Smith Rock State Park near Redmond Oregon is a rock climbing and hiking mecca. It’s fairly small, but visually stunning. It’s only 40 minutes north of Bend and makes a great half-day trip.

Most people come here to hike the appropriately named Misery Ridge Trail, others to test their rock climbing skills. I came for “the shot.”

I am not an expert on Smith Rock, but I have spent hours here walking the rim and looking for the perfect composition. For example, yesterday I made 59 images in about 90 minutes trying different focal lengths, compositions, and locations.

AND, I always come back to the same photo, every time. Maybe it’s just plain recognition because you and me, both, have seen this same photo many times. Or, maybe, just maybe, it’s THE “right” photograph of Smith Rock. It has the lovely S curve of the river, the red jagged crag, and the nice butte in the background.

If you scour the internet for Smith Rock photos, you will see a plethora of photos and compositions, but I still think this one is the shot. What do you think?

Also, see my blog post about iconic images.

https://pamphotography.blog/2022/08/06/is-it-wrong-to-copy-iconic-images/