Wild Horses of the Carolina Coast

For over 400 years the lost horses of European expeditions have roamed across these barrier islands. The ability to adapt to this harsh and inhospitable landscape has stretched the limits of imagination for as long as people have been coming to the Outer Banks. Hurricanes, nor’easter, the intense summer sun, the corrosive salt of the environment, and the absence of fresh water has combined to breed a horse unlike any other on Earth. People travel from all over the world to see these horses where the barrier islands of the North Carolina coast and the Atlantic Ocean provide for a backdrop of unparalleled beauty and uniqueness found no where else.

Outer Banks Wildlife Photography Intensive

The Outer Banks of North Carolina is a Southeastern wildlife photographer’s dream. Wild horses galloping across white sandy beaches, egret and heron rookeries where trees are filled to the brim with wading birds and their nests, oyster catchers, black skimmers, the only place on earth considered to be critical habitat for the endangered piping plover, dolphins playing in the surf, nesting loggerhead sea turtles – this place has it all. For nearly two centuries folks have made annual pilgrimages to these wind swept barrier islands to be immersed within their soft and subtle beauty. For two centuries people seeking reprise from the daily grind and monotony of life have sought out our beaches and wild coastal landscapes for refuge.

Springtime in the Wild South

The poets of our past have long praised the Southern landscape as a paradise in the Spring. Timed to catch this ancient land at the peak of its bounty, join us as we venture into a land reviled by most but loved but those who know it – the swamp. Merchant Millpond State Park is a crown jewel in the State Park system of North Carolina. A two-mile ”L” shaped millpond of flowers, alligators, prothonotary warblers, barn owls, and ancient bald cypress and tupelo gum, you will leave this swamp with new respect of the explosive biodiversity and raw beauty that this seemingly foreboding habitat has to offer.

Crystal Coast Kayak Photography

Of all the places along the North Carolina coast, it is the Crystal Coast that I love to photograph the most. Wild horses, oystercatchers, black skimmers, sea turtles, dolphins, intricate labyrinths of marshes, this place is an outdoor photographer’s dream. With miles and miles of unspoiled, undeveloped pristine barrier islands with a subtropical climate to back it up, there is really is no better way to experience and photograph this place than from the seat of a kayak. The lowered perspective, the access to areas boats cannot reach, and the ability to approach wildlife while keeping them at ease – this is why a kayak is my preferred photographic vehicle of choice.

Wild Horses Photography Adventure

For over 400 years the lost horses of European expeditions have roamed across these barrier islands. The ability to adapt to this harsh and inhospitable landscape has stretched the limits of imagination for as long as people have been coming to the Outer Banks. Hurricanes, nor’easter, the intense summer sun, the corrosive salt of the environment, and the absence of fresh water has combined to breed a horse unlike any other on Earth.