MOUNTAINS — After seeing this stunning display of photo technology, I'll never be able to squat in the woods without wondering if somebody's taking my picture from a perch a mile away. 

Click the link below and zoom in, for example, on the amazing detail of the sprawling Mount Everest Base Camp.

 2B-pixel photo lets you explore Mount Everest online

Exploring the pinnacles and crevices of Mount Everest is now possible without ever climbing it, thanks to a 2 billion pixel photograph that filmmaker and climate-change activist David Breashears released online. He took 400 images of the world's highest mountain in the spring, combining them to create a panorama that lets viewers zoom in on everything from a camper washing his face at the base to the mountain's icefall. “I find things I've never noticed before, especially on how climate change is affecting the mountain,” said Breashears, whose GlacierWorks site shows how climate change is affecting the Himalayas. The Guardian (London)

Summer is gone and the first day of fall has arrived, as Montana outdoor photographer Jaime Johnson reminds us with the photo above.

OUTDOORS — This video of time-lapse photography captures the soothing essense of Pacific Northwest scenery in just a few minutes.

But a Portland photographer devoted a year and exposed 260,000 frames to produce it.

OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHY — One of my best college friends lives in Duluth, Minn., on the shore of Lake Superior. 

His back yard is a premium spot for outdoor scenics ranging from ice formations in the minus 30 degree winters to this moody, wonderful sunrise shot last week.

This morning was one of the more spectacular skies I've seen in awhile.  What you can't see is the lightning storm to the north of me over the city.  I was seeing it a an angle so i had wonderful views of an incredible electric storm, with this gorgeous sunrise in front of me.  The photo does not do it justice.

— Scott Wolff

OUTDOOR IMAGING — Professional landscape photographer Tim Cooper will present a free program on capturing outdoor scenes on camera Monday, March 14, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the Spokane REI store.

Cooper, a Rocky Mountain School of Photography instructor,  will explain how he captures dramatic photographs during the Magic Light hours of early morning and late evening.  He'll detail the qualities of light, definitions of the several twilights that surround sunrise and sunset, present a demonstration of filters to help capture this tricky light along with tricks and compositional tips.

The session is free, but participants must pre-register to reserve a seat.

OUTDOOR IMAGES — Although her business is called Idaho Scenic Images, Linda Lantzy of Coeur d'Alene isn't tethered to the state.

OUTDOOR SIGHTS — Penny Lapsley of Moses Lake didn't let last weekend's bitter cold keep her from a sight-seeing tour to Palouse Falls State Park. 

Indeed, the icy conditions were the attraction, as you can see from her photo of the falls flanked by ice — a scene fair-weather visitors never enjoy.

WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS — Runners are gaining ground on wildlife photographers as the most likely people to be mauled by a grizzly bear in the Northern Rockies.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s grizzly bear recovery coordinator says long-distance trail runners are approaching photographers as the backcountry group most likely to be badly hurt in an animal encounter.

Chris Servheen told the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee on Thursday that running in grizzly country at dawn and dusk is risky, but he is not interested in proposing regulations to restrict the sport.

The Missoulian reports that committee members expressed concern about structured races in bear territory, in particular the growing interest in competitive ultra-marathons that send runners 100 miles along mountain trails. Members cited blog posts from several runners who recounted their disorientation and punch-drunk condition as they headed into nightfall.

The committee is composed of federal officials and representatives of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Washington, Alberta and British Columbia.