Zooming in on the Outer Banks

After having spent a cozy comfy WARM evening sleeping on the leather FBO couches of Franklin Airport, slaDE~ and I were anxious to make our way west towards the Outer Banks (commonly referred to as the OBX). Wanting to wish our amazing hosts a fond farewell, we made our way over to the drop zone (Triangle Skydiving Center) in the chilly morning wind — 35 degrees Fahrenheit (dang cold for North Carolina in December — mind you, that’s cold for anywhere!).

Always incredibly hospitable, the DZO Greg gifted us with a huge Venison roast (fresh caught, skinned, butchered and frozen by Greg himself) to send us off with huge smiles and promise to return. He even took a photo of me ‘displaying’ an 8 point rack of antlers. A unique experience indeed.

And off we went, enjoying the rolling hills outside of eastern North Carolina, shifting into the Wild Refuges and Swamp Preserves on the east coast plains. It was at this scenic point that I decided to pull out our new D3100 Nikon SLR camera to capture the gorgeous changing landscape. And what a learning curve we were (are still) in for. I’m so excited at this new technology and opportunity to pursue my passion of photography. With a decent zoom lens to complement our standard body lens, I’ve found myself tickled by my cre8tive edge and excitement. So you think that I took lots of photos before? I’ve only just begun! Better free up some space on my hard drive. At double the megapixels of our point-and-shoot, I’m using up space superFAST.

Will let you know my verdict on this camera. But thus far, I’m tickled pink by the photos. Now if only I can learn my cameras functions (especially with exposure and aperture), I’ll be stylin’!

BTW, can anybody out there recommend a good basic photography book that’s clear, concise and extremely valuable in learning the basics of SLR photography (especially with regards to exposure — which can make or break my photos it seems on the SLR thus far!)?

The Outer Banks has its own feel and culture it seems. It revolves almost completely around tourism, and it being December and just above freezing, you can imagine that this might be the ‘low season’. Not digging the cold so much, but love the availability and freedom of empty beaches, empty stores, no lines or wait for any service. During the summer, I hear it is complete chaos and pandemonium here. Not my ideal for spending a quiet and explorative RV vacation!

The restaurants have few patrons, and pretty much only the locals reside here now (the small, friendly Outer Banks community is home to only about 2,200 year-round residents but during the summer season, it soars much higher, when visitors and vacationers flock to the area — I heard guestimates of 10,000?!).

Many facilities are closed for the winter (restaurants stores, lighthouses, museums, etc), so we have to pick our spots wisely. I’m pretty excited about exploring the region, especially the Wright Museum and the Wild Horses of Corolla!