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| We
saw dolphins in a dazzling sunrise |
page
4, continuing . . . .
My Wild Horse Photo Safari
on the Crystal
Coast
The
last day of my personal safari started earlier than those previous.
Once again we met at the Beaufort waterfront, then drove to the west
Beaufort public boat ramps to meet our private tour boat. This would
be a full day of photography for Bob Decker's Crystal Coast Wild
Horse Photo Safari, from sunrise to sunset, aboard a private charter
boat with Captain Monty, who would take us wherever we wanted to go.
We were eager
to get started, so everyone anxiously loaded up, received our safety
instructions, and then we were off. Once again perfect weather graced
us as we left the dock and cruised under the drawbridge, then on toward
Radio Island where we encountered Dolphins just as the sun rose to
greet us. Soon we rounded Town Marsh, the western tip of Rachel Carson
Estuarine Reserve, then out to Beaufort Inlet Channel where we turned
southeast, cruising along the north shore of Shackleford Banks.
Before long we
came upon more Dolphins, and Captain Monty shut down the engine, giving
us the opportunity to try for some good photos of these elusive creatures.
That's not an easy task with a subject that only appears for three
seconds at a time, and never where you expect them.
The dolphins quickly
slipped out of range, so we continued on, cruising past the Middle
Marshes and on into Back Sound. Passing Harkers Island we then turned
south toward the easternmost tip of Shackleford Banks where we expected
to find the wild horses as the morning light was just reaching its
prime.
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An iconic
view - a wild horse by Cape Lookout Lighthouse
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| Shooting
on a small island near Shackleford |
The captain had
been scouting the horses for some time, and knew that a group had
been hanging out for the past week on a small island just off the
main island - a spot we could not reach by wading. As our boat approached
we found the family group was indeed there today, grazing on this
isolated spot away from the other groups. Shutters were snapping even
before the captain nudged the bow against the island, which was hardly
two inches above the waterline. We hopped off to eagerly begin choosing
angles and shooting away.
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Another
lighthouse view with a Shackleford wild horse
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To our good fortune,
this location put us in an ideal position to frame the horses with
the Cape Lookout Lighthouse as a prominent figure in the background,
and still have the morning light angled where we needed. It was a
rare opportunity, and we took full advantage of it, whenever the horses
happened to oblige us by wandering into a suitable position. It was
a waiting game, watching their movements and trying to put ourselves
in the right place to frame them in the shot with the lighthouse behind
them.
Finally we reboarded
and cruised over to Shackleford to find another band of horses on
the back side of the island. This group was larger than any I'd seen
here before. The captain had planned to take us closer, but the tide
was going out and the channel was too shallow. Our only option was
to climb out onto a sand bar, wade over to the main shoreline and
follow it the quarter mile or so to reach them.
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Wild
horse "10N" grazing on the isolated island
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Sunny
afternoon on Town Marsh island
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When we reached
the horses, many of them were wading in the water, which always makes
for great subject matter for the wild horse images. The water element
is one of the things I like about photographing these wild horses,
along with the open, expansive landscape.
By the time we
returned from this foray it was nearing midday, so we took a little
side trip across the sound to Cape Lookout before heading back to
Beaufort. Some in the group had never seen the lighthouse, and I had
never had the chance to explore the old buildings south of the lighthouse.
Captian Monty landed us near the old buildings for some foot exploration
and photos. These old buildings can make for some interesting HDR
photography.
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The
cedar trees appear too generic as a backdrop
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Afterward we reboarded
and rode to the lighthouse dock. We spent some time exploring and
photographing the lighthouse and keeper's quarters. Then we climbed
aboard for the cruise back to Beaufort for a break and a pleasant,
relaxing lunch on the waterfront.
Refreshed and
refueled, we eagerly boarded Captain Monty's Shoal Seeker and
cruised east on Taylor Creek, watching for horses along the way. We
spotted a group grazing among the cedar trees on the eastern end of
Marsh Island and landed for a photo session with them.
The sun was still
high, but we made the best of it. The cedar trees here offered a much
different setting than the expansive marsh or open water. The only
issue is that the cedars look so generic the setting might pass for
tame horses in a sandy soil pasture, not wild horses on a coastal
island. I much prefer the more scenic setting. Soon enough we returned
to the boat and headed east again along Taylor Creek, and discussed
our options.
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Wading
a channel at Carrot Island
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The
shaggy little colt on Carrot Island had character
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Cruising
Taylor Creek on our Wild Horse Photo Safari
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| Carrot
Island's shaggy colt and family |
With the harsh
lighting, we weren't as anxious to be shooting as we were to scout
and decide where to be when the light improved. Once again the experience
and knowldege of our guide, Bob Decker, and Captain Monty came to
the forefront. They knew a family group with a colt had been hanging
out in the marshes of Carrot Island. To scout that possibility, we
soon landed by the boardwalk on Carrot Island, across from Curtis
Perry Park boat ramp, and walked out the boardwalk to where we could
scan the marsh to the south. We could see horses there, and one was
lying down, possibly the colt, but even with binoculars we could not
be certain. We decided to cruise on around the island and find out.
At least we knew horses were there, so back to the boat and on eastward
along Taylor Creek we cruised, then around the end of Carrot Island
and westward along the island's south shore.
By this time the
afternoon light was getting better, and the tide was now low. When
we approached the area where we saw the horses we were pleased to
find there was indeed a shaggy, wooly colt with the group, so shaggy
and tossled that is was almost cute. Our problem now was how to get
onto shore, since the low tide didn't allow the boat to get as close
as we'd like. The solution was to beach on a sandbar some ten or fifteen
yards from the shoreline and wade across a narrow channel. I set up
my tripod on the sandbar while the others waded across. Had I gone
over I would have been too close for the lens I was using in any event.
In addition, the water level sandbar gave me the perfect low angle
perspective against the higher terrain of the island, which worked
out really well in this situation. From my vantage point I was able
to get some great shots of this colt and its family group, shots I
would have missed had I been closer.
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The little
colt pranced and strutted
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The colt scampered
round, seemingly excited by the strange visitors, while at the same
time seeming very unsure of what to do. Appearing both curious and
shy, it strutted and pranced, eagerly running ahead, only to just
as quickly return to the safety of mom and pop, seeking reassurance
nestled between them. It was fun to watch how it reacted to seeing
us. We watched with amusement, and photographed the horses until they
eventually wandered farther away.
With the hour
getting late, we loaded up to return to Beaufort where we would be
close to Town Marsh island. Our guide expected that would give us
the best chance of easily finding a larger group of horses for a "golden
hour" session as sunset neared. He advised us that often the horses
would get testy late in the day and we might be lucky enough to see
some stallions in action. We cruised around Carrot Island once more,
and up Taylor Creek to the downtown docks. Then we took a break at
a restaurant on the waterfront for awhile before Captain Monty carried
us back across the creek to Town Marsh island. There we landed, grabbed
up our gear and walked through the trees toward the tidal marsh.
Sure enough, most
of the herd that frequented the area was hanging around, some among
the trees, some grazing on the dunes, and some down by the marsh.
The light was getting better as the sun fell lower in the sky behind
a thin veil of high clouds that softened it further. As we took shots
here and there, the horses slowly gathered next to the marsh, grazing
and milling about.
When two stallions
started acting up, I realized what might be about to transpire, having
several times seen the signs of a fight ready to break out on previous
visits here with the wild horses. Though I was farther away than I
wanted to be, I knew it was infinitely better than being too close
for the lens I was using (been there - done that), so I moved into
as good a position as I could get. Unsure whether the light would
be sufficient for a fast enough shutter speed I quickly flipped the
ISO a little higher. Within moments a fight broke out. This was not
the roudy horseplay we witnessed on the previous morning, but a serious
disagreement.
In less than fifteen
seconds it was over, confirmed by the EXIF data time stamps on my
images. It ended with a staredown. Wow! When you're on a wild horse
photo safari, you can't ask for better than that. It was a show stopper
for sure. That sort of action is a big reason you don't want to be
too close to these wild horses. A knockdown, dragout can happen before
you can react, especially if you're busy looking through your lens
at something else. There are rules to follow when visiting these wild
horses, and the rules are there for a reason. Now you know.
After this exciting
bout, everything settled down like nothing had happened. Soon the
horses began strolling off into the marsh, and the sun continued to
drop lower toward the horizon.
With the horses
now wading out onto the tidal flats, it was getting too late to follow
along for more photos, so we headed back to the boat. Perhaps there
was something else to shoot with the sunset that was quickly approaching.
As we came through the trees to the edge of Taylor Creek we found
two horses grazing in the open where the light was still good. The
shallow water they were in reflected the low light onto them, adding
a little brightness to an otherwise fading scene. One of the horses
was a pretty blonde mare, and the light showed her off nicely, so
I took a few shots to finish off a great day of wild horse photography.
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One
horse glances back as if to say "goodbye"
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What a fantastic
day it had been. The Crystal Coast Wild Horse Photo Safari
with Bob Decker had been everything I could have hoped for and more.
The previous two days of my own kayaking trips out onto the tidal
marsh had netted me some great photos as well. I really hated to leave
now, but I had to get home and miss the third day of Bob's safari.
Bob and Jim and Jeff would be going out one more time tomorrow, but
I could hardly have any real regrets. The weather had been absolutely
perfect, and the photo opportunities had been more than plentiful.
I would do it again without reservation.... well, except for the reservation
I'd need to make with Bob to get my name in the hat.
Services mentioned in this article:
Bob Decker's Crystal Coast Wild Horse Photo Safari, Carolinafootprints.com
Captain Monty, Seavisions
Charters and Tours
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