Carl Prothman | PNW Photographer

A dirt walking trail winds gently through a dense Pacific Northwest forest, framed by towering trees covered in moss and ferns. Bright green leaves filter the light overhead, while a large tree with an arching branch stretches across the path, creating a natural gateway into the woods. The scene feels calm and inviting, with layered textures of foliage and a rich contrast of light and shadow bringing depth to the forest landscape.

A peaceful trail winding through lush green forest.

Seward Park, Seattle, Washington State
#ForestTrail #PacificNorthwest #LandscapePhotography

Black screen with a simple Pong game in progress. A white paddle is on the left side, another paddle on the right, a dotted line runs vertically down the center, and a small square ball is moving toward the right paddle.

I’m this old. I remember when two paddles and a dot felt like the future. 🙂

#IAmThisOld #pong

A bright summer view of Mirror Lake at Snoqualmie Pass, Washington. The lake reflects the surrounding evergreen forest and the rugged mountain peak in the distance. In the foreground, pink and purple wildflowers grow along the water’s edge, adding color to the lush greenery. The sky is clear and blue, enhancing the vivid contrast of green trees, calm water, and the jagged peak in the background. The overall mood is peaceful and serene, capturing the beauty of a Pacific Northwest alpine setting.

Mirror Lake, Snoqualmie Pass, Washington

#LakeView #MountainScenery #Wildflowers
#SereneNature #ForestReflection #PacificNorthwest
#LandscapePhotography #NatureShots #ScenicViews

High-angle photograph of Franklin Upper Falls near Snoqualmie Pass, Washington. A short, wide upper cascade slides over dark, smoothed bedrock into a circular, emerald-green pool where pebbles are visible through clear water. A weathered log spans the basin diagonally. Below, a second narrow chute pushes whitewater through a tight rock cleft into a smaller lower pocket and out of frame. Steep canyon walls are mottled with moss and ferns, and dense fir and cedar branches cast dappled shade across the scene. Lighting is mixed sun and shadow; colors skew cool—deep greens and blue-greens contrasted with gray-brown rock. The mood is quiet, secluded, and alpine.

Franklin Upper Falls, Snoqualmie Pass, WA — 2025

#FranklinUpperFalls #Waterfall #EmeraldPool
#SnoqualmiePass #DennyCreek #MossyGorge
#NaturePhotography #PNWPhotography #OutdoorPhotography

A wide view of Mount Rainier’s massive snow-covered summit bathed in soft pink alpenglow during sunrise. The eastern ridges and glaciers spill down the slopes, their icy textures highlighted in warm light. To the left, rugged spires stand in contrast to the smooth dome of the volcano. In the foreground, dark evergreens frame the scene, adding depth against the glowing mountain backdrop under a clear, pale sky.

Sunrise casts a golden hue over snow-covered mountain slopes.

Mount Rainier at Sunrise, Washington State – 2025
#Alpenglow #GoldenHourPhotography #LandscapePhotography

Mt Rainier at sunrise this morning.

I grew up with a view of Mt Rainier from Enumclaw / Crystal Mt. Plus I've climbed it four times (on both sides). So I've been in love with that Mountain all my life. 💓 Glad you are enjoying the pics. Thanks!

No worries. Feel free top heart away. ❤️

Hi Willam @bbohio1954.bsky.social
I’m glad the photos resonate with you. I see a lot of beauty in nature, and when a particular view catches my eye, I try to capture and share it with the hope it brings others a bit of joy and tranquility, especially in these trying political times.

A vibrant alpine meadow dotted with evergreens leads up to the massive, snow-covered slopes and glaciers of Mt. Rainier under a flawless blue sky. The sunlight highlights the deep green vegetation below, contrasting against the icy white ridges and rugged cliffs of the peak, creating an iconic Pacific Northwest scene that feels both peaceful and awe-inspiring.

Majestic Mt. Rainier rising above lush green alpine meadows.

#MountRainier #Hiking #Wildflowers
#AlpineMeadow #PacificNorthwest #MountainViews
#NaturePhotography #LandscapePhotography #MountainPhotography

A view of Mount Rainier glowing pink and orange in the first light of sunrise, the snow-covered summit bathed in alpenglow. Dark green evergreens and a few weathered, bare tree trunks frame the mountain in the foreground, while the lower ridges fall away into shadowy valleys. The sky above is pale and clear, giving full focus to the glowing volcanic peak rising above the Cascade forest.

The first rays of morning sun on Mount Rainier, as seen from Sunrise.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State, 2025
#PacificNorthwest #Alpenglow #LandscapePhotography #GoldenHour

A close view of Little Tahoma Peak, the sharp jagged volcanic remnant rising from the eastern slopes of Mount Rainier. The scene is captured at sunrise, with warm golden-pink alpenglow lighting up the rugged cliffs and ridgelines. Below the peak, glaciers sprawl in icy ribbons, their cracked surfaces spilling down the mountain. The contrast of glowing rock, shadowed valleys, and gleaming ice creates a dramatic and textured alpine landscape against a pale morning sky.

Little Tahoma Peak glowing golden red from sunrise light.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State — 2025
#CascadeMountains #AlpenglowMagic #LandscapePhotographer

A vivid sunset captured in 2019 over Bellingham Bay from Little Squalicum Park. The sky blazes with fiery layers of orange, yellow, and purple clouds, their colors mirrored in the darkening waters of the bay. A long wooden railroad trestle cuts across the horizon in silhouette, while grassy shoreline and trees frame the foreground. The scene highlights the drama and beauty of a Pacific Northwest evening as daylight fades into twilight.

A vivid sunset over Bellingham Bay from Little Squalicum Park.

Bellingham, Washington State — 2019
#GoldenSky #LandscapePhotography #PNWPhotography

A vivid sunset captured in 2019 over Bellingham Bay from Little Squalicum Park. The sky blazes with fiery layers of orange, yellow, and purple clouds, their colors mirrored in the darkening waters of the bay. A long wooden railroad trestle cuts across the horizon in silhouette, while grassy shoreline and trees frame the foreground. The scene highlights the drama and beauty of a Pacific Northwest evening as daylight fades into twilight.

A vivid sunset over Bellingham Bay from Little Squalicum Park.

Bellingham, Washington State — 2019
#GoldenSky #LandscapePhotography #PNWPhotography

An alpine hillside at Chinook Pass in Washington’s Cascade Range, glowing with the colors of early autumn. The meadow in the foreground shifts from golden grass to bright patches of scarlet-red huckleberry shrubs climbing the slope. Dark green evergreens stand tall along the ridgeline, leading the eye up toward jagged rocky peaks rising under a flawless deep blue sky. The scene captures the vibrant contrast between summer’s greenery and fall’s fiery palette in the Pacific Northwest mountains.

Alpine hillside glowing in autumn.

Chinook Pass, Washington – Autumn 2025
#Cascades #AutumnColors #LandscapePhotography #PNWPhotography

Show me your best photo of Autumn colors!

A striking view of Mount Rainier as seen from Chinook Pass. The foreground is filled with tall evergreen trees rising dark and sharp against the light, with their spires reaching toward the sky. Behind them stretches a rugged ridgeline of rocky crags and forested slopes, their gray and green textures adding depth to the scene. Beyond the ridges, Mount Rainier dominates the horizon, its massive dome blanketed in snow and ice under a flawless, cloudless blue sky. The composition highlights the contrast between the dense forest, jagged mid-mountains, and the monumental white summit in the distance.

A view of Mount Rainier as seen from Chinook Pass.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State – 2025
#CascadeRange #AlpineWilderness #LandscapePhotography

A sunlit alpine meadow at Chinook Pass, Washington, in early autumn. In the foreground, a large gray boulder anchors the scene, surrounded by patches of golden grasses and low shrubs tinged with red and orange. Small evergreens rise nearby, while a dense forest of tall conifers stretches across the slope behind. Splashes of bright crimson foliage stand out vividly against the green backdrop, with a cloudless deep blue sky above. The image captures the seasonal transition in the Pacific Northwest high country, blending rugged rock, evergreen forest, and vibrant fall color.

Alpine meadow turning bright with fall colors near the forest edge.

Chinook Pass, Washington State – 2025
#PNW #ChinookPass #LandscapePhotography #AutumnVibes #AlpineScenery #TrailViews #Wilderness

An alpine meadow at Chinook Pass glows with autumn color, where low red, orange, and gold shrubs spread across the grassy slope. Scattered boulders and evergreen trees dot the hillside, leading up to a jagged rocky outcrop crowned with tall firs. The bright blue sky overhead adds contrast to the warm fall tones, creating a vivid Pacific Northwest mountain landscape.

Golden alpine meadows at Chinook Pass glowing in fall color, framed by rugged cliffs and evergreens. Washington State at its best.

#ChinookPass #CascadeMountains #PNWonderland #PNWParadise #LandscapeLovers #NatureBrilliance #AutumnColors #PacificNorthwest #HikingAdventures #WildernessNation

The Chinook Pass Overpass, a historic bridge built of massive logs and stone, stretches across the trail at the summit of Chinook Pass in Mount Rainier National Park. The wooden plank walkway leads forward between two log railings set on stone abutments, its craftsmanship blending seamlessly into the alpine surroundings. Behind the bridge, tall evergreen trees tower toward a bright blue sky, framing the scene in rugged wilderness. Sunlight highlights the textures of wood and stone, emphasizing the harmony between human-made structure and natural forest.

Walking over the historic Chinook Pass Overpass on a bright alpine sky.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State – 2025
#ChinookPass #PNWPhotography #HistoricBridge #CivilianConservationCorp

A close view of Little Tahoma Peak, the sharp jagged volcanic remnant rising from the eastern slopes of Mount Rainier. The scene is captured at sunrise, with warm golden-pink alpenglow lighting up the rugged cliffs and ridgelines. Below the peak, glaciers sprawl in icy ribbons, their cracked surfaces spilling down the mountain. The contrast of glowing rock, shadowed valleys, and gleaming ice creates a dramatic and textured alpine landscape against a pale morning sky.

Little Tahoma Peak glowing golden red from sunrise light.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State — 2025
#CascadeMountains #AlpenglowMagic #LandscapePhotographer

Mt Rainier at sunrise this morning.

A wide view of Mount Rainier’s massive snow-covered summit bathed in soft pink alpenglow during sunrise. The eastern ridges and glaciers spill down the slopes, their icy textures highlighted in warm light. To the left, rugged spires stand in contrast to the smooth dome of the volcano. In the foreground, dark evergreens frame the scene, adding depth against the glowing mountain backdrop under a clear, pale sky.

Sunrise casts a golden hue over snow-covered mountain slopes.

Mount Rainier at Sunrise, Washington State – 2025
#Alpenglow #GoldenHourPhotography #LandscapePhotography

An alpine hillside at Mount Rainier National Park in autumn, covered with layers of vibrant foliage. Bright reds, yellows, and oranges from huckleberry and meadow shrubs streak across the slope, contrasting with the deep green of dense conifer trees. A tall, symmetrical fir tree rises prominently in the foreground, drawing the eye against the textured tapestry of fall colors. The scene captures the Pacific Northwest wilderness at peak seasonal transition, blending evergreen forests with brilliant meadows of changing foliage.

An alpine hillside covered with brilliant autumn colors.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
#AutumnColors #EvergreenTrees #NaturePhotography

yes, there a safe trail to climb on the back side (right side of pic)

A dramatic view of The Castle, a jagged volcanic peak rising above the Sunrise area of Mount Rainier National Park. Its dark gray rock cliffs form sharp ridges and vertical faces, contrasted by green conifer trees that cling to the slopes below. The lower ridges show talus fields and forested gullies, while the peak stands stark against a deep, cloudless blue sky. The rugged formation dominates the landscape, highlighting the raw alpine character of the Cascades.

The Castle, a jagged volcanic peak on the Sunrise side of Mount Rainier.

Mount Rainier National Park, 2025
#MountRainier #CascadeMountains #LandscapePhotography

A wide alpine meadow stretches across the foreground, dotted with small pine trees and golden grasses. In the center stands Sunrise Lodge, a rustic wooden building with steep pitched roofs and multiple wings, blending into its natural surroundings. Beyond the lodge, a dramatic ridgeline of jagged Cascade peaks rises against a cloudless blue sky, giving depth and scale to the scene. The composition balances the lodge between the open meadow and the rugged mountains, emphasizing both human presence and wilderness.

Historic Sunrise lodge surrounded by pines trees and open meadow under blue sky.

Mount Rainier National Park, WA – 2025
#AlpineMeadow #HistoricArchitecture #LandscapePhotography

Bagram’s history is pretty wild—it started as a Soviet stronghold in the ’80s, then became the U.S.’s biggest base in Afghanistan after 9/11, basically a whole city with runways, hospitals, and even fast-food spots. When the U.S. pulled out in 2021, the Taliban moved in.

The Tatoosh Range in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, seen on a clear day in 2025. In the foreground, dense evergreen forests cover rolling slopes. Behind them, sharp rocky peaks of the Tatoosh rise dramatically, their jagged ridges and spires dusted with lingering snowfields and small glacier remnants. The tallest peak dominates the skyline against a deep blue, cloudless sky, showcasing the contrast between forested lowlands and rugged alpine summits.

Patches of late-season snow linger on the rocky faces of the Tatoosh peaks.

Tatoosh Range, Mount Rainier National Park, WA – 2025
#AlpineWilderness #MountainPhotography #AlpineWilderness

Ha, caught me! My camera’s clearly on the seasonal beta program—already fast-forwarding to autumn while the rest of us are still sweating in summer. LOL!