Scott Smorra

During 2025, I did more wildlife photography than I’ve ever done before and I really enjoyed it. There is something quite relaxing about watching wild animals in their natural habitat (even if it’s through a 600mm telephoto lens 😉!)

Happy New Year to everyone! I hope you are doing well. Here’s something a little bit different for me. This photo is a portrait of a barred owl in Forest Park, Portland, Oregon.

“Eternity” The Milky Way and millions of stars rise above Mt Jefferson, an alpine lake and a field of summer wildflowers in the Mt Jefferson Wilderness of Oregon.

Would you stay out late to capture a scene like this or does the dark of night scare you?

“Suspended Animation” Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.
If you would like to see this large print and ~15 others, be sure to stop by the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts (booth E13) on June 20-22! I’m really looking forward to this event and the weather looks much cooler than earlier in June.

Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing Dads out there! Hope you have a wonderful and relaxing day!

Thanks Marv! This is a great point. I’ll pass the info along to the organizers.

Lake Oswego (Oregon) Festival of the Arts
When:
Fri June 20, 9AM-6PM
Sat June 21, 9AM-6PM
Sun June 22, 9AM-5PM
Where
Booth E13
George Rogers Park, Lake Oswego, Oregon
611 S. State St. at the corner of Ladd St.

Just one week to go until my next summer art festival! Let me know if you will be there. I’ll have the 10x10’ booth filled with beautiful nature art and will offer a special discount to everyone who stops by in person!

The Troutdale Arts Festival is this weekend! I hope you can make it to see some of the new art I’ve been working on. Swipe to see a few of the prints I’ll have and also a festival map.
Saturday 6/7 - 11am to 7pm, Sunday 6/8 - 10am to 4pm. Booth 68.

Who is ready for summer 2025 art festivals? 🖼️ I’ll be kicking off my summer season next weekend at the Troutdale (Oregon) Arts Festival (6/7-8, booth 68). In the booth I’ll have a few new pieces, lots of fan favorites, puzzles (including a new one 😉) and a 2026 calendar.

“Tropical Alcove” A full moon rises as the last rays of sunset light illuminate a rugged peak in the Sierra del Fraile mountains in Nuevo León, Mexico. This scene may look like it was captured from the ground using a wide angle lens, but it’s actually a drone shot using @djiglobal.bsky.social

“Tropical Alcove” A full moon rises as the last rays of sunset light illuminate a rugged peak in the Sierra del Fraile mountains in Nuevo León, Mexico. This scene may look like it was captured from the ground using a wide angle lens, but it’s actually a drone shot using @djiglobal.bsky.social

“Embrace the Day” (new release). Coconut palm trees🌴 sway in the gentle trade wind breeze on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Relaxation, tranquility and peace are the three words that come to mind when I think about this beautiful tropical beach. Would you rather be sitting there? I know I would!

“Land Before Time” Mist and clouds from a clearing thunderstorm swirl around the amazing peaks of Potrero Chico Parque, Nuevo León, Mexico. The atmosphere on that morning was some of the best I’ve seen anywhere in the world!
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#mexico🇲🇽 #potrerochico #monterreymexico #climbing #atmosphere

The sun remains quite active in 2025, but we haven’t seen anything close to the 2024 Northern Lights display yet this year.

After a year of reflection, I’m still amazed how everything came together so perfectly that night:
Largest earth facing CME in 20 years ✅
No moonlight ✅
No clouds ✅
No wind ✅
Frozen lake melted out 1 week prior ✅
Interplanetary magnetic field (Bz) stayed south most of the night ✅

Tomorrow night marks the 1 year anniversary of the stunning aurora borealis display on May 10-11, 2024! What. A. Night! Here are a few of my favorite aurora photos from a lake near Mt Hood, Oregon.

If you are heading out there this spring, please respect the signs so the area can recover!

A stunning springtime sunrise in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon. FYI: large parts of this area have been closed due to overuse. It’s always a bummer when places need to be closed for restoration, but it’s definitely needed here.

Happy Aloha Friday! 🏝️ How about some Hawaii for your feed? It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a photo from Hawaii, so here you go!
“So Long for Now” Warm sunset light and waves on the Big Island of Hawaii.
#hawaii #bigislandhawaii #tropicalparadise #sunsetphotography #beach #landscapephotography

Thanks Rod! I also wish I was there!

“Awake and Dreaming” Sunrise light and spring wildflowers (Arrowleaf balsamroot/Oregon Sunflower and Columbia Gorge Broad Leaf Lupine) in the Columbia River Gorge. The baslsamroot and lupine often peak at different times, but during this particular year, the blooms were perfectly synchronized.

Same for me, especially if I use a polarizer.

The greens are incredibly vibrant just after the leaves and ferns open up, which is when I created this photo titled, “Lush” at a hidden waterfall in Oregon. Unfortunately this area was scorched during the 2017 gorge fire🔥but that’s a story for another day.

“It can’t possibly be that green!” is something I frequently hear when people see my photos from springtime in the Columbia River Gorge. Have you ever seen the spring greens? What do you remember about them? I’m curious to hear your opinions.

FB/IG/X/Threads. Reach is just about down to zero on all of these, so I’m not sure how much longer I’ll continue.

Thanks so much! I agree. It was amazing to see this in person.

“Stands in Silence” In this stunning view from the summit of Mt Hood, the triangular shadow of the mountain is cast upon the surrounding landscape.
#landscape #mountaineering #mthood #cascaderange #oregon #summit #mountains

Thanks so much! It was amazing to see this in person. It was a pain hauling my gear up to the summit, but I’m glad I brought everything along!