Waldport predawn

Waldport is one of the favorite ports for gathering Dungeness crabs.  Also often seen are red rock crabs.  Individuals are permitted up to 3 crab traps and up to 12 Dungeness crabs a day. 

In Waldport, we visited the public crabbing dock which is open for private crabbing.  Actually we visited this location twice.  The weather was perfect for great sunrise photography and access is so remarkably open, we could explore every corner of this area.  The first morning, we arrived just as the sun was rising and light values were changing by the minute.  The second morning, we got there early, real early, and it was worth the effort.  Even though we were up before the coffee brewers arrived at their kiosks.

We got a chance to set up tripods and try our hand at longer exposure technique.  When it was dark, we had streetlamp lighting which gave our pictures a warm glow.  As the predawn sky lightened, our challenge was to blend the light sources and keep up with the fast changing light values. 

It was fascinating to watch visitors and locals arrive with their crab pots, small boats, and the ever present thermos bottles of hot beverages.  Every generation was represented and there is an unique camaraderie of optimism among us all.  “Today is the day we are getting that great crab or that great photograph.”  It seemed that all of us had great success.