Photographing the Oregon Coast

Oregon -- a place I dreamed of visiting but had no idea how much it would capture my heart. I had seen pictures, but quite honestly, just like photographing the Grand Canyon, it's just not possible to capture the feeling one gets while observing the natural and man-made beauty to be experienced. Who isn't drawn the to history and drama of the sea when visiting a lighthouse? Who doesn't have their breath taken away when seeing a whale for the first time in the open sea? Then there's the...
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Oregon -- a place I dreamed of visiting but had no idea how much it would capture my heart. I had seen pictures, but quite honestly, just like photographing the Grand Canyon, it's just not possible to capture the feeling one gets while observing the natural and man-made beauty to be experienced. Who isn't drawn the to history and drama of the sea when visiting a lighthouse? Who doesn't have their breath taken away when seeing a whale for the first time in the open sea? Then there's the tall, rugged cliffs, volcanic sea stacks, harbor seals and sea lions, the wide variety of birds, hundreds of miles of beaches, sea caves, shells, star fish, sand dollars, colorful anemones, waterfalls, volcanoes, and so much more.

You'll fall in love with the small towns and accommodating people along the way. Most of the quaint motels and shops are locally owned and operated. The food tastes great, temperatures can be relatively mild and there is an over abundance of places to explore.

My wife and I visited the Oregon coast in both September and April. September was mostly clear with temperatures ranging from the 40s to the 70s. Our April trip was cooler with temperatures in the 30s to 50s, but we experienced a week with periodic high winds, rain, snow, and sleet with a break of blue skies at least once every hour. We visited for 10 days the first time and 9 days the second. We photographed many of the same areas on both trips but quickly learned that the scenes changed from day to day, and hour to hour. So, this book is a compilation of both visits beginning with the Columbia River Gorge, heading south to the redwoods of northern California, then north up the coast to southern Washington. Enjoy the adventure with me through these photos and I hope they will inspire you to make plans to visit as well. ~Bryan Nowak