Drew Doggett’s studio is pleased to announce the release of Ephemeral Shores—Drew’s first color photography series—immortalizing a particularly intriguing stretch of beach along the Oregon Coast called the ‘Neskowin Ghost Forest.’ The series celebrates a specific part of the world at risk of slipping away unsung due to changing water levels and other climate-related factors—after an estimated 2000 years on Earth.
Two thousand years ago, an earthquake shifted part of an ancient Sitka spruce forest into the tidal zone here. Until a series of particularly violent storms in the late 1990’s the remains were preserved, buried deep within the sand. Today this area is known by locals as the ‘Neskowin Ghost Forest,’ only visible amongst the sand and surf of the Pacific Ocean during the lowest of tides in winter. The now-constant exposure to the elements means it is likely these trees will decompose faster than ever, eventually to disappear entirely.
Though the trees were revealed by violent storms and are a big part of what drew me to this location, I’ve chosen to hone in on the ocean as a serene counterpoint to the drama and tension of the disappearing forest.
While the wrath of the ocean can be felt at times, the gentle slope of the Neskowin shores provides an endless set of waves swirling in different directions as they make landfall, creating a peaceful arrangement. To see the trees against the backdrop of the constant ebb and flow of waves, the photos articulate the fleeting nature and the particularly short amount of time where the trees can be seen above the surf. Even in the most ideal conditions, the smallest movement in the tide causes them to vanish from sight.
