Mountains, Valleys, and High Plains Photography Gallery, Nature Revealed Photography - Tours Workshops and Fine Art by Jeff Jessing

Nature delivered quite a light show on this particular morning! Despite being tired and sleep-deprived, I was thrilled to have awaken well before dawn so that I could make the trip from my hotel in Charleston to this location on the beautiful Atlantic coast.

Festival of Light

I wish everyone on our wonderful planet could experience the raw beauty of nature. This photograph was made while leading a photo tour along the Oregon coast.

Ethereal

An approaching storm is stirring up the sea near Yaquina Head Lighthouse.

Pending Storm

This unique region of the Oregon coastline has some surprising similarity with the canyon lands of the American Southwest, specifically the red glowing sandstone. This shot was made as the sun was setting on a beautiful clear evening.

Kiwanda Arch

A dramatic sky compliments a rocky shoreline at one of Oregon’s scenic beaches.

Whaleshead Beach

In anticipation of a colorful sunset my son, Kasen, and I went on a beach hike where he helped me capture a few nice shots of Yaquina Head and the surrounding landscape. The intensive hues of the sky this evening "set the stage" for the drama of both the sky and the reflection on the wet sand in the foreground. This was one of those countless special moments with my son in Nature, thanks Kasen!

Old Salt

I was drawn to this scene for the obvious reason that it draws the viewer directly into this stunningly beautiful sunrise over the Atlantic ocean.

Enchantment

This location is near my home on the Oregon coast. One of the advantages of shooting near your home is that you can frequently visit these locations when the conditions are promising. This was made on one such visit.

Chaos Theory

This photograph, made on a cold February day, shows the tremendous forces of the ocean in carving the basalt headlands of the Oregon coast. On this particular evening my father joined me as we hiked to this location.

Center of Mass

A magical sunset is reflected in a large tide pool below Yaquina Head Lighthouse.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse

The water-bound Morris Island lighthouse looms in the distance over a beached starfish.

The Ocean's Beacons

The Fresnel lens in this grand lighthouse focuses its light into an exceptionally bright beam that can be seen for miles out to sea.

The Sentinal of Light

A fire red sky silhouettes a lone fishing boat off the Oregon Coast.

Fire Sky Fishing

At this moment, the spectacular light made an ordinary composition into a stunning image. I try to never underestimate the powerful effect quality light has on my photographs.

Odyssey

Turbulent waters and large crashing waves in the distance added drama to this pleasant sunset.

Churning

Winter’s fierce storms typically wash away large quantities of sand revealing the underlying bedrock as was captured on this tranquil evening.

Tranquil

This photograph was made in one of the countless beautiful locations on the Oregon coast.

No Way Around It

This shot of Yaquina Head Lighthouse was taken from the North on Moolack Beach. I was drawn to the crashing surf long this rocky stretch of this beautiful beach.

Moolack Beach

Under the right conditions, seagulls make great photographic subjects.

Last Flight of the Day

The lighthouses that dot the Oregon coast are some of the most photogenic in the world. Yaquina head lighthouse, shown here, is a prime example.

One with the Sea

The drama of the sea meets the drama of the sky in this photograph.

The Edge of the Sea

The combination of the peaceful and calm sky with a long exposure gives this photograph feel of serenty. Exactly the state I was in when I took the shot.

Losing the Light

This is a hard-won photograph for me. First, I over the years I scoured the coastline for a location that offered this effect. Second, my camera and I took a major Pacific drenching while trying to get this shot.

Ten Thousand Waters

Stormy skies and seas provide the peaceful intensity of this oceanscape.

Aqua Fault

From this vantage point, Yaquina Head Lighthouse is being strongly side-lit by the setting sun. The low angle of the sun is also evident in the transmission of light through the waves.

Catching the Light

Did you see the lighthouse? Careful placement of my camera while using the strong lines of the old wood allowed me to subtly reveal the lighthouse in this photograph.

Morris Island Lighthouse

This photograph was made in near complete darkness, which made the haziness appear to cause Haystack Rock to float.

Adrift

This photograph was crafted during one of the most dramatic sunsets that I have experienced on the coast. A storm front hung overhead while the sun momentarily peeked through a distant break in the clouds. The kiss of warm light on the water and sand helped finish the scene.

A Break in the Storm

The powerful forces of the relentless wave action on the sandstone sculpted the stone into beautiful forms.

Erosion

The intense display of color in the sky is reflected in the flowing water that is channeled between the rocks.

Song of the Sea

The planet Venus is seen setting over this once grand sea stack that has severely weathered over millennia.

Venus Over the Crest

A beacon of light shining through the dark night sky.

Through the Darkness

This photograph was made in the early evening when the light from both the setting sun and the Fresnel lens are present.

Heceta Head Lighthouse

The rich, warm glow of the sunset on the 500-foot high headland added the necessary ingredients to this scenic vantage point. It is common during the winter to have winds in excess of 100 mph on the cape.

Cape Foulweather

A local forest fire filled the near shore region with thick smoke which resulted in this unique and "unreal" sunset.

Pacific Fire

This is one of Oregon's many coastal basalt formations that provide great subject matter for photographers.

Pacific Spire

In addition to its beauty, the Oregon coast is known for its dramatic storms and the associated storm surge.

Storm Surge

This photograph was made during an unusually large accumulation of sea foam near Seal Rock. A "break" in the foam occurred allowing me to capture what I describe as a massive offshore flow while the nearest mass to me remained stationary as observed in this long exposure. It took me hours to clean my gear following this shoot!

Sea of Foam

Warm light reflects off a bed of sea grass during a low tide.

Sea Grass

When key elements (such as magical light, perfect tidal state, and beautiful subject matter) of photography join the result can be very rewarding.

Ocean's Waltz

There is nothing like the feeling of cold and unbalanced as was the case while getting battered by waist-high waves to get this shot.

Beyond the Mussels

This photograph was made while I was standing in 2 feet of rushing water. The flowing effect of the water brings to mind how the tides push and pull on the oceans acting as its “heart”.

The Heart of the Ocean

This photograph was made just prior to the typical early morning burn-off of the fog. Patiently waiting for a fishing boat to pass underneath added the necessary detail to this beautiful scene. Unfortunately, Newport city officials had most the trees cleared from this area so future photographers will not have the wonderful natural framing that the trees provided.

Yaquina Bay's Gateway

This photograph was made following one of Oregon’s many pleasant sunsets.

Stones to Gull Rock

The soft conditions of dusk were captured in this photograph.

Pacific Towers

This photograph was crafted using a long exposure to give both the channeled surf and the clouds a surreal movement.

Ocean Within

Receding morning fog reveals a group of sea stacks within low tide Siletz Bay.

Receding Fog

Careful timing allowed for me to capture this morning’s scene without getting drenched by the incoming waves.

Tidal Rush

A solitary perched tree on a rocky headland is precarelessly exposed to the extreme elements that frequent the Oregon coast, especially during the winter months.

Withstanding

The intense color of this sunset was the perfect compliment of silhouetting Otter Rock from Beverly Beach.

Otter Rock

The contrasting textures drew my attention before making this photograph.

Basalt and Mussels

Clinging tenaciously to a rock, this is one of the countless starfish that can be found along the Oregon coastline.

As One

The overwhelming and penetrating pink of this dawn, helps to showcase this often seen rock formation just south of Lincoln City.

Siletz Bay

The soft lighting conditions on this evening allowed this photograph to have a painterly “feel” to it.

Serenity

The combination of a long exposure and a dramatic sky gives this photography an unusual symmetry.

Mystere

This photograph was made on a typically peaceful morning at one of Oregon’s most popular lighthouses.

Morning at Yaquina Head

This image was crafted will leading a photo tour on Bandon Beach. Using a well-planted tripod and 241 seconds of exposure a surreal effect is achieved in the sky and water.

241 Seconds

This shot captures the somber essence of the Pacific Ocean on this quite evening.

Pacific Dreams

A dramatic sunset at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area on the central coast of oregon.

Through the Clouds

In 1910, an explosion sank the ship, J. Marhoffer. With a bit of hiking at low tide, I made this image of the ill-fated ship’s boiler (the namesake of the location, Boiler Bay).

The Boiler in the Bay

This majestic lighthouse overlooking the Pacific Ocean, displays its beacon of light to all nearby seafaring vessels.

The Guardian

The setting sun backlights one of Oregon’s majestic lighthouses.

Yaquina Head Sunset

This is one of several lighthouses that dot the stunning Oregon coastline.

Cape Arago Lighthouse

Cape Meares lighthouse photographed from the main path on a foggy day.

Path to Meares

The symmetry of the sky within the wet sand combined with the wonderful palette of colors give this photograph a peacefulness.

Pacific's Palette

The Oregon coast delivers these intense sunsets regularly. I love being out there to capture it!

Pacific Orange

Heceta's Perch

I was fortunate to have this fisherman waiting so patiently (and motionless) during this long exposure. As you may imagine, the man was in a precarious location considering the large size of the surf on this morning.

Patiently at Risk

The relentless coming and going of the surf is evident at this location. This photograph was captured just prior to sunrise.

Coming and Going

Mountains, Valleys, and High Plains Photography Gallery, Nature Revealed Photography - Tours Workshops and Fine Art by Jeff Jessing

OceanScapes by Jeff Jessing

Beaches, Headlands, and Estruaries