Posted by Bryan Spahr on March 22, 2009 at 2:26 AM
I spent the better part of the afternoon checking the various weather sources and cameras for the northern coast, deciding if it was worth the trek for sunset. After things began to look promising I set off for Ecola State Park. The entire drive I was treated to some fairly dramatic skies with sun / rain / light rays etc. When I came around the final bend of 101 into Cannon beach, the first glimpse of the horizon yielded a dark storm cloud rolling in. (Argh) I decided to head a little further south because it looked a bit better. I'm curious to know what others do to make an "educated" guess when anticipating the weather. Obviously some of us have limited days to take advantage of and thus must try to make the best choices for each outing. Anyone have any suggestions?
About the photo.
This is a shot from hug point atop the falls. C&C Appreciated
Canon 5DMkII 8" @ F16 ISO 100. Two shot blend with a handheld .6 Cokin GND. Levels adjustment, curves adjustment, saturation (drop believe it or not), sharpening, warming filter applied in photoshop.
Posted by James Walley on March 22, 2009 at 7:38 AM
Very nice photo, anyway.
I've been in much the same situation. My first day at Cannon was similar to your experience (fortunately, my second day there was much better for sunset). I also remember making a drive from Seattle out to Ruby Beach one August day a couple of years ago when the signs were good for a really nice sunset. All the way out, through Olympia and Aberdeen and Quinault, it was nice and sunny with just enough broken cloud in the west to make it promising...then, when I was about two miles from the coast, I ran right into a solid fogbank. Goodbye, commercially-desirable beach sunset shots, hello, moody fog shots with no sales potential whatsoever. (The final irony is that two of those moody fog shots wound up winning contests, making it the most successful shooting day of my life in that respect, even though I've never sold a single print of either of them. Go figure.)
Posted by John Williams on March 22, 2009 at 12:15 PM
I feel your pain! I have a nice long list of getting skunked myself, and you hit the nail on the head with the limited days dilemma. I do the same as you, checking forecasts and satellite photos, etc., but I think the bottom line is that their is always a roll of the dice element to it.
I spent yesterday snowshoeing with friends (non-photogs) on the south slope of St. Helens. The upper half of the mountain was hidden the entire day. As we were driving home we stopped at the viewpoint, where 503 comes to Swift Reservoir, and the mountain had cleared and was bathed with amazing light. It was beautiful, but I wouldn't have predicted it. (And, too bad the compositions from the road were lame .)
Posted by David Schoen on March 22, 2009 at 12:49 PM
nice shot with good comp: waterfall leading into image.
as for the weather, this IS the Pacific Northwest! My guess is if you consult 10 different weather forecasts, 2 will be correct.
Posted by Larry Gloth on March 23, 2009 at 12:19 AM
You're doing all that you can do. It's always a crapshoot after you've done the requisite research. I find that my most memorable experiences have come from predictions of stormy weather gradually clearing. This means a high percentage of standing around in stormy weather but when you hit it right, it can be good. Some of my favorite shots have taken place shortly after me cursing the weather from standing in the rain for an hour or more, when the clouds parted and let some selective light shine through. Best of success.
Posted by Jack Graham on March 23, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Bad weather can make for great photography..... I know this sounds crazy but after all the sun I've been dealing with the past few weeks am dying to get back to the PNW and the rain( at least for a few more weeks). Keep getting out there. I will happen.
BTW--nice image!
HF
I have two tips for catching favorable weather. First, if you don't already, learn how to utilize and understand a barometer. If you use that knowledge in conjunction with buoy reports, surfing websites, and sites like NOAA, you can really up your odds for getting in some pockets of photo friendly weather. Second, (this might sound goofy) talk to fishermen, surfers, and golfers in the area that you are heading to. Fishermen especially. They always seem to have a sixth sense about what is going to happen weather wise. When I'm out on the beach and away from home, I always look for locals to BS with. I strike up a conversation, hand them a business card and try to swap info with them. I now have a few people in Yachats, Pacific City, and Astoria that I can call for a real time weather report. It works!
Posted by Bill Speaks on March 24, 2009 at 3:00 PM
I live in Denver and am planning my first photo trip to the Oregon Coast in June and came across this post. One resource I use extensively is the website cleardarksky.com. The cloud cover forecasts are very accurate at least for in-land areas.
The site is designed for astronomers and the 'seeing' predictions reflect a much more rigid criteria say for 'clear' than a conventional weather forecast. It can certainly give you a good look at general trends. Over the years I have used the site, the models are getting better, so they may be getting better at predicting coastal fog.
Discussion
7 repliesAbout the photo.
This is a shot from hug point atop the falls. C&C Appreciated
Canon 5DMkII 8" @ F16 ISO 100. Two shot blend with a handheld .6 Cokin GND. Levels adjustment, curves adjustment, saturation (drop believe it or not), sharpening, warming filter applied in photoshop.
I've been in much the same situation. My first day at Cannon was similar to your experience (fortunately, my second day there was much better for sunset). I also remember making a drive from Seattle out to Ruby Beach one August day a couple of years ago when the signs were good for a really nice sunset. All the way out, through Olympia and Aberdeen and Quinault, it was nice and sunny with just enough broken cloud in the west to make it promising...then, when I was about two miles from the coast, I ran right into a solid fogbank. Goodbye, commercially-desirable beach sunset shots, hello, moody fog shots with no sales potential whatsoever. (The final irony is that two of those moody fog shots wound up winning contests, making it the most successful shooting day of my life in that respect, even though I've never sold a single print of either of them. Go figure.)
I spent yesterday snowshoeing with friends (non-photogs) on the south slope of St. Helens. The upper half of the mountain was hidden the entire day. As we were driving home we stopped at the viewpoint, where 503 comes to Swift Reservoir, and the mountain had cleared and was bathed with amazing light. It was beautiful, but I wouldn't have predicted it. (And, too bad the compositions from the road were lame
as for the weather, this IS the Pacific Northwest! My guess is if you consult 10 different weather forecasts, 2 will be correct.
BTW--nice image!
HF
The site is designed for astronomers and the 'seeing' predictions reflect a much more rigid criteria say for 'clear' than a conventional weather forecast. It can certainly give you a good look at general trends. Over the years I have used the site, the models are getting better, so they may be getting better at predicting coastal fog.
Bill Speaks
www.speaksimages.com