Photo Assignment: Salem, Oregon

A visual journey through Salem’s streets, parks, and hidden corners

Having lived in Salem, Oregon for the better part of the last fifty years, it must come as no surprise that I’ve taken a ton of photos here! This post is just a random selection of photos from the past few years since I acquired my Canon EOS 6D Mark II DSLR. It’s fun, and I love carrying it around and shooting random images of the town.

Some days, my eyes see things that immediately lend themselves to a nice photo. Other days, not so much.

Let’s see what I came up with!

Traffic Light in the Snow

This image came about in January ‘24 when I was going to Woodburn to do a real estate photo shoot. Given the recent snow, I left early so I could tool around Salem, camera in hand, and see what I came up with in the stark and empty landscape.

Fire Hydrant and Tattoo

On the first day of Summer, Salem joins many other cities in putting on Make Music Day, in which dozens, if not hundreds, of musicians and bands play music on the city's streets until long after dark. I caught this image of a guy watching a band on a street corner.

Metal Staircase

I wandered around the city in August of last year, trying to spot something. Anything. I came across this nice staircase. It made an interesting image.

Running Dog in Park

Dogs often catch my eye. This one was in a West Salem Park chasing a ball it’s human had tossed. He was pretty revved up!

Bush House in Winter

Like many cities, Salem has its share of classic old houses. The Bush House sits in Bush Park, and I captured this image the same day I shot the traffic light (above).

Summer Field, Country Road

In August of 2022, I drove out of West Salem and came across this pastoral scene.

Covered Alley

Downtown Salem has a few interesting and charming bits, including the vine-covered alley near the Reed Opera House.

Tree Lit by Streetlight

Last month, I’d been out shooting after dark and wound up for a bit at Riverfront Park. I experimented with a high ISO and a set exposure speed of 1/100 second.

Store Window

About a year ago, in February, I was downtown after dark. Store windows were well-lit, offering a smorgasbord of scenes.

McGilchrist Building

There are lots of cool old buildings downtown. Love the brick work.

Dog and Woman at Minto-Brown Island Park

Minto-Brown Island Park, now accessible by a bridge from downtown Salem for bicyclists, runners, and walkers, brings many people and their pets.

Thanks for viewing - I’d love to hear any comments you may have!