Western Vision Photography

Patrick Plaia

I have been hiking on Spencer Butte on the South side of Eugene since I moved to town in 1994. First with my dog Jasper, an English Setter who was always on the lookout for everything, and for 15 years with Coffee, a loyal Gordon Setter. I almost always carried a camera, in the early years a Nikon and Rollieflex using film. I transitioned to Digital photography with Nikon and Canon cameras and occasionally an iPhone.

The physical trail changes little from year to year but the scenery is always unique. The seasons bring their changes of color and foliage, growth and deterioration. The weather often varies from hot and sunny to all sorts of fog, rain, wind, snow and ice.

In photography the quality of the light is always the primary factor. The cloud and fog levels, the colors, and the composition offer the most dramatic visions as they interact with different levels of light. This is an ongoing project, there's often something interesting to photograph on Spencer Butte, and a third dog to train for the trail. See you on the Mountain!