Dave Prill Photography

03/04/2025

Obsession

More years ago than I care to remember, while visiting my folks in Bellingham, I got a wild hair to try and capture a Hummingbird with my camera. I set my rig up on a tripod, 200mm 2.8 lens, a wireless flash 20ft away, and a remote shutter release cable. I pre-focused about 3-4” away from a feeder hanging off the covered porch and locked everything down. The cable wasn’t very long so I had to sit pretty much right next to my tripod. Being I stand out like a Shnozz Goblin, I borrowed a thin blanket from my mom, cover myself and sat vedy vedy still, she thought I was insane. Four hours later, and literally thousands of blurry, poorly framed unusable images later, I ended up with this image, and a $650 bill for the shutter I smoked in my camera.

01/26/2024

Times have changed but the sound of rain has remained the same.

12/18/2023

One Person's Paradise

In golden hues of autumn's embrace,
One man finds solace in a tranquil space.
A paradise unfolds by the water's edge,
A lone lake, where daydreams move at a gentle pace.

11/11/2023

Fall

11/06/2023

Mount Saint Helens has undergone an incredible transformation since my first visit to Windy Ridge in 1983. The landscape, once devastated by the catastrophic eruption in 1980, has gradually healed. While the volcano's iconic crater remains, the resilience of nature is evident in the remarkable recovery of Mount Saint Helens over the years. The waters of Spirit Lake have long since cleared, yet the 350,000 acre-feet of pyrolyzed trees remain floating. The land is no longer void of contrast.

In my early visits to Johnson Ridge it was very easy to see the recovery of Wildlife, spotting Elk, Deer and small Mammals, especially in winter, was relatively easy since most of the landscape remained unchanged since that fateful day in 1980. However, over the years my treks to Johnson Ridge have provided an amazing opportunity to witness the vegetation, and forests slowly reclaim much of what could only be described as a barren moonscape. The rate of this recovery has dramatically increased in the last 15 years or so and as such, the wildlife has much more opportunity to hide from prying eyes.

If you have not had the opportunity to visit this amazing place, I strongly urge you to consider it. Fall/Winter visits are the most risky regarding weather, but can also be the most rewarding. The changing fall colors, crisp winds, dramatic weather changes and the occasional echo of a bugling Elk negate any risk. Keep in mind, services become more shuttered as winter sets in and conditions can change rapidly on this adventure.

06/01/2022

Full of Bull

10/30/2021

Outspoken

10/24/2021

Something Wicked This Way Comes

09/26/2021

Peekaboo I see you....

03/07/2021

Sooo Close....
I would like to thank and welcome home the crew of the USS Nimitz from their historical deployment. We all owe our brave service members a debt of gratitude for the sacrifices they as well as their families have made and continue to make for our Nation.

05/15/2020

Gateway to one of my favorite areas

Beautiful drive around the jewel of the Olympic Peninsula, Lake Crescent Olympic National Park