We’ve said it before, the siren’s song of our passionate coastline calls out to an artist’s soul. This magnetism is especially true for amateur and professional photographers. Whether you’re a novice or a pro, the photogenic beauty of the Pacific Coast is a photographer’s dream.
Voted by Travel + Leisure as one of America’s Most Beautiful Coastal Views, the perfect shot is around every bend in our region. So, grab your camera, and get ready to snap your next frame-worthy photo.
Photo Courtesy of: Corey Dembeck
The Pacific Coast is Camera-Ready
Why is the Pacific Coast a picture-perfect photographer’s dream? Our neck of the woods is rich with history and wonder. The bounty of beauty that you can capture through the lens here is unmatched.
Photo Courtesy of: Jason Hummel
If you want to encapsulate the haunting softness of our world, you’ll find inspiration in our muffled jade forests. When you’re evoking the ferocity of nature, you’ll snap shots of our wicked waves. If you’re looking for wildlife, you’ll focus on the hundreds of deer, black bears, and birds that call our region home. When you want history, you’ll follow the footsteps of the indigenous tribes, Lewis and Clark, the oyster booms, or military journeys that once happened here. And if you want small-town America, take a simple stroll with your camera down the streets of the towns that dot our landscape. We serve up inspiration no matter the perspective you’re looking for. And the ever-changing conditions mean that no two shots will ever be alike.
We’ve got a lot to offer for your portfolio. Here are some of our magical muses that make our county so cover-worthy.
Coastal Close-Up
Our water is what so many shutterbugs come for. Fresh and saltwater bodies carve their autographs on our landscape. The variety of coastal close-ups along our shores is a photographer’s dream.
Waikiki Beach
Photo Courtesy of: Corey Dembeck
Waikiki Beach can be a calm and peaceful place for a stroll when the tide is out. But photographers love it when it’s moody because they can capture the emotional tempest of the sea as it crescendos against the cliffs. During King Tides and stormy weather, incoming and outgoing waves engage in an intense tango resulting in dramatic back waves. These back waves hurl themselves together, creating explosions of frothing madness. Photographers can capture the white-capped, emerald-green eruptions with a click of their shutter.
Dead Man’s Cove
Photo Courtesy of: Corey Dembeck
Journey to the ominously named but stunningly serene Dead Man’s Cove. The cove’s symmetric seclusion and peaceful isolation are a dreamy backdrop for a photographer. Ebbing tides, beached driftwood, and a quiet sanctuary will draw you back repeatedly. The crown jewel of the cove is the weather-beaten tree topping a small sea stack island. It looks like a candle on a birthday cupcake, just waiting to be blown out by Poseidon.
Willapa Bay
Visit the peaceful calm of Willapa Bay. Our expansive peninsula shelters the serene expanse of the area making for still conditions. The low, lazy tides here are home to various vegetation and animals, adding to intriguing images. Marshes, grasslands, muddy tidal flats, and dunes surround you, ready to be captured through your lens.
The Beaches and Coves
Photo Courtesy of: Walter Dorsett
The beach has always been a photographer’s dream subject matter. And there is plenty of sand to shoot from here. As the waves massage the vast beach, the sand becomes a mirror image of the sky. Retreating tides reveal craggy rocks and mysterious tide pools. Breathtaking sunrises and sunsets illuminate the endless swaying of the salty swells.
Snapshots of History
Photo Courtesy of: Corey Dembeck
As one of the last undiscovered and undisturbed coastlines, our access to the past is a photographer’s dream. Our forests, shores, and museums are treasure troves of historical gems. Fort Columbia State Park is one of many areas where you can still see decaying bunkers and artillery batteries. The Shoalwater Bay Museum lets you glimpse what life was like before Lewis and Clark. Oysterville’s storybook history is a time capsule. If you love capturing what once was, it’s here in real-time.
Small Town America
Photo Courtesy of: William Bigelis
Our community is a collection of small, working towns. Friends and neighbors run the coffee shops and taverns that freckle the streets. Stoplights are few. Kindness is plentiful. You can capture small-town America here with one click of a shutter.
Wildlife and Sea Life
Photo Courtesy of: Jace Walker Stenersen
Because of the numerous ecosystems in our region, the area is teaming with wildlife and sea life. The forests house bears, elk, and critters galore. The treetops are perches for eagles, owls, and hundreds of species of birds. Seals, whales, fish, and crustaceans call our shoreline home. For a photographer that’s a fan of wildlife, there is no shortage of model subject matter.
Pictures Or It Didn’t Happen!
In addition to our everyday surrounding wonder, there are a few extraordinary things about the conditions here that can inspire a photographer’s dream shot. The shores of Washington and Oregon occasionally put on a nighttime wave rave. And did we mention the glow-in-the-dark mushrooms? Elusive, rare, and hard to capture, these phenomena can be a photographer’s dream when they tickle our shores.
Ready for Our Close-Up
Photo Courtesy of: Corey Dembeck
One of the reasons our coastline is a photographer’s dream is because so many magnificent shots are within easy reach. Take main roads or short hikes to mind-blowing beauty. You may happen across the perfect shot just off the side of the road. And there are miles of isolated areas for photographers looking for an unrushed and methodically composed shot.
You don’t have to be a professional to take spectacular photos here. And if you are a pro, your next masterpiece awaits. Picture-perfect perfection is around every bend in Pacific County. You need to focus on your next dream visit here. And be sure to tag us @visitlongbeachwa on social media to share your stellar shots.
By: Danelle Dodds
Danelle is an international traveler, road tripper, writer, and artist. She firmly believes in testing the limits of word count, mileage, and AYCE sushi.