastal forests, open water and glaciated peaks alternate within a relatively small area. These transitions shape the photographs in this series.