A Photo Essay by Don Paulson
My love affair with the Olympics began 30 years ago when my father introduced me to backpacking. We hiked the 27 miles up the Dosewallips River, over Anderson Pass, and through the Enchanted Valley. Since then I've felt the sweet weight of the pack on nearly every trail in the Olympic mountain and coastal regions.
I eventually found that photography enhances my appreciation of the natural world. It slows me down. When I take the time to study the photographic potential of a scene, I often discover much more than what initially caught my eye. Through photography, I have learned to see the world in a new light.
The process of creating a composition through a viewfinder allows me to isolate and listen only to the elements that speak to me. The camera blocks out the surrounding noise and nature's messages then become clear. Of course, the challenge has always been making images that portray those messages I hear so clearly.
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