Bandon, Oregon - Oregon Islands NWR

 I've wanted to visit Bandon, Oregon for years.  Mostly because I'd read that some professional landscape photographers had moved there.  So it must provide lots of photo opportunities right?  I wasn't disappointed! 

Oregon Islands looking south - 14mm

This particular spot was my favorite. It's the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, according to Google Maps.  I know Cannon Beach is probably more popular and more accessible from Portland and SW Washington, but I do think this place has it beat. 

Oregon Islands from above - 14mm

One of the things I like to do in a place like this is just walk around everywhere I can and look for angles and compositions that would make good photos.  For example, see that big inward leaning rock on the right edge of the photo above?  Well, I went down there and got this shot: 

Seaweed... and Beyond! - 14mm

And when I walked around the seaweed, got closer to the water, and turned the camera sideways, I got this one: 

Path to the Ocean - 21mm

I couldn't see these shots from up on the bluff overlooking the whole place.  I had to put myself in the right position to see them.  And while I'm doing that, I'm also trying different compositions and saying "Nah! That's not going to work', or "Nice! This is a good one." But of course you never really know until you get it on the computer and start processing.  

Oregon Islands Beach - 14mm

One of the reasons I like using ultra wide zooms is that they exaggerate the appearance of lines converging toward the middle of the horizon, like these two strips of mossy rock in the sand. 

When I got my first digital SLR (a Canon EOS 10D) I had a EF 17-40mm f/4 L lens.  Then a few years later I got a Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 L.  I got a Rokinon/Samyang 12mm manual lens, but that is crazy wide and a fisheye optic, so it's challenging to get normal looking landscapes.  After switching to a Sony A7III body, I kept using my Canon lenses with an AF adapter for a few years. But last year I finally got a native E-mount Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 Art lens, and I love it! 

This is my first post here and kind of a test to see if I want to keep doing this.  I'm a hobby photographer and not trying to sell my work or get a lot of followers, and I'm just combining my enjoyment of photography and writing.  We'll see where this goes!