Oregon Adventure

Crashing Waves on the Oregon Coast

When I first read the schedule for the four day photography workshop with the famed Moose Peterson, it sounded just like my thing. Get up early, take morning shots, have a midday break, go out in the evening for warm afternoon light, then start all over the next day.

What I got was all that and more. I didn't realize we had to be ready and out in the parking lot at 4:40 am every morning, and that midday breaks were in the conference room, not naptime. And that after the night shoots we were back in the conference room. So for four grueling days I've barely slept, and eaten only one meal. I've fallen asleep in the car, at my computer, and in the conference room. I've eaten apples, cheese and power bars just to keep going.

Shooting in the field meant long hikes to fabulous vistas, arriving at dark, awaiting the first morning light. We'd load up our backpacks with the equipment required for that particular shoot, always carrying towels to cover our camera when it rains, which it did every single day. I panicked in the rain, saltwater and sand, worried about the investment I'd made in my professional equipment, but in the end, we all survived.

Moose himself is bigger than life, and maybe his ego has grown with his renown as a wildlife photographer, but his staff more than makes up for that. Laurie Excell, a phenomenal photographer in her own right, was the best for sharing technical information both in the field and in the classroom. Wacom and Nikon had representatives available at all times. And for daily lighting demonstrations Joe McNally lit up our world.

We have had no internet, nor the time for it, so we've stayed an extra day in North Bend, and after I just slept for 10 hours, feel better, and we'll revisit some of the local areas at a more leisurely pace. And probably eat!

The scenery here is spectacular, and our student slide show last night showed that everyone came away with images to be proud of. Me, too. The one above was shot just last night.