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During our stay in the Bandon Area, we stopped by Cape Arago Lighthouse Viewpoint. The lighthouse sits across a beautiful cove. We were there during a low tide, but the waves were still crashing a little bit on the rocks in front of the lighthouse. It was easy to understand why this would be an important location for a lighthouse to help guide the way.

Another stop in the area was Shore Acres State Park One of the attractions at Shore Acres is the beautiful botanical garden. This is a great place to photograph, or to just relax and enjoy the beauty, fragrance, and peaceful setting while relaxing on one of the many benches throughout the park. This is a great place to practice multiple exposure photography Whether using multiple exposure or regular photography, Shore Acres Botanical Garden offers plenty of photographic opportunities.

There are several lighthouses to see along the Oregon Coast. In the Bandon area, we visited the Coquille River Lighthouse. Some of the wildflowers in the area were still in bloom on this trip. One side of the lighthouse provided wildflowers as a foreground, while the opposite side provided the solid rocky edge near the lighthouse.

After spending three wonderful days in the Bandon Area, we moved on down to Gold Beach, OR. Our first sunset and sunrise in the area was at Pistol River State Park. One of the incredible things about Pistol River State Park is the large selection of sand ripples to choose from. We started up on the beach with a few shots before moving down to the water's edge. The first morning in the area started out to look like it would be an incredible light morning, however, the clouds soon blocked out the suns dramatic colors. However, the following morning we had an opportunity to shoot as the sun struck the seastacks and reflected in the sand's ripples.

We made a trip to Crescent City, CA and Battery Point Lighthouse. When the tide is high, the lighthouse sits on an island, however, during low tide, you can walk over to the lighthouse. Last year, the tide did not allow us to walk to the lighthouse, however we were able to photograph from the viewpoint. This year, the tide was low enough for us to walk over to the lighthouse and take a few photographs. The wildflowers covered a large portion of the landscape around the lighthouse. Then we photographed from the Battery Point Lighthouse Scenic Viewpoint. There were lots of pelicans and seagulls fishing in the area. Its amazing how much different the viewpoint looked during low tide.

Where's an air traffic controller when you need one?

During our day trip into California, we stopped by Jedidiah Smith State Park to photograph the redwoods. The size of these trees is amazing. Trying to capture the beauty of this area is definitely a challenge. However, even without being able to capture the beauty on camera, the walk along the path, through the redwoods is an incredible experience, and one I definitely recommend.

We headed back along the Oregon Coast to our sunset shooting location. Harris Beach State Park. I was really looking forward to trying to relive an experience I had last year on this little rock island and improving on a shot I had taken last year. I think I was trying to recreate one of my favorite moments from my first trip to Oregon. However, nature had another idea. With the low tide, the little rock island was completely dry. As I was waiting for the tide to come in and surround the little island, I realized I was missing an incredible sunset. I hopped off the rock and tried to find a foreground. These two little rocks had washed up nearby so I decided to use them.. As the tide kept moving in, it wasn't long before my little foreground had been relocated. So I had to find other areas to shoot. Luckily, Harris Beach has several other areas to shoot. The sun provided us another incredible sunset, creating another beautiful memory...and a few good shots!

After breakfast in Gold Beach, we headed down to the water's edge to see if we could locate some pelicans to photograph. Our luck was good and bad. Unfortunately the pelicans were not flying through the area as we had expected. However, as we drove to the area, we noticed a large group of seals in the marina area. They were closer than we had ever been able to get, so we grabbed our camera and headed down to the marina. This provided more of a challenge than we thought. The wind was blowing really hard and the marina was moving, so we had to struggle a little to hold our lenses steady. It was definitely worth it though. They were watching us as close as we were watching them!

Next, we headed back toward Bandon. Our first stop on the way back was at Cape Blanco Lighthouse. We were pleasantly surprised to find Lupine in full bloom covering the hillside. The wind was still blowing strong, but we went out to photograph the flowers. I took the opportunity to take a few shots with my fisheye lens

As I walked up to the Cape Blanco Lighthouse, I noticed several of my fellow photographers taking a picture of the lighthouse! (I'm not sure if they were actually taking the photograph from this angle or just taking advantage of a little downtown to take a nap)!

We arrived in Bandon, just in time for an incredible sunset. This was the best sunset we had the entire trip. The color of the sunset were stunning. Our sunrise shoot the following morning also provided us with an ideal opportunity to make some beautiful shots.

As we left the Bandon, OR area, we stopped back by Shore Acres State Park. This time, we spent more time at the water's edge than the botanical garden. The landscape around Shore Acres lends itself to opportunities to see some interesting wave crashes. Although I have not been there to see some of the incredible wave crashes, I always enjoy just watching the smaller crashes and listening to the sounds of the water. I was also on the lookout for sea lions and whales in the area.

Our trip took us back to a favorite of mine, Seal Rock State Recreation Area, just in time to shoot the sunset. Nature provided us with another beautiful sunset. It was an incredible night. We continued to shoot for over an hour after the sun had set, photographing the moon and it's reflections. Although I was exhausted from the busy week, I was not ready for the tour to end. The following morning, we were up and shooting sunrise, before returning to the hotel to pack and head to the airport.

Our last morning on the tour was the most beautiful sunrise we had. The colors were subtle, but beautiful. As the sun rose, it struck the side of the large rock and reflected into the water. The ripples were sidelit with the golden colors of the sunrise. It was a perfect way to end our last morning!

Lightchase Photography once again provided a perfect opportunity for me to get some great photographs. Mark was always available to answer any questions and to assist me in getting a great shot. The tours always involve beautiful locations, plenty of photographic assistance, and most of all, LOTS of FUN. I made some great memories, some nice photographs, and met some great people that I hope I get the chance to travel with again. Each tour I take, I learn more and more about using the filters and photography in general, but the best part, was the opportunity to see some of this country's most beautiful locations and spend time with someone that has easily become one of my best friends. Thanks again Mark for another fantastic trip! I can't wait for the next one!