Three times each year during the winter months, an oceanic event known as the “king tides” hammer the Oregon coast.  This spectacular display of nature’s savage power beckons photographers and casual visitors alike to experience the salt water show.

The next king tide will be coming to the coast on December 3 and will be on display during the high tides through December 5.  Sophie and I will be staying with a friend on the Oregon coast near Shore Acres, which is widely considered the best place to watch this seasonal event.  The rocky cliffs at Shore Acres get absolutely throttled by the large waves.  

Unfortunately for Sophie and I, we have been unable to take a single photo in November of this year.  We spent most of the month house hunting, shipping and packaging calendars & greeting cards, and celebrating multiple birthdays (including my own), Thanksgiving, and other family events.  

While it may appear as if we are on a permanent vacation to some, the truth is that those minutes away are borrowed time that we inevitably have to give back to the digital machine.   Every moment we spend out photographing requires double the time to cull, process, and share those images, while also replying to comments, writing our travel guides, and creating new products.

Accordingly, we were somewhat relieved to put the cameras away this month and focus on assembling our lives now that we are able to be together.  We found a house we are excited to call home and move in on December 8th.  We have nearly reached our sales goals this year, and have caught up on a lot of the photos and blogs that were piling up.  Most importantly, perhaps, we did not create any NEW work for ourselves which is a bit of relief in and of itself.

As such, the November Moment of the Month will actually be about the 2020 November king tides!  This time last year, I was challenged by Michelob Ultra to create some “golden” content  as Phase 2 of the Chief Exploration Officer selection process.  I borrowed my mom’s van, loaded up a sleeping bag, and went straight out to the Southern Oregon coast to get some shots with their product as the king tides came in.  While the waves were not quite as dramatic on this section of coast as they are on others, I could not have asked for a better morning.

I had been back and forth with the idea of heading out to the coast to photograph the king tides for weeks.  November and December are a very busy time each year anyway, but it felt especially crazy in 2020 as I was getting absolutely crushed by the seemingly endless barrage of challenges in executing our first annual calendar.  

As much as I wanted to get away from it all and capture the waves, I was afraid to leave everything for even a day.  It felt like I was paddling a kayak viciously upstream, and if I stopped rowing for even a second I would fall way back.

An email came through that shifted my priorities.  I was onto Phase 2 for the Pure Gold CEO selection and needed to begin collecting photos and footage for my field test.  The forecast was for clear skies in the morning, which meant golden light.  I suddenly had all the incentive necessary to load up and head out.

I drove into the night, arriving at Samuel Boardman around 11pm.  An alarm was set for sunrise in the morning, though the west coast isn’t exactly known for sunrise.  I know this coastline well, and I knew that this particular spot received some pretty amazing golden light.  

***

The morning came quickly.  

I hiked down the ridge to my favorite overlook on the entire west coast known as Natural Bridges.  The light was still nowhere near what I was hoping for, but the waves were thundering in nicely.  I set up a tripod, composed my frame, and began experimenting with different photo ideas to include the Michelob product.

As the sun began to rise, the fog and haze caught the golden atmosphere I was hoping for.  Beams came shining through the trees and suddenly, everything came to life.  

At one point, the camera was firing non-stop on a timer while the drone whizzed back and forth.  Sophie was still in the UK at this time, leaving me to try to film and photograph everything on my own.  Occasionally, someone would happen by and inevitably laugh (or cringe) at the lunatic running around the rocky cliffs with a beer at 8am.  

A couple hours and a few dead batteries later, I finally packed up the shoot.  If I didn’t have it yet, I was never going to get it.

After recharging and a much-needed power nap, I spent the remainder of the day running around the cliffs of Samuel Boardman photographing the waves from various places.  Rather than focusing my attention on the landscapes, I observed the colors and textures in the waves themselves.  The waves curled and crashed poetically, dancing and tumbling in time while the seagulls sang to the sweet ocean music.

We all know what happened next.  I organized one more shoot in the Shasta-Trinity Wilderness of Northern California and was selected for the Chief Exploration Officer job a few months later.  Ironically, despite loving so many of the photos and footage I captured on this morning shoot, none of it was submitted in the end and it has sat dormant ever since.

I decided to feature this photoshoot for the Moment of the Month because it felt a shame that such a wonderful morning sat in digital folders never to be shared with the world.  It also occurred in November of last year, which felt fitting.

I had actually forgotten all about this folder until my brother-in-law requested a mood board for photos he could print and display in his new home office.  He wanted something dramatic and conversational that was taken in Southern Oregon as an ice breaker for clients in other parts of the world.  In the end, he chose a massive 36×24 inch metal print of “Ocean Spirit” from this very shoot, which can be seen in the gallery at the top and in the “Order Prints” section.

Sophie and I are very much looking forward to seeing the king waves again this year when we visit Shore Acres this weekend.  We will be staying with a fan-turned-friend (shoutout to Jan!) whom I met through the same photography account where I was introduced to the rest of you.  

This must be the third or fourth Moment of the Month in the nine we have published that has mentioned a meet up with one of my subscribers!  I think it is just amazing how a love for art and nature can bring people together, but it is especially incredible how often we have been able to transcend the digital divide and become real life friends.  I hope to meet many more of you in the months and years to come.

You can find the featured photos for November’s Moment of the Month in the gallery below.

KING TIDE & OREGON GALLERY

Additionally, you can browse photos from past Moments of the Month, and have the choice of printing those that speak to you on traditional photo paper or metal.

Metal prints produce more vibrant colors, deeper contrast, and a three-dimensional aesthetic that accentuates the stylistic ethos of our photography.

If you see anything you like in this Moment of the Month that you cannot find on the gallery, just send us an email at: [email protected]

Don’t forget: If you are subscribed as an ART LOVER, you will receive your monthly 10% off promo code via email.  Simply enter the promo code at checkout!

While not directly related to this Moment of the Month, you may enjoy our National Parks Gift guide.  We have compiled over 65 of our favorite gifts for National Park lovers for the holiday season.

We also have plenty of Oregon guides that you may be interested in.  

• Southern Oregon Photography Locations
• Southern Oregon Coast Guide
• Waterfalls of Southern Oregon Complete Guide
• Top 15 Places to Visit in Oregon
• Top 10 Places to Visit on the Oregon Coast
• Top 15 Waterfalls in Oregon
• Silver Falls State Park & Trail of Ten Falls Complete Guide
• The Complete Thor’s Well Guide
• The Complete Painted Hills of Oregon Guide

This month’s Photo of the Month was taken at Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor in Oregon.

If you would like to make this image your desktop or mobile wallpaper, you can do so by downloading the images using the links below:

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As mentioned in the story above, the biggest announcement is that we are finally going to settle in for a bit in our new home in Beaverton, Oregon!

We are doing this to allow us to seek some life balance while also focusing on growing our business into something sustainable enough to rely on. 

For most of 2022, we will be planted at home working 12+ hours per day in an effort to get our small business off the ground.  We will do our best to post new content whenever possible but will be very limited with meet-ups, workshops, and social engagements.

If you have any questions about the Moment of the Month club, you can find frequently asked questions and more information by clicking here.

If you have a question that is not covered, just send us an email or message on social media!