A landscape photographer's tour
Florence, OR
Keith's travels in California and the Pacific Northwest - April-May 2007
This photo-diary covers a driving trip up the coast from San Francisco in April/May 2007 along the Pacific highway
Now I've returned, I've included some of my travel photography from this trip in the main Gallery, and updated any info that may be of help to people who come across these pages as part of their planning for driving tours of the California and Oregon coasts, looking for places to stay or sites to visit.
It's a great place for a vacation, or just a road trip up the Pacific coast to photograph some of the scenery. If you've any questions about the hotels/inns/motels where I stayed, then please do feel free to drop me a line.
There are other photo travel diaries covering trips to:
Washington and Oregon in Fall 2007 and Colorado in Spring 2006 and Fall 2008
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Daily pages
- 19th April: UK to San Francisco
- 20th April: San Francisco to Jenner, CA
- 21st April: Jenner, CA to Fort Bragg, CA
- 22nd April: Fort Bragg, CA to Eureka, CA
- 23rd April; Eureka, CA to Crescent City, CA
- 24th April: Crescent City, CA to Bandon, OR
- 25th April: Bandon, OR to Florence, OR
- 26th April: Florence, OR
- 27th April: Florence, OR to Pacific City, OR
- 28th April: Cape Kiwanda, OR
- 29th April: Pacific City, OR to Cannon Beach,OR
- 30th April: Cannon Beach, OR to Shasta, CA
- 1st May: Shasta, CA to Lakeport, CA
- 2nd May: Lakeport, CA to San Francisco
- 3rd May: San Francisco to UK
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Why not create your own customised A3 size wall calendar from some of Keith Cooper's photographs. Choose your own images for your own custom printed calendar - 12 months starting any month of the year. Choose from nearly a hundred images - many not yet in our main gallery.
I didn't know it, but Florence is the site of the original exploding whale, where they tried to dispose of a beached whale with half a ton of dynamite.
The dunes to the south of here are also supposed to have been the inspiration for some of Frank Herberts 'Dune'
Today I've just had a short trip up the coast (more nice beaches :-) Driving round on your own does get a bit tiring after several days and it's nice to stay a couple of nights at places to avoid the rush in packing up and leaving.
Outside my room, sitting on wooden posts in the river are various cormorants. They fly around, catch fish, and then sun themselves to dry off.

I'll start off with the customary breakfast picture - a very nice omlette with cheese, chicken and a host of other bits in it (I know my Mother worries that I don't eat properly when I'm away)

I'll be interested in processing some of the very wide angle shots I've taken using DxO Optics Pro, when I get back. I recently wrote a review of the latest version and although it's much faster, I'm travelling with an old 1.25G G4 Powerbook, which is creaking a bit running Photoshop CS2. I've also got the DxO Film Pack installed, which provides extremely accurate renditions of various film 'styles' I'll be having a detailed look at this when I'm back (it's only briefly covered in the DxO review)
I'd forgot it's National Tinsel Day over here - this lady operating a stop/go sign at roadworks obviously hadn't forgot

- First forgetting Earthday, then forgetting National Tinsel Day, I really must check my diary more often :-)
Heceta lighthouse is aparently the most photographed in Oregon (who works this stuff out?)
So here it is in the haze

or a slightly wider view

A popular place for photographers - this is Jeff from Essex :-) -- who actually specialises in photographing mazes

As you drive up Highway 101, there are a sucession of turnoffs for beaches, campgrounds and the like. Stopping of at Bob Creek, the view looked familiar.
It was one of the places I'd took a picture on my last visit to the area. It just happens that my note taking skills have never been particularly well developed, so I wasn't ever sure exactly where it had been taken.
Picture from my previous visit - now known to be at Bob Creek.
Notice how the weather is a bit more condusive to black and white photography.
The best weather is often scattered heavy showers, although it then tends to start raining or get overcast :-)
Anyway, here are some alternate views on a very pleasant day


And someone walking their dog (it's actually a rather small one)

Next up was Strawberry hill
Walking down from the car park I spotted some familiar rock forms - cross cutting dykes ( vertical emplacements of magma, that run in straight lines)
The older dyke is interupted by newer ones - suddenly I remembered all that stuff from a field trip to North West Scotland when I was studying Geology at university...
Just like then -- no, hang on a minute, no cold and damp, no cheerful company, and I'm in a good mood :-)
--not at all like then ;-)
Ok back to the nice scenic shots

In the evening it's time to sample some of the entertainments in Florence.
Whereas at home I'd often not go out till 10pm, here, the action starts a bit earlier (6 :-)
At the Travellers Cove there's food and live music

- (Note for people back in Leicester - the LG in 40 yrs :-)
Dancing too...

and prawns and stuff, which was nice

Ok, that's it for a while - tomorrow it's further north (as ever updates are dependant on internet connectivity where I'm staying)
NEXT DAY
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