In the morning Shelley and I loaded up to drive further south down the coast on US-101. We would not be coming back north. Our next lodging would be in Brookings, Oregon that night. Along the way we had many photographic opportunities, the first of which was Heceta Head, which took us the full morning of that day.
Cape Creek Bridge – Heceta Head
As we were getting out of the car, I noticed the mist and fog rolling up along the bridge for Highway 101. This bridge spans Cape Creek at its mouth to the Pacific Ocean. The scene was great. There was drama from the weather, and the beautiful structure was just standing there. I just needed something to place in the foreground, and I found it on the beach of stones washed by the creek. I made this photograph at ISO 100, 42mm, f/4.2, at 1/1000 of a second.
Heceta Head #2
For this composition, I was shooting from the beach up towards the lighthouse and the remaining light keeper’s house. I did not use any filters. The final photograph was made at ISO 100, 28mm, f/3.8, at 1/1600 of a second.
Heceta Head #3
While Shelley and I were walking up the trail from the beach to the lighthouse, we turned on a bend and were greeted with a view of the beach and the cliffside. The cliffside was almost totally covered by mist or fog that was rolling up through the trees to the sky. The sight was so compelling that I pulled my pack off of my back and set up my tripod for a composition of the mist rising over the trees. This photograph was made at ISO 100, 28mm, f/3.8, and 1/1600 of a second.
Heceta Head #4
As Shelley and I reached the remaining light keeper’s house, the fog or mist was lifting from the trees that line the hills and cliffs around Cape Creek. There was just enough remaining over the creek for this composition of the second light keeper’s house. I made this photograph at ISO 100, 24mm, f/5, and 1/400 of a second.
Heceta Head #5
After photographing the light keeper’s house, Shelley and I headed further up the trail to the lighthouse. For the first composition of the Heceta Head Lighthouse, I went for a close wide angle from the front. I also slapped on my 10-stop neutral density filter as well as my circular polarizer. By doing this, I was able to achieve a 42-second exposure during the noon hour. I got the effect that I was going for-the blurring of the clouds in the sky as they raced overhead of the lighthouse. I made this photograph at ISO 100, 14mm, f/22.
Heceta Head #6 April 2018
For my final composition taken close to the lighthouse, Shelley and I hiked up the trail that is behind the lighthouse. From a bend in the path, we were able to find a different angle on the lighthouse. For this composition, I wanted to maintain the motion blur effect of the clouds in the sky. So, again, I used both my 10-stop neutral density filter as well as my circular polarizer. I made this photograph at ISO 100, 14mm, f/22, at 68 seconds.
Heceta Head From a Distance
Last but not least, as Shelley and I were heading south on US Highway 101 we saw a pullout that offered a view of Heceta Head with ocean waves breaking beneath the lighthouse and wildflowers blooming in the foreground. I made this photograph with no filters on the camera at ISO 100, 70mm, f/8, at 1/160 of a second.
Please check out the corresponding video over on my YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVEf9aXoQMPTAVTztNkNIxg.
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