Oregon Coast Photography.  Everyone loves the beautiful Oregon Coast, it seems almost universal.  Cool temperatures and rainy, blustery winter weather are embraced rather than endured on the Oregon Coast.  In exchange for non tropical weather, coastal visitors get rugged seascapes, an abundance of seafood, old growth coastal forests and a relative scarcity of fellow visitors.

Cannon Beach Sunset

To be clear, crowds can be considerable near popular Oregon Coastal towns such at Cannon Beach, seen on the left.

Cannon Beach was the first Oregon Beach I ever visited.  20 years ago, my wife, Debbie and I were in the midst of a prolonged and belated honeymoon and we were advised to visit the Oregon Coast.  Cannon Beach seemed to be the closest beach town to Portland, so we ventured forth.  It was remarkable.  Having grown up in Kentucky, my family occasionally vacationed in warmer coastal towns in Florida and North Carolina.  Cannon Beach was a wonderful contrast.  Overcast skies made for rich colors in the landscape.  The remarkable seastacks including the Iconic Haystack Rock and, “The Needles” , seen to the left were other worldly.  Like nothing I’d ever seen in the Southeast US.

Starfish, Bandon Beach

And…. the tide pools were absolutely enchanting.  Technicolor Pacific Ocean starfish, anemones,clams, crabs, various mollusks, and countless small fish temporarily enclosed in endless tidal aquariums were like nothing I’ve ever experienced.

After my first visit to the Oregon Coast I was smitten!  The photograph of a tide pool at Southern Oregon’s Bandon Beach seen at the right is very representative.  Color, and textures meld with aromas and living water to enrich the senses.

Shortly after our first visit to the Oregon Coast, My wife and I decide to permanently re-locate to Oregon.  We chose to live in the amazing town of Bend, Oregon but the 363 mile long Oregon Coast has always held a special place in our hearts.

Face Rock and Bandon Beach, Oregon Coast

One of the Oregon Coast towns that continually draws us back is Bandon Beach.  Oregon Coast photography is a pleasure anywhere but Bandon Oregon is second to none in terms of rugged sea stacks and amazing sand beaches.

Despite Bandon, Oregon being a considerable drive from our home in Bend,  we return whenever we can because the tide pools, sea stacks and beaches are magical.  Face Rock Beach, seen to the left is one of our favorite beaches in the Bandon Area.  Face Rock is the large rock on the left side of the image on the left side of this image.  With close inspection, you can see the clear profile of a face leaning back in the Pacific Ocean, as if it were reclining in a hot tub.  The grouping if smaller sea stacks, located to the right of Face Rock are known as “the kittens”.

Oregon Coast Sunset, Samuel Boardman Scenic Byway

Another favorite section of the Oregon coast is the Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Byway.  This byway is a 12 mile long section of the Southern Oregon Coast, located just north of Brookings, Oregon.   This quiet length of coastline is a wonderful location for Oregon Coast Photography.  Tide pools and sea stacks abound and and visitors are comparatively sparse.  Most of the waypoints along this section of the Coast are undeveloped, so if you are looking for Putt-Putt golf or cotton candy, this part of the Oregon Coast is not for  you.

Instead, enjoy quiet strolls, excellent seafood, wildlife viewing, picnics, and amazing Oregon Coast Sunsets.

Because most of the rock formations on the Oregon Coast are volcanic in origin, they are very durable.  These durable formations have created many dramatic and

Thor’s Well, Oregon Coast Photography

interesting features.  Perhaps my favorite volcanic water feature on the Oregon Coast is, Thor’s Well, located on Cape Perpetua, near the town of Yachats, Oregon.

Thor’s Well is a large lava tube whose upper opening is about 15 feet above sea level.  Its lower opening is near sea level.  When tidal swells are high, waves crash into Thor’s Well’s lower opening and push out through the upper opening.  As the wave recedes, seawater is drawn back into the lava tube and creates a natural circular waterfall.  My Thor’s Well photograph seen to the left captures this receding waterfall effect.

For those of you who are landscape photographers, be forewarned, Thor’s Well has consumed countless expensive cameras.  Wave heights are always unpredictable and the non vigilant photographer can easily be caught by rogue waves.  Unsuspecting coastal explorers can easily be sucks into the well, which would mean almost certain death, so …..be careful!  I am committed to broadening my collection of fine art photographs of the Oregon Coast, so please check back to my online gallery, Oregon Coast Landscape Photography.