Tag Archives: Beaches

Find a Foreground

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Clearwater Beach, FL, find a foreground
Clearwater Beach at Sunset

While in Florida this winter visiting family, we stopped for sunset at Clearwater Beach. We were running late, so as soon as we parked, I scanned the area to find a foreground and was pleased to see a lifeguard tower. While walking toward the beach, I extended my tripod legs and checked my camera settings (we were really late for sunset!)  I stopped before the lifeguard tower and took a quick shot to test my composition and realized there was a trash can in the photo (see the first image below). So, I moved a bit closer and captured another frame, but the people walking toward me were too close (see the second image below). Then I waited for the ship to enter my frame and got my final shot above. With digital cameras, it is ok to take several images to “build” your photo.

Clearwater Beach, FL, find a foreground
First photo with trash can
Clearwater Beach, FL, find a foreground
Second photo with people too close

Ocean City

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ocean city beach sunset

Cloudless Night. Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, 12-100mm, ISO 200, f/20, .8 sec.

My tarp finally got rained on as I packed to leave Cape Disappointment. On the way to Ocean City, I drove through rain, fog and mist. It was beautiful. In Ocean City, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and it was only 80 miles from Cape Disappointment. What a difference. After setting up camp, I sat in the sun and read for an hour just to soak up some rays. The Ocean City campground was two blocks from the ocean so I shot sunset for two nights here. The first night without clouds and the last night with excellent clouds.

falls creek falls

Fall Creek. Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, 12-100mm, ISO 200, f/8, 6 sec., with Bryan Hansel Singh-ray Filter.

Ocean City is a short drive to Lake Quinault, part of the Olympic National Forest and there are many waterfalls. I was so excited to photograph there, I woke up very early and was on a trail by 7:30am after the 1-hour drive. My first location was Falls Creek which is on the edge of a tent campground and I was very quiet to not wake up any campers. It was a pretty fall, but I struggled getting a composition I liked. So, I hiked to Gatton Creek Falls. It was a mile to the falls and a bridge crossed over the top. The only problem with this tiered fall was access to it. I could not find a trail I was willing to walk down without going swimming so I headed back a little discouraged.

Even though I wanted to photograph waterfalls, I reminded myself how beautiful the trail was and tried to find other things to photograph. I came across chicken mushroom and moss growing on the side of a tree stump and pulled out the macro lens.

chicken mushroom and moss

Chicken Mushroom and moss. Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, 60 mm, ISO 200, f/9, 2.5 sec.

Mosquitos were buzzy around, but my deet must have worked as I survived without a bite. Capturing the macro shots reinforced my thoughts of the beautiful trail and improved my mood. I took off in search of more falls.

Waterfalls

willaby creek falls

Willaby Creek Falls Final Photo. Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, 12-100mm, ISO 200, f/8, 5 sec., with Bryan Hansel Singh-ray Filter.

The trail to Willaby Falls was non-technical and I didn’t feel that I was going to fall in. I stepped off the trail slightly to get a better angle and had fun capturing images here. In the photog section below, I discuss the first photo upon arriving at the scene to my final photo. When I am photographing beautiful falls like this, I try to remind myself to look not only through the camera but with my eyes as well. So, often I will pause and just admire without looking for a composition or changing an aperture. I just take in the beauty.

merriman falls

Merriman Falls Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, 12-100mm, ISO 200, f/10, 8 sec., with Bryan Hansel Singh-ray Filter.

Lastly, I drove to Merriman Falls. The 40-foot drop contrasted with Willaby Creek Falls and required a different approach to capture an image. Next to the side of the road with only a pullout (no sign) this waterfall was magnificent. The entire falls were hard to photograph because by this time, other people were around. Another photog was there capturing couple’s photos as well, so I worked around them and captured small scenes of the falls.

Comforts of Home

Amy selfie

I’m waving hello! iPhone photo.

I watched Neflix! This campground had free wifi and I enjoyed it thoroughly: backed up photos, caught up on email and watched a few movies on Netflix. This was my first TV for almost 6 weeks. After six weeks, my car and trailer are dirty. Even though I was rained on, the dirt roads and sea spray have done a number on my car. It still surprised me when a total stranger said, “That is a dirty car,” to me at the gas station. Peer pressure worked and I drove through a self-serve car wash 15 minutes later. Of course, the sea spray hit again that night shooting sunset. After 4500 miles, what do you expect?

car on sand

Car on beach, iPhone photo.

Oregon’s beaches are public property and the state owns them. In Washington, it seems similar and they let you drive on the beach! So, I had get my Renegade on the sand. When I sent the photo home to Rod he was concerned that I would get stuck. But, I didn’t.

I spent an afternoon in Ocean Shores a few miles away and walked several miles along Damon Point. Damon Point has spectacular crashing waves, agates, shells and driftwood. I even found a marble that I’m taking home for our cats. I grabbed fried oysters in town to complete my west coast seafood checklist and headed back to camp to prepare for sunset.

For the Photogs!

willaby creek falls

Willaby Creek Falls First Photo. Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, 12-100mm, ISO 200, f/10, .8 sec.

When I photograph waterfalls, I like to start with a sample image once I am setup. I often use aperture priority mode and take a sample shot to help me view the scene. Once I take a shot, I am more successful on composing by analyzing if that is the story I want to capture. I say to myself, “what can I do to make this better.” With the image on the right, there is a lot to do to make it better. At first, I shot from the trail with the tripod above a bush. Then I noticed a dirt path off the trail and I examined what would be the best location to capture the photo. If your tripod isn’t as tall as you, make sure you view the scene the same as your camera. I often pull out my iPhone to “view” the scene at different heights to determine where to setup the tripod. Once I was away from the bush, I put on my Bryan Hansel filter from Singh-ray. Yes, I love this filter! I played with horizontal and vertical orientations until I found just the right composition. I knew before I captured the photo I would crop a small portion from the foreground because there was a distracting reflection that I could not avoid otherwise. View the final Willaby Creek Falls photo above in this post.

Ocean city beach at sunset

Ocean City Beach. Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, 12-100mm, ISO 200, f/10, 1/80 sec.

Cape Disappointment

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Cape Disappointment Boat Launch. Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 12-100 mm, ISO 400, f/18 @ 1/640 sec.

Cape Disappointment

Light house

North Head Lighthouse. Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 12-100 mm, ISO 400, f/16 @ 1/500 sec.

It was a relaxing 40-mile drive from Astoria to Cape Disappointment. I ran a few errands on the way out of town (ice, food, gas, etc) and arrived at Cape Disappointment in time to check in and set up my trailer. Fifteen minutes later, I was ready to explore. The ocean was a short walk from my campsite so I checked it out. The view included the North Head Lighthouse but the weather was cloudy, and a lighthouse in the clouds wasn’t working for me, so I drove around the park to scout other areas. Slowly, I sunk back into a discouraged photographer. These clouds were not what I wanted to capture. So, I bailed on photography (sort of). I went to town, sat in a McDonald’s parking lot and streamed my favorite Mirrorless Minutes podcast from the McDonald’s wifi. Normally, I listen to it from iTunes, but this was their 100th episode and I watched it live. Karen, one of my friends from Phoenix was in the podcast chat too. I felt a little more inspired.

After the podcast, I got a text from Karen. Thanks to some fun discussions about photography and what to shoot, I flipped the switch to wanting to take photos and couldn’t wait to get back to the beach. Without phone service at the park, I talked to myself the entire time on the beach. Once I took a shot, I would ask myself how it could be improved. Initially, I thought I would photograph macro subjects that are perfect for cloudy weather. But as I looked at the sky, I noticed clouds with highlights and shadows. I saw definition in the clouds. Maybe it was there all along and I wasn’t noticing…either way, I was ready to capture images. I rotated between wide and long lenses capturing reflections on the wet sand. The tide was heading out, so I continued to creep up on the waves. My final images are abstract and I like them. Thanks Karen for the inspiration. The lesson I learned: there is always a picture to be made.

Cloudy Reflections

Cloudy Reflections. Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 7-14 mm, ISO 200, f/16 @ 1/10 sec.

World’s Largest Frying Pan!

frying pan photo

Largest Frying Pan! 14 ft tall.

Day two at Cape Disappointment was spent sightseeing. I went to lighthouses, beaches and Long Beach. Long Beach had many unique finds: Cranberry Museum, Marsha’s Free Museum with Jake the Alligator man and the largest frying pan in history! How have I lived almost 50 years and not known where the largest frying pan in history was located? I found a taco bar and had a halibut taco – it was yummy! I took the evening off from photography and read a book. All in all a great day.

Cranberries on the vine. Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 12-100 mm, ISO 400, f/8 @ 1/200 sec.

My days are relaxing but lonely at times. I don’t over talk to people like I did my first week (good thing) but often want to talk more. Other than my daily conversations with my sister and husband I often don’t speak. Hopefully, this doesn’t have a negative side effect on my vocal chords….otherwise my family won’t recognize me when I get home.

My next stop will be further up the Washington Coast in Ocean City.

For the Photogs!

In case you are looking for a great solution to transfer photos to iPhones or iPads, a workshop participant told me about Sandisk’s iXpand. It is a usb drive with a usb on one end and lightning on the other. So, I save photos to it, put the other end in my phone and transfer images instantly. Works like a charm, thanks Pat!

Clouds with details

Clouds with details. Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 7-14 mm, ISO 200, f/18 @ 1.6 sec.

When I saw the details in the clouds, I also thought this would make a strong black and white. So, using Nik Silver Efex Pro, I did just that.

Cape Lookout

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man in fog

Cape Lookout. Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 12-100 mm, ISO 250, f/16 @ 1/250 sec.

Lookout

Teardrop with tarp

Three very peaceful days at Cape Lookout State Park. Weather was varied and still no rain. The first night the sea spray was so heavy I put up my rain cover tarp off the back of the teardrop. As you would guess, the spray still found its way to me. The next morning was foggy and windless so I immediately went to the Cape hiking trail for beach and foggy tree shots. Only one other person was walking the beach and I was able to add him to my photo. While I hiked the trail, I found dew covered thistle stalk with a small spider web and spent an hour or more capturing this image.

Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 60 mm macro, ISO 250, f/3.2 @ 1/160 sec., in-camera focus stack of 8 images.

After I returned to camp, the sun came out and without the wind this was the best beach yet! I put down the camera and sat on the beach for part of the afternoon. Although soaking in the sun was great, it was too mellow for me and I took off for a walk down the beach. There were many washed up jelly fish on the shore and I think they are moon jellies. Austin asked me if I tried throwing them back in… I did not. After texting one photo to Rod, he pointed out that I was not looking at a jelly but a plastic lid. I hated admitting it, but he was right. All the others were jelly fish though! Here are two photos, one of a jelly and one of the jelly like lid. Hopefully you can see why I was fooled by the lid.

Moon Jelly. Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 40-150 mm, ISO 200, f/3.5 @ 1/1250 sec.

Burn Ban

Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 40-150 mm, ISO 200, f/6.3 @ 1/8000 sec.

Little did I know this might be my last campfire. The dry summer has hit Oregon and Oregon State Parks started a burn ban. At least I won’t smell like a campfire anymore! My second day was full of touristy locations Munson Falls, Tillamook and Cape Meares Lighthouse. While in Tillamook, I drove by the creamery intending to stop but the crowds were thick and I decided to bypass the bustle. Instead, I bought Tillamook cheese at Safeway. Wasn’t that a cheesy excuse? The afternoon was again sunny and I walked the beach with camera in hand. This adorable little girl jumping the waves drew my eye. My only regret is that I was too relaxed (lazy) to talk to the parents and offer the photos.

It’s interesting how different the waves look at low tide vs high tide and from one beach to another with comparable tides. Here are two of my favorites.

Low Tide. Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 40-150 mm macro, ISO 64, f/16 @ 1.3 sec., 8 stop ND filter.

Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 40-150 mm, ISO 200, f/22 @ 1/5 sec., ND filter.

For the Photogs!

Sand Dollar Shell. Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 60 mm, ISO 200, f/9 @ 1/60 sec.

With the calm winds at Cape Lookout, I used my macro lens more. The first night, I brought shells and a broken sand dollar to my camp. The cloud cover provided a perfect softbox and I setup my table top tripod to capture the images.

Here’s a tip when photographing around salt water. Don’t forget to rinse off your tripod. When I capture the wave images, I often step into the area were larger waves flow up the beach. I watch to avoid splashes, and make sure I rinse the sand and salt off my tripod each night.

Low Tide

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Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 12-100 mm, ISO 200, f/10 @ 1/100 sec.

Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 12-100 mm, ISO 800, f/5.0 @ 1/250 sec.

After several weeks, I live for low tides, especially when it is a negative tide. My next stop was South Beach State Park, outside of Newport, Oregon. Beautiful beach just a ½ mile walk from my camp. The first thing I did when I got to camp was take a shower! My previous campground was perfect expect for the lack of showers. After 5 days…I was ready for a shower. I celebrated by making a fire and enjoyed the calm evening. Low tide was at eight o’clock the next morning so I drove 10 miles to Seal Rock. I read that was the best place to go for low tide and it was great. Not to mention there were seals too. I spent several hours on this beach capturing images of sea stars and seals. I even returned the next day. The first day was sunny and the seals were much more active. The second day was cloudy and cool and the seal just slept!

Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 12-100 mm, ISO 200, f/10 @ 1.6 sec.

Newport has a beautiful bridge that I photographed last summer so I included that image. My pace has slowed as I relax more and capture images of what interests me and mostly, it’s the tide pools! I spent one afternoon with an old friend, Jeff Cox. He was a volunteer with Arizona Highways Photo Workshops with me for several years and sold his place in Tucson to live south of Newport. Jeff and his wife took me to South Beach Fish Market for lunch and it was excellent! I had a crab sandwich with a ¼ lb fresh crab on it. Eighty percent of the menu includes fried items from crab to oysters, they have it all. Jeff took me to the Hatfield Marine Center where he volunteers and I got to touch sea urchins, anemones and sea stars. My favorite anemone photo came from here. Then we checked out the Yaquina Head Lighthouse and the Newport Harbor. It was a fun afternoon and it was great having a fellow photog to talk to!

Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 12-100 mm, ISO 1600, f/4 @ 1/160 sec.

Moving to Oregon

Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 12-100 mm, ISO 250, f/11 @ 1/320 sec.

Ok, so that heading was just to get your attention. But, I have to admit, I have looked at real estate in Oregon. Let me clarify, I have looked at my realtor app to identify housing costs, I have not toured any homes. I’m not sure it will come of anything, but I could live on this coast. So, would a house on the Oregon coast be a winter home? Because we have a great summer home in Flagstaff.

One thing that is alarming when driving on the coast are the tsunami warning and evacuation route signs. With so many worldwide natural disasters in the past few years, this signs definitely send up a red flag.

For the photogs!

Capturing images at low tide is much easier with cloudy skies. In the images below, the first was captured with sunlight and the second with cloudy skies. Notice how the colors are brighter with cloudy skies and the shadows are not so harsh.

Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 12-100 mm, ISO 200, f/5.6 @ 1/125 sec.

Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 12-100 mm, ISO 200, f/5.6 @ 1/500 sec.

Before the trip, someone told me, “don’t be lazy.” Meaning change the lens, or carry all the gear, whatever it takes to make the shot – do it! Well, I’ve been pretty good about that, but when I visited Seal Rock and took my long Panasonic lens 100-400mm, I did not take my tripod. I knew it was full sun and would be able to shoot with a fast shutter speed. A fast shutter speed still isn’t good enough if the lens is so long I can’t hold it still! So, my favorite image is not as sharp as I would like due to my movement, but I included it above because it shows the seal yawning. The second day, I went back and handheld my 40-150mm lens. Since it was cloudy, I chose to bring the faster lens.

At low tide, I also saw a bunch of white plasticy looking things. After asking about them, I learned they are squid egg sacs. Although the beach was covered with them, there are still plenty more in the sea! Once they are on land for awhile they sacs will not survive.

Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 12-100 mm, ISO 400, f/5.6 @ 1/320 sec.

Long Days

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Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 100-400 mm, ISO 200, f/8 @ 1/400 sec.

After three weeks of sunrises before 6am, sunsets around 9pm, and scouting or hiking in between, I am tired. I took a few days with less photography and recouped. I napped, went to the library, ate in town and hung out by the campfire with my neighbors – two teachers from Boise. The highlight of this area was definitely Luna Sea Fish House. Rod and I ate there last year and it is still the best clam chowder so far and the halibut and chips are outstanding.

View from the top of Cape Perpetua

For these three nights camping, I did not have a campground chosen, the one I wanted didn’t take reservations, so I lived on the wild side. I ended up at a different campground then I had planned and it was better. Leaving it to fate worked. Cape Perpetua forest service campground is lovely with a creek next to every camp spot and endless trails around. I hiked the St. Perpetua trail to the top of the Cape, a 600ft elevation climb in under 2 miles. With clear skies, the view was astounding. I also hiked down to the tide pools and photographed crashing waves. At the end of the day, my phone said I hiked 77 stories and completed almost 20,000 steps. No wonder I was tired!

Cape Perpetua

This area is known for its beauty and crashing waves. It does not disappoint. Although I was tired part of my stay, I enjoyed the tide pools, crashing waves and patterns in water. There are never enough sea star images! Every sea star has a personality, whether they are “cuddling” with others or look like they are “dancing,” I smile at the sight of them. Low tide was a negative tide early in the morning, so very few people were there, it was an ideal time to photograph them.

Messages in Water

This water is almost whimsical. Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 12-100 mm, ISO 400, f/6.3 @ 1/4000 sec.

At one point, my husband Rod asked me, “Why photograph water? What interests you?” I have thought about this a lot. As I capture images of water, I love how emotions can be expressed in water from raging mad to serene and calm. As I came to this conclusion I started a new book I purchased a year or more ago and haven’t had time to read, The Hidden Messages in Water. In the book, Masaru Emoto, studied water crystals and how they formed differently depending on their environments. When the water was subject to classical music beautiful crystals emerged, when subject to hate words no crystals formed. Then, he makes the relationship to humans being 70% water. No wonder water makes me feel emotions. After starting this book, I recognize water energizes me and brings me different emotions. It sure is fun photographing.

This crashing wave causes concern. Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 12-100 mm, ISO 200, f/5, 1/500 sec.

Teardrop Travels

My Renegade and teardrop trailer in Yachats, Oregon.

So many people are curious about the teardrop, so I thought I would share it with you. This bed on wheels has a queen mattress, battery with 10 volt and 110, stores camp chairs and REI folding table, with a back hatch to cook out of (or I cook at any given picnic table). We have a tray on the front of the teardrop that holds our “bear proof” cooler and with two bags of block ice, I keep my items cold for 5+ days. Not to mention, I can make a U-turn and if my parking is so dismal, I can disconnect and move it myself since it only weighs 1000 pounds! I keep one box of food in my car, mostly nuts, easy to boil Indian food and rice and Austin’s suggestion – mashed potatoes. I often eat rice cakes with almond butter and honey for breakfast or settle for a Lara bar.

Bottle wine is better than box wine.

Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 100-400 mm, ISO 400, f/8 @ 1/1000 sec.

One of my past conversations with my sister was about wine. Not an uncommon conversation between us and when I told her I was buying a box of wine to have on the trip because the box would store better and easier when drinking from my plastic tumbler. She said, “You are in Oregon get a bottle of Oregon wine.” So, I bought both. And without a doubt, bottle wine is better than box wine. Now, I need to find a wine glass to replace the tumbler.

For the Phototogs!

Olympus OM-D EM-1 Mark II, 12-100mm, ISO 400, f/16, 1/320 sec.

One thing I have been serious about is cleaning my gear daily. Wiping it down with a damp cloth to remove sea spray and using a blower and wipes on the lenses. The sea spray gets everywhere! If I am not wearing my gear, I keep it in the car, covered or in a tub. After a few days rest and a shower, I am ready to tackle on Newport, Oregon.

Humbug Mountain

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12-100mm, ISO 400, f/14 @ 1/15 sec.

7-14mm, ISO 400, f/16 @ 1/500 sec.

Arriving at Humbug Mountain State Park on July 4th was great. I went to Port Orford (nearest town) before I checked into my campground to preview the holiday festivities. Scouting for the fireworks launch was easy, so I ate fish and chips at a local restaurant. It was ok, but not Taco Temple from Morro Bay (see Morro Bay blog post). Once settled at camp, I walked to the beach, a short .25 mile walk and mostly empty. Although it was cloudy, the patterns in the clouds were stunning. I ran back to camp for my wide-angle lens (7-14mm). The spot I chose to photograph was the intersection of Brush Creek flowing into the ocean. The lines from the creek and the clouds intrigued me and I visualized this image in black and white.

As evening drew near, I faced the decision to drive the 7 miles to town for fireworks, or to catch sunset at the beach. In the previous two hours, the clouds were breaking and I suspected a decent sunset was in the making, so I stayed. The sunset did not disappoint. What stunning colors, reflecting off the sand and lighting up the clouds. This beat fireworks any day!

Too Talkative

Camp at Humbug Mountain

It is not uncommon for campers to inquire about my teardrop trailer. Several are intrigued with the size and ease of use. So, I wasn’t surprised when a woman approached me at Humbug. What did surprise me was the look she got on her face after I talked to her for a while. The look was, “please stop talking and let me go!” I realized after she left I have not talked to anyone for some time and I was talking her ear off. I probably gave her my life story…yes, I did. Maybe if I found a “Wilson” like Tom Hanks had in that movie – something to converse with so I don’t bore future campers.

Ho Humbug!

iPhone photo

My last full day, I hiked Humbug Mountain! This trail was 6 miles round trip, summit with an elevation of 1748 feet (I was at sea level) and views were spectacular. The morning was cloudy which meant fog at the top and the overgrown trail with moist ferns soaked my pant legs. The view at the top was uneventful and I was drenched. The trail was a loop and I went up the moister western side with one small ocean view. The drier east side on my descent included many flowers and even a snail. Both trails included a lot of

over/under fallen trees. A highlight of my trip so far.

Heading north from Humbug, I spent the day in Bandon (always a favorite town) and then arrived at Sunset Bay Campground outside of Coos Bay. Although I am staying 3-4 days in each location, I wish I was staying a week in every spot. There is so much to see, photograph and enjoy. The best part of Sunset Bay Campground – it is only a 5-mile drive to get to two more state parks, all part of Cape Arago. From crashing waves, whale & seal watching to rose gardens and sunsets, this 5-mile stretch has it all.

60mm macro, ISO 200, f/5.6 @ 1/125 sec.

The highlight for me at this location was Shore Acres State Park Gardens. It was cloudy and the rose garden was unbelievable. Every time I see beautiful rose gardens, I think of my mom; she loved her roses. Luckily for me the sprinklers just sprayed the garden so I followed the sprinklers to capture water drops on the plants. At least I can say I did not place the water. I shot at the gardens until my batteries ran out!

60mm macro, focus stacked, ISO 200, f/4 @ 1/30 sec.

Back at camp, another camper stopped by to say I had the “other” teardrop trailer in the campground. We chatted for a while and he invited me to their camp. I did stop in and met his wife, parents and their teardrop. Their trailer is a bit fancier than ours with many built in shelves and many amenities. It was a great happy hour visit and I discovered he knows a rock climber we know! Isn’t it funny, traveling so far and someone else knows Frank Sanders! Another evening, I ventured into the closest town of Charleston to check out the harbor and watched several sea lions fishing.

For the Photogs!

12-100mm, ISO 200, f/20 @ 1/80 sec.

Since sunset is averaging at 9pm, I eat dinner around 4:30pm and then head out. I haven’t shot a lot of sunrises mostly because it takes time for the sun to hit the coast. There will be a sunrise or two in the future though (or more). My “go to” lens is still the 12-100mm (24-200 full frame equivalent) unless I am capturing macro objects. Like the Shore Acres State Park Gardens, I use the 60 mm (120 mm) or my 40-150mm lens for close-up images.

The Sunset Bay photo was captured at ISO 200, f/20, 1/80 sec, and if you look closely, you will see a silhouette of a person next to the trees! Of course, I did not see the person until I downloaded my photos.

Driving Details

I am currently at 2049 miles driven with an average 21.2 mpg for the first 2.5 weeks. My internet service is minimal as I move up the coast and my next location is only 40 miles north! I scouted that area last summer and am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.

12-100mm, ISO 400, f/5.0 @ 1/2000 sec.

12-100mm, ISO 400, f/4.0 @ 1/60 sec.

Fighting My Fears

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Patrick’s Point

Evening Fog at Patrick’s Point

Some locations are so magical you are drawn to return. That is the case with Patrick’s Point State Park, CA. Being my third or fourth time at this campground I just can’t get enough. When I routed my trip, I intentionally planned a night to stay at this memorable spot. Our family discovered this spot a few years ago when Austin toured Humboldt State University in Arcata. He didn’t choose the school, but we still love the location. The camp sites are great, there are showers and beautiful beach access to Agate Beach. The reward for the steep path is this beautiful beach. Morning and evening fog is common and the agates are plentiful. This year, I came prepared and carried my full pack of lenses ready to shoot anything my heart desired. I started photographing waves. Tide was coming in and the crashing waves were mesmerizing. I spotted two loudly chirping, juvenile peregrine falcons. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure what they were at first, so once I captured a good image, I sent it to a friend to identify (thanks Mary!) What I thought was a mamma bird with the juveniles was really a pair of turkey vultures. The falcons appeared nervous even though they aren’t on the food chain for vultures. One of the vultures did “fly by” very closely and maybe it was to intimidate these young falcons.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

When one of the falcons landed on a snag not too far away, I slowly inched closer taking a few shots along the way. I stopped easily 10 times before I feared going any closer. It appeared I made it nervous. It’s head twitched more, it defecated and I knew it would fly off soon. I zoomed my Olympus 40-150mm lens wider to allow room for the wings in the frame and sure enough, it took off. Still using burst mode, I got off four shots that were sharp but it flew toward me FAST and I couldn’t keep up with it’s movement. It was almost dusk, so, I switched back to capture images of the crashing waves. I took several with fast shutter speeds and as it darkened, I switched to slow shutter speeds.

Solo Footprints

The next morning, I returned to the empty beach. Imagine having a beautiful beach to yourself. In the past, I have photographed many banana slugs on my way to the beach, but there were very few that morning. So, I enjoyed waves and the solitude before returning to camp for breakfast and packing to move on up the coast.

Trees of Mystery

Hidden Beach

On many occasions, we have stopped at the tourist attraction, Trees of Mystery in Orick, CA. Mostly we stopped to use the restroom, look at all the touristy things and buy fudge. Never have we toured the trees. And I didn’t this time either. But, I found a great trail to Hidden Beach across the street from the Trees of Mystery. I read about it before my trip and despite the trail feeling secluded, I ventured to the beach. It was a ½ mile hike to the beach on a closed in “rainforesty” trail. I set up my running app so I could follow the distance. This is not a trail I would normally do on my own. But I read many reviews, carried my pepper spray and hiked FAST. After .10 miles, I told myself, “Before long, you will be at .20 miles” Then at .15 miles, I told myself, “only .10 more and you will be halfway.” And that continued until I arrived at the beach, which really took .60 miles! This beach was amazing. Driftwood covered the edges of this pristine beach and there was one other family enjoying the tranquility as well. I spent an hour taking it in and then returned to the teardrop. On the return hike, I only looked at my running app twice. Progress.

Me at Hidden Beach

Realization

Finally, I made it to Oregon! Our family has driven through many of these southern Oregon towns but never had time to stop. So, I stopped at Harris Beach State Park just north of Brookings and spent three days. What a gem. Oregon State Parks are tremendous with clean bathrooms, free showers and great prices. Not to mention gasoline for my car just dropped .60 a gallon when I entered the state. I arrived just in time to check in and parking has been mastered! I backed in superbly to this spot, I took a photo and sent it home! My skills have progressed

Harris Beach State Park

and I back in the trailer like I know what I am doing.

I have come to realize I can’t see or do it all. So, I am focusing on the spots around me and only venturing further off the path if it seems worth it for my study of water or my own personal interests. The beach was .35 miles from my camp spot and I spent a lot of time there. Tidepools and crashing waves kept me very busy. Clouds and fog settled in each night, so I didn’t go out for sunset, but after two weeks in, I have mastered campfire abilities and enjoy the

introspective time to myself.

Beating Fear

At the trailhead of the Shrader Old-Growth Forest

In addition to researching online, I bought the book, The Photographer’s Guide to the Oregon Coast. This book has every (well, maybe not) photogenic spot along the coast from North to South. Of course, I am traveling South to North, so I am reading the book backwards. I read about a great trail 13-miles inland from Gold Beach, just 40 miles from my camp. The Shrader Old-Growth Trail is a 1-mile loop of old-growth Douglas firs, Port Orford cedars, a stream and ferns. It sounded like a great trail and a nice change of pace. So, I went. The anxiety that overcame me at the trailhead was alarming. With not a car in sight for the past 13 miles, I feared the isolated trail. Immediately, I thought of my sister-in-law that hikes avidly and always chooses the trails most frequented. This was not that trail. My heart raced and breathing was difficult. I tried relaxing by photographing a few flowers at the trailhead and walked 25 feet down the trail. I just couldn’t keep going. Fear got the best of me. I returned to camp and my campfire.

Shrader Old Growth Forest

After a lot of soul searching, a new day, and counseling by my husband and sister I am proud to say I returned to the Shrader Old-Growth trail. I told myself, “a 1-mile loop should not be difficult.” I completed the loop and even took a few photos along the way. Of course, I did hear every leaf falling, branch breaking and trickle of water from the stream. But, I finished the hike. It took several hours to feel relieved and proud of my accomplishment. As a matter of fact, at first, I thought I lost 10-years of my life, but now I am ready to take on the next challenge.

Stay tuned for Fourth of July at Humbug Mountain State Park.