Camera In Hand Oak Island

Fireworks over the Cape Fear River
The Fourth of July fireworks display lights up the waterfront in Southport, North Carolina on Wednesday, July 4, 2012 as seen from the Caswell Beach community on Oak Island. Incorporated as the N.C. 4th of July Festival in 1972, Southport’s festival includes a parade, a civil war re-enactment, a sailing regatta, and a car show.(©2012 Kevin Seifert Photography)

I cannot say enough about my love for the North Carolina coast. With a wedding photoshoot in Emerald Isle’s Salter Path to end the month of June, I was treated to a drive down the coast to my second location in Oak Island.

On my arrival, I was treated to watching the ibis flocks before hitting the beaches to thousands of vacationers on the normally peaceful oceanfront landscape. I thought it was great for the island’s economy to have a great pre-4th of July weekend.

Ibis Migration NC Coast
An Ibis perched on a Caswell Beach backyard tree stump shakes itself as it attends to its plumage after snacking on critters in the mud as the tide subsides. (©2012 Kevin Seifert Photography)

Then Independence Day came. The above photo was an example of the great scenes and connections between the coastal communities. As a member of the Oak Island-Southport Chamber of Commerce, I am proud of how these two communities and Bald Head Island share resources.

After the trip, I became connected more to the community and discovered the Save the Cape movement to prevent a giant shipping yard from being developed which would call for very deep dredging of the Cape Fear River. I am not yet sure of the impact both environmentally and economically, but I am impressed by the activists in Brunswick County that rally to ascertain information.

The title of this post is a reference to a book project I am working on finishing up before the summer lets out. The handy field guide will give insight into the special nooks that most vacationers miss. The book will be full of sample images to better one’s own skills behind the viewfinder.

Email me if you are interested in proof-reading or just want more information on the book.