I've got a soft spot for the New England coast, having lived there for many years. Ask me whether I prefer the Atlantic or the Pacific ocean, and you might guess how I'll answer before I utter a word.

That said, my home beach is now about 2,500 miles away. This situation makes the Oregon shore look pretty good in spite of the fact that it's situated next to the wrong ocean.

Just kidding about the "wrong ocean" part. (Kind of.)

Coastal Oregon is better than "pretty good." It is absolutely beautiful. With 362 miles of shoreline, there's no shortage of scenery to explore. There are so many state parks and campgrounds along the way you'll easily lose count.

Hands down, my favorite location is Bandon Beach in the south, roughly 90 miles from the California state line.

There you'll find an assortment of spectacular sea stacks, most of which are massive. Once part of the mainland, they now belong to the ocean.

Erosion from the incessantly pounding water is the artist; over time it has sculpted these fantastic pieces. It begins as the action from the water forms a cave. With the passing of more time the cave transforms into an arch. Finally the rock breaks away from the land mass onshore and becomes a free standing sculpture.

The most famous sea stack at Bandon is probably Face Rock. There's a Native American legend about how she came to rest in that spot, gazing at the sky. The story includes a few of the other named formations: her dog Komax, as well as a basket she carried which contained a mama cat and her kittens. If you're interested in the tale, you can find it online.

Shooting the sea stacks can be challenging. The beach is a bit chaotic. One must be mindful of positioning the rock formations within the frame in order to eliminate distractions. The sky is also a factor due to the height of the stacks; something besides flat nothingness overhead is important.

Every time I've visited Bandon it has been in the spring when the weather tends to be more changeable. While I run the risk of running into rain for days on end, that's preferable to clear blue skies.

The ideal situation would be to spend at least a week or maybe ten days hanging around Bandon Beach. Even slow-moving fronts ought to clear the area in that amount of time. 

I've never had that luxury, though, so each shoot has been a textbook example of making the best of whatever Mother Nature has in store. 

If the conditions simply aren't cooperating to make photographs featuring the sea stacks, there is a lot of potential subject matter on the beach. Another option is to think in terms of black and white.

Since sea stars (aka starfish) have been making a comeback at Bandon Beach, I spent quite a bit of time one morning at low tide photographing these beautiful creatures along with emerald green sea anemone and colorful California mussels, all clinging to the sea stacks. 

This year I happened to be in town for the season's first edition of Circles in the Sand. Launched 11 years ago, this event runs for three consecutive days (at low tide) roughly every two weeks through August. Each morning, with the beach wiped clean courtesy of the previous high tide, artists have a fresh canvas on which to create intricate designs in the sand. This includes a twisting and turning labyrinth which is intended to be enjoyed as a walking path. 

The work of art lasts for a few hours until the next high tide. Every day the group creates something different.

The artistry in the sand above was not created by human hands; it is the work of water. I saw intricate tree limbs in the patterns. Instead of beech trees, I suppose these should be referred to as "beach" trees? Below is an abstract rendering of some of the designs from Circles in the Sand.

In Local News

With great sadness, I share with you the news that one of Grizzly 399's offspring, five-year-old 1058 - one of the famous quads born in 2020 - has been killed by a hit-and-run driver. 

The bears have only recently come out of hibernation and already they are in great danger. Another day, another careless driver, another needless animal death - and this person didn't even bother to stop. People routinely drive recklessly, both in the park and the surrounding areas. It is unconscionable.

As if that's not enough, don't forget that lawmakers want to delist grizzlies.

It has taken 50 years to repopulate Grand Teton National Park with grizzly bears - an area they had called home long before being extirpated. At the rate things are going, it's not at all inconceivable they'll all but disappear again in the not-to-distant future.

This is beyond tragic.