Just about a year ago, I made my first and only visit to one of the coolest landscapes I have photographed, The Palouse. This area encompasses a large part of eastern Washington State, as well as parts of Idaho and Oregon. The land is some of the most fertile in the world and is a major producers of wheat and legumes.
The landscape is amazing to photograph, and the best place to start is Steptoe Butte State Park. The butte is the tallest feature in the Palouse area, rising about 3,600 feet above the surrounding rolling hills and mounds. At the very top, you get a 360-degree panorama of some of the best farmland in the United States. The best times to shoot are at sunrise and near sunset, when the shadows begin to accentuate the many mounds, roads and tractor tracks. In my opinion, zooming in to capture the many small scenes is the best way to capture it. Wider shots tend to lose some of the intricate detail. For this photo, I zoomed into this small farm as sunset approached.