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NORTH CAROLINA:
The Crystal Coast

Towering dunes, clear emerald waters, bottlenose dolphins, wild horses, sea turtles, secluded lighthouses, one of the best untapped birding hot spots on the East Coast, and infinite vistas of sunrises and sunsets - welcome to the Crystal Coast of North Carolina! From the deck of our private boat, we will skim across protected waters as we explore and photograph the series of islands known as Cape Lookout National Seashore and the Rachel Carson Estuarine Preserve (yes, Rachel Carson herself spent countless hours here and included the area in not one but three of her books).

On this photographic expedition we will concentrate heavily on learning how to photograph from boats as well as in and around water. We will discuss and put into practice the elements of using creativity to go beyond cliché coastal sunrises and sunsets. You will also learn how to dive head first into HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography, to expand your creative possibilities.

Coastal landscapes are not the only goals of this workshop though. These islands also are home to the oldest known population of wild horses in North America. The Banker horse, as the breed is called, are the product of 500 years of adaptation to life on windswept and storm battered islands. We will have the opportunity to photograph wild horses in some of the most improbable and exotic of landscapes you can imagine. You simply cannot find these images anywhere else!

This trip can easily be combined with our Smoky Mountains Photo Workshop!

- Accommodations and local transportation during workshop included. Transportation to/from workshop is not included.

- MEALS: Although we will eat as a group, meal costs are not included.

ITINERARY

Day 1 - Arrive and transfer to Beaufort North Carolina
NOTE: For those of you who are adding this trip on as an extension to the Smoky Mountain trip, you will arrive this day as well.

We will check into hotels and explore a bit of the historic waterfront (ask about Edward Teach, a.k.a. Blackbeard the pirate). Once all participants have arrived and checked in, we will meet for a fabulous orientation dinner of local, Down East cuisine.

Day 2 - Rachel Carson Estuarine Preserve
On this day we will be introduced to the wild horses on Carrot Island as well as begin our photographic hunt for dolphins.

Day 3 - Cape Lookout National Seashore
We will leave Beaufort and transfer over to the uninhabited islands of Cape Lookout National Seashore where travel is strictly by 4x4 vehicle driving in the sand. Once settled in, we will head out to become acquainted with the geology and natural history of the island while we scout for our evening shoot of the historic village and Cape Lookout Lighthouse.

Day 4 - Sunrise on the Cape
We will begin our day with a pre-dawn excursion out to the Cape for sunrise photography. We will then spend the rest of the morning working on creative wave imagery, dunescapes, and intimate coastal photography. That evening we may opt to head over to another island called Shackleford Banks to photograph the horses swimming out to feed upon distant marsh islands, and wrap up with a sunset from the maritime forest.

Day 5. We will depart the island and head home.