Oregon in the spring showcases a wonderful array of subjects for intrepid photographers: booming waterfalls in the Columbia Gorge, verdant wildflower fields, and a dramatic coastline with towering sea stacks and brilliant skies.

In April, I led two departures of Backcountry Journeys' Columbia River Gorge: Waterfalls, Wildflowers, & Seascapes photo workshop. This workshop was perfectly timed to take advantage of the best of Oregon's scenery.

On the first leg of our trip, we headed out to photograph the waterfalls in the Columbia Gorge. This region has some of the country’s most spectacular waterfalls, and it did not disappoint. The classic rainy weather of the Pacific Northwest had the waterfalls booming. Our challenge was to capture photographs of these spectacular cascades without having our lenses covered with droplets from the rain and the waterfalls. Our key to success was the all-important microfiber cloth. Without these, it would have been a losing battle against the water drops, but with a few wipes to clean the lens and a quick release of the shutter, it was possible to fire off a frame with minimal water drops. This tiny and inexpensive accessory made all the difference in our photography success in the Columbia Gorge.

A critical factor in waterfall photography is the shutter speed used to render the flowing water. It is important to try a variety of shutter speeds to see which one creates the most pleasing effect. The effect of a particular shutter speed changes depending on the unique characteristics of each waterfall, so it is important to try a range of speeds.

Photographing in the rain has numerous advantages—it keeps the crowds away and creates a wonderful atmosphere around the waterfalls. As long as it wasn’t pouring, we were out photographing, and it was wonderfully exhilarating to experience the waterfalls in the elements. It is confidence-building as a photographer to know that with the proper gear, you and your equipment can successfully photograph in rainy conditions.

The Columbia Gorge is an easily accessible area with many waterfalls within a 10-mile geographic area, making it possible to photograph multiple falls in a single morning. Most falls are a fairly short walk from the parking area. We visited Multnomah, Bridalveil, Horsetail, Latourell, and Wahkeena Falls multiple times to maximize our chances of getting the perfect shots.

One of the highlights of the trip was a hike to Panther Falls, a beautiful waterfall in a more remote area north of the Columbia River in Washington. While the main waterfall was spectacular, I actually preferred shots of the beautiful cascading water at the top of the falls as it wound through the lush rainforest.

Another highlight was visiting the great breweries and local restaurants in the region. Oregon is renowned for its microbreweries, which also serve wonderful food, so we always had great dining experiences to look forward to when we were out in the rain. The communities of Cascade Locks, Hood River, and The Dalles all have fabulous dining options that we took full advantage of.

We were thrilled to discover that the hillsides of the Columbia Gorge were blooming with beautiful lupines and balsamroot blossoms. Thanks to the work of the Nature Conservancy, the area around Rowena Crest was preserved and allowed public access. This spectacular viewpoint is a great sunset and sunrise destination for dramatic wildflower photography. Our challenge was photographing the flowers in the wind; however, cranking up the ISO over 10,000 did the trick, and with the advanced noise removal tools now available, this is a viable option to get the best photographs. You can fix noise, but you can’t fix blurry wildflowers!

One of the great features of this trip is that it showcases two of the most beautiful locations in Oregon—the Columbia River Gorge and the Oregon coast. After a final morning photographing Multnomah Falls and dining at the historic lodge for lunch, we set off for Cannon Beach, about a two-hour drive north.

Cannon Beach is a charming town famous for its prominent "Haystack Rock." We explored numerous viewpoints of this famous formation at both sunset and sunrise. There are also many elk that inhabit the region.

One morning, while photographing the coast at sunrise, we spotted an animal loping up the beach towards us, and lo and behold, it was a young elk enjoying a morning walk on the beach! There is nothing quite like the excitement of having unexpected wildlife in your sunrise photos, so we were ecstatic with the photo opportunities this created.

With the clear skies one evening, we were able to photograph sun stars amongst the sea stacks, which create an interesting photographic option when there are no clouds in the sky.

When there are clouds, as we had one sunrise, the whole sky illuminates to create a vast and magical coastal composition.

This particular trip is a great option for photographers who want to capture some of the most amazing sights in the United States. It is truly a world-class photo destination right on our home shores.