Many of those who follow this blog are well aware of my love for lighthouses. Living in New England, there are some amazing ones that can be found from Connecticut to Maine. I am always on the lookout for lighthouses wherever I go and my trip to the Oregon Coast this past summer allowed me to visit and shoot quite a number of them.
This particular lighthouse, Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Newport, Oregon, is perhaps Oregon's most picturesque. The light was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers in the 1870's. The lighthouse tower measures 93 feet tall and is the tallest in Oregon.
The day we visited the light, we were attacked by swarms of flies. I am not talking about a few flies but rather hundreds, if not thousands. I asked a volunteer if this was normal and he told me it was, especially when there was no wind. He further informed me that there were two types of flies: ones who bite and ones that didn't and I should be happy that the flies present were the non-biting type.
I wasn't about to give up an opportunity to shoot the light, so I put up with the onslaught to get some shots (my wife and son headed for the car after taking a quick walk to the light). I second guessed myself when, walking back to the car, I spotted another photographer that literally had half of his back covered with flies.