The southernmost coast of Oregon, that stretch right above the border with California, is one place I hadn’t explored before so I corrected that oversight last week on a day trip through as many day use places as I could cram into one trip. I took along my Sony A7 (aka “the big camera”) with an old-school, heavy-glass, all-manual Minolta lens bolted on. The lens was my Dad’s back in the day, and it kinda sorta works with the electronics on the Sony, but I have to pay attention to the exposure and then focus carefully on each shot because there’s no autofocus or auto-exposure with this setup.
The reason I put up with that is images like the above. There’s something about that lens that is just creamy goodness when it comes to landscapes. I have yet to take it out and not come back with at least one shot I love.
I went a tiny bit down a part of the coastal trail until I found this view of what makes the coast here so special: sky, water, light, and pine trees and sea stacks.
Down a crazy bad dirt road, which made me happy I have all-wheel drive on my Subaru, was a small beach with big rocks and crashing surf. The fog was starting to roll in here so I used the haze along with black-and-white to make the shot more dramatic.
At the last stop of the day, a long sandy stretch of beach, the tide was coming in and this rock formation right at the tide line showed how it has weathered the constant surf and wind for eons.
It’s been a while since I went out on a photo date with the Sony/Minolta combo, too long, now that I look at these images.
Photographer’s Notes: For those wondering about the work behind these images, I took 417 shots that day. Of those, about 1/3 were overexposed, underexposed, or out of focus as I figured out the best settings to use in each location. So let’s say 150 blown shots, leaving 267 images that were OK enough to make it past the download round. Next was the “Nope, doesn’t do anything for me” round, and about 30 images made the cut, meaning 237 images were relegated to the trash bin. Those 30 got a closer look and some developing in Lightroom, where mistakes or meh composition knocked some more images out.
In the end, how many were keepers? Seven. Out of 417. And out of that seven, five made it to the final round, this blog post. (One of the two remaining images is my 52 Frames challenge for the week, and the other one might as well see the light of day. Let me know if you like it better than the ones in the body of the post…
I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing the world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.
Neil Gaiman
(Images taken at Samuel Boardman State Scenic Corridor, Oregon, November 2019)
I love the images with your older lens, Annie. They can really add something special and you have captured the magic in these images.
I love photography as well, as you know 🙂 I strive to be a minimalist as much as possible to keep my photographic equipment costs down and keep my mind sane by not getting swallowed up by the post processing monsters. Like you, I also continue to try get the image “right” in the camera. I want to stay as emotionally and closely attached to that first feeling of connection or “ah-ha” moment I experience with the subject I am photographing. Keeping things simple, keeps the passion and the joy alive for me.
Stunning Annie. The term “creaminess” is perfect. So enjoy your writing, your willingness to help others, and sharing your experiences.
I just found your blog today. My goodness, your photographs are gorgeous! I found it doing a search for Safari Condo reviews, and surprise!…. You are using the exact setup that my husband and I are considering. We have a 2013 Outback, named Sully, with the complete towing package, and are looking at the same trailer. Have you had any issues with the Subaru feeling like it can’t handle the weight of the tow?
I also want to congratulate you on maintaining your blog. I have been a blogger, and I know and understand how difficult it is to keep posting month after month. Sometimes, you just don’t feel like it. Sometimes depression takes over. But you have pushed through and are maintaining a stunning blog, so Kudos to you!!
If you are ever driving east, toward Minnesota, we’d love to see your rig. We’re still 5-7 years out from retirement, so we’re heavily into the research and more-research phase of figuring out if we want to buy a Safari Alto.
I am going to continue to follow your blog because your photographs are beautiful, your writing is fun to read, and your experiences are authentic. 🙂
Hi, Laurie, and thanks for leaving that wonderful comment. I feel like we’re starting a little friendship here! I’m looking at Minnesota/Lake Superior next summer, and down to Wisconsin (where I have family) so let’s keep in touch and see how things work out.
I do like my Subaru, although I did worry a lot the first year about weight and towing, since I’d never done any. You’ve probably already found the Subaru FAQ page on my website, which answers a lot of questions I have gotten over the last few years. A lot of picking a good tow vehicle is understanding your camping style, duration of trips, etc. If I was buying today, with the lineup of new Subaru Ascent and Outback, I might go instead for a Ridgeline (long-time Honda owner) since I’ve ridden in their newer model, love the features, and it has a lot of room for stowing the stuff that sits in my back seat and wayback now. You’ve got 5-7 years to think about these things, so you will have fun (and frustration!) figuring things out, planning ahead, and working to make it all come together.
Superb images of somewhere I’ve never been, thanks Annie!
You’re welcome, Dan! I love it when my photos share the beauty of our planet.
I really enjoyed hearing details about your photography. Your images are very captivating to me and I liked hearing about your equipment and your culling and post processing.
Thanks, Elle, I appreciate that comment so much! I was a bit worried that photographer’s note would be boring.
Not at all boring! Your photography is wonderful. I for one would be very interested in how you learned about composition and how you select your vantage points as well as various settings such as aperture.
I love the Neil Gaiman quote! The photos are equally loved!
Wonderful as usual.
This may be a really dumb question but how do you remember the exposures and all the other details you took for each shot? That 417 number puts your hard work into context.
Hi, Fiona, I use Lightroom for my post-processing work, and it remembers all the settings, etc. so I don’t have to. I might look at a specific photo’s setting for F-stop and think, oh, that’s why that one didn’t work. I’m getting better at using manual modes (Shutter is my default right now) and paying attention to ISO and F-stop in camera rather than try to fix in post. Hope this helps!
Hi An nie:
Very nice pics indeed. Working with “old school” photography equipment has its joys and challenges and makes for a better photographer. I do miss film cameras where one needed to concentrate on each photo and where the older post-editing programs were not nearly as good as today. My Fuji XT-2 is a joy to work with, but I miss my older cameras. Still, composition will never be replaced by technology Knock on wood).
I visited the same areas in Oregon a couple of months ago. I think, all else being equal, the Oregon coast is more dramatic than the Washington coast. I’ll certainly be returning at some point. Thx for sharing. Walt
I agree there’s plusses and minuses of old-school vs. the newer toys of photography! I am trying to go back to the idea of film as far as making every shot count, and not ending up with 417 photos to go through 🙂 But then I do like the immediacy of digital, where I can see I got the shot and don’t have to wait a week or two for the film to get developed.
Agree the Oregon coast is more photogenic, all those sea stacks make for dramatic shots. I do like Kalaloch and the wide open beaches up on the Olympic peninsula, though.
OMG The sheer quantity of images you mentioned is overwhelming. I don’t think I take 400 pictures in a year. Thanks for sharing the cream of the crop.
But then you write and edit way more than me, and you even got a novel published! We both do art in our own ways 🙂