Opal Creek photos add serenity to Fireplace

Opal Creek’s remarkable scenery is captured in the MHCC Fireplace Gallery.

This month, photographer Mike O’Brien has showcased his exhibit, “Looking Into Water,” inside the Student Union. The exhibit started April 1 and will continue through April 29.

O’Brien’s favorite time to take pictures of the scenery is in summertime, when the water is clear enough to see the bottom, he said.

The photos focus primarily on how subtle differences in viewpoints can show drastically different scenes in nature.

“Water is never twice the same,” said O’Brien in a brief interview. He had come across Opal Creek, which flows into the North Santiam River a half-hour east of Salem, when he was younger and fell in love with it. “I want more people to experience the place. This is a place I love going to with my family.”

According to O’Brien, he most enjoyed playing with the surface of the water and how it shows what lies underneath, when crafting these photos. The details and colors of the rocks under the prismatic light the water creates are among his favorite parts of his photos.

“I enjoy going home and seeing how my pictures turned out, because it is always a surprise. I know that I can never recreate this image again,” he said.

“My father had a camera that I saw him use and wanted very badly. I got my first camera and took pictures of everything that caught my eye,” O’Brien explained when asked about what sparked his passion.

He said he wishes more people will go and experience Opal Creek and its deep, emerald-colored pools of water. His goal is to encourage people to witness its natural beauty and enjoy it.