Bandon Calm

Story

The balmy day was slowly, ever so slowly, drawing to a close. The sun crept down toward the horizon, taking its time. After all, why hurry to end the day? The sea stacks near Bandon, Oregon, offer the ideal backdrop for a photograph, and today the conditions came together to create Bandon Calm.

The gentle sea swell helps create the mood in Bandon Calm. The gentle waves provide just the right amount of tension without being overly dramatic. A perfectly flat sea, as if that ever happens, wouldn’t have the same feel. Nor would high waves. Instead we are calmed by the endless ocean pace, allowing the ebbing tide to take us away.

The nearly cloudless sky works for this photograph, too. The sun sinking into the marine layer provides a perfect amount of color. Not too much, and certainly not too little.

And, of course, the lone bird binds the whole scene together. It’s remarkable how something so small in an image becomes a focal point. The bird is soaring into the sunset, just as we are. Everything comes together to create Bandon Calm, always reminding us of how amazing coastal sunsets are.