Susan Seubert photographs Jacobsen Salt for National Geographic Traveler

Recently I was assigned by National Geographic Traveler Magazine to photograph the process of making salt from sea water harvested from Netarts Bay, Oregon, at the Jacobsen Salt Company. The story has been published in the February/March 2016 issue of the magazine, which focuses on water-loving getaways.  The idea for the project was to document the entire process of making salt – from sea water to the pure crystalline mineral.  The shoot was scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, but when I saw the awful weather forecast, I left Portland early so that I could arrive Sunday to scout, and possibly photograph.  Arriving a day early turned out to be a good decision because we ended up having a nice afternoon with sun breaks and an astonishingly beautiful sunset. The following two days were solid rain as a very large storm slammed into Netarts.  Working under an umbrella held by a heavy-duty C-stand allowed me to continue to work outside, despite the deluge. I truly enjoyed working with Ben Jacobsen and his crew.  They made it easy to get some great images, despite the typically challenging weather at the Oregon coast.  Below are a few of my favorites.

Jacobsen Salt Company in Netarts, Oregon, USA. Their main products are flake and kosher sea salts available for sale in their store in Portland, Oregon. Pictured here is Jacobsen Flake Salt.

Jacobsen Salt Company in Netarts, Oregon, USA. The salt is harvested from sea water pumped from Netarts Bay in to their facility located on the shore of the bay. Pictured here is salt being sifted in order to grade and separate the salt.

Pictured here is the salt being harvested from the evaporation pans using specially adapted shovels.

Netarts Bay, Oregon, where Jacobsen Salt Company harvests its sea water in order to make flake salt.

Jacobsen Salt Company in Netarts, Oregon, USA. Pictured here is owner Ben Jacobsen.

All of the images were photographed with a Canon 5D Mark III with various Canon lenses.  All of the images were shot in RAW and processed using Adobe’s Lightroom CC software.  All photographs are copyright © 2016 Susan Seubert and may not be used in any form without prior written permission from Susan Seubert.

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Travel and Lifestyle Photographer Susan Seubert shoots Manzanita Oregon for National Geographic Traveler

Beautiful clouds mimic the breaking waves at Neakahnie Beach in Manzanita, Oregon

One of the best places on the Oregon Coast is the town of Manzanita.  It’s only about two hours from Portland and Neahkahnie Beach, which fronts this beach town, is one of the best beaches in the state.  The beach is 7 miles long and very flat, making it ideal for walking, throwing a Frisbee, or finding a nice piece of driftwood on which to sit and watch the gorgeous and powerful Pacific Ocean.  It never feels crowded here, yet there’s always someone walking a dog or playing with their kids, or even riding horses! The town of Manzanita has an amazing grocery store with a fantastic deli for a picnic lunch as well as a marvelous bakery where you can get hot cinnamon rolls and a great cup of coffee along with hand-made bread. On top of all this there’s the Cloud and Leaf book store, so if you are there on a rainy weekend, you can pop in and find a good read.  With its Bed and Breakfasts and lovely little restaurants, for a weekend getaway at the ocean, Manzanita is hard to top.  I was very excited when I received this assignment because I have spent many weekends and day trips here, so I know the place well.  However, being able to frame my adventure with a photo assignment gave the trip an added dimension.  Since the story wasn’t simply about Manzanita but part of a larger story about Great American Beach Towns, it was a way for me to demonstrate my Oregon pride.  I moved here from the Midwest in 1988 and never looked back, largely because of the natural beauty Oregon has to offer, from its grand beaches like Neahkahnie, to the Cascade Mountains, the wine country, the high desert, the Painted Hills, Crater Lake and the Columbia River Gorge.  Manzanita is a perfect example of what makes living in Oregon so wonderful.  I hope that this story inspires you to visit Oregon.  You can see the online gallery of pictures from National Geographic Traveler’s American Beach Towns here.

Dennis and Peggy Awtrey entertain guests at their hillside B and B in Manzanita, Oregon

Chef Brian Williams stands outside of his restaurant The Big Wave Cafe in Manzanita, Oregon