Pacific Northwest-based photographer mainly focused on nature-related work. Founding team member of the collective known as Photo Cascadia. I run a number of workshops and tours each year along with occasional writing.
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April Newsletter - New Desert Gallery and Workshop Updates
Published about 1 month ago • 5 min read
"Sharpened"
In early February I took the long drive down to Death Valley for personal photography and lead a workshop. All prior trips to DV involved getting on a plane. I wanted my own rig this time after the 2025 rental breakdown fiasco, even though I knew it was unlikely to happen again. The drive while being two-full-days behind the wheel is pleasant if you enjoy plenty of open highway with few services. From photographing the not often seen Lake Manly a mile above to finding fascinating macro details in canyon walls, it reminds me why DV is a place I hope to continue to come back to. While I would have liked to stay longer I was able to experience some early wildflower blooms before heading home which was a first for me in the park.
March kicked off the 34th year of Best of the Northwest workshops. In case you are wondering, yes, I did start these workshops before I was old enough to drive. Seriously though we couldn't have asked for better conditions in late March on the Southern Oregon Coast. Well, maybe the fact that it was warm enough to sleep with the sliding door wide open every night on the beach isn't good this time of year. We caught part of the historic heat dome giving us comfortable weather and photogenic conditions on every outing.
The above photo is a good example of how revisiting the same location can pay off in ways we don't expect prior to a visit. My first time passing this spot on a hiking trail was over 20 years ago, followed by at least a dozen times since. While I saw potential before, I don't recall ever attempting to create a photo until a day early this year. What was different? The light! A combination of fresh snow acting as one big reflector and just enough sunlight flowing between the mostly clouded sky to create nice bounce light. Keep on visiting those locations you enjoy, even if it's more for the experience of being outdoors than anything else. You just never know what will be inspiring on the next visit.
In this newsletter:
Sabino Canyon Photos
2026 and 2027 Workshops
Print Giveaway Drawing
Fstop Bag Contest
Sabino Canyon Gallery
“Extended Family”
Last December the Photo Cascadia crew decided to go somewhere different than the PNW for our annual meetup. We headed to Tucson, Arizona. We spent the morning and late day hours over a couple days in the amazingly beautiful Sabino Canyon. We did not plan the trip around any specific location or expected conditions. Fortunate timing with fall color taking shape and several inches of rain over the prior couple months made this place come alive. From the sound of the trickling creek that is often dry to the lush green foliage filling the canyon hills, it was an experience that went beyond the visual sense of place. The result, I liked more photos than I would normally from a window of time this short. Enough at least that they work together for a small gallery.
I will announce this summer when 2027 Best of the Northwest workshops will be available for signup.
2027 Best of the Rest Workshops - Signup Rolling Out
These are slowly coming online for official signup. I appreciate all of you utilizing the early waitlist option. This really helps me and is who I will send invites to first once a workshop is available.
Congrats to Ben Fenton who won the last print giveaway and chose Golden Light. For this next one I am going to do one of my favs from 2025 taken on a nice summer hike with my wife. This was not our plan A location. It was either B or C due to a busy holiday. I expected no photos yet came back with this one from my first visit in many years.
Process To Enter:
Send an email to adrian@adrianklein.com with the subject line Radiance
Approximately a week after I send a newsletter, I will draw to determine the winner and reach out to finalize details for the 8x12 print.
I normally don't talk gear in my newsletter. There are many cameras, tripods, bags out there that we each need to decide what works best for our own needs and budget. I am no Influencer, intentionally. With that said I have been on the f-stop pro team for over 15 years as I trust them to produce quality gear with sustainability in mind. They are running a contest where I was able to make a limited number of color and design changes for the popular Tilopa. The top ten will be made available. If interested, your vote is appreciated. Deadline is April 10.
Alpine Pulse by Adrian Klein
Reads, Watches, and Listens
What I am reading, watching, or listening to that I feel others might find of interest.
The Colorado Wayby Matt Payne - I recently received my copy of Matt’s book and while I have yet to finish it, I can easily say it’s worth owning, from the wonderfully printed photos to thought provoking essays. I am glad to add this one to my growing collection of photo books.
The Wild Truthby Carine McCandless - My guess is that you have likely read or seen the movie Into The Wild about Christopher McCandless. It’s popular for a reason. I thought this take coming from his family might be good. Written by his sister and covering much of her own interesting life. I really enjoyed it but if you are looking for closure of exactly why Chris left and did what he did, it's not here.
The Hunt for the Death Valley Germansby Tom Mahood - I had not heard of this 1990’s incident until on my recent Death Valley trip. If you are into stories where people vanish without a supposed trace, you will enjoy this online read taking you to one of the more remote and harsh areas of the park.
AI Art Divide: Revolutionary or a Gimmick?by 60 Minutes - Most of it focuses on the work of Refik Anadol. If you don't know the name you most likely have seen photos or videos of his work. Whether it's art or not is for each of us to decide. Captivating, yes. Creative art, I am not so sure. Yet to his credit the work his team creates supposedly uses legitimately sourced data and images.
If you enjoy this newsletter, I would appreciate it if you share it with your family or friends. As always, thank you for your time and support!
Pacific Northwest-based photographer mainly focused on nature-related work. Founding team member of the collective known as Photo Cascadia. I run a number of workshops and tours each year along with occasional writing.
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