The highlights of February 2024 included some local adventures around Topsail Island, such as taking wedding photos of friends and capturing some of the beach scenery in the afternoon. Although we traveled to visit my grandparents in Tennessee this month, I often felt the urge to explore and photograph various subjects on most days. This led to a range of different subjects and mini adventures in the local area, such as afternoon beach walks and discovering an emu and some goats at the local garden store.
February 2024 features some of my all-time favorite photos, particularly the emu peering through the bamboo at the camera. I appreciate this photo because the human eye is naturally drawn to other eyes looking at us, creating an eerie feeling since the subject is the eye of this dinosaur-like bird casually gazing at the viewer through the bamboo.
Some friends also asked me to take photos of their wedding invitations for later in the year, which I was happy to do. I enjoy portrait photography, so this was a great opportunity to build this portion of my portfolio. They brought their two dogs with them, which added a fun and playful aspect to a couple’s beach session, a scene frequently seen around Topsail and Wrightsville Beach.
February is the “off season" for the beach on Tospail Island, leading to empty afternoons and soft sunsets for those hardy enough to brave the cold. I mainly used my 35mm prime to capture some afternoon beach shots during the golden hour.
We also made a trip to Coker Creek, Tennessee, where I took mostly film photos. Around this time, I began to experiment with film, but I still carried my camera around on a daily basis. I got a favorite of my wife being silly, a portrait in our favorite coffee shop, and a time-lapse shot of Coker Creek Falls.
