One of the definite highlights for any trip to the Oregon coast is the opportunity to view the seals along some of the beaches. I have found that two of the best places to view them are Simpson Reef/Shell Island in Cape Arago State Park and the beach shown in these photos, which is just south of Heceta Head Lighthouse. These photos were taken from the highway pullout that gives you the famous view of the Heceta Head Lighthouse.
While looking at the lighthouse I could hear seals barking, but at first could not see them. I scanned the beach that runs down the shore in the direction of the lighthouse but could not see any seals along the sandy part of the beach where I have seen them before. After walking down the road just a short distance I found a break in the trees and looked almost straight down to a very rocky part of the shoreline, and it was PACKED with seals! They were literally all jammed into this little rocky cove at the end of the sandy beach. Some of the seals were still rolling around in the surf. In fact, the longer I watched them it seemed as though they were enjoying playing around in the waves. I sure had a lot of fun photographing these playful animals!
When it comes to photography, I love surprises. Things that you didn't expect are sometimes the things that you enjoy the most. For instance, when we first visited Jessica's dad in Reedsport, Oregon back in 2012, I had no idea that you could photograph elk in a beautiful valley setting just a few miles from the Pacific coast! But, lo and behold, there is a valley along the Umpqua River where the elk are almost always present. The Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area is the year-round residence for a herd of about 100 Roosevelt Elk. A mild winter climate and abundant food allow the animals to remain in the area all year. The viewing area has a wonderfully maintained side road off the main highway with lots of room to stop and view the elk. We enjoyed a beautiful afternoon here while the elk basked in the warmth of the spring sun.
Not the usual type of image that I like to share, but I still thought this was a fun photo from our recent trip to California and Oregon. A couple of times while visiting Jessica's friends they were practicing some of their yoga poses. Unfortunately while they were doing this the light was never very good so later on when were in a better location with more dramatic light I asked Jessica to recreate one of the poses. I think it made for an interesting and fun shot :-) This photo was made on one of the Oregon dune beaches near the city of Florence.
I'm not usually a fan of wide, flat and sandy beaches. I prefer rocky beaches as they generally make for more interesting photographs. Sometimes, though, you can find something interesting on a sandy beach that makes for a compelling foreground. Such was the case at Winchester Bay, where Jessica and I went for a short walk one evening. I found this rather unique clump of driftwood which made for a nice composition with the awesome storm cloud structure that was out over the ocean.
Of course, a visit to northern California wouldn't be complete without hiking through a grove of magnificent Redwood trees! I have seen the Redwoods a few times now but that doesn't diminish the excitement and anticipation that I feel when faced with the prospect of seeing them again. They are just so awesome and beautiful... I wish I could experience them more often. Standing under trees that have been living for 2,000 years certainly fills you with a sense of wonder and amazement. These photos were taken in the Lady Bird Johnson Grove of Redwood National Park. Enjoy!
After our visit to Burney Falls we spent the night in Redding then continued on to the Arcata/Eureka area where we were going to be spending a couple days with some of Jessica's friends. While we were there we went on a group hike to Fern Canyon in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. If you've never been to Fern Canyon, it is a fascinating place and I would highly recommend it. It's an easy, flat hike but does require that you get your feet wet as you have to walk in the water to make it up the canyon. The water is really shallow, though, so it's not difficult. The effort is worth it as the views from within the canyon make you feel like you're in a fantasy world. Ferns are everywhere on the canyon walls (hence the name). We spent almost a couple of hours in the canyon but the time flew by. It sure is an interesting place to make some photographs!
One of the coolest things we saw on our trip was Burney Falls in northern California. What an amazing waterfall! There are actually only a few channels of water that come all the way down from the top of the falls. The rest of the water runs through the rock and seeps out of the cliff face below the top of the falls. The result is a very wide waterfall with countless streams of water that looks more like something you might see in Hawaii. We timed our visit so we would be there in the evening without any direct light, that way I could use longer shutter speeds to blur the movement of the water.
