Outdoor Photographer - UK (2019-11)

OREGON

favorite places

Sparks Lake

Deschutes National Forest, Oregon

Text & Photography By Mike Putnam

Location

Sparks Lake is located 25 miles west of Bend, Oregon, along the beautiful

Cascades Lakes Scenic Byway. Sweeping mountain views, spring wildflow-

ers and volcanic outcroppings make for naturally elegant compositions that

beckon to landscape photographers. With a surface elevation of 5,433 feet,

780 acres of surface area and 10 miles of shoreline, Sparks Lake offers end-

less opportunity for exploration. Trout-filled waters, excellent campsites and

stunning natural scenery make Sparks Lake a favorite amongst photographers,

paddlers, hikers, campers and fishermen.

Weather

Winter weather at Sparks Lake is harsh. Nearby Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort

receives over 450 inches of snow annually. The Cascade Lakes Highway is

closed from late autumn until late spring. Winter access requires an 11-mile

round-trip excursion on the snow-covered highway, necessitating cross-country

skiing skills, snowshoeing stamina or a snowmobile. Winter visitors should

be prepared for heavy snows, arctic conditions and a frozen lake surface.

When the Cascade Lakes Highway opens in spring, photographic oppor-

tunities abound. Meadows filled with yellow buttercups and pink mountain

heather are a magical spring surprise. Summer bestows warm temperatures,

bluebird skies and mosquitoes. Be prepared with extra bug-proof layers and

strong repellants. Autumn yields pockets of color from blueberry and huck-

leberry and fresh dustings of snow on the nearby volcanoes.

Photo Experience

As I live in the city of Bend, Sparks Lake is a short drive away. Because of

its close proximity, endless compositions and sublime beauty, I’ve made

approximately 100 visits to Sparks Lake. For this image, I tracked weather

patterns, which I hoped would yield a fresh coating of high-elevation snow, a

placid, unfrozen lake surface and an interesting cloud pattern. I was thoroughly

rewarded. I found everything I’d hoped for with a bonus layer of morning mist

hovering over the mirror-like lake surface. I was shooting an Ebony 4x5 film

body and wanted to capture both South Sister and Broken Top mirrored in

the lake, so I utilized a Rodenstock 75mm Grandagon-N, which is equivalent

to a 25mm lens on a 35mm camera. I also employed a 2-stop ND grad filter

on a LEE Filter system to give the image a bit more depth by adding some

light to the rocks in the foreground.

Photographers will find interesting compositions with any focal length, but

a variety of lenses is helpful. The scenery at Sparks is sweeping, clean and

elegant, which urges me to grab a wide-angle lens. However, I recommend that

you arrive at the lake with your longest lens mounted, as wildlife is abundant

yet skittish. I’ve enjoyed photographing sandhill cranes, blue herons, bald

eagles, ospreys, otters, beavers and mule deer while at Sparks. OP

See more of Mike Putnam’s work at mikeputnamphoto.com.

28 Outdoor Photographer outdoorphotographer.com