Tag: oregon coast

Making a Photograph – Witch’s Hat

It’s no surprise that Bandon Beach in Oregon is a powerful attraction for photographers. It has one of the largest concentrations of sea stacks on the entire Oregon coast. This makes it a prime sunset destination. Read the story behind the making of a sunset photograph on one special afternoon.

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The Pacific coast at Bandon, Oregon is graced with a generous collection of sea stacks of various shapes and sizes. It has the potential for dramatic sunsets and is on many photographers’ bucket lists. Some go so far as to crown it the best stretch of shore on the entire Oregon coast.

The day began about 80 miles to the south and we made our way north, stopping along the way in the Samuel H. Bordman Scenic Corridor and other locations that demanded our attention. It was overcast as we moved up the coast. But that didn’t dampen our enthusiasm for the many wonderful places to shoot. As the day continued, the clouds gave away to hazy sun. But by the time we got to Bandon Beach, the marine layer with its bank of clouds was again encroaching on to the shore.

Still, our motto is, ‘You work with what you got.’ So we gathered our gear and descended the long stairway leading from the overlook to the beach below.

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The Gems of Oregon Photography Workshop

Come explore the wonderful gems that wait to be discovered in the southwest corner of Oregon. Photograph the stunning Oregon coast, magnificent waterfalls, wild rivers and incredible Crater Lake. Join our photography workshop.

I knew Crater Lake would be exciting.  Just think of it. Volcanic Mount Mazama emptied its huge magma chamber in a colossal eruption about 7,500 years ago. When the fireworks were over, the empty magma chamber collapsed, swallowing the mountain top and creating a crater over 2000 feet deep. Then the winter snows slowly but inexorably filled the crater with beautiful deep blue, crystal clear water.

My first experience of the lake was not with camera in hand but on a family trip as we paused for an evening while on or way to Seattle, Washington to visit more family. It was in June and the snow drifts were still piled high, preventing travel but to a small portion of the rim. And yet the experience was profound.

When I conceived of the Oregon photography workshop I knew Creator Lake had to be the culmination, the grand finale of the experience. From Wizard Island (a volcanic cone within the crater), Phantom Ship (the skeleton of a volcano that has long since passed), the Pinnacles (mysterious towers piercing the atmosphere) and the hard-to-imagine blue of the lake itself, Crater Lake is in truth a fitting highlight of the other wonders in this corner of Oregon.

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