Oregon South Coast 2024 - May 19th - May 24th

Join the excitement with Tony and Keith as they continue their 2024 season on the road at an amazing location.  Experience the difference learning in a small "boutique" workshop that is conducive to all experience levels, novice through professional. The package includes lodging on Sunday-Thursday nights, "bird-dogging" shot locations, all kinds of photographic instruction,  and plenty of enjoyment. Ground transportation is NOT included however, Tony and Keith can help coordinate participants who wish to share the costs.  

Overview

This will be the second of two workshops for the Oregon Coast. There are over 350 miles of beaches, harbors, rivers, tide pools, and sea stacks between the state of Washington on the north and California on the south. Far too much for one visit; so we will do the Northern half a month sooner at the end of April 2024.

If you ask anyone who has been to this coast, it will be hard to shut them up! We believe it is the most varied and unique stretch of coast in the country. We use three adjectives to describe it: different, dynamic, and unpredictable.

Different

The coast is punctuated with unique “sea stacks”. These look a lot like mesas moved from the southwest and plunked down into the ocean. There are more of them here than in any other state. They rise up 50-300 feet out of the water and are the home to gulls, murres, oystercatchers, puffins, and more. These sentinels may be in clusters or isolated at low tide to make wonderfully accessible photo subjects.

Dynamic

Everything on the coast is in constant motion. It is like a kaleidoscope because of the variable weather (more about that in a moment); the tide level (up to10 feet in range); the sea state (from dead calm to 15-foot waves); etc. In particular, the tides are amazing. At high water, they crash against the rocks and, during storms, can lift the water over 100 feet in the air. At low tide, tidal pools reveal multi-colored starfish, mollusks, seaweeds, crabs, and little fish. The wet sand will show wave patterns, little drainage rivers, and critter tracks.

Unpredictable

The weather is always in a state of flux here. Fog can come in from the ocean as well as from the land. Cold ocean water keeps the ambient air temps cool both by day and by night. The sky is full of surprises. It is possible to get sunshine, rain, gales of wind, and dead calm all in one day. This results in a photographer capturing many moods of one subject. It also means the photographer needs many layers of clothing.

Possible Physical Limitations

In this workshop, there are some places that can require an either/or decision on the participant’s part. Very good images can be made by taking no more than a couple of hundred steps from the car on very flat solid ground. Possibly better and more varied shots may require walking on terrain that is sandy, rocky, or debris-covered; brief navigating through slippery mossy and wet forests; descending and returning on stairways to the beach that are 60-100 feet in elevation; or straddling tide pools to get the perfect shot of a starfish. Most will be walking on beaches at low tide where we may cover up to a mile round trip on the wet sand. In every case, Keith and Tony will brief everyone about what the situation is before getting out of the car and be aware of individual needs.

Schedule (subject to change and weather)

While we plan out the week we always have a flexible schedule. Variables out of our control surface and we adjust to them. Or goal is always safety first then enjoyment. 

Saturday          

Fly into Medford and drive to Bandon, a beautiful 3-hour drive to the coastal city on the Pacific. We will meet up at the motel where we are staying. As a bonus, early birds may get some shooting in that afternoon.

Sunday             

We will shoot several locations around Bandon and return for a second night at the same hotel.

Monday/Tuesday       

We will begin heading south towards Gold Beach shooting along the way and enjoying the scenic opportunities along the Pistol River.

Wednesday

We will continue shooting sights around Gold Beach as well as the Pistol River and then begin heading our way toward Brookings.

Thursday

We'll leave the Brookings area and begin heading down to California to photograph in the redwoods. Then spend the night in Cresent  City                                             California. 

Friday                 

You are back on your own.  In Cresent City depending on individual travel plans, some will leave immediately for Medford airport in the morning; others                 may hang out at the coast for a little while. This is totally up to you. It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive back to Medford OR.