Cannon Beach Reflection

Haystack Rock at sunset from Cannon Beach, Oregon.

Cannon Beach along the Oregon coast is a popular place to visit and an icon for Oregon tourism publications.  And for good reason!  Excellent lodging and restaurants abound in this tourist town, adding to the attraction of their world-famous beaches and parks.

Summer months can be pretty crazy at times as one might suspect.  But for photography and weather, summer actually isn't the best time to visit.

Summer brings warm temperatures for sure, but with it comes the heavy fog bank that often engulfs the coast during this time.  The fog is typically very localized, often dense on the beaches but nonexistent just a short way inland.

Spring and summer provide more favorable conditions.  Winter can also be quite favorable, as is the case here.  This image was taken in winter right around Christmas!

Speaking of tourism publications, that's exactly where this image was recently licensed to!

To see more images of this fabulous area, feel free to visit my Oregon Coast Gallery.

You may also view my complete website at Mountain Scenes Photography, Don Geyer, Mount Rainier, Images, (smugmug.com)

 As always, thanks for looking!

Photographing Bandon Beach

Sea stacks at Bandon Beach at sunset.

A few weeks ago I got to spend some extended time photographing one of my favorite beaches along the Oregon coast - Bandon Beach.  Bandon Beach is the sea stack capital of Oregon, in my opinion.  It offers multiple easy access points, easy beach strolling on hard-packed sand, caves and tunnels to explore at low tide, and fantastic photo opportunities in all seasons.  While there are sea stacks to be found up and down the coast, I find these ones to be the most spectacular and most enjoyable to photograph!

These sea stacks offer dramatic seascapes from Colquille Point to just south of Face Rock State Scenic Wayside - a pretty long stretch of beach to explore.  This stretch of beach attracts all walks of people throughout the day, including beachcombers, walkers, runners, hikers, horseback riders and more.

Morning light on sea stacks at Bandon Beach

Sea stacks are the work of erosion.  They are craggy, isolated rock outcrops that used to be part of rocky headlands before the ocean waves, and to a less extent winds, carved them into the pointed and jagged spires they are today.  They can be spectacular at sunrise or sunset with colorful skies behind them, or dramatic with darkening storm clouds building up behind them.

Much imagination and native lore has gone into the names of the sea stacks.  As legend would have it,Face Rock is the face of Native American Princess Ewauna, daughter of Chief Siskiyou, who was lured into the sea and drowned by the evil ocean spirit Seatka.  Accompanying this rock are Cat and Kittens Rocks, Witches Hat, Garden of the Gods, Elephant Rock, Table Rock, and many more.  Are are very photogenic!

Where To Visit:

There are four main public access points to this section of beach (more if you drive further south):

• South Jetty Beach
• Strawberry Point & Table Rock
• Colquille Point
• Face Rock State Scenic Wayside

Sea stacks at sunset along Bandon Beach

Most photographers spend their time between Colquille Point and just south of Face Rock State Scenic Wayside.  Where to start?  It depends on you and the season you are visiting!  The sun sets much further south in the winter than in the summer, offering a wide variety of different light angles between all four seasons.  My recommendation is to spend the day exploring from one end to the other - go for a walk or a run!  Keep an eye out for interesting compositions while keeping in mind where the most dramatic light will be when you are shooting.  The most obvious light source will be where the sun sets, of course.  But keep an eye on compositions using the southern sky for morning photography too!

Where To Stay:

Sunset behind Witches Hat at Bandon Beach.

Previously, all my visits to this area involved staying at Bullard Beach State Park.  This is a fantastic park that is only a 10-15 minute drive to the above-mentioned viewpoints, making it very convenient.  It's also very close to the Colquille River Lighthouse, which offers tours in the summer months.

For this winter visit, I enjoyed the comfort of the Sunset Motel with my family where we could enjoy the incredible ocean views from the cozy confines of our living room or upstairs bedroom.  We also had easy private beach access just across the street, north of Face Rock.  It was a real treat!  There are many other nearby lodging options to choose from as well.

When To Go:

What season is best?  That depends.  Most beach photographers I know tend to avoid the summer months, though I have found success this time of year.  Spring and fall are more attractive than summer to many photographers, simply to avoid the summer crowds.  Another drawback to summer is the heavy fog bank that can often roll in and envelope localized areas.  This is mostly a non-issue in the spring and fall.  Of course, for tidepooling, summer offers some of the lowest tides of the year, making it a great time to visit!

Bandon Beach at sunset.

But wait, I've left out a very important season - winter!  Over the years winter has become one of my favorite times to visit the coast.  Admittedly, it can be a roll of the dice.  But I have been rewarded with some of my most dramatic images this time of year.  And if you are into whale watching, visit Colquille Point the week between Christmas and New Year for the peak gray whale winter migration.  The local tip is that the whales like to congregate at the mouth of the Colquille River for its ample food supply before continuing their southward journey, making it one of the premium whale viewing areas in the area!

How To Dress:

As most beach photographers know, photographing along the beach usually involves getting wet - whether it is that unplanned water crossing or those pesky sneaker waves striking while your back is turned or you're not paying attention!  In the summertime I have found shorts, t-shirt and sandals adequate attire for most occasions, along with a light windbreaker jacket (the breeze always seems to pick up in the evening).

Morning waters at Bandon Beach at sunrise.

For winter visits, I highly recommend dressing warmer, preferably layers - including waterproof pants, rain jacket, warm beanie, and donning a nice pair of rubber waders.  The waders will allow you to focus on your work and not having to worry about the incoming surf.  They also clean up easily.

Photography Gear To Bring:

So much of this is dependent on how you process your images.  But regardless of your workflow, a nice tripod is still a mandatory tool of the trade.  I think all lenses can be utilized here - from wide angle to zoom and everything in between.  If you're into star photography, don't forget your ultra-wide angle as Bandon Beach offers excellent opportunities!  If you use filters - and I do, consider complimenting your standard GND filters with a 2 and 3-stop Reverse GND for sunset.  Unlike a standard GND, a reverse GND is darkest at the horizon and lightens higher in the sky, and is one of my favorite and most used coastal filters.  I also find neutral density filters very nice to smooth
the water in low light situations (to  slower shutter speed), creating a rather mystical look.

The sun dips behind Witches Hat at Bandon Beach.

On the maintenance side of things, make sure to have a couple of lens cloths to wipe any water drips or moisture build-up off you lens, and be sure to check your lenses often.  There is nothing more frustrating than coming home all excited about that fantastic sunset you shot, only to learn you had water drops and streaks on your lens!

I hope this sparks your interest to visit this spectacular place and helps you with your planning and preparation.  Feel free to contact me with any further questions you might have - I'm always happy to help out!

You may view more of my images from Bandon and the rest of the Oregon coast by visiting my Oregon Coast Gallery.  You may also visit the rest the galleries at my website at www.mountainscenes.com.  As always, thanks for looking!

Photographing Cannon Beach

Sunset over Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach.

Cannon Beach on the Oregon coast is a pretty special place to visit, especially during the "off-season" if you are a photographer.  The off-season is actually the best time for photographing the coast, in my opinion.  In the summer, a heavy fog bank often envelopes the coast, making photography difficult.  It's less common in the spring, fall and winter.  Winter can also offer stormy skies and dramatic surf, yet still provide beautiful sunsets, as pictured here. 

This image of Haystack Rock was taken in December, in shorts and T-shirt!  Admittedly, this attire in December is probably the exception to the rule.

Lodging is also easier to come by in these seasons - especially winter.  And Cannon Beach has many options to choose from.

When you're tired of photographing Haystack Rock and The Needles at Cannon Beach (is this possible?), there are many more photography opportunities at nearby Ecola State Park.  The view from Ecola Point is one of the most iconic images of the Oregon coast.  Just a short walk up a path leads you to an incredible panoramic vista looking south along the coast, back to Canon Beach and beyond!  Even the view from the fenced area of Chapman Point is outstanding.

The best time to photograph both of these locations is late afternoon to sunset, though colorful skies in the morning can make sunrises interesting as well - mainly in winter.

This image is currently being used in the travel and tourism market, helping to promote Cannon Beach and the Oregon coast as a family get-away.

You can view many more images from this area in my Oregon Coast Gallery, if you wish.

As always, thanks for looking!

The Magic of Cannon Beach in Winter

Cannon Beach is one of those places you just can't seem to get enough of.  The area offers so much to visitors.  It is one of the choice destinations on the Oregon coast, offering sandy beaches, sea stacks, nearby state parks, family lodging, nice restaurants, tourist shops and most all services available within walking distance of your place of stay. 

It's a great place to take the family;  the beach is perfect for kids and pets to play, beachcombing at low tide, a romantic walk in the evening, and of course, the chance to break out the photography gear.  My personal experience?  The former allows the latter!

While I have visited Cannon Beach many times during the spring and summer months, I most recently enjoyed it with family over the holidays.  It was our favorite visit to date.

Winter is a great time in general to visit; the crowds are gone, lodging is very reasonable (often half price), and the air is much clearer and the skies so much more interesting.  In summer, the warm air tends to bring fog in the mornings and evenings.  In winter, the air stays cool and the views clear for those dramatic sunsets.  Or, maybe you want to storm watch, which was our original intention.

I'm going to plug my favorite place to stay, Hallmark Resort.  It is located right on the beach and has the closest lodging to Haystack Rock, has direct beach access, is pet friendly, is located on the edge of downtown so that you can walk to all amenities, and has an indoor pool, spa, sauna, exercise room and more to keep the family entertained.  The rooms also have a full kitchen so that you can cook your own meals if you wish (I did a prime rib in the oven for Christmas dinner).

For the photographer, this is a great place to keep your family busy while you get down to business!  Cannon Beach is in close proximity to two of the most iconic images on the Oregon coast:  Haystack Rock & The Needles, and Crescent Beach from Ecola State Park.

As mentioned earlier, one of the big differences in the winter is the lack of morning and evening fog on the horizon and even engulfing the beach.  The other noticeable difference is that the sun sets so much further to the south, lighting up the southern sky and possibly encouraging you to set up for a slightly different composition than you would in the summer.

The classic composition here is of Haystack Rock and The Needles at sunset silhouetted against a dynamic, radiant evening sky.  Even better is to catch the reflection of the scene in the water along the beach as the tide recedes.  Watch out for those sneaker waves; they typically aren't strong enough here to be dangerous, but they can make you very wet on an already chilly evening if you are not careful.

Spending multiple evenings here will allow you a little more freedom to play with placing the sun at different locations as it sets.  You may also be rewarded with much different patterns in the sky, or dramatically different skies altogether.

While you may have some small crowds to deal with in the evening (nothing like in summer, mind you), you will find their numbers directly proportionate to the temperature.  As the sun sets and the temps drop, so do the people.  When the best light arrives after the sun has set (and pink clouds emerge), you may be all alone.

Morning can also be an inviting time to photograph Cannon Beach in the winter, so don't forget to set your alarm!  This is best done with light clouds present in the sky to catch the suns early rays.  Again, the colors can be reflected in the water thanks to the flat, hard-packed sand on the beach. 

While the entire sky is subject to fantastic morning color, fishing boats with their bright lights are common just out to sea, mainly directly west and northwest.  A south facing composition catches the most dramatic early light and avoids these unwanted objects.  As the morning grows lighter, the clouds to the west and northwest will turn pink to purple and the boats will be less noticeable, if not entirely undetectable.

Don't forget to visit Ecola State Park, just a short drive north from Cannon Beach.  Photographs can be taken almost from the parking lot, though walking the short paved trail west will offer a wider view.  Cresent Beach is best photographed from here in late afternoon and at sunset, hopefully with some clouds on the horizon to catch light.  In winter, this sunrises can also be attractive from here.

There are other places to visit and photograph within Ecola State Park as well - don't forget to check out Indian Beach and the views out to Tillimook Lighthouse!

I recommend a mid-telephoto lens, such as a 24-70 lens for these locations.  I also recommend both a 2 and 3-stop reverse gradual neutral density filter for shooting the sunsets.

I will be adding these and more images to my Oregon Coast Gallery soon.  In the meantime, check out images from here and the entire Oregon coast here.

As always, thanks for viewing!

The South Oregon Coast

Sunset at Harris Beach State Park, Oregon.

I've just returned from an excellent trip to the south Oregon coast, having visited Harris Beach State Park near Brookings, and Bandon Beach.  These beaches are my favorite of the entire Oregon coast, and they did not disappoint!

I hope to share images in the coming days - stay tuned!

Bandon, Oregon

This final installment of my Oregon coast trip has been a long time coming. But then Bandon, Oregon is certainly worthy of such a wait, offering my favorite beach of the entire Oregon coast.

Bandon is known for sea stacks – lots of ‘em. Choices for compositions are countless and it is hard to pick just one for that dramatic sunset. It was interesting to watch other photographers search out their position of choice and set up, only to find “something better” while waiting, and move again. I must include myself in that group.

The first day of my visit had been mostly cloudy, but showed signs of improving towards evening. A thick bank of clouds to the west left sunset in question and one could only wonder what kind of show, if any, might unfold. There seemed to be enough sucker holes in the clouds to invite a very dramatic sunset. Those same gaps in the clouds could also close and dash my hopes.

As it turned out, the sun played peek-a-boo as it set, but mostly remained hidden. It did cast a beautiful red sheen on the incoming tide. Such a reflection would have been brilliant on the still waters of a lake or tarn. But on the moving waters of the ocean in low light, it was difficult to render the scene as the eye witnessed it.

As soon as the sun dipped to the west, the fog quickly began to roll in and created some very interesting light and texture that I wasn't expecting. In fact, the light was much more impressive after the sun went down. A bright moon high in the sky added to the scene. I had mostly retreated back upslope to the parking lot, taking a direct approach which shielded my view to the south. When I popped up onto the pavement, I immediatley clambered into position and watched the fog roll in low while higher clouds appeared and disappeared above. Soon the fog enveloped the area and the evening show was done.

I returned a second night, but experienced nearly the opposite weather pattern. The day had been sunny and completely cloudless. As evening approached, so did a very thick marine fog. I couldn’t see from one side of the parking lot to the other by the time I retreated back to camp. Such occurance can be common in the summer months.

Oregon Coast

I just returned from an enjoyable trip to the Oregon Coast. We had a fantastic time, though weather posed some photography challenges. Hey, but who's to complain?

The famous view of Crescent Beach (near) and Canon Beach (far) from a view point in Ecola State Park is pictured here. This was a great place to hang out on a late afternoon and was only 10 minutes from our hotel room in Canon Beach.

Unfortunately it was an expensive visit as I lost a pouch of filters here as well. I realized this, of course, while shooting sunset back at Canon Beach. The good news is that, due to my bad habit of not putting my filters away properly while immersed in shooting a scene, my two most critical filters never made it back into the pouch and were still with me. Ah, trip saved!

I am still working on editing images, which I hope to share soon. Stay tuned!