Lovely Beach, Dangerous Surf

Indian Beach is a lovely beach in Oregon with the typically gentle slope of the sand out to the ocean. Waves come in spreading out over the beach leaving a wonderfully reflective surface. I will often find myself in the surf with my tripod and camera. To keep the tripod steady I dig the legs down as deep and I can into the sand. This helps to keep the incoming waves from shaking the tripod during long exposures. It also means I will probably take several shots from that one spot, since I went to so much trouble to get things really set and stable.

Therein lies a big risk: standing still in the surf you will find your feet sinking imperceptibly deeper and deeper into the sand. The combination of water and sand will hold onto your feet as if it were a giant suction cup holding your feet. Now comes a bigger than usual wave, you begin to lose balance and as you pull up with one foot it is held down by the suction, you wrench free, stepping back only to find the action of the surf has created a hole in the sand behind you where you stepped and now your balance is completely gone, the wave tumbles over you and everything you have with you, including yourself, is under water. Or at the very least soaking wet.

Unforgiving Ocean Ruins Gear

This is what happened to a friend of mine on this day on Indian Beach. Not only was he soaking wet; his camera was ruined. His cell phone was ruined. And to top it off, the electronic key to his car, which had no mechanical lock, was inoperable. He could not get into his car. Just another reminder that no matter how soothing the sound of the surf may be, or how pleasant and calming the beauty, the ocean is unforgiving.

Images from Indian Beach:

All three of these images were taken with long exposures in order to achieve a smoother, softer silky look. This was a trip during which I had planned to do a lot of these kinds of shots. To become a good landscape photographer one must be willing to experiment, stretch the capabilities of yourself and your camera and learn what you can do. Eventually, if you are persistent and perhaps a bit lucky, a style will develop that really speaks to you and becomes a form of self expression. Reminds me of the photographer's statement, "I don't photograph what is out there, I photograph what is inside of me." When that happens you are in the zone.

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