Yellowstone & Grand Teton NP Animals
Yellowstone & Grand Teton NP Landscapes
Olympic & Mt Rainier National Parks 2008
COPYRIGHT ON ALL IMAGES
I took my first Lightchase Photography Tour about 9 months ago to the Oregon Coast. It was more fun than I could have ever imagined. Since that time, I've been on tours to Utah/Arizona and Alaska. Each of the trips were incredible in their own way. Working with Mark, from Lightchase Photography, I have been learning about and working with graduated neutral density filters. This year I wanted to try to see if I could apply what I had learned over the last nine months, in the location it all started, along the Oregon Coast. The Oregon Coast is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Each park holds it's own charm, where the beach meets the ocean. I have tried to capture some of the beauty of the coast and the different locations we visited. We started our trip in Portland, where I met most of the people that I would be traveling with. From there, we headed off to one of my favorite locations, Seal Rock State Recreation Area. Many people overlook the charm of Seal Rock, but if you look a little deeper, you'll discover the incredible treasures this park holds. At low tide, an incredible selection of tidal pools are uncovered.
Our first sunset and sunrise shoots were at Seal Rock State Recreation Area. Although we had a cloud cover, the tidal pools at Seal Rock provided a great opportunity to view sea stars and other ocean wildlife. After shooting sunrise, we took a small break for breakfast and then we were off to Yaquina Head Lighthouse. One of the unique things about Yaquina Head Lighthouse is the beach below the lighthouse. The entire beach is made up of cobblestones. With each wave, the rocks are rolled and knocked against each other. It is interesting to see the different sections of the beach. Some sections are made up of cobblestones about the size of my fist and there are lots and lots of them, making it difficult to walk through. Another area, just a short distance away, is made up of extremely small pieces, slightly larger than sand granules. I began to wonder why there was such a difference. As I started to photograph, I watched the water rush over the cobblestones. As the water pulls back out, the cobblestones knock together, creating a wonderful sound. I was constantly sidetracked from photographing, watching sea lions play, and listening to the wonderful sounds of nature. I could tell that many of the people walking along the beach never noticed this incredible sound.
Walking up the stairs toward the parking lot, I took advantage of a few overlook areas, to take a few last looks across the beach.
On the way to our next destination, we stopped by the Haceta Head Scenic Viewpoint. The viewpoint provides a beautiful view of the cove leading over to the lighthouse. As we looked out at the lighthouse, we noticed that just below us on the rocks there was a large group of sea lions resting and playing.
Our next stop was at Bandon, OR. We stayed in Bandon 2 nights.. We shot sunrise and sunset shots at Bandon State Natural Area, Face Rock Wayside. The weather was perfect and we had some great light to work with. One of the most important things I have learned from Mark on the tours is how to discover the true beauty of an area. Recognizing the potential in the details is what has helped me improve my photography and get closer to capturing the beauty that is available in nature.
There is a legend that goes along with Face Rock Wayside. The legend involves an indian princess and her pets. These photos show the "face" of face rock. There were several people out looking for crabs the morning we were shooting. Including them in the pictures show just how large the rock formations are. One of the fun things at Face Rock Wayside is looking around at the different rock formations and trying to find her "pets". It reminded me of being a kid, looking up at the clouds and trying to find shapes in the clouds. Just sit back, let your imagination go and just enjoy this incredible location.
