2 photographs

Oregon High Desert

A weathered steel truss bridge spans the John Day River along the Shaniko-Fossil Highway, marking the boundary between Wheeler and Wasco counties in Oregon's high desert. Golden afternoon light bathes the rolling, sage-dotted hills while wispy cirrus clouds stretch across an expansive blue sky. The perspective from the center of the asphalt road, with its worn yellow dividing lines, draws the eye through the russet bridge structure toward distant homesteads nestled in the fold of ancient hills. — ISO 100 · 40mm · f/13 · 1/100

Crossing Into Wasco County, Oregon High Desert

The John Day River bridge on Oregon's Shaniko-Fossil Highway creates a gateway between counties in the state's dramatic high desert landscape.

Three horses graze peacefully in the amber grasslands of Wasco County's high desert, their silhouettes etched against the rolling hills near Antelope, Oregon. The late afternoon sun bathes the drought-stressed prairie in honeyed light, while weathered fence posts and distant mesas speak to the rugged beauty of this remote corner of the Pacific Northwest. The composition layers the pastoral foreground against the dramatic geography of the Columbia River Plateau, creating a timeless portrait of the American West. — ISO 100 · 250mm · f/4.5 · 1/320

Golden Hour Grazing in Oregon's High Desert

Antelope, Oregon

Horses graze in golden prairie light along Antelope Highway in Oregon's high desert country.