Suggestions for the Oregon Coast

kriyababaji · May 24, 2007

Good Day

A friend and I are planning to shoot on the Oregon coast for a few days in June. We are driving down from Seattle area to Coos Bay. We are looking for great locations to hit on the way down and the way back, we don't mind driving a little bit south of Coos Bay if the locale is worth it.

We don't really have a preference of wildlife or landscape, but I do know the Oregon coast is so rich for grat landscape shooting thats probably what we will end up shooting. I have heard of a place some where on the Oregon coast where the elk come down to the ocean, that would be awesome to shoot. Any suggestions would be appreciated though.

Thanks shane

greenpea · May 24, 2007

kriyababaji wrote:

Good Day

A friend and I are planning to shoot on the Oregon coast for a few days in June. We are driving down from Seattle area to Coos Bay. We are looking for great locations to hit on the way down and the way back, we don't mind driving a little bit south of Coos Bay if the locale is worth it.

We don't really have a preference of wildlife or landscape, but I do know the Oregon coast is so rich for grat landscape shooting thats probably what we will end up shooting. I have heard of a place some where on the Oregon coast where the elk come down to the ocean, that would be awesome to shoot. Any suggestions would be appreciated though.

Thanks shane

I always wanted to do a similar trip. I always figured if I did, I would try and plan as many stops as possible around sunset and sunrise around the Oregon coast lighthouses.

http://www.oregonstateparks.org/images/pdf/lighthouses.pdf

dogwood · May 24, 2007

There's actually a book called:

The Photographer's Guide to the Oregon Coast

You can get it at Powell's in Portland

http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780881505344-0

It's good and has all the info you need.

leaforte · May 24, 2007

You Can't Make a Wrong Turn
What a great opportunity you are going to have for photos! IMHO, I would suggest taking I-5 through Portland, and heading out HGWY 6, Sunset Highway, to catch the coast at Seaside, Oregon, where they have a great sandy beach, and boardwalk. Then just head south down good old 101, and you will find photo ops around every corner, literally. Don't miss out on the great little towns like Cannon Beach (art community), Tillamook (cheese factory and air museum), Lincoln and Newport (great beaches and you will find the original Rogue Brewery in Newport, so visit the tasting room!), Depot Bay (smallest harbor in the US, maybe the world), Yachats, Florence (fun place!), and an endless list of great spots to explore. Be sure and try to find the 'old' parts of town, and not the 'touristy' strips. The locals will be in 'old town'. And what a great opportunity to get a series of photos on the old lighthouse's of the Oregon Coast. And mariner antiques abound. Watch for abandoned docks, pilings, weathered boathouses, and weathered locals! You'll see a bunch. Have fun!

Elaine · May 25, 2007

Just a minor correction to the above post...it's Hwy 26 that goes west from Portland out to Seaside.

Driving down Hwy 101 will give you many opportunities for photos. Yaquina Head lighthouse, Heceta Head Lighthouse, Umpqua River Lighthouse, Coquille River Lighthouse (in Bandon)...to name a few. I grew up about 30 miles south of Coos Bay and 12 miles east of Bandon and I would recommend going down to Bandon. The beaches are great with lots of interesting rock formations on the sand and in the water and there's a quaint Old Town area. Another fun stop may be the Sea Lion Caves near Florence. I'm not sure about the elk coming down to the beach, but there is an elk preserve just about 3 miles inland right along Hwy 38 at Reedsport. Canon Beach and Lincoln City also have tremendous beaches. (Haystack Rock is in Canon Beach.) Newport has a great aquarium. Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area stretches south of Florence (largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America). Someone already mentioned Tillamook's cheese factory and the air museum. North of Seaside, up towards Ft. Stevens State Park and Astoria there are also photo opps...lots of great spots at the park, including an old ship wreck right on the beach.
Be aware that traffic may move rather slowly along 101, especially in the summer. There are lots of narrow, twisty roads and you may get stuck behind an RV, so don't count on driving very fast!

You can't go wrong with a trip down the Oregon coast (unless you're blessed with too much fog and rain)!

dogwood · May 26, 2007

leaforte wrote:

IMHO, I would suggest taking I-5 through Portland, and heading out HGWY 6, Sunset Highway, to catch the coast at Seaside, Oregon

Sunset Highway is HWY 26. Take that to Seaside. Hwy 6 will take you to Tillamook, 60 miles to the south.

But if you're coming from Seattle, why not cut over from Olympia to 101 and drive down the Washington and Oregon coast? Pretty cool stuff to shoot at the mouth of the Columbia too!

Suggestions for the Oregon Coast

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