The photographic opportunities at Botanical Beach are rich. Along with the hundreds of tidepools and the seashore, early morning oceanside fogs in the associated forest yield yet more reasons to carry a camera when visiting. I think this complex scene would be extremely difficult to render under any condition other than a background fog (and I'm speaking from personal experience, having tried similar other photographs dozens of times and having been disappointed).

The trees in the image are red alder. As mentioned and better illustrated in a previous BPotD entry, the bark of red alder is grey, yet often appears mottled with white and green because of a covering of lichens and mosses. The effect is not easily visible in this black-and-white image.

More information on Alnus rubra is available via the Flora of North America project, including a mention of the importance of the tree to First Nations peoples.

Photography resource link: for inspiration, the photography of Oregonian Mark Hudon.