Palouse Eastern Washington Photo Tour

This outstanding, all-inclusive photography tour capitalizes on unique Eastern Washington landscapes created thousands of years ago by the Missoula Ice Age floods. As the title indicates, this tour features the world-famous Palouse and its rolling hills of vibrant farmland, but rather than focusing solely on that one landscape for the entire tour, we explore equally impressive locations that are mostly unknown, and are missing from every other Palouse photography tour.  

In addition to the Palouse, we photograph spectacular bluffs overlooking the mighty Columbia River that have been untouched by agriculture and development for the last 80 years. We also photograph the surrounding mountains, jagged gorges, towering columnar basalt cliffs, hidden lakes, amazing waterfalls, beautiful wildflowers, and breathtaking sunsets. This photo tour is much more diverse than all other Palouse photo tours on the market. 

With only 4 spots available, you will improve your photo skills with personalized, professional photography instruction, and enhance your digital workflow and editing skills with one-on-one post processing instruction. You will use various exposure techniques, neutral density and graduated filters, and learn ways to improve your compositions. You will also do some focus stacking, HDR processing, and image reviews, as well. Aside from the technical stuff, you will rest well in an award-winning hotel, enjoy delicious gourmet cuisine, and travel comfortably in private transportation.

Photographers of all skill levels are welcome. The only requirement is a basic understanding of your DSLR, SLR, or mirrorless camera.

Physical Requirements
Participation requires that travelers be able to walk unassisted for three miles over uneven, potentially muddy and slippery trails, and up-and-down inclines with moderate altitude gain. There are hikes over a variety of terrain including pavement, gravel, and dirt trails with large roots, rocks, and stairs. Travelers should be aware that heat and humidity could be high in some locations and daily excursions can be more difficult during inclement weather.

Day 1 - Arrive in Tri-Cities / Sunset Shoot
A representative from ColorTexturePhotoTours will greet you at Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) and take you to our fantastic hotel in Richland.  After getting settled, we'll have a delicious welcome dinner in Kennewick and shoot the Cable Bridge, which is the first of its kind ever constructed in the United States. We'll shoot throughout the sunset, then return to our hotel.

Note: Please schedule flight arrival at Tri Cities Airport (PSC) no later than 4P.

Day 2 - Reach Museum / Hanford Reach / White Bluffs
After breakfast and editing images, we travel to the Reach Museum for some history of Eastern Washington.  Using photos, movies, and historical props and literature, this unique facility documents the history of the Hanford Reach - also known as White Bluffs - including Hanford's role in the top secret Manhattan Project and race to obtain nuclear weapons.  After visiting the museum, we'll enjoy a delicious late lunch / early dinner and travel to White Bluffs, which was once part of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, and has been untouched by development or agriculture since 1943.  This stunning location along the mighty Columbia River is filled with vibrant colors, tremendous textures, rolling mountains, wind-blown sand dunes, desert plants and wildlife, and the photo opportunities here are limitless.  After shooting through the sunset, we'll return to our hotel.

Day 3 - Palouse Falls / McNary Wildlife Refuge
After breakfast and a morning shoot at amazing McNary Wildlife Refuge, we'll edit images, do image reviews, and have a late lunch / early dinner before traveling to Palouse Falls.  Created more than 13,000 years ago, Palouse Falls is among the last active waterfalls on the Ice Age floods path, and was designated as Washington's state waterfall by the state legislature in 2014.  Palouse Falls plunges 198 feet into a swirling pool before moving swiftly through a winding gorge of colorful columnar basalt and merging with the Snake River.  We'll shoot through sunset, then return to our hotel.

Day 4 - The Palouse / Steptoe Butte
After breakfast, editing images, image reviews, and a late lunch / early dinner we travel to the sensational Palouse and Steptoe Butte.  Located high above the Palouse Hills on the eastern edge of Washington state, Steptoe Butte offers unmatched views of the truly unique landscape.  The towering bluff stands out against flowing hills of green and beige with an occasional barn breaking up the landscape and colors shifting and changing in the light.  This is a fantastic landscape filled with abstract patterns, shapes, colors, and shadows and we'll photograph through sunset, then return to our hotel.

Day 5 - Ancient Lakes
After breakfast, editing images, and image reviews, we travel to Ancient Lakes.  Along the way, we'll stop and have an incredible meal at one of the best restaurants in the Tri Cities.  Ancient Lakes is a beautiful area created by the Missoula Ice Age floods that carved out jagged canyons and left several lakes and waterfalls surrounded by towering basalt cliffs and colorful desert foliage. After shooting through sunset, we'll travel back to our hotel.

Day 6 - Depart Tri-Cities
After breakfast and editing images, we'll travel by private transfer to Tri-Cities Airport, where you'll catch your flight home.

Note: Please schedule your flight departure no earlier than 12P.

 

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