Photographing the West Coast: Coastlines, Wildflowers and Birdlife

There’s something about the West Coast, it’s raw, rugged and unpredictable. From the rocky Atlantic coastline and crashing waves to the winter storms, wildflowers and incredible birdlife, there is always something to photograph.

This time of year is particularly special. The landscape changes quickly with the weather, and while the flower season wasn't as strong this year due to limited rainfall, there were still pockets of colour scattered throughout the landscape.

For me, the West Coast is one of those places where you can head out looking for one photograph and come home with something completely different.

And that's usually when things get interesting.

Chasing the light

One of the biggest reasons I enjoy photographing the West Coast is the light.

Winter storms can bring some incredible conditions. You can have heavy cloud covering the coastline one minute and then suddenly have a small gap open up, allowing sunlight to hit the rocks or ocean.

Those moments don't last long.

This is where I think a lot of landscape photography comes down to patience. You can have the perfect composition, but if the light isn't doing anything interesting, there isn't necessarily much of a photograph there.

I would rather spend an hour waiting for a break in the clouds than rush through ten different compositions.

The weather is also part of the photograph. Don't always look for the clean blue-sky landscape. Some of my favourite West Coast images have been made with storm clouds, mist, rain and rough seas.

Long exposure photography

The West Coast is perfect for experimenting with long exposures, particularly around the rocky coastline.

But when I say long exposure, I don't necessarily mean 30 seconds or several minutes.

In fact, I often prefer something much shorter.

For moving water, try working around 1/4 to 1/3 of a second. This can be enough to create movement and softness in the water while still keeping some texture and direction in the waves.

The result can feel much more natural than completely smoothing the ocean out.

A 3-stop ND filter is really useful for this. It gives you enough control to slow your shutter speed down, particularly when you're shooting in brighter conditions, without forcing you into extremely long exposures.

The other filter I would consider essential is a polariser.

Why I always use a polariser

A polariser can make a huge difference when photographing the West Coast.

There are a lot of wet rocks, water and reflections along the shoreline. The polariser allows you to control those reflections and, depending on the angle you're shooting from, can reveal detail and colour underneath the surface.

It can also help increase contrast and give the image a little more depth.

But don't just put it on and forget about it.

Rotate the polariser while looking through the viewfinder and watch what happens. The effect changes depending on your position relative to the sun, and sometimes you'll want maximum polarisation while other times you'll want to back it off.

This is especially useful when photographing wet rocks. Too much reflection can make them look flat, while the right amount can reveal all the textures and colours underneath.

Wildflowers along the coast

The West Coast is famous for its wildflowers, and when the conditions are right, the landscape can completely transform.

This year wasn't one of the stronger flower seasons. Limited rainfall meant there weren't the huge carpets of flowers that we sometimes get across the region.

But that doesn't mean there was nothing to photograph.

Instead of trying to photograph massive fields of colour, I started looking for smaller pockets of flowers and working much tighter.

A 70–200mm f/2.8 is fantastic for this.

Rather than showing the entire landscape, you can isolate individual flowers or small groups and use a wide aperture to create a soft, blurred background.

Shooting at f/2.8 gives you that shallow depth of field that can make even a small patch of flowers stand out. The background melts away and the photograph becomes more about the colour, shape and detail of the flowers rather than the entire landscape.

This is a good reminder that you don't always need perfect conditions to make a photograph.

Sometimes you just need to change the way you're looking at the scene.

Don't always shoot wide

The West Coast naturally makes you want to reach for a wide-angle lens.

There's a huge sky, dramatic coastline and plenty of foreground interest, so a 14–24mm can be great.

But don't stop there.

A 70–200mm is one of my favourite lenses for this type of landscape because it allows you to isolate smaller sections of the coastline.

Instead of photographing the entire scene, start looking for patterns and details.

A wave wrapping around a rock. A small section of coastline catching the light. Layers of rocks disappearing into the distance. A patch of flowers sitting against a distant hillside.

These tighter compositions can often be much stronger because you're removing all the unnecessary information around your main subject.

It also forces you to slow down and really look at the landscape.

Birdlife along the Atlantic

The West Coast isn't just about landscapes and flowers.

The Atlantic coastline is home to an incredible variety of birdlife, and this is another reason why I like having a longer lens with me.

You can spend the morning photographing waves and rocky coastlines, then suddenly spot a bird sitting on a rock or flying along the shoreline.

The 70–200mm can be a great starting point for these moments, although having something longer is obviously useful when the birds are further away.

Again, it's about being ready for whatever comes along.

I often head out with a landscape photograph in mind and end up spending half the morning photographing birds.

That's part of the fun.

Photograph what's actually there

I think this is one of the most important things when photographing places like the West Coast.

Don't arrive with a photograph you've seen online and try to recreate it exactly.

The conditions might be completely different.

Instead, work with what's in front of you.

If the sea is rough, use it. If the clouds are dramatic, include them. If there are only a few flowers, get closer and isolate them. If a bird suddenly appears, forget about the landscape for a few minutes and photograph it.

The West Coast doesn't need perfect conditions to make a good photograph.

In fact, some of the most interesting photographs can come from the days when the weather doesn't quite go according to plan.

And that's probably why I keep going back.

You never really know what you're going to find.