Haystack Rock and The Needles, Cannon Beach, OR
Of all the days that I have been at Cannon Beach, there has only been one time that there was no haze. It was wonderful. Clear and an approaching storm, I could not have asked for more. Perfect lighting for black and white, which is my favorite medium to work in. I know, with all of the color images that I have been posting, that is hard to believe, but when I conditions are really there for black and white, I feel as though I am in heaven!
I learned black and white in the old days, with film and the Zone System. I still look at it the same. I must be able to get the tonal range correct. There is no faking it. For a quality image it must be captured correctly in camera and then post processing done to perfection. It is not easy but it is always worth the effort. When someone mistakes a digital image for one done with film and a darkroom I know it is perfect.
This is one of my favorite images of Haystack Rock. As the tide was receding it left the saturated sand that reflected the image of the rock very nicely. As I set up and watched the scene unfold, the clouds began rolling in, and with a few minor shifts of the camera position I was able to place this cloud in perfect position. Swooping across the image just above the Needles and Haystack as if trying to get over them without touching. I watched as the waves lapped at the base of the rocks, the storm came and went, it was awesome. The scene was speaking to me. If we decide where we are going, what we want out of life, then dig in solidly and when winds and waves of life attack we will not be moved.
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