Statewide Nature, Oregon in Portland, Oregon, USA
I make video/photo/audio content on my home state of Oregon. To a lot of people Oregon is either this promised land at the end of a video game, or a modern place that’s dreary, wet, weird, or full of tall trees. To Oregonians the real picture is different. There’s a great diversity of natural landscapes here and I try to capture that in my work.
Cancer Research Scientist / Filmmaker
I love getting lost in Oregon’s high deserts east of the Cascades. There aren’t dramatic rock formations like you’ll find in the more famous deserts of the American Southwest – but there’s more life here. These vast expanses of sagebrush are filled with coyotes, deer, owls, and pronghorn…and the night skies are to die for.
Oregon may be famous for rain and tall trees – but to many locals the state’s soul is melded from a diversity of climates that ranges from the ocean, to the rainy valley, to the Cascades, and to the high desert beyond. There’s hardly a straight road in the state, and there seems an almost infinite variety of canyons and valleys to lose yourself in. The locals too can be a diverse sort. Plenty ranchers out east love the land and want to preserve it just as badly as the city folks in Portland.
My perfect day would be a hike on the ranch of an old family friend in Wheeler County. Though that place in particular is sentimental for me there’s plenty of similar landscapes on public lands nearby.
The trees. Twisted and gnarled old junipers that are almost unreal for photographing. The smell of juniper and sagebrush on a dry desert breeze can make you feel alive like nothing else! I’ve got a number of these trees in my timelapse shorts and long videos.
That it’s so far from where I can get a job! The economy of Oregon is almost entirely in the Willamette Valley. Someday I hope the internet will play a role in fixing this for me.
I think it would surprise most people that most of Oregon is a desert.
Tom McCall. A republican governor of Oregon 40 years ago – he believed in preserving what we have here and protecting it from ‘the grasping wastrels of the land.’ (ie private interests that would prefer profit and privatization over the public good).
Keeping the soul of Oregon alive – and accessible to the public for current and future generations – was a mission of his that is still embodied in many residents today.
Filmmaker (series): ‘Oregon Field Guide – Steve Amen
Book: ‘In Search of Ancient Oregon’ – Ellen Morris Bishop
Book: “The River Why” – David James Duncan
Tyler was kind enough to offer free full download access of his ‘Discover Oregon’ footage exclusively for you Yodelers. Just enter LOVEOREGON through the Vimeo link – it will be available for two weeks post date of this feature.
Name:Tyler Hulett
City:Portland
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Local Tip:
The Powell’s on Hawthorne isn’t as famous as the giant downtown location, but it still has a wonderful selection.
Must Do:
Wahkeena Falls loop hike in the Columbia Gorge