 |
-
Cape Kiwanda, Oregon – August 2010
Our final stop was Cape Kiwanda. Located right at Pacific City, Cape Kiwanda was a bustling little stop – surfers, kite flyers, sandcastle builders, joggers, and beach combers all shared the beach. We had trouble even finding a spot to park. This is not the place for anyone seeking solitude.
Cape Kiwanda, Oregon – August 2010
Kiwanda was a departure geologically from what we had been seeing up until now. It is formed of rather soft sandstone so you don’t want to get too close to the edges here. The cape itself is fenced off for this very reason – although most folks who climb up manage to find their way past the fence and keep going. Darla let us know that we would not be finding our way past the fence. That was OK with me; we were here at the wrong time of day to do any serious shooting.
The most interesting thing we saw from up on the cape was back down on the beach. Since climbing up here, someone had launched a large, brightly colored windsock. We decided to walk back down and investigate.
Pacific City Beach, Oregon – August 2010
You weren’t picturing something this big, were you? Neither were we. As we walked toward the windsock, it just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Tell me this doesn’t remind you of The Doomsday Machine, that giant ice-cream-cone-of-destruction that showed up in episode 35 of the original Star Trek.
Pacific City Beach, Oregon – August 2010
This thing was so big it had to be anchored to a Subaru Outback. Its owner, who had spend most of the afternoon riding down the beach at high speed on a kite-powered go cart, explained that he couldn’t get the windsock back down without help.
Pacific City Beach, Oregon – August 2010
Pacific City Beach, Oregon – August 2010
I challenged Lewis to catch the windsock by its tail. Lewis obliged, alternately lunging at and then dodging the colorful tails as they whipped and snapped in the wind.
Pacific City Beach, Oregon – August 2010
Pacific City Beach, Oregon – August 2010
This giant windsock was built by its owner, who had a partial interest in the local kite shop. He explained that on moderately windy days the small kite to the left and the small purple windsock to the right, both attached to the same line as the giant windsock, kept it stable and aloft. Today, however, the wind was stronger and more variable than usual. As a result, the windsock was moving up, down, and all around, making our little game possible.
Pacific City Beach, Oregon – August 2010
Lunging...
Pacific City Beach, Oregon – August 2010
Dodging...
Pacific City Beach, Oregon – August 2010
Almost got it...
Pacific City Beach, Oregon – August 2010
”Got one!”
Cape Kiwanda, Oregon – August 2010
It was Keyhole Arch, or The Keyhole, that got Cape Kiwanda added to our itinerary. I’d seen images of it on Flickr and wanted to try photographing it myself. Located on the opposite side of Cape Kiwanda from Pacific City, it requires a little bit of effort to get here and is therefore free of the crowds that typify the other side of the cape.
As is often the case with landscape and wildlife photography, the biggest factor separating good shots from great shots is luck. Yes, preparation is important but if you don’t live at the location, then you’ve got to hope that all the elements come together when you show up. This is not the way it usually works but every once in a while...
Cape Kiwanda, Oregon – August 2010
You may not have spotted the seal in the previous image. Looking through my 17mm lens, I did not either. Imagine my surprise when I looked up from the camera to discover it posing right in the middle of my composition. Would it stay there long enough for me to get a better shot? Yes, it would.
This is a textbook example of when to use fill flash; unfortunately, my Speedlite was back in the camper. I opted for a seal silhouette instead.
Cape Kiwanda, Oregon – August 2010
This final image of the seal under The Keyhole was also my final shot of the day, and the final shot of our little adventure. Despite having lived in Oregon for over twenty years, I had never spent significant time shooting here. What finally got me to the coast was a group of Flickr photogs capturing some great images of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. A few of my favorites are ~ Aaron Reed ~, Zack Schnepf, Adrian Klein, and Konejita. Check 'em out.
As for the coast, I'm sorry I waited so long. I can't wait to get back.
previous image set: Yaquina Head, Oregon
 |