Fascinating discussion! The links to his son Michael (and Ansel himself) talking about the shot were extraordinary. It was definitely a different era in the spectrum of photography, yet much of what he talked about is still meaningful today. The man was a genius.

Bare with you? Hmmmm..well tell what: you undress first, and then I may or may not follow.

The State Park just north of Cannon Beach is Ecola, my favorite place on earth! Gorgeous, yet very tranquil. (This is where I want my ashes cast to the winds.) Inland, the Columbia River Gorge is chock full of photos ops. Be sure to take the old highway that runs parallel to the interstate, from Corbett (about 20 miles east of Portland) to Multnomah Falls. Also, Portland, with its many varied bridges and hills, provides a lot of photo-worthy scenery. john marks

A lot of good suggestions already put forth. As you can tell, a lot to see/explore in NW Oregon. Don't forget Portland itself -- a very hip and interesting place. And one more possibility if you've got the time AND you are assured of good viewing weather: Mt St Helens in Washington state is a memorable day trip.

Congratulations on your new D7200. Sounds like you're getting a great upgrade. However, before you throw away your D40X, there may be something you haven't tried regarding your shutter problem. I was having a similar problem with my D300S recently and called Nikon Technical Support. In the course of talking through the problem with the technician, he had me remove my SD card and put it back in. And Voila! Problem solved. The card hadn't been inserted all the way in! Probably not going to work for you, but if you haven't tried removing your card and re-installing it, you might want to give it a try. Good luck. jdmarks64

I took the moon shot below (all moon, no clouds) f4.8, 1/4 sec, ISO 2500 (hand-held) at Bethany Beach, DE in June 2013, if this helps. jdmarks

From my somewhat limited knowledge of Photoshop, I'd try the Filter menu. Under Filters, I'd check the Sketch category to see if any of those options does the trick for you. jdmarks

Awesome pictures! I watched the same show over by the Eastport Bridge -- too far away for really good shots. Next year, we'll be sitting along the Severn River. jdm

Since you're going to Tilamook, be sure to check out the Cheese Co-Op factory/museum there. And, of course, load up on some of that fabulous Tilamook cheese in the gift shop. Not having access to Tilamook cheese is one of the greatest deprivations I suffer living on the East Coast. jdm

By all means, visit Ecola State Park, a few miles north of CANNON Beach -- it's one of my favorite places on earth, and very photogenic. If you have the time, stop in Portland for a while -- it's a very hip and beautiful city (with a great view of Mt Hood to the east). From a Marylander now, but always an Oregonian in my heart. jdm

The 'ol bait-and-switch. But yes, it DID catch my attention.

I got a 18-200mm lens with my D300S back in 2010. I found it to be very useful because it can handle a wide range of situations with excellent results. It is a good travel lens when weight and space iare considerations -- it's the only lens I carry when I travel and it has served me well. jdm

One of the things I enjoy doing when re-working photos is to Select a subject in Photoshop and then modify the resulting (non-selected) space using a filter from the Filter Gallery to obtain a new and different effect. Below are some examples. jdm

Rolls Royce on Rodeo Drive in Hollywood


Hot rod in a strip mall parking lot


Grandson Nate in mid-delivery


Statue of bull outside bull ring in Ronda, Spain


Granddaughter Megan running on soccer field


Janis Joplin's Porshe at exhibit in Raleigh, NC


Vintage car at auto show at The Villages, FL


Vintage car at auto show at The Villages, FL


Corvette at The Villages, FL


Russian submarine on display in Long Beach, CA


Chevy Impala at auto show in Orlando, FL


Granddaughter Julia racing down the soccer field


Hot rod at auto show at The Villages, FL


Vintage car at auto show at The Villages, FL

Thank you. jdm

One of the things I like to do in Photoshop is to accentuate a portion of a photograph by Selecting that portion and then converting the rest of the picture to B&W (or to some other artistic setting using Filters). Below are some of my favorite shots using color combined with B&W. jdm

Cemetary in Loudenville, OH decked out with flags on the 4th of July


Biker in Key West, FL


Trolley in Milan, Italy


Paddlewheeler CHAUTAUQUE BELLE lin Lake Chautauque, NY


Boat lines in Georgetown, SC


Latimer Square iln Denver


American Crocodile in Florida


Mooring Bollard on the Isle of Capri


Tugboat in Baltimore Harbor


Old Firetruck in Sykesville, MD


Mooring line and bitt in Georgetown, SC


Public Piano in downtown Denver


Vintage Corsair "attacking" over the Chesapeake Bay


Black swan on Island of Ohau, HI


Car at local car show


Handing clothes in Capri, Italy


Blue Mooring line to MV Zuiderdam


Lastly, vilntage Chevy Impala at car show in rainy Orlando, FL