Cannon Beach at the Oregon Coast
I just returned from the first Oregon photography tour of the year and added a day at Cannon Beach at the request of a client. Since the results of that day were pretty spectacular, I thought I'd write a little about the area and share some images, too.
For several days before we arrived, the weather forecast called for rain at Cannon Beach. Despite that, we carried on and took a chance, and as you can see from the photos in this post, we were rewarded for making the effort. This highlights the fact that without trying, nothing is gained, and you never know what surprises await, even at locations that you've previously visited and photographed.
We began the day at Ecola State Park which offers grand vistas high above the gorgeous Oregon coastline. From this point you can see several sea stacks, including world famous Haystack Rock, and watch the shimmering waves roll into shore. 
After shooting from the stunning cliffside location, we drove south of Cannon Beach to Hug Point, and explored that area for a couple hours. The location is peaceful and beautiful and there are several caves and a small waterfall that spills over a rock ledge and drains into the ocean.
After our time at Hug Point, we headed north to Cannon Beach to get into position for photographing the sunset at Haystack Rock. Once on the beach, we were greeted with one of the most incredible light shows I've ever experienced. The billowy clouds were motionless and extremely low and it felt as though you could almost reach up and touch them. The sun illuminated the clouds perfectly with streaks of golden light breaking through in places and the color palette was vivid to say the least.
We continued along the beach and found good spots just south of Haystack Rock to photograph the rest of the evening and chatted with several landscape photographers that were equally awestruck by the spectacle we witnessed.
If you'd like to photograph these locations, there are still spots available on all three Oregon Extravaganza photo tours in June, July, and August 2021, and these are the only tours that explore the Oregon Coast and Cannon Beach. Registration deadlines are May 15, June 10, and June 30, respectively, so click the banner below and book your spots now.
Scott Setterberg
Author