Haystack Rock
Haystack Rock, on the beach in Cannon Beach, OR…
I have so many pictures from Cannon Beach, Oregon. I’ve been lucky enough to visit a few times, because this part of Oregon may be my favorite place in the US. It’s just so beautiful and there is something about being next to the Pacific Ocean, with these amazing sea stacks dotted along the coastline. It’s hard to get anything else done, because I just want to be out with my camera all day!
The day ends in Bandon
A stunner of a sunset in Bandon, OR from a few years ago…I still remember it vividly!
This was an incredible sunset in Bandon, Oregon!
We had arrived late in the afternoon and settled into our room, before heading out for a quick bite. I knew I had a little time before sunset, but of course I didn’t want to be rushed coming back and getting my gear. Luckily our hotel was across the street from this location. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
The light started out ok but as you can see it really just exploded on me and turned out to be an amazing sunset. Don’t you love it when that happens?
An amazing sunset in Carmel
An incredible sunset on the beach in Carmel, CA - I was quite happy that evening!
Sometimes it just all comes together!
I love to shoot sunset as much as the next person, maybe more. So when I am traveling to a lovely destination such as Carmel, CA and I happen to also get some amazing light, well that just makes my day. I've had plenty of trips where I go somewhere awesome and the light is crappy, but sadly there's not much to do about that. Just take your shots and move on. But now and then the forces align and you get a stunning sunset on the beach. It does happen!
Those crazy Oregon sunsets
A sunset that goes down in the record books for me...from Bandon, Oregon
A stunning display of color and light in Bandon, Oregon
I absolutely love Oregon, and specifically the coastal towns that offers such incredible vistas. Luckily, I've also had my share of incredible sunsets there, too, such as this one from Bandon. Bandon is a very small town far along the southern coast, but it's well worth a visit for the incredible scenery along the beach in the area. There are these massive sea stacks here and there and you can literally wander for hours exploring and photographing them. So awesome!
Haystack Rock from my drone
An aerial shot from Cannon Beach, OR during a stunning sunset...
I'm having fun with my drone! It's a new an interesting bit of fun for me!
I've had this drone for a couple of months now and although I haven't been shooting with it a lot, I am definitely getting a better feel for how to use it well. I still have much to learn and experiment with, but I thought I would share this photo today. I captured it during a lovely sunset in Cannon Beach, OR. The aerial perspective is just so fun and unique. I suspect there will be a lot more drone work showing up here on the blog!
One of my favorite sunsets
An incredible display of light one evening along the Oregon coastline...
This one was a stunner!
I have mentioned here many times my love for Oregon, and in particular the coastline in and around Cannon Beach. There is just so much natural beauty in that area that you almost can't believe it. It seems unfair that one place should get so much. But, they have it and we don't, so do yourself a favor and go visit. I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about it.
This was our last night there on that trip (well over a year ago now), and like every night there I was hoping for some decent light. Looks like I got it, right? ;-)
Twilight in Bandon
Catching a seascape in Bandon, Oregon one evening, just around sunset when the light gets all moody and interesting...
Such an incredible coastline!
Last summer on our epic roadtrip we stopped for 2 nights in Bandon, Oregon. We were en route to the more well-known Cannon Beach, Oregon area but I had seen many pics online of the coastline at Bandon, and wanted to check it out. We stayed two night in hopes I would get at least one good sunset out of it.
I got two!
Yep, I lucked into 2 great sunsets. The first one was gorgeous, and I knew that even if the next night was terrible, at least I would have some good shots. But then the sunset on the second night was just off the charts, so I really did leave Bandon a happy man.
If you want to see a collection of shots from that night, you might want to read this blog post.
Today's photo is a single exposure from that second night, edited in Aurora HDR. I use Aurora all the time for editing single exposures. In this case, I took a set of brackets, but I thought this single shot worked just as well, so I went with it.
The last sunset in Oregon
This was one of those nights that you never forget. It was our last night in Oregon on our big summer trip, and we thought it would be awesome to watch one more sunset over the Pacific. Little did we know it would turn out like this!
This one REALLY turned out amazing!
I will always look back fondly on this past summer. What, you didn't read about it yet? Suffice it to say that it was a pretty fabulous summer for this family. We're still talking about it, and probably will be for some time (like forever!).
Since we were in Oregon for a long time, and it's just so beautiful there, I spent a fair amount of time catching shots of various sunsets. Some were so-so, some were good, and some were spectacular. This one was quite possibly the best one, and it came on our last night there. Maybe Mother Nature heard my prayers. :-)
We had decided to make a return visit to Ecola State Park and just hang out, relax, and watch the sun dip into the Pacific one last time before we packed it up and left town. There had been some clouds that day and of course I am ever hopeful that they will still be around at sunset, and that it will translate into something beautiful.
It did.
As the pictures show, it was incredibly colorful and while they weren't the most dramatic cloud formations I've shot at sunset, it certainly was pretty incredible. When you add in the rugged beauty of the Oregon coastline, it's hard to beat. You can see why I love this part of the country so much. It just speaks to me I guess.
Here's a tip for when you visit Ecola State Park:
Everyone rolls into the park, leaves the car in the big parking lot there, and follows the trail straight to the viewing platform that is in front of you. You should absolutely do that. The view from that platform is excellent and leads your eye straight down the coast to Cannon Beach and it's famous monolith, Haystack Rock.
But when you are done there, head back up to the parking lot and then turn towards the Pacific and walk into the bushes there. There are some tiny trails that will lead down to a hidden beach. This will involve some scrambling on your part and possibly sliding on your butt down onto the beach, but believe me it is well worth it.
I made this same trek and saw 4 people the whole time. Just four. I basically had it to myself! I was also there at low tide, and was able to walk around the rocks and end up on the beach below the viewing platform I mentioned above. There was no one on that beach at all. There were tidepools with starfish and crabs in it. There were empty sea caves. I was in heaven!
And yes there is another, longer way to get there. You can also take a trail towards Crescent Beach which will wind you through the woods for a ways before depositing you on the beach below the viewing platform. From there you can walk just about anywhere.
However you choose to get there, just get there. Most tourists don't know about it or are not willing to put in the effort, so show up for sunset and be prepared for some awesomeness!
Exploring a sea cave on the Oregon coast
How about 3 photos from the Oregon coast, on a day I went exploring a sea cave? Sound fun? Come check it out!
I'm a pretty curious photographer - you?
When I am out shooting, I find it impossible to resist looking around a corner, or down an alley, things like that. I just HAVE to know what is around the bend, because it's very possibly something that I will want to shoot. Are you like that?
When I was with the family out in Oregon in March of this year, we spent some time at various spots along the northern coast, sort of around the town of Cannon Beach, in case that gives you an idea of the area.
Anyways, one afternoon we opted to check out Hug Point, and so off we went. You never really know what you are going to find. In this case, we found a LOT, and it was all awesome. I just love that area. It's so incredibly gorgeous.
As I was walking along the beach, once again curiosity won out and I waited for the tide to recede a bit so I could walk around a rock outcropping. I just had to see what was beyond it. You're with me right?
Well, I found a sea cave, and yes it was just as awesome as it sounds. I dig this kind of stuff. I loved the movie The Goonies, and this just felt like I was in the dang movie. It was all kinds of awesome. So I shot the cave, I went in the cave and shot outward, and I climbed around and shot some more.
A good way to spend an afternoon, really!
And I know you are curious too - and I suspect you are thinking about pirate treasure, right? Sorry, but I didn't find any of that. Maybe next time!
The monolithic Haystack Rock
Have you been to Cannon Beach, Oregon yet? You should go!
I love Oregon, at least all the parts of it that I have seen, and I've seen a pretty good amount of it. On my first trip there years ago, my wife and I spent a couple of days in the seaside town of Cannon Beach and really enjoyed it.
So recently when we planned our family trip out to Oregon, we made sure to include a stop in Cannon Beach on the itinerary. It's not a large town by any means, and is mostly famous as the site of Haystock Rock, which you see in all the photos here in this post.
As is pretty evident, this is one huge chunk of rock. The cool thing to me is that it is pretty close to the beach, and when the tide is out you can actually walk out to it and explore the tide pools around it. Note however that climbing onto the rock is strictly off-limits.
I suspect that has to do with the inherent dangers and liability of people falling or jumping, not to mention that the rock is home to lots of seabirds, including puffins. Sadly, the puffin season did not coincide with my visit. <sad face>
Nonetheless, the tide pools are quite fun to walk around and explore. We saw all sorts of sea anemones and little fish swimming around and it's a great way to spend some free time. Besides, how often can you get up close with that sort of stuff? Coming from Texas, my answer is never. :-)
And being the photography-lover that I am, of course I took all sorts of shots of Haystack Rock. Really, how can you not? You pretty much have to take some shots when you see it, as it dominates the beach, and frankly I find it rather photogenic.
I love trying to capture some reflections in the surf, and luckily on the afternoon that I took these shots the beach was pretty empty, which is rare. We were there for Spring Break (mid-March) and the entire area was pretty quiet. Big win in my opinion.
There are also a couple of smaller rocks nearby, somewhat adjacent to Haystack Rock, and they are known as "The Needles". I think by backing up and including them in the shot, you get a nice balance in your composition, but that's just personal preference.
The truth is that regardless of where you shoot it from, it's a compelling subject, especially under the beautiful seaside skies there. One great thing about the coast - there always seem to be clouds rolling in, and I love having clouds in my photos!
All of these photos are HDR's that were created in Photomatix, with further adjustments made in Color Efex Pro and Aperture (my normal workflow). After creating the shots in Photomatix, I used a couple of filters in Color Efex Pro, namely Detail Extractor (applied selectively), Pro Contrast, Brilliance/Warmth, and a little touch of Glamour Glow. I find these filters help the photo "pop" a bit, and help me bring them to life, more closely resembling what I saw while standing there on the beach. Also, all of these were shot handheld, as I left my tripod in the car while we walked out there. :-) It worked out pretty well though, and usually does as long as I am not shooting in low light.
I hope you enjoyed today's little photo tour of Haystack Rock!
Baker Beach
I went here for a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge...and saw lots of fog.
Haha, that happens in San Fran. What can I do about it? Just shoot away, fog or no fog, right?
My plan when I arrived here was to stick around and get some nice light around sunset, but with the fog dropping in so heavily, it never happened. So instead I hung out, climbed some rocks, took some photos, and watched some of the tourists walking around...and enjoyed the heck out of it.
It's really a beautiful spot, whether it's foggy or not. Someday I hope to get back there with the camera and try again, though I must admit the location isn't very convenient for my travels to San Fran, as I am usually stationed on the far other side of town, near the Bay Bridge (that other bridge in SFO). And of course, that's why I usually end up with a lot of photos of the Bay Bridge. I shoot what I can get to, in other words.
So, I will cross my fingers that someday I can get back here to Baker Beach and shoot sunset on the Golden Gate Bridge, because this is definitely a great place to be to see it!
It's sunny in Hawaii
Ok, I am not currently in Hawaii, but I suspect that statement is true.
It's cold here in Austin, and it's REALLY COLD in a lot of the rest of the US. We have the whole polar vortex thing going on, whatever the heck that is. Sounds to me like a hole in the space-time continuum...and Santa is going to fly through it. Certainly makes me think of Back To The Future. "It's the flux capacitor, Marty"!
Anyways, hope you are warm and comfortable, wherever you are. Unless you want to be cold, in which case I wish that for you. You know what I'm saying. Be good people, and thanks for stopping by.
BTW, this was taken on Maui, which is a place that totally kicks a$$. I'm shutting up now, because this isn't going anywhere. :-)
Sunrise on the Texas gulf coast
As you may know if you follow my page on Facebook, I recently spent some time down along the Texas coast for a little end of summer family getaway. It’s something we have been doing for a few years, and always enjoy it. It’s a nice way to kiss summer goodbye before the madness of school begins.
Each morning when I got up, I of course had to look outside at the skies and see if sunrise was going to produce anything exciting for me. In fact it did on two separate mornings. I guess I have good sunrise karma.
On this particular morning, several of us walked down to the beach to enjoy this lovely site. Being a little twitchy, I walked a bit faster so as to get there quickly. Once you miss the light, it’s gone, as you know. And this is one I didn’t want to miss!
Point Lobos seascape
I was in San Jose, CA for 1 night last week, and that’s torture. Not because 1 night business trips are hard - well, they can be but that’s not it. And it has nothing to do with San Jose...I like that town. The reason it’s torture is because San Jose is SOOOOO close to Carmel, CA....and Carmel is a dream. And I could not get there. Hence, the torture part.
I love Carmel and do hope to return again...sooner rather than later of course! We spent about a week there a while back, and I still have a lot of pics to share from that trip. I suppose I will never catch up, but that’s half the fun of it. I go through my library and come across shots I love from places I adore...and it takes me back.
This is from Point Lobos which is a short drive south of Carmel. Everything there is beautiful. You should go.
Agape at Ecola
I just love the Oregon coast. What an incredibly beautiful place. I grabbed this shot from Ecola State Park. I had set up and was shooting down the coast, taking in the expansive view all the way to Haystack Rock, when I noticed that there was an incredible view just under my nose, so to speak. I tilted the tripod and fired down at this scene. I love the texture of the water on the sand and all the beautiful colors.
Do you focus on the big stuff only?
That’s one thing I am guilty of in my photographic wanderings. I am sometimes standing there agape at the big beautiful scene before me, and I neglect to catch all the little scenes that make up the big one. It’s hard to take it all in really, especially when it’s a new place. I am working to not fall into that familiar trap of shooting the big scene and moving on. Taking it slow and paying attention to the details can pay off just as well!