A Coastal Photography Trip - From Malibu to Cannon Beach
NAVIGATION | Malibu/PCH/Oregon Coast, Film
I’ve completed the drive from Los Angeles to Seattle twice now, and the only thing I know for sure is that I can’t wait to do it again.
Photographing Malibu, the Pacific Coast Highway, and the Oregon Coast from Natural Bridges all the way up to Cannon Beach is an experience that should be on every photographer’s bucket list.
Whether you luck out with sunsets and glowy golden hour shots, or your trip features fog, mist, and rain, the West Coast is absolutely magical from beginning to end.
Malibu, Pacific Coast Highway, & the Oregon Coast
These shots are from my second time driving up the coast in 2023. Making this trip alone is daunting. It was something like five days and 24 or 28 hours of on-and-off driving to get to Seattle, and on top of the driving, I was car camping along the coast for most of it.
I finally made a quick stop at an Airbnb in Portland to regroup, shower, and get higher-quality sleep. While this was an exhausting adventure, it’s one I’d do again and again.
I cannot recommend this road trip enough. Speaking as someone who has thoroughly explored the United States- from cities to national parks, coastlines, trails, and forests- it is truly one of the most beautiful places in this very large, very diverse country. One spot that I think everyone should see, photographer or not.
All My Favorite Photos from the West Coast
Pacific Coast Highway, On Film
These shots are from the very first two rolls of film I ever shot. Until this trip, the only film I'd ever worked with was the odd Polaroid or occasional disposable camera my mom would pick up for elementary school field trips.
I can't think of a better way to have been introduced to the world of analog photography, and I still love many of these shots, even years later.
I remember how carefully I composed each of these scenes, knowing that each shot was precious. The feeling of getting those first scans back was unforgettable. Everyone should give film photography a shot at least once.
