The day was cold and grey heading down the coastline of Oregon following the coastal road. I stopped from time to time to get a dose of ocean wind and fill my lungs with that air. As someone who lives on the east coast of Oz, it was a welcome change to be on a west coast somewhere on the planet.
I didn’t see many people, I assumed because it was a little bleak out but I did run into someone walking their dogs. They crept up on me while I was taking long exposures shots, my camera on a tripod.
Long exposures are a great way to slow time. When you have the shutter open, any movement of the camera/tripod can ruin the shot so 30 seconds seems like an eternity
I do a bit of talking to my gear, the landscape and whatever.. usually when it’s not doing what I want it to, so you can imagine what I’m saying. Her sudden appearance gave me a start when I noticed her behind me. Was hoping I hadn’t said anything too rough but figured no one here understands ‘Australian’ anyway so I smiled and said ‘you must be a ninja. I didn’t hear you coming at all.’ She said ‘actually I am so seriously and matter of factly that the smile fell from my face until she laughed.
You never know. She was in her seventies but I used to get my ass handed to me training Kung Fu by a woman pushing sixty when I was in my twenties. Truth be told it was a little unfair. She was giving me hiding and I was trying not to be rude. My Si Fu would always say control Ben and I would end up with a concussion.
She asked what I was shooting, where I was from, where I had come from. She said ‘oh you must have seen Cannon beach.’ I said no. She retracted her head in surprise and said you should do that before you head any further south.
I grew up on the beach. Right now I had my sights firmly set on Yosemite so I wasn’t that convinced but walking back to the car after our conversation I did a search for it. Checked the distance.... I can make that by sunset!!
When I arrived 4 hours later, the place reminded me of Byron Bay on our east coast. Grateful for that brief encounter
