Mt. Rainier above the Clouds

Mt. Rainier above the Clouds - photo captured through the window of a Boeing 737 airplane.

South Lake Union and Mt. Rainier

View of the South Lake Union neighborhood in Seattle. Mt. Rainier hovers over the Fred Hutchinson Caner Research Center where I established the Scientific Imaging Lab.

Lake Union and Mt. Rainier

Mt. Rainier, Capitol Hill and South Lake Union. This scene has a 3-dimensional quality and depth due to the natural light late in the day.

Mt. Rainier at Sunset

The sun casts a cool glow on Mt. Rainier. This evening photo was captured from Colman Park in the Mt. Baker Neighborhood.

Rainier Vista

On a clear day, Mt. Rainier can be seen in all its glory from the University of Washington. John C. Olmsted drew plans for the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition held on campus in 1909, including a grand promenade with Mount Rainier as its focal point - know as Rainier Vista.

Mt. Rainier viewed from Colman Park

Mt. Rainier is visible from many locations around Seattle. This view of Mt. Rainier was captured from Colman Park in the Mount Baker neighborhood of Seattle. Lake Washington is visible in the foreground.

View of Lake Union from the Aurora Bridge

If you take the time to get out of your car and walk around Seattle you will notice some amazing sights. This view of Seattle, featuring Lake Union and Mt. Rainier, was captured high up on the Aurora Bridge - between Fremont and Queen Anne neighborhoods. It's an amazing view on a clear day!

Yes, this is a real photo - no image manipulation was required. The photo was captured using a Canon SLR digital camera mounted on a very steady tripod. The best time to capture a photo from this vantage point is in the late afternoon. Unfortunately, the natural light is best around rush hour. The auto, truck and bus traffic makes the bridge vibrate like crazy. The buses also generate a lot of wind as they speed past, so you have to hold on tight to the camera equipment.

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, where I worked for over a decade, is in the center of the photo. The Aurora Bridge is officially named the "George Washington Memorial Bridge" -- but nobody seems to use this name. The Aurora Bridge is 167 ft (51 m) above the water. The bridge crosses the Lake Union section of the Lake Washington Ship Canal.