New home for sale: priced to move. Bargain. May have dings, dents, and considerable blemish to the finish. Spacious interior. Unconditioned space. Single occupancy preferred. Best offers only. Shark-Eye Moon Snail Shell found along Cape Hatteras National...
Pure seascapes are something I love to shoot. Nothing but the ocean and the sky. The interface between land and water; marine and terrestrial. Moving water is mesmerizing to me and so fun to shoot behind the lens. Add some good light and all the ingredients are...
The Outer Banks are part of a lichen biodiversity hotspot. I had no idea! I'm familiar with lichens from my work in the Southern Appalachians, often considered the crown jewel of lichen biodiversity in this country. But, the Outer Banks? It turns out that the...
I want to be better at photographing intimate scenes. Like many, I chased grand landscapes when I began my career as a full time photographer. The grand landscape was the quickest and straightest route. In many respects, the grand landscape was a trail I felt I had...
There are four types of Whelk shell that I run into when beachcombing Cape Hatteras National Seashore: the knobbed whelk, the pear whelk, the channel whelk, and the lightning whelk. This is a Lightning Whelk shell. Similar to knobbed whelks in appearance, it's only...
The forecast on this morning was for freezing ground fog. I couldn't recall a similar forecast. Consequently, I wasn't sure how to choose a sunrise location. So, I played it safe. By first light I was out behind the historic Bodie Island Lighthouse in South Nags...
What are the best conditions to photograph a lighthouse? Worthwhile question, or wrong question all together? I'm leaning towards this question being worthless. Every place--every subject--has different faces, different personalities and different characters at...
What the small village of Duck, North Carolina lacks in public beach access it tries to make up for with beautiful soundside parks. A one-mile, elevated wooden boardwalk snakes around the shores of the Currituck Sound and through retail shopping centers over an area...
A question I field regularly is whether I prefer incoming (push) or outgoing (pull) waves. The only way to answer that question is, it depends! Without situational context, I would tell you outgoing waves. Shooting with water in the frame generally means wet feet,...
The rust on the pilings of the Duck Research Pier fascinates me. Like many experimental photographs, this frame represents the early exploration of an idea that has yet to fully materialize. Color, texture, lines...somehow they could all be better arranged to create...
Tonight is the Full Wolf Moon. Here's the January 2019 Wolf Moon reflecting into Shallowbag Bay near the Elizabeth II replica ship in Manteo, North Carolina. The Elizabeth II is part of Roanoke Island Festival Park. The replica Elizabeth II ship is representative...
Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is my comfort blanket. It's where I go when I want solitude. Above all, it is a place to be creative without purpose or plan. A thirteen mile stretch of barrier island absent development, Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge was...
I don't make it a point to avoid popular destinations. My rule is simple: if I see other photographers/tripods at the location, I move on to a different location. I'm trying to avoid the feeling of being trapped. When other photographers are setup on and actively...
Knobbed Whelk shells are quite the prize for non-discriminate beachcombers. Non-discriminate because they are rather gratuitous in size! Their thick, strong shells allow many Knobbed Whelks to make it through the rough surf and onto the beaches of Cape Hatteras...
Bad weather is good weather for landscape photography. Bad weather is what drove me towards the Oregon Inlet Lifesaving Station on this particular evening. During January in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, bad weather means some sort of cold front. And cold...
I like to walk. It's a large part of how I develop a relationship with the land. Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is a wonderful place to walk in the Outer Banks (OBX). There's no development, few people, and miles of beautiful sand and ocean. On a winter...
During a predawn beachcombing expedition along Cape Hatteras National Seashore I found this large chunk of coral. It measured probably twelve inches wide and weighed as much as a bowling ball. It was still dark when I dug it out of the wet, loosely packed shell hash...
There are advantages and disadvantages to setting up base camp at different locations throughout the Outer Banks. The purpose of the project is going to dictate optimal location. For me, however, all things equal, Manteo is the best of the best. The only...
Reflection photography is hit or miss with my clients and friends: they either love it or they don't get it! Obviously, I love it :-). The historic Whalehead Club--originally called Corolla Island-- is a 21,000 square foot Great Gatsbyesque mansion built in 1925 and...
One of the neatest things about beachcombing is the surprising combination of color, pattern and shape of individual shells. Winter is the perfect time to beachcomb. Walking keeps you warm and the cold temperatures--and often gusty winds--keep the crowds far from...
In March of 2020 the Ocean Pursuit, a 73-foot steel-hull commercial scallop trawler, beached along the Bodie Island Spit. The spit is just north of Oregon Inlet and part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. North Carolina's barrier islands are infamous for...
As I write this in late December, my area of Northern Virginia is but a sprinkle of rain from being the wettest year on record (Update: we got the extra rain and we broke the record). 2018 was wet. The damp certainly had its effect on annual blooms and seasonal...