Oregon Coast Fine Art Photography: A Lifetime Journey Across the Oregon Coast
I've spent over 46 years exploring the Oregon Coast. For most people, it's a weekend trip or a dedicated vacation after a flight in. For me? I've been coming here my entire life. I'm a lifelong Oregonian, born and raised. My mother grew up on the coast of Alaska and a close family friend who was like a grandfather to me grew up in Newport, Oregon so from a young age I was surrounded by those who love the ocean. As a result, I've been visiting the Oregon Coast since long before I can remember. My Mom has pictures of me crawling around at Fogarty Creek State Recreation Area near Depoe Bay as a baby. I've lived within 90 minutes of the Pacific Ocean on the Oregon Coast my entire life. It was one of my first loves as a young child, and it still holds the same wonder in my eyes an entire lifetime later. Simply put, the Oregon Coast is in my DNA.
I learned to respect the ocean at a young age, learning what sneaker waves were, learning how to read the tides and learning how to respect the ocean. They are lessons that have been immensely helpful during my career as a professional fine art landscape and nature photographer. I've spent a literal lifetime here, and that's allowed me to document the Oregon Coastline not just from the popular spots, but across a variety of conditions and locations that are often missed when you fly in for a quick visit. The result is a 46 year (and counting) residency on the Oregon Coast, with 20 years of that as a professional fine art photographer documenting the intersection of light and water in a way only a local can. It's a native Oregonian's perspective of the Oregon Coast and the Pacific Ocean, captured in a manner befitting of a place full of ethereal beauty and wonder.
The People's Coast: The Heritage of the Public Beach
The Oregon Coast was once called one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon, and it’s easy to see why. Nicknamed “The People’s Coast,” it is unique in that all beaches are public land. Simply put, there are no private beaches within the State of Oregon. Oregon's 100% entire 363 mile coastline is public land from the water up to the vegetation line, open to all. Oregon’s coastline was originally protected by Governor Oswald West (in office 1911-1915) in 1913, when he codified into law 100% of Oregon’s coastline to the high tide line as public highway, thereby protecting the coastline from private interests and development. After pushback from a Cannon Beach hotel owner who attempted to keep people off the beach near his hotel in 1966, Governor Tom McCall helped pass the Oregon Beach Bill in 1967, a law which ensures 100% of the Oregon coastline is preserved forever and there are no privately owned beaches.
Wonders of the Oregon Coast
The North Oregon Coast is known as the "Graveyard of the Pacific." The mouth of the Columbia River creates a mix of currents and sand bars which has caused many shipwrecks over the decades. One of the state’s most famous shipwrecks, the Wreck of the Peter Iredale, is located here at Fort Stevens State Park. However, Shipwrecks aren't the only thing the North Coast is known for. Cannon Beach is home to Haystack Rock, which is often referred to as the 3rd tallest sea stack in the world. Thor’s Well at Cape Perpetua is one of Oregon’s most famous landmarks on the Central Oregon Coast, it’s a spot where the ocean seemingly drains into a hole in the ground (it’s actually a collapsed sea cave). The Southern Oregon Coast is known for its rugged landscapes, filled with amazing cliffs and rugged beaches dotted with stunning rock formations. The Oregon Coast is also home to 11 stunning lighthouses, including the famous Yaquina Head Lighthouse near Newport (which I’ve long felt is a picture perfect lighthouse visually). When you visit the Oregon Coast, it’s easy to see why it is so special and why Governors West and McCall worked so hard to protect it. Long before other areas were protecting the coastline and preserving it, Oregon was doing so.
Chasing the Great Tides: Negative Tides and King Tides
Mastering light on the Oregon Coast requires more than simply an eye for composition. It requires an understanding of the Ocean and how it interacts with the coastline. Maritime data and how that affects the conditions on the coast is something I've spent decades studying in real time. I've spent years tracking negative tides (also known as minus tides) to reveal the hidden architecture of the shoreline, while keeping track of the waves and swells out at sea to know when to head out and when to stay off the beach. Whether it's standing 200 yards past the usual waterline at Hug Point at 2:00 a.m. or documenting Thor’s Well during a massive 10.3 foot King Tide, these images are time stamped records of the Pacific Ocean’s extremes along the Oregon Coast. By utilizing the raw data provided by NOAA and the National Weather Service combined with decades of experience on Oregon Coast, I am able to position myself for captures that others miss; ensuring every file in this gallery meets a standard of archival precision.
Nighttime Wonders on the Coast: Bioluminescence and Celestial Alignments
The most elusive chapters in the visual story of the Oregon Coast are written after dark. My archive of nighttime images here includes some of the rarest phenomena documented on the Pacific Coast: Bioluminescence intermixing with the Milky Way or glowing under the surreal, "daytime" illumination of a full moon through cloud cover. These are high stakes captures, requiring thousands of miles of travel across a lifetime and a persistent watch for the specific oceanic conditions that bring the water to life with neon blue light. From the "ghostly" Seaside lights reflecting off 2:00 a.m. clouds to the active beacon of a lighthouse against a 35 foot swell, these images represent the absolute frontier of coastal photography.
Closing Thoughts: The Wonders of the Oregon Coast
I’ve long said there is never any bad weather on the Oregon Coast, and that’s always been one of my favorite things about the Oregon Coast. Some of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever laid eyes on have been along the coast once the stormy skies begin to break, and those serene pastels during twilight along the coast seemingly last forever. At sunrise, the soft pastels of the Belt of Venus illuminate the skies over the ocean in magical pastel hues. Even during rough seas and rain, there is calmness and serenity hearing and seeing the waves rhythmically roll ashore.
I could lose myself forever staring out at the beauty of the Pacific Ocean and the Oregon Coast. Time always stands still when I’m out there, and whatever troubles are worrying me seemingly melt away. After I had my widowmaker heart attack, doctors told me the outlook was bleak. I would often find myself hiking for miles on end along Oregon’s sandy beaches, camera gear and tripod in hand. At one point I hiked 18 miles in 3 days. 5 months later, to the amazement of my doctors I had raised my ejection fraction and was in the clear. I’ve always felt there is a healing power in nature, and the Oregon Coast and Pacific Ocean has long been a place I seek out when even my soul needs healing. There’s nothing quite like the smell of the salty ocean air, as you hear the sounds of the ocean as it rolls ashore. It’s a peaceful serenity almost too perfect for this world, and when the colors light the skies at sunset it becomes a thin place that blurs the lines between heaven and earth. I hope everyone viewing my Fine Art Oregon Coast Photography gallery walks away from this magical place feeling the same way.
