Coastal North Carolina - Prime Spots

[scott_hotaling]

Hey everyone, I'll be spending a week approximately on the border of NC/SC

(specifically Sunset Beach) and I'm looking for some location tips.

 

Anything in the SE coastal area, the farther south in NC the better, would be

great to know...

 

Also, any tips for shooting at the beach (this is mostly geared towards

landscapes) I'd love to hear, don't want to waste my time down there...

 

Thanks.

 

- Scott Hotaling

[jeffrey_blake_adams]

I enjoyed time in Southport, around the docks and old downtown, also a short ferry to Bald Head Island offers some nice scenery and an old lighthouse. Jeffrey

[david_gardner2]

One interesting thing about the Beaufort area is that the land is running mostly East-West, making it pretty easy to compose landscapes with ocean, beach and sunset/sunrise.

[jo7hs2]

Just curious, while we are on the subject of the Carolina coasts, does anybody know the name of that estuary where the dolphins fish on the edges of the tidal "mud zones", and whether it is on public land?

 

I remember it from a documentary, and I think it is in South Carolina, rather than North Carolina. Not really interested so much in photographing there, just curious if anybody knows.

[aramat57]

Oak Island/Southport is nice and the Oak Island Light, if you like lighthouses, as well as Baldy. Also, the beach at Oak Island faces southwest in some places, so you could get a sunset shot over the ocean.

 

I know the dolphins go up the river at Edisto, SC. That is a little further south, between Charleston & Savannah. Lots of dirt roads at Edisto, old churches, Gullah life, salt marshes.

 

Carolina Beach State Park has a pretty marina and Venus Flytraps.

 

The battleship North Carolina is in Wilmington, if you're intrested in that sort of thing.

 

Charleston, SC has a really cool new bridge.

 

Have a good trip! Tammy<div></div>

[mike_hardiman]

Hopefully not too late with this.

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With the sun setting/rising south of east this time of year, you can get some good shots from the Brunswick County beaches... keeping the land and ocean in the same shot. Try playing with the intertidal zone (wet sand) with the low sun angles. Nice colors.

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Birds such as pelicans and gulls are all over the place on the beaches early in the morning.

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Fishing Piers are rapidly disappearing landmarks across the Carolina coasts. You'll find a group of "good ol' boys" every morning on just about any pier in the area. Also... walk under the piers for some interesting perspectives.

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Another cool spot not too far away is Lake Waccamaw... both the State Park, but also the road that follows the shoreline heading in the opposite direction from the park. There's a public boat ramp at the end of that road with some good views. Very marshy/boggy area.

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Oak Island Light may not be the prettiest of lighthouses, but it has its character.

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Southport is OK... a bit over rated. Architecture isn't really all that impressive compared to downtown Wilmington.

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Make the trek over to see Old Baldy on Bald Head Island if you can. Bald Head is a yuppy colony, but the ferry is open to the public. No cars on the island, but the lighthouse is an easy walk from the docks. Check the timing for a tour. You are free to roam the lighthouse after the guided tour for some nice shots. This time of year, on a weekday... crowd control should not be an issue. There's a nice picket fence surrounding the site that can act as that "added element" to play with in setting up a shot.

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Check out Calabash and roam the fishing docks. Fair number of shrimp boats in that area.

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Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington has nice self-guided tours... and you can freely roam the top decks. Best (accessible) view of the city skyline is on the stern of the ship, with the ensign (american flag) in the foreground.

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Wilmington Riverwalk is also nice, as is most of downtown. Outside of downtown there are a few rough areas and probably the worst example of urban planning and sprawl in the country. Horrible traffic with clogged roads and never ending seas of strip malls. It seems that about 75% of the population is made up of transplanted New Yorkers... and they brought their bad driving habits and poor attitudes with them. Drive very defensively should you trek up US 17 through the sprawl. Thank god for the new bypass that no one ever uses!

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The south end of Topsail Island (a bit of a trek for you) is very nice at low tide. There is public access and you can walk out on the wide tidal flats... just be respectful of the dunes. Surf City has a very nice pier.

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Snead's Ferry also has some real local culture and an active fishing fleet. Takes some exploring to find it though... it's well east of the "commercial center."

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For inspiration: <BR>

<a href="http://www.vtphoto.com/index.php?content=gallery.php&galleryname=northamerica_carolinas">My NC Photos</a><BR>

 

<a href="http://www.peterdoranphotography.com/">Peter Doran Photography</a>

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Enjoy!<BR>

-Mike Hardiman