Nikon Z7 with Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 69mm, 1/30 sec, f/11, ISO 64.
Our reigning favorite place to go for a week is a house high up on a ridge in Oceanside, Oregon. There are elevated views across a wide swath of ocean and coastline. The views are amazing, but are somewhat constrained by some evergreen trees. One of the unobstructed views is of Storm Rock, featured in every image in this post. Given the trees and terrain, unless you zoom in very tight on the rock, there is not much option other than having the rock in the bottom right corner. Given this, there is little compositional variation in today’s post. But the light and weather and color varies so spectacularly!
Winter is a great time to visit because the weather can do almost anything in a single week. The image above has a nice front of rain approaching that is lit by the low sun despite dark clouds overhead. This next image was taken about forty minutes later, as another squall approaches.
Nikon Z7 with Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 45mm, 1/45 sec, f/11, ISO 64.
Earlier that day it was snowing:
Nikon Z7 with Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 120mm, 1/90 sec, f/8, ISO 400.
Clear days may have less drama, but can offer great color. The rock makes a nice silhouette around sunset.
Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S at 100 mm, 1/30 sec, f/9.5 ISO 64.
Mornings fill the scene with pinks and lavenders and mauves:
Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 63mm, 1/3 sec, f/9.5, ISO 64.
Once the sun peaks into the sky, the southern face of the rock is bathed in warm light that contrasts with the teal sea:
Nikon Z7 with Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S at 120mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO 500.
Going with a longer focal length let me make a different composition, showing just half of the rock. The way the sun is raking across the gentle swells of the ocean gives the negative space some interesting texture. This is a peaceful image.
Nikon Z8 with Nikkor Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S at 250 mm, 1/8 sec, f/9.5 ISO 64.
Not bad from a single deck, you have to admit. Next week I’ll share some images that look to the south instead of the west, as well as venture to some beaches nearby.
Thanks for visiting!
3 responses to “Storm Rock Study”
Interesting series that has prompted thoughts about what may be possible when I stay in a village (Pittenweem) in Scotland overlooking a harbour and the Firth of Forth later this summer!
“Squallid”. Only you …
I hope the weather won’t be able to make up its mind for you, Rob! (I suspect that in Scotland you have a solid chance of that.)
[…] Last week’s post showed nothing but views to the west from our favorite getaway house in Oceanside, Oregon. From that same deck, the image above looks south along the Tillamook County coast towards Cape Lookout. The changeable weather in late fall and winter is definitely the photographer’s friend here, because so many things can happen over the course of a week. This image is blessed with many shades of blue that are set against the orange clouds and falling rain. I particularly like the way that the water in the center of the image almost seems lit from below and that the clouds have so much color variation. […]