Guest Post from Brooke Mayo: How to Prepare for an Outer Banks Photo Shoot

Posted on January 27, 2012

Outer Banks Photography: Brooke Mayo

Yesterday, I threw out some virtual high-fives to Brooke Mayo for her brand spanking new book, and in that post I mentioned that Brooke has graciously agreed to join us once again for Club Seaside in 2012.

We are super duper excited to have Brooke back for our 4th year together…has it already been 4 years?! Wow.

To help y’all prepare for your fabulous OBX photo shoot with Ms. Brooke, we asked the famed photog if she would whip up a guest blog post for us, and ta da!

Here we go, Brooke’s tips on How to Prepare for an Outer Banks Photo Shoot. Enjoy…

“Photo Tips for the Modern Family” – Brooke Mayo

We are Brooke Mayo Photographers and have been photographing families on the beach since 2001. Brooke Mayo Photographers consists of three photographers, Brooke Mayo Carrie Roen and Candace Owens. We are photographers who LOVE, LOVE, LOVE what we do!

We want to capture you and your family as you are, each relationship is dynamic and we want to show all the expressions you know and some you may not! We will have everyone play, build sandcastles, run through the ocean, pick up shells and make memories! Our style is more photojournalistic, meaning we value candid shots and unposed actions as much as posing – we think you will appreciate the subtle emotions of a family when nobody has to say “cheese”.

Got a big family? Great – we will take shots of the larger group, and break into individual families and the combinations of your choice, to make sure everybody gets that picture with great-uncle Bob. Looking to break away from the traditional beachside portrait? Sure – we can recommend sand dunes, old oak forests, quaint harbors, vineyards, farms and more – the backdrops are endless. It’s the Outer Banks!

When dressing for your family beach portrait, show your personality! Have everyone coordinate but don’t “match.” We want to show who you are as a family!

Wear what shows your personality! We love sundresses, pastels, polka dots and fun props! Try to avoid short skirts (as we often have you jumping in the air or laying in the sand), solid blacks, reds, hot pink/green or bright orange. If one person wears a pattern, have everyone else be in solid colors. We’re happy to help you decide on outfits!

We know you have seen the beach portraits of everyone in khacki and white or jeans and white. In everyday life you don’t all dress the same and you shouldn’t do that for your family portraits either. The white tends to wash most people out and it along with the khacki blends into the sand. Try having one or two people in patterns and the others in solid colors, pastels are gorgeous on the beach!

Also, I know the best times for photos aren’t the best times for kiddos… 630 or 7am or 7pm in the summer on the beach, but it’s the best light. If the photos are done much earlier or later, unless it’s overcast, your faces will be shiny and your eyes squinty and the beaches are much less crowded. If it is overcast, we can schedule throughout the day. Don’t worry that it’s not sunny – direct light is great for sunbathing, but not for pictures!

Bring props, if your kids like playing in the sand and using a shovel and bucket, go for it! We want them to have fun and for it to feel more like a play date rather than a stiff family portrait where they don’t get to enjoy themselves. You can even bring ice cream for the end of the shoot, make sundaes on the beach, or just eat a cone… it doesn’t get much more summery than that!

We come to frolick with you and your family at your rental home or any other location you’d like! Some of our favorite locations such as local parks and vineyards are clearly marked with ample parking.

Outer Banks Behind the Lens: 2011 Year in Pictures

Posted on January 5, 2012

Outer Banks: 12.31.11 - Last OBX Sunset of 2011

It’s official, 2012 has arrived. We’re looking forward to an amazing year on the Outer Banks, but before we move ahead, let’s pause for a quick look back.

As I’ve mentioned in my other Outer Banks Behind the Lens posts, each and everyday I try to make time to get to the beach to snap a photo and give a quick beach report. This morning routine has become one of my favorite times of the day. In addition to the morning photo, I do my best to snap great OBX photos anytime I see them.

I just put the finishing touches on a slideshow of all my Outer Banks pictures on Flickr, and in my humble opinion, it’s pretty cool. Definitely a relaxing way to kill a few minutes.

A full year of Outer Banks pictures for 2011 – beach, Sound, sunrise, sunset, storms (ah hem, Hurricane Irene!), gorgeous beach days, fish, surfing, a double rainbow, and even Scooby Doo’s Mystery Van!

Overall, a pretty great year on the OBX. Here’s to an even better 2012!

Enjoy…

Outer Banks Behind the Lens: December 2011

Posted on January 2, 2012

Outer Banks: 12.31.11 - Last OBX Sunset of 2011

Happy New Year! Can you believe it?! 2012?!

Wow 2011 flew by. I suspect 2012 will have a similar pace. But I’m going to do my best to help us appreciate some of the simple things – like great Outer Banks photos.

The OBX is a pretty great muse. It’s difficult to take a bad OBX photo, and it’s easy to find inspiration on a daily basis.

Each and everyday I try to make time to get to the beach to snap a photo and give a quick beach report. I share these on a variety of websites, and one of these fabulous websites –Flickr – gives me the ability to create nifty slideshows.

As we close out each month, I collect the OBX photos for the month and craft a quick and easy slideshow to remind us of how beautiful the month was; i.e. Outer Banks Behind the Lens.

Since we just flipped the calendar to January, let’s take a look back at December on the Outer Banks, shall we? Enjoy!

Love the idea? Want to see OBX pictures of something in particular? Just want to say hi? Let me know in the comments section. We love to hear from you.

PS – Should I put together a slideshow for all of 2011? I’m thinking yes, right?

Outer Banks: Hurricane Irene – Before, During, & After – 8.28.11

Posted on August 29, 2011

Outer Banks: Hurricane Irene, After. Dad & child take in the devastation.

Hurricane Irene has come and gone. And she left quite a path of destruction in her wake.

There was a lot of hype leading up to Ms. Irene’s arrival. A potential Category 3 or 4 storm eventually landed on the OBX as a Cat 1. We were all very happy to see Irene’s intensity diminish as she drew close to shore, but the realism of a major storm was always in the back of our minds. Unfortunately, even that realism did not prepare us for the destruction that was about to arrive.

Last Friday (Irene arrived late that night), I took a trip to Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head to get a pre-Irene beach report. It was a nice day, but the conditions were worsening, and it was clear some funky weather was on the way. So, I asked a professional OBX photographer to tag along to capture some of Outer Banks: Hurricane Irene, “Before.” Luckily, Whitney of Whitney Norko Photography agreed to come, and we got some amazing before pictures.

Our plan was do to a “before” and “after” shoot of the same OBX landmarks. In a typical Outer Banks hurricane a before and after route along the “Beach Road” would make sense. But Hurricane Irene was not the typical OBX hurricane. This beast decided to attack the Sound instead of the ocean.

Around midnight on Friday the winds and rain began to pick up, and it was clear Ms. Irene had arrived. The winds and rain remained high throughout the night, but not overwhelmingly so. Around lunch time, my family and I decided to take a trip to the beach to see how things were, and to be honest, they were not terrible. The wind was whipping, and the sand felt like it was piercing my skin, but the beach and “Beach Road” were not seeing too much damage…some siding and shingles coming off homes, but not much significant damage. Here’s a link to my UStream video of the beach…not much to see, but you can get the effect of the wind.

After the trip, we adjourned home to take in the sites and sounds of the afternoon hurricane on the Sound. And the sites and sounds were eerily quiet. Foreshadowing of what was to come?

We took a walk out to the Sound, and it was amazingly empty! When Hurricane Irene began, here winds were blowing hard out of the East, and as a result, she blew almost ALL of the water out of the Sound. We walked 200 – 300 yards past the normal water line and THERE WAS NO WATER!

Here’s a link to my UStream video on the Sound. Unreal is all I can say.

Within a couple hours after I shot that video, everything changed for the worse. Fast! And with force!

Once the eye moved passed, the winds switched to the west/northwest, and all of that Sound water that was pushed out came back, with a vengeance.

Sound-side on the Outer Banks took a beating for about 6-8 hours before the water – and 4-6 foot waves – started to recede. As a result, there is extensive damage on the Sound-side.

Here’s my UStream video of some of the relentless water (storm surge) attacking the OBX…unfortunately, it cuts off, but you’ll get the point.

As a result of the Sound-side destruction from Hurricane Irene, our plans for a “before” and “after” photo shoot needed to be adjusted. Luckily, Whitney Norko Photography agreed to tag along again, and we were able to capture a lot of the OBX damage and devastation first hand.

I’ll warn you upfront, it’s ugly. Let the healing begin!

Meet the Outer Banks Professional Surfers

Posted on September 21, 2010

OBX Hurricane Earl Surf

The Outer Banks is a well-known surf destination, arguably the best surf local on the East Coast, and on great days it can rival most spots worldwide.

As a result of the consistent great surf, many locals grow up with surf in their blood, and a small group of natives have developed their craft into a “Professional” status.

This small group of pros recently zipped off on a surf trip together and Eastern Surf Magazine tagged along to snap some great photos and get the guys to gossip about each other.

Here are links to ESM’s five-part photo series titled “The Professionals.” Included with each photo is audio from the other surfers in the group dishing on the pictured pro.

1. Noah Snyder

2. Jesse Hines

3. Billy Hume

4. Matt Beacham

5. Brett Barley

Hurricane Earl Brings Amazing Outer Banks Surf – Photos to Prove It!

Posted on September 10, 2010

Matt Lusk - Hurricane Earl Outer Banks Surf

Hurricane Earl has moved on, drifted out to sea, dissipated, and faded into our memories. Luckily, we have some amazing photo records of the off-the-chain surf that Earl was kind enough to send to the OBX.

Unfortunately, I can’t take credit for these shots (including the Matt Lusk photo in the top right), but here are some links for you to enjoy.

1. Surfline: This is a pictorial essay jam-packed with ridiculous surfing photos from last week. Most of the 26 photos are from an insane surf session that took place at Avalon Pier last Friday that attracted a few hundred spectators to watch some of the top OBX surfers.

2. Matt Lusk: Matt is seasoned OBX surf photographer that is making waves (pun intended) for his unique eye and amazing pictures (As a side note, look for Matt’s pictures in our upcoming 2011 Outer Banks Vacations brochure due out in early November.). Some of Matt’s pictures are featured in the Surfline link above, and he can also be found on his blog, SurferMag.com, and ESPN.

3. OBX Surf Info: Here’s a video of some of the OBX hijynx during Earl, but surf starts at about the 3:30 mark. Some great video of barrels at the Avalon Pier session. The site also has a few other posts with pictures of the action.

4. And last but not least, here’s our video of the surf leading up to Earl and the aftermath.

Outer Banks History Center Gifted Previously Unseen Photos

Posted on July 20, 2010

A stroke of luck and some kind generosity have led a group of photos from the late 1800’s to the Outer Banks History Center.

The pictures show wreckage from a major hurricane in 1899, and some have never been seen by local OBX historians. Luckily, many of the photos contain hand-written captions describing the scene. One of the photos shows a shipwreck washed ashore, and others display the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and Hatteras Village.

If you have any old OBX pictures, the Outer Banks History Center would love to see them.

Dads on Vacation!

Posted on April 22, 2010

Not specific to the Outer Banks, but still closely related, here’s a simple yet hilarious website that chronicles a comical breed; Dads on Vacation.

Vacation gives everyone the chance to relax, unwind, and lose some inhibitions, and the sometimes stoic father figures are no exception. You now have an online outlet for all of the great photos of Dad enjoying himself on the OBX.