Just got back from a terrific trip to the Palouse in Eastern Washington State. It has always been very high on my bucket list, and when the opportunity came to visit, I grabbed it. Now that I have been there, I have only one regret - not visiting sooner.
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. Photographing from the butte can be overwhelming, as it is difficult to capture the whole thing. Instead, it is easier to zoom in on smaller compositions that convey the beauty of the contours of the landscape that are more pronounced during early morning or late evening light. This photo was taken just after sunrise on my first morning there.