Harvest Patterns - Steptoe Butte State Park, Washington

Steptoe Butte State Park is the Palouse's must visit location to stop and shoot photos. Standing about 3,600 feet above some of the most fertile farmland you can find, it gives a 360 degree view of the surrounding landscape. It is best seen and shot at sunrise or sunset (or both) when the sun is low, allowing for the undulating landscape to be best captured with golden light and deep shadows that add dimensionality to the photo. Once the sun gets higher, the shadows lighten and the contrast is reduced. Most photos you will probably see from Steptoe Butte are taken in late spring showing a landscape with growing crops. At that time, the landscape possesses all shades of growth. The photo above shows the landscape after the crops have been grown and harvested. The landscape is lit up with all shades of orange with patterns left by the harvesting equipment.