I don’t know about you, but I love traveling for work! As a photographer, I simply adore taking in new scenery and photographing epic sessions for fun-loving couples. One of my destinations this year was the Outer Banks in North Carolina. The backdrops here are literally jaw-dropping — especially compared to my usual photo location in Eastern Pennsylvania. This being my second summer in a row traveling to OBX, I had a pretty good idea of where I wanted to take photos. There are definitely some hidden gems within some of the most popular destinations. Keep on reading because I want to share all my location options and a few lesser known spots on the island.
I had the amazing opportunity to meet Sonia and Joey again in the Outer Banks and I was beyond excited to finally capture their engagement photos after seeing their proposal announced on Instagram. After some couples photos last year that were very reminiscent of engagement pictures, we could all feel this coming! This time around, they brought outfit changes and left the dogs at the beach house.
The couple had 2 locations on their mind for their portraits. They wanted photos on the sand dunes at Jockey’s Ridge State Park and a few with the Bodie Island Lighthouse. These locations are very popular among tourists so it’s nearly impossible to avoid photo-bombs. It’s simply something you have to work with. However, if you have a professional photographer on your side, this is not a problem.
Bodie Island Lighthouse
If you want to encapsulate the classic beach town feel with some North Carolina charm in your engagement photos, the Bodie Island Lighthouse is a great spot to add to your list.
For the best portraits with the lighthouse in the distance, you’ll want to follow the short boardwalk from the parking lot. This is a popular viewing spot so be aware that you may need to pause in between shots — we did for sure! As the photographer, I positioned myself in front of the railing while I asked the couple to stay on the open boardwalk. This gave the lighthouse a left side position to make room for Sonia and Joey on the right. The tall grass, wetlands, and marsh trees create a quintessential North Carolina backdrop!
For a break from the crowds, we stepped onto a pine tree trail just off the lighthouse entrance road. This offered a more shaded and simpler backdrop. Fair warning, this wooded area is full of mosquitos! Pack your bug spray and dowse yourself in it before walking in. We got quite a few bites and were seriously attacked during our 10 minutes in these trees. I’d say it was worth it because these shots add a little more variety to the gallery.
Jockey’s Ridge State Park
The sand dunes along the Outer Banks are a sight to see. This is the prime spot to watch the sun set and the photos here never disappoint. It’s no wonder Sonia and Joey wanted to mark this location on their engagement photo list. Not to mention, it’s a photographer’s dream. The soft, bright dunes acts as a warm reflector onto any subject. I love playing around with sun flares in my camera for a cinematic look. I create this by positioning my subject’s heads just above the horizon in my camera. This allows rays of sun to pass over their head, making a glowing haze. I prefer to avoid this when I want a photo clearly showing the couple’s faces. If you position your subjects heads below the horizon line in camera, this won’t be an issue.
We switched things up by photographing on top of the sand dune, a few running down it, and some below. When the sky began to show shades of pink and purple, we moved on to our hidden backdrop. We followed the big dune that everyone gathers to watch the sunset and continued ahead and to the left. This takes you out to a small beach on the sound side with warm, shallow waters. You can see the sun setting to the right and the beautiful reflections on the water. This is a great spot to hop into the bay for some candid water photos. We really splashed around until the sun went down!
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