In Review - April 2023
What a whirlwind month April was! I can’t believe how busy I was - there was barely a moment to come up for air! Phew!
That said, I can’t say I’d have it any other way (though a little bit of down time would certainly be welcome as we move into May). When I have things to do and cacn be productive day-in and day-out I remember that I am so happy pursuing photography full-time. It is the excitement of not knowing what each day will bring that puts a smile on my face and gets me excited to get out of bed each morning.
April was by far the most productive month I’ve had with the real estate side of the business - over the course of the month I had 15 shoots. It was crazy, and I saw some really pretty homes in the process.
What month would be complete without a little adventure thrown into the mix? For April, that meant a venture off the Delmarva Peninsula to the Outer Banks - my first trip to that area!
If I had my way, I can honestly say that I would have stayed if possible. The Outer Banks are absolutely breathtaking, and I definitely plan on making that trip again in the future - and when I do, maybe Fisher will get to tag along with me.
The adventure to the Outer Banks was a quick weekender with my friend Kevin Lynam - we went down on a Friday and came back on Sunday. Being about 4.5 hours from us here at the Delaware Beaches, it was an easy drive all things considered.
We stayed in Kill Devil Hills at a really nice AirBnB (check it out here) that I would definitely look into for future trips to the OBX. Most of the trip was spent in and around that area, photographing near the Avalon Fishing Pier and Bodie Island Lighthouse (as seen in the photo above). We also made trips down to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (right) and to the Alligator River Wildlife Refuge where we saw some otters, birds, and even got a black bear sighting Sunday morning before we headed back toward Delmarva.
If you’ve never been to the Outer Banks, I definitely encourage you to consider a trip there - it was such a great time in a gorgeous area.
Another exciting part of April was getting to see the first foal of my adventures to Assateague Island! Kevin and I had been to Assateague a few weeks prior to the foal’s birth and saw Autumn Glory, the dam, very close to giving birth to the foal. Sure enough, a few weeks later she had given birth to a beautiful little filly - something that is very much needed since last year saw mostly colts born to the herd.
I didn’t post about the filly right away because, according to the Assateague Island Alliance, it is best for the safety of both the dam and foal to give them a few days to acclimate to one another. It is out of respect for the wild animals they are, and also for your protection since the mother will be increasingly aware and protective of her baby.
Speaking of the horses of Assateague Island being wild animals, I also want to stress the importance of doing everything you can to ensure they STAY WILD. During a trip to the island later in the month, I watched people going up to Susi Solé, Maximus Murphy, Chief, and TJ Hollywood to pet and feed them. I personally will report ANY behaviors I see like this to the rangers, as this is the type of behaviors (from humans) that will result in the domestication of these animals and lead to them displaying behaviors that can cause harm to themselves and visitors to the island. Remember, they are WILD and it is YOUR responsibility to keep them that way and maintain the required 40 feet (one school bus length) minimum distance between you and the horses.
For the last part of In Review, let’s take a look at my favorite photo of the month - the one above of the Avalon Fishing Pier in Kill Devil Hills!
This photo is a top-down drone photo, and for this particular version of it, I did a narrow 1:2 ratio crop on it to put an added emphasis on the pier itself. I really enjoy this photo because it shows a detail in the pier you may not notice from the ground - that little bit of bow to it from years and storms gone by. The tire tracks in the sand from people driving on the beach serve as great leading lines to draw your eye to the pier - as does the line from the waves and shorebreak. Definitely a photo I will be getting a print of for myself in the future!
May is off to a relatively busy start with a few real estate shoots already and lots of other excitement as well. The Assateague Island greeting cards are officially on the way and will be added to the Shop once all the pre-order sets are sent out. I’ve also got some more prints coming in that will be added to the Limited Edition sets once they are delivered and matted.
I’m also looking forward to the opportunity to continue growing the donations through my Photographer’s Promise Program, as right before writing this post I made the first donation through that program for 2023! The donation totaled $30 and was given to the MERR Institute right here in Coastal Delaware. This donation will help them to continue their efforts in conserving marine life along the Delaware coast. If you want to learn more about this program and see donation progress, head over to the Photographer’s Promise page here!
Thanks for tagging along, and see you all out there!
- Tyler
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