2012 is underway, and we now have one month behind us. I don’t want to jinx us, but it was a pretty fabulous month on the Outer Banks – bright sun, blue skies, 60′s, surf…we could use some more fishing, but overall no complaints.
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 from January 2012 on Flickr, and in my humble opinion, it’s a great way to kill a few minutes.
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.
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.
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!
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?
I hope you’re well on your way to tackling the holiday “to do” list, but I want to give you a good reason for a quick break from the hustle and bustle of the holiday planning onslaught.
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.
What a great way to share some Outer Banks pictures, right? Bingo! Let’s do just that. Let’s share some OBX pictures from the past month. I’m going to do this every month (so be sure to check back…or better yet, sign up by email in the top right ), and I’ve coined the fantastic title of this new series, “Outer Banks Behind the Lens.”
I’m a few days late, but let’s kick it off with all the great images from November 2011. So sit back, kick up those tired feet and enjoy a one minute OBX vacation.
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.
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!
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.
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!
Outer Banks Photography: Hurricane Irene, Before - 8.26.11
Hurricane Irene is bearing down on the Outer Banks. It’s almost midnight on Friday, August 26, 2011, and the wind, waves, rain, and lightning are starting to show up on the OBX.
Within hours we will be engulfed in what some were calling a “50 year storm.”
Perhaps that was hyperbole, or perhaps it is the result of a 24-hour, 7 days per week news cycle that relishes in a high profile “crisis” to boost ratings.
Then again, perhaps it is a “better safe than sorry” mentality that the collective public embraces in times of emergency to protect the thin line between calm reality and chaos that a natural disaster can bring.
At any rate, Hurricane Irene doesn’t seem to be the “50 year storm” that some were predicting. This statement isn’t meant to diminish the threat that the beast Irene is currently bearing down on the OBX. It’s just that the predictions of a Category 3 or 4 storm when it makes landfall on the Outer Banks have adjusted to Category 1, maybe Category 2.
And for this, we are all amazingly thankful. Thank you Mother Nature for showing your kinder, gentler side.
However, I don’t want to jump the gun. While we are thankful that the intensity of Hurricane Irene has diminished, we are still a very realistic lot, and a Cat 1 or 2 hurricane can still bring much destruction…just ask the Cat 1 Hurricane Isabel from 2003.
We’re still asking Ms. Irene very nicely to be gentle to the OBX, and we’re asking you to send us all the good vibes you can spare.
In return, we offer a first-hand, inside look at the Outer Banks during a major hurricane.
Earlier today I made my way to Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head to check out the scene and give a video Hurricane Irene update. As I hit the road, I asked a fabulous Outer Banks photographer, to tag along…and luckily, Whitney of Whitney Norko Photography obliged.
As a result, I have an awesome slide show of “Hurricane Irene, Before” photos to share with you.
We started at Jennette’s Pier and traveled north along the “Beach Road” to capture the feel of the OBX before a giant storm rocked our world.
Our intention is to travel this same route after the storm to share the before and after photos and give us all the impression of what a beastly hurricane can do to the delicate islands of the Outer Banks.
This past Saturday, we had the Seaside Vacations’ photographer cruising around in the 4×4 area snapping some fab photos of Sail Away, a gorgeous 9 bedroom home 8 miles down the beach!
While she was out there, she stumbled upon a group of the OBX wild horses, and she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to capture the moment. Below is a recent post from her blog, Drama Train.
Thanks for the great pictures and great blog post Whitney!
She’s a wild one
The Outer Banks is one of the strangest places on earth. Where else do you drive 8+ miles on the beach to get to your gorgeous million dollar vacation home (or slightly less expensive year-round home) all while dodging other vehicles, dogs, children, grown men acting like children & wild horses?! Carova beach is one of the strangest and coolest places on earth, I’m sure of it. Even though I have spent my entire life living here I still find myself in awe staring at those amazing giant creatures (the wild horses, not the grown men that have had one too many brewskies doing the macarena in the shore break) just walking up and down the beach living their lives even though humans have taken much of it from them. I was “working” down there this weekend so I had the opportunity to whip my camera out and take a few shots of them walking past my car. Remember if you’re ever vacationing down in Carova, North Carolina please stay 50 feet+ away from the horses, it was their beach first. ENJOY & SMILE…
I was doing a little spring cleaning in the office today – I know, it’s not spring, but it’s almost 70′s degrees today, and I’m a believer in positive thinking. Anyway, I came across an old CD buried in the back of a file cabinet, and it turns out it is a CD chock full of some amazing Outer Banks aerial photos.
Matt Lusk is a relative newcomer to the surf photography world. With only a few short years of experience under his belt, he’s making a strong name for himself, and the accolades are starting to accumulate. In fact, you could say he is absolutely blowing up!
Matt can already claim numerous spreads in great publications (Surfer, Surfing, Surfer’s Journal, Eastern Surf Magazine), and now he can add a couple more awards to the memory banks.
2. Matt just scored a two-page spread in Australia’s Stab Magazine Photo Annual book…even the other side of the world digs him! Stab picks only 15 of the best photos from around the world to be featured in the book. Matt’s photo is an aerial photo of South Africas Damien Fahrenfort no hand backside barrel courtesy of Hurricane Earl.
Matt Lusk - 2010 Stab Photo Spread
In addition to capturing awards, Matt is still busy capturing amazing shots. As a great surf photographer must be, Matt is always hard at work looking for the next great photo opp. He recently took a trip up the coast chasing swell, meeting new surf compadres, and snapping great pictures. The trip led him all the way to New England, and Surfer Magazine was kind enough to get them on the web so we could all enjoy: rad pics here.
Matt Lusk - Chilly Surfer Pics
Matt’s on a tear that just cannot be stopped. He just announced today that he scored a spread in the newest issue of Transworld Surf Magazine.
Matt Lusk - Transworld Surf
Matt is also in the process of closing out his 2010 and kicking off his 2011 by posting his top 10 pics of the year, with the accompanying story behind the picture, on his blog. The pics are great, and so are the stories.
And now for what I’m sure is Matt’s biggest honor of the year. :) Matt has been one of the featured photographers for the Seaside Vacations annual brochure for the past two years. Here are a couple examples of the stellar work Matt captured for us this year.
Matt Lusk - Seaside Vacations 2011 Brochure
Matt Lusk - Seaside Vacations 2011 Brochure (rainbow)
Huge congratulations to you Matt! It’s great to see some local OBX talent getting the great recognition they deserve.
And thanks for being a part of our annual brochure! We love sharing your pictures with all of our guests.
Let me know in the comments section. We love to hear from you.
), and I’ve coined the fantastic title of this new series, “Outer Banks Behind the Lens.”
