I have 5 days to photograph the Oregon Coast.
What suggestions for which places to stop, and where to stay overnight.
I did this in the summer of 2015 and I started at Seaside and went south. You might want to start at Astoria on the Columbia River in the far Northwest of the state. Then just go down 101. I stayed in whatever cheap hotels I could find and this worked out well. However, in the more touristy places like Seaside and Cannon Beach the hotels were not cheap due to too many tourists in the summer. South of there it is less touristy and cheaper.
Don't miss Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach.
http://www.cannonbeach.org/explore/Haystack-Rock-in-Cannon-Beach-OregonIf you would like to see some of my photos, send me your email address via Private Message and I will send you some.
What part of the coast are you going to? Different areas of he Oregon coast offer unique things. North, central, or southern? PM me and we can talk more.
C6Joe
Loc: NorthWestern Nevada
Everywhere!
If you get to Pacific City, find out what time the dory fleet departs and photograph it.
There are many areas to pull off the road and shoot scenics!
You can use this as a rough guide for the more common tourist spots.
https://localadventurer.com/ultimate-oregon-coast-road-trip/#northcoastMany of the really spectacular coastal areas make great photographic opportunities, but if you are lucky enough to see them on a hazy or foggy day, those photographs now become WOW!!
Along the lines of terribly unhelpful, I offer you three words:
Stop. Point. Shoot.
As was mentioned, you will not have trouble finding beautiful scenery to capture. Enjoy the drive.
...”Heyyy youuu guys!”... Ecola State Park... which has Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach from the movie Goonies (hence, the quote from the movie) but also the waterfall on Canyon Creek above Indian Beach at the same park...
OK, I'm prejudiced because I grew up there. Bandon, south coast 100 miles north of Cali border, has the most spectacular sea stacks on the Oregon coast. If you go there, contact LaKris Hotel. It is small, clean, reasonable and right on 101 in town. Five minutes from the bluffs and beaches. The owners are both photo pros and do outstanding work along with running the hotel. Steve and Susan Dimmock. North of Bandon, if you go there, do not miss Simpson Reef at Shore Acres state park. It is an outstanding venue. You might google Susan Dimmock Photography and look at her images from the area to get an idea of why I am suggesting it.
It depends on what your photo interests really are. There are lighthouses at Tillamook Rock, Cape Meares, Yaquina head, Heceta Head, near Sunset Bay, Reedsport, Cape Blanco and Bandon, and two near N. I'm probably missing a couple. Heceta Head's Head lighthouse is particularly scenic both up close and from the other side of the small bay it sits on.
If you like wildlife there are elk near Jewell on the north coast and I think it's Dean's Creek on the south coast.
Good bridges at Astoria, Newport, Coos Bay and Gold Beach.
Best spots for waves Shore Acres State Park, Cape Perpetua, and some of the rocky headlands between Bandon, Cape Kiwanda and Brookings. Otter Point, Boiler Bay and Cape Arago can also be good for waves.
Tide pools are good at Cape Perpetual, Seal Rocks, Harris Beach, Cape Sebastion, Cape Blanco and Cape Arago.
If you like sand dunes try around Forence.
Thor's Well is at Cape Perpetua. At low tide you can walk inside Devils Punchbowl, which makes an interesting sight and is really impressive.
A lot of people like Sea Lion Cave, although it is pretty dark for shooting most of the time.
Lost Boy Cave is spectacular, but needs a minus tide to access easily.
I like the waterfall near Hug Point. Low tides make good photos at the north end of the beach at Pacific City.
I agree that the best sea stacks are on the southern coast from Bandon to Brookings.
Astoria has a lot of Victorian houses if you are into that sort of thing.
My wife's favorite hike is from Seaside to Cannon Beach over the head in Ecola State Park. Long hike, but has good old growth timber, some wildlife, flowers in the spring, a nice creek, and some great vistas of the coast.
There are also waterfalls along much of the coast. I like Beaver Creek Falls, the northern one, Young's Creek Falls, Gold and Silver Falls, and some of the lesser known and harder to access falls on the south coast such as Sweet Creek.
My favorite spots for sunsets are Sunset Bay, Bandon, and Astoria.
For photographing harbors I like Newport, Charleston, Astoria and Depoe Bay.
The think about the Oregon coast is that you can drive the entire length of it, and for most of the trip it is actually visible. Especially nice is that any coastline that you can access without trespassing on private property to get to it is public, so access is good along the entire length.
In march my wife and I will be in Seaside for a week and we will photograph from Depoe Bay north.
Then in August I am camping for a week from Florence south.
I prefer the south, my wife prefers the north coast, and we usually compromise and go to Newport where we can see part of both sections easily.
With five days you might drive the entire coast, but you will miss big sections unless you spend time and take side roads and trails.
I don't know what your travel situation is, if you are flying in to Portland and renting a car then I would suggest that you spend your time in Newport north, the aquarium in Newport is pretty good, and a great place to photograph puffins and a few other sea birds. That will give you time to really see things and still get back to Portland.
If you are driving your own car and don't have to repeat part of the trip then I would suggest driving from north to south as that will allow you to pull into turnouts without having to cross traffic.
P.M. me if you have specific questions. We actually live in Central Oregon rather than on the coast, but my wife has family on the coast and we spend at least two weeks a year there.
The Kurt wrote:
I have 5 days to photograph the Oregon Coast.
What suggestions for which places to stop, and where to stay overnight.
You might check out Scott Kelby's Video on Photographing the Oregon coast... I have a membership so I'm not sure if you'll be able to view. He does a photo shoot of the area and then start to finish Post Processing (Part 2)
https://members.kelbyone.com/course/skelby_10_essential_tips_landscape/
yorkiebyte
Loc: Scottsdale, AZ/Bandon by the Sea, OR
pesfls wrote:
OK, I'm prejudiced because I grew up there. Bandon, south coast 100 miles north of Cali border, has the most spectacular sea stacks on the Oregon coast. If you go there, contact LaKris Hotel. It is small, clean, reasonable and right on 101 in town. Five minutes from the bluffs and beaches. The owners are both photo pros and do outstanding work along with running the hotel. Steve and Susan Dimmock. North of Bandon, if you go there, do not miss Simpson Reef at Shore Acres state park. It is an outstanding venue. You might google Susan Dimmock Photography and look at her images from the area to get an idea of why I am suggesting it.
OK, I'm prejudiced because I grew up there. Bando... (
show quote)
Yes...THIS. And eat at "Tony's Crab Shack" !!
The Kurt wrote:
I have 5 days to photograph the Oregon Coast.
What suggestions for which places to stop, and where to stay overnight.
Do not miss Depoe Bay and especially Bandon.
SVP
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