My Top 5 OBX Photography Locations
Looking through my portfolio, there is one things very clear…. I LOVE THE OUTER BANKS! Personally, if I could live there full time, I would! There’s something special about driving down NC HWY 12, windows rolled down, beach music playing, and taking in all the NC coast has to offer. I spent much of the COVID-19 Pandemic visiting the OBX, and when I lived in Norfolk, VA, I was down at the beach most weekends! Having driven the entire length of NC HWY 12, from Ocracoke to Carova, I’ve collected a nice collection of shots and locations to visit. These are my top 5 photography stops that you MUST SEE when you travel to the Outer Banks!
5. Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
Who doesn’t love the fact that the tallest lighthouse on the East Coast is located in NC along the Outer Banks? The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is truly remarkable, especially considering that the lighthouse was physically moved 2,900 ft in 1999. I love getting shots of this lighthouse, however, this lighthouse is a popular tourist destination, so getting “original” shots are hard to come by. The property is also well maintained so getting off the path for a unique shot could be tricky. Nevertheless, it’s worth the trip. Take you camera to the beach while you’re there, as the lighthouse towers high above the dunes and with the right editing, you can get a truly remarkable shot.
4. Corolla, NC (cor-ah-lah)
Corolla, NC is where the NC HWY 12 “ends” (the asphalt part anyways). Corolla is as far north along the Outer Banks you can go without a 4X4 Vehicle. During my trips in 2020, I had my lifted Subaru Forester so I was able to get past Corolla and drive up to Carova, right at the border on NC and VA. A few of the shots I took on the beach in Corolla were taken ONLY because I had AWD on the Forester, so please do not drive on the beach if you don’t have an off-roading vehicle! Just along the coast of Corolla sits an ancient forest. The apparent “rocky” beach actually consists of thousands of ancient cedar and oak stumps, thousands of years old. These stumps serve as a reminder to us, that these barrier islands dance off our coast, moving ever closer to the mainland of North Carolina.
If you don’t have an off-roading vehicle, don’t worry! There’s still plenty to do in Corolla, such as the Currituck Lighthouse. While not as tall as it’s sister lighthouse like Hatteras, Bodie, or Bald Head Island, the Currituck Lighthouse isn’t painted like the others! Luckily, the Currituck lighthouse is typically open to visitors and you’ll be able to climb to the top and see both the Currituck Sound and the Atlantic Ocean at the same time! My photography advice here is to capture the architecture of the property. The park where the lighthouse stands is quite colonial, which is a rare site on the OBX, so make the most of those designs!
3. Jockey’s Ridge State Park
Being on Jockey’s Ridge will make you feel like you’re on the sands of Tatooine. In some spots, all you can see are the towering dunes and nothing else. Jockey’s Ridge is certainly a favorite spot of mine… but how’s the photography? Well, you have to play around with the angles and time of day a bit to get a unique shot. Also, if you’re at Jockey’s Ridge during the peak season, you’ll have to do quite a bit of editing to remove tourists from your photos. However, the sunsets are STUNNING, and worth the trek. Just make sure you’re leaving the park as soon as the sun is down, or the park rangers will escort you off as the park closes at sundown! Personally, I believe the best angles for shots here are down by the sound, where there’s plenty of reeds and other brush that help add definition to the foreground. Go out to Jockey’s ridge and see for yourself!
2. Ocracoke
Ocracoke Island comes in at number two on my list for one MAJOR reason… the night skies are perfectly pitch black. In fact, if you look at this light pollution map, you can see just how void of light pollution the island is. No light pollution means a clearer sky to see the Milky Way Galaxy. In fact, it is so dark that between March and October, you can see the Milky Way with the naked eye!
Ocracoke has more than just open skies though! Some of the most beautiful, untouched beaches are on this island, and the island is only accessible by boat or plane, making it even more remote. The dunes are dramatic, and the sunrises are breathtaking! Good luck staying on the island though, Ocracoke is a small fishing village, so you will probably be better off bringing a tent and camping at the state park. My advice for any photographer looking to check out this truly unique place is to be ready for a late night and early morning. My friends and I woke up at 5am to get this shot of the Milky Way, and the morning shot of the dunes. Also, the island is very windy, so make sure your bring a sturdy tripod and a remote for your camera so you can set it into “bulb” mode to capture the milky way! Slow shutter speeds are important to making the most of Ocracoke’s dramatic mornings and nights.
Bodie Island Lighthouse
The Bodie Island Lighthouse is BY FAR my favorite place on the Outer Banks. It’s close proximity to Nags Head and Manteo makes it an easy trek for a couple hours worth of shots. The property that the lighthouse sits on is perfect… set back from the road and sitting on a marsh. As you walk around the property, follow the boardwalk to get an amazing wide angle shot of the lighthouse. My pro-tip for any photographer looking to get a print-worthy shot… get to the lighthouse after a moderate rain so the parking lot fills with about an inch of water. When the parking lot is full of water, and there’s no wind, you can get a beautiful reflective picture like the one below! Be ready to edit out people though, as this is an easy-to-get-to tourist destination, it’s hard to get some private time with the lighthouse. The lighthouse is open 24/7 so there are some amazing opportunities for some night shots if you’re willing to work with the mosquitoes.
If you enjoyed the photographs, consider browsing my three Outer Banks Collections!
