Captured near Newport, Oregon | Nikon D7500

There’s a wild kind of strength in places shaped by storms.

On our recent hiking adventure along the Oregon coast, we came upon this jagged formation standing defiantly against the endless push of the sea. Just off the shore near Newport, this rocky outcrop looked like a sentinel—weathered, scarred, yet unwavering. The waves crashed relentlessly around it, their force no match for the years etched into its volcanic bones.

What drew me to this scene wasn’t just the striking visual—the moss-covered stone, the moody backdrop of rolling fog, the deep slate sky—but the feeling it stirred. Standing there, watching the tide slam against the rocks again and again, I couldn’t help but think of the parallels in our own lives.

We all face waves. Some are gentle; others come roaring with a fury we’re never quite ready for. But like this rock, we endure. We’re shaped by the challenges, worn in places, maybe even broken at times—but still we stand. Still we rise.

This shot was taken with my Nikon D7500, and it captured exactly what I hoped it would: not just the dramatic landscape, but the energy and emotion of the coast in its most honest form. You can feel the wind, the salt, the cold. You can hear the roar of water meeting stone. And maybe, if you sit with it long enough, you can hear something deeper—something reminding you of your own strength.

Nature has a way of giving us the metaphors we need, if we’re quiet enough to listen.