PhotoJoe Loc: WASHINGTON

Going to the Hoh rainforest, for 4 days. Also stopping by Marymere falls, and Rialto beach. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. Taking my Nikon 5100 & 5500,4 batteries, Nikon 80-400mm lense, Nikon 18-55, Nikon 40mm macro, Nikon sb700 speed light, MeFoto tripod.

Spectre Loc: Bothell, Washington

Make sure you have a way to protect your gear from the rain. Also you may want to use a polarize filter to capture the turn green colors if the sun comes out and the foliage is wet.📷😎

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Carry a large, light-weight poncho that can cover not only you but your camera as well. The Hoh is beautiful and has lots to shoot. My widest is 28, and it wasn't wide enough for Marymere. From the overlook I couldn't get all the way from top to bottom.

Stirling_Bartholomew

Some rock formations at Ruby Beach, not sure how the beaches or tagged now. It's been eons since I was out there. Shot some rolls of Tri-x at the numbered beaches back in the dark ages. The first two or three beaches at the north end of the strip we're worth visiting. Don't recall finding anything at the south end. I'm sure you already know this is tripod required shooting.

Have a mini rain forest right my neighborhood. On the brightest of bright days the light level is sufficient at ISO 400 to shoot hand held with my OMD-EM5. 3 to 4 stops worth of stabilization. This serious guys I see there are always toting Gitzo set ups, cost more than my camera.

There are many tiny rain forests what might referred to as a microclimates all around Puget Sound. For example, the trail to Little-Si where you pass through the lower area between MT SI and LITTLE SI. That space is very wet that looks very much like the Ho rain forest. Seahurst Park has several these microclimates. Very small and very wet. Cougar Mountain Coal Creek Area has a number of these. The network of trails can be accessed from Red town trailhead. Be sure to take a map. They used to hand them out at the trailhead noticeboard. I got lost in there once came out after dark 10 miles by road from my car.

What to wear on your feet? I wear Vasque Clarions but I don't recommend them for swamps. They are notoriously slippery on wet rocks and logs. Your boots are going to get wet. Places like REI sell some strap on devices inspired by crampons but not the same. Might be worth checking them out.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Wider than your 18mm ......with a polarizer - stay dry !

Stirling_Bartholomew

Kalaloch Beach 4 is also worth visiting. Back in the day I was shooting rock formations upclose wide-angle abstractions inspired by the work of Minor White. You could easily spend the whole day at one beach. But we didn't do that. A couple of hours at each and then move on. We didn't even go to the rain forest, been there already. Decades ago I chased cattle all day in the rain forest with Gary Peterson, the grandson of Mini Peterson who was one of the iron women of the Hoh, she ran a pack train up towards Mount Olympus. The cattle operation was shut down and replaced with a tourist trap call Peak six right next to Mini Peterson Park.

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

I have been to Ruby Beach and it is beautiful. I would suggest going at low tide- then you can walk on the beach for miles and access the huge rock formations. I would suggest the same for Rialto Beach. I protect my lens with a filter and hood when I am at the beach. And then wipe it down afterwards. I have been in the rainforest - this time of year it is likely to be well- raining :) A rain sleeve would be helpful. Good gripping shoes are essential, preferably water proof and a hiking pole for climbing over slippery rocks and driftwood.
And a wide angle lens is what you need- you might wish for something a little wider than 18 mm. But then you could do some panos with what you have. Go light and enjoy.

Stirling_Bartholomew

If the sun happens to come out, both on the beaches and in the forest you will encounter lighting scenarios with a high dynamic range. This is the number one problem I encounter shooting in the forest on a sunny day. If you haven't practiced multiple exposure HDR recently it would be beneficial to review the process before your trip. Get it down to a habitual routine so you don't have to stop and think about it when you're on location. You're camera settings for HDR can be stored as an alternative configuration so you can quickly switch from HDR to you're normal shooting mode.

It really slows you down on location to have to fiddle with menus and settings. When the light is changing rapidly you don't want to be wasting minutes getting set up for a shot.

suntouched Loc: Sierra Vista AZ

I agree- the lighting can be very challenging in the rainforest if it is sunny. Hope for rain :)

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

Challenging but worth taking it on. Backlighting in the Hoh can lead to some wonderful images.

Doyle Thomas Loc: Vancouver Washington ~ USA

beach #4

EdR Loc: Gig Harbor, WA

A small ground sheet to lie on when you shoot the fungi.😁

TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

Don't forget the meadows. Be prepared to see elk in abundance. (It is also possible that you will see none.) I once spotted a huge herd. As I was moving to find a good spot for a picture, a car skidded to a halt, kids exited it yelling, "Deer! Look at the deer!" Instantly, some 200 elk turned away from the noise and, in so doing, presented me a vision of hundreds of elk butts. Anyway, be prepared for seeing some of these magnificent animals. It is possible that the rut will be in progress, so be careful to not piss off any of the bulls that you see.

Rich2236 Loc: E. Hampstead, New Hampshire

Marymere Falls is a 90 ft. waterfall. And beautiful. i would suggest the 18 - 55 lens if you want to get it all in. Speedlight in the rain forest is not to good. As was told to me when i was there, go with someone and never, never leave the path. If you do, keep the other person in view, for if you can't see the path or the other person, you can get so totally lost you won't know which direction to take to get back to the path.
Other than that, just shoot, shoot, shoot.
Rich...

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

Keep your Close-up or Macro lens handy for Banana slugs in Hoh, mostly near the trails and under fallen trees.