Cliffs along the Oregon Coast are epic to look at. But potentially dangerous to scramble around on. Did I let that stop me? Not this time.
This is a strange little spot because it is fairly close to the highway, but most people never venture far enough off the beaten path to discover it. Once you do, the whole coast suddenly opens up below you.
I found a place where I could set up the tripod on solid ground and started working through different angles. Self-portrait photography involves a lot of walking back and forth between the camera and wherever I have decided to pose, hoping the composition works once I finally get there.
My camera setup, and the resulting photo. I always love seeing these two together because the finished image can feel so peaceful, while just outside the frame there is a tripod, an interval timer, and trying different poses as the camera rolls.
Photos like this also require a lot of trust in my balance. Years of hiking and exercise help, but I still try to stay aware of what is actually solid. The coast deserves respect.
From up there, the Pacific seemed to fill almost the entire world. I love that feeling in my photography: the human form becoming just one small part of something much larger.
Then I changed the camera angle to face south down the coast. I did not fully realize at the time how dramatic the incoming storm would look behind me. The clouds, rain, sunlight, and ocean were all changing constantly.
Standing out on the single rock felt exposed in more ways than one, so after a few frames I moved back toward the larger and more stable rocks on the left side. Sometimes the better photograph is not worth pushing the situation farther than it needs to go.
I usually try a lot of poses during a photoshoot. Some feel awkward, some completely miss, and every once in a while everything comes together. Sun Dial became one of those images for me. The light, the storm clouds, the shape of the body, and that upward reach all seemed to connect.
That reaching gesture also feels like Nude Soul to me. Creation surrounding me, my body grounded on the rock, and my attention reaching upward. A small moment of giving glory back to God in the middle of something He made far bigger than me.
And finally, a quiet moment of rest. After all the scrambling, timers, poses, wind, and changing light, I sat down and watched the storm move across the Pacific before getting dressed and heading back to the vehicle.
