Fulfilling a bucket list item of a trip to the Outer Banks, I found a workshop led by a local Outer Banks photographer. He specializes in landscapes and wildlife so I thought it would be a great one. And as it turned out it was awesome. We did nighttime, sunset and starscape photography. Throw in a once in a lifetime solar eclipse and it was priceless. Before the workshop I made stops on the drive up. My first stop was Georgetown, South Carolina. This small town has a historic waterfront area with shops, restaurants and shrimp boats. It is also close to Pawleys Island that is very scenic but not very tourist friendly. There were tons of old wooden docks that went out into the sawgrass but no place to park close by. There was also a pier but once again no access unless you are staying a particular resort.
The second leg of the trip took me to New Bern, North Carolina. This was another historic waterfront town including the famous Tryon Palace. Unfortunatley a rain storm came in so I spent a bit of time sitting at the waterfront in the car. Thinking I would go back early morning before heading to the Outer Banks never materialized since we had heavy fog that morning.
Before arriving at Nags Head, I made a stop at Roanoke Island to look around and check out the Manteo Lighthouse. I planned to go back later for a sunrise. The workshop actually started Sunday evening. We met at the hotel and loaded up gear for our first stop to shoot sunset at Bodie Lighthouse. The nice thing about this lighthouse is that the grounds are open all the time. Once it was dark enough we worked on shooting the milkyway. It was very challenging working in the dark and getting the right settings. My lens was not fast enough to limit the amount of grain I got with an iso of 3200 to 6400. After the workshop I went back and tried shooting with a 1.8 35mm lens. Although my range of view was limited, it was more successful for me. I also went early to get focused before it got dark. Before I attempt another milkyway, I will get a better lens by renting one or purchasing one.
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| This was taken after the workshop with the 35mm 1.8 lens. |
The second day of the workshop had a bonus of a Solar Eclipse. It was about 90% on the Outer Banks but totally awesome. We headed down to the end of Hatteras National Seashore looking for birds but none to be found.
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| Frisco Pier on Hatteras Island |
After dinner we went to Frisco Pier for sunset and then starscapes. This pier has been partially destroyed by storms but makes it much more interesting. This pier was a little easier to shoot since there was some light on it from nearby beach houses. The next stop was a small beach boardwalk in a very dark location. With the help of a little light painting the boardwalk was more visible. On the way back to the hotel we made one more stop at Bodie Lighthouse. By this time the bugs were more than fierce and tiredness was setting in. I knew that when I kept shooting wih the lens cap on. Actually that is easy to do when it is pitch black.
I stayed two more days after the workshop to see more of the Outer Banks hotspots. The next morning with not enough sleep I went down to Nags Head Pier for a so so sunrise.
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| Nags Head Pier |
After a stop at Duck Donughts for some of the local favorites and some coffee, I drove to the Currituk Lighthouse the Whalebone club, and Duck. On the way back I stopped at the Wright Brothers National Monument so see where aviation got its start. For sunset I returned to Bodie Lighthouse. After the light was fading I had my place for the milkyway chosen and my focus was set and taped down I waited for it to get dark. The milkyway started to show up about an hour after sunset. I had to wait for all the tourists to leave. The wind was strong but that made the bugs tolerable. One other photographer showed up on the tower so I wasn't all alone with the critters. More photographers showed up later who were light painting the lighthouse with no regard for other people who were there. Many of the long exposures were ruined by their actions. But I did manage to get a couple of shots where the sky was clear and the light pollution was minimal.
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| Manteo Lighthouse |
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| Colorful Beach Houses |
The following morning I went over to Roanoke Island hoping for a decent sunrise. The sun rises to the side of the lighthouse and wasn't very impressive. You take what you get. After some more Duck Donughts I went back out to Bodie Lighthouse. This time there were too many tourists so I left. In the late afternoon I went to Jockeys Ridge State Park which is the largest and highest sand dune on the east coast. It is quite a hike but worth it because the view is amazing.
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| Folly Beach Pier |
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| Magnolia Gardens Live Oaks |
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| Old Sheldon Church Ruins |
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| John's Island Shrimp Boats |
I stayed in Charleston for two nights on my way home. I shot the sunrise at Folly Beach Pier and then stopped for some pics of the shrimp boats. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens was next on the list. Having been there in the springtime when the azaleas were in bloom, it was not quite as spectacular. I was fortunate to see a barred owl near one of the ponds. The swamp garden was interesting but the birds were scarce. Wrong time of year for it, I guess. Before heading back to the hotel I stopped at the infamous Angel Tree. It is quite impressive but difficult to get a great photo between the contrasty light and the multitude of tourists. I gave up on going to Botany Bay and Boone Hall. I will save those spots for another trip. Charleston is actually not that long of a trip so maybe in the spring I will return.
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