The 2021 Saltwater Retreat - Cape Hatteras Photography Workshop
After a year and a half of living in the pandemic, we all were anxiously hopeful leading up to the 2021 Saltwater Retreat. When the day finally arrived for us all to gather on Hatteras Island, you could feel our collective relief and excitement.
Hatteras Island was really showing off on the first day. We photographed a beautiful sunrise at the Avon Pier, visited the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse during the day, photographed long exposures and sunset at Lighthouse beach, and returned to the Lighthouse to shoot it under the Milky Way.
Storms and rain kicked off day two, but gave way to an incredible sky as the storm was moving off the coast. We watched from the deck for a few minutes before grabbing our bags and rushing to the beach just in time for a double rainbow.
We spent the afternoon exploring other areas of the Outer Banks and visited the Elizabethan Gardens where we mostly photographed spiders ;-)
A stop in Manteo is always a must. After a picnic lunch in the park, we explored the charming coastal town.
After working up an appetite in Manteo, we stopped at Surfing Spoon for a sweet treat before heading to Jeanette’s Pier. I loved exploring the overgrown grasses and lingering flowers.
With plenty of light left in the day, we stopped at the Bodie Island Lighthouse. While we wished for clouds, we enjoyed the view from the gazebo.
We ended the day at the Bodie Island Lifesaving Station enjoying the soft evening light and peaceful pastels.
Day 3 started with another breathtaking sunrise at the Avon Pier. A few of us decided to go explore on the pier to capture new vantage points.
After our plans to take the ferry to Ocracoke was thwarted, we enjoyed a nice lunch at Waterman’s and a long afternoon at the Rodanthe Pier. The reflections from the tide were absolutely incredible.
Sunset was spent on the shores of the Pamlico Sound. While the sky wasn’t quite what we had hoped, we experimented with panning and long exposures.
After 4 days of being spoiled with the weather, the last day of the retreat was filled with rain. We spent much of the day on our computers editing, sharing photos, and watching Nights in Rodanthe. During a quick break in the storms, we set out to the beach in search of shorebirds.
The Saltwater Retreat is a women’s photography retreat and creativity workshop designed to educate, inspire and help you become the photographer you long to be. Held on the shores of Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks of North Carolina, this is chance for women photographers to spend a week immersing themselves in the craft of creating photographs without the distractions of home, this photography trip is more of a vacation than a workshop. I invite you to join me at the next Saltwater Retreat.