The natural beauty of the Outer Banks and surrounding areas is legendary. Since 1497, when Amerigo Vespuci (for whom America is named after) first anchored inside the Hatteras Bight – the health and beauty of this windswept landscape awash in blowing sand and ocean waves has weaved itself into the imagination and captivated all those who have visited its shores. Arthur Barlowe of the first Roanoke expedition in 1584 wrote several pages on the matter, as did the famed naturalist John Lawson in the late 1600s, and Edmund Ruffin in the 1850s.
Even today, the Outer Banks is considered to be one of the top five most beautiful beaches in America.It has been known by many names over the years: Skeleton Coast, Graveyard of the Atlantic, Rogues Harbor, even Sportsman’s Paradise. Entire colonies have been lost upon these shores. Edward Teach, the legendary Blackbeard the pirate, once called these islands his home and ultimately met his fate by the blade of Captain Maynard here. The greatest act of piracy to occur in the Atlantic took place here, inspiring Robert Lewis Stevenson to write Treasure Island.It was here that man first took flight, and it was here that the first radio waves were sent into the air. Some two thousand shipwrecks lie at its feet, while 5 lighthouses tower above its sands. This is the Outer Banks, that elegant ribbon of sand that unfurls itself along the coast of North Carolina and stands as one of the most distinctive geological features along the eastern seaboard of North America.From the perspective of a photographer, this is a timeless landscape.
The Banks is a world of vibrancy and color, it is a place where landscape still shapes and molds the culture. The aged and weathered ribs of shipwrecks thrust upward through the sands, lighthouses shine out into the night like a beacon of hope to seafarers, wild horses gallop across the beaches, giant forest engulfing sand dunes roll across the landscape. The Outer Banks is one of the few places on the East that the sun both rises and sets into the water. Along its eastern flank the Atlantic Ocean laps upon the shores. To the west, tranquil waters are plied by skiffs, sails, and commercial fisherman and are ringed with expansive salt marshes. The Outer Banks is a place of profound beauty.
We will explore all 120 plus miles of the Outer Banks on this photographic tour de force. From the extreme isolation of Ocracoke Island to the off road adventures that stretch north of Corolla, the Mastering Coastal Photography workshop is quite unlike any other expedition that I offer, or is being offered by others to this area. The classics will obviously make their way into the itinerary: lighthouses, sunrises, sunsets, etc… We will also search for shipwrecks dating back to the 17thcentury, the oldest known population of wild horses in the United States, and you will learn how to extend your photography beyond the boundaries of light in order to create breathe taking images of iconic landmarks.
Hands on opportunities to learn the tools and techniques of creative outdoor photography sit at the heart of this expedition. Don’t know what a reverse graduated neutral density filter is or how to breathe artistic life into images with variable ND filters? You will after this workshop, along with so much more. What better place to offer this unique learning opportunity than the Outer Banks of North Carolina!
Want to secure a spot? Have questions? Are you ready to take your photography to the next level? Shoot me an email. Questions are good and I am happy to help.
Workshop Details
Location: Outer Banks of NC
Cost: $1,800
Lodging: Lodging is included with the price
Dates: October 27 – Nov. 2, 2013
Limited to 5 participants
What You Can Expect:
Other than a heck of a lot of fun, you can expect 5 fulls days worth of immersion into the creative process of outdoor photography on the beautiful coast of the Outer Banks.
Learn how and when to use filters to master natural lighting. Graduated neutral density filters, reverse graduated neutral density, both solid and variable neutral densities, and filter holding systems will be discussed and used extensively.
You will learn about using motion and extreme perspective for drama
Night photography and how to incorporate stars into your images
We will discuss how to shoot for black and white conversions
I will also offer hands on Lightroom, Photoshop, and NIK Software instruction with this workshop
Testimonials from the 2012 workshop
“I learned so much this week, about how to see things in a different way, and creative ways to shoot. . . This workshop was one of the best experiences I have had.”- Becky Zajicek
“This was the best workshop I have ever been on!” - Jeanette Victoria
Workshop Details