” MIGRATING TO CHINCOTEAGUE “

"Zen Silhouette"

I had one of the more peaceful rides to a photo shoot that I have ever experienced. The road to Chincoteague started in New Jersey and ended in Virginia, by way of a ferry from Cape May across to Lewes, DE. The island of Chincoteague,VA came just before the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and was my destination for this trip. The refuge is home to wild horses, herons and many other species. Chincoteague Island is a meeting point for many migratory birds and would be my starting point for a surprising photographic opportunity.

The three days spent here were filled with history and the zen like solitude of a personal retreat. I never have had the patience to shoot birds… until now. The presence of many herons in one place was astounding. Trying to capture them hunting and flying, was all timing and being in the right place at the right time. Horses however, drifted in and out of reach the entire trip.

Two great sunrises and a very windy finish on the beach sealed the deal. There is something about a beautiful sunrise that puts my mind and body as one with nature. The brief wait for light to finally illuminate the horizon can be euphoric. Hearing waves break during a sunrise just adds a beautiful soundtrack to the whole process. Walking along the beach on my final day as the wind picked up, you could see the rhythmic natural patterns emerge from the sand. The tiny particles would build up on one side of an object and fall away on the other. But just as the birds had to eventually leave, I too, refreshed and re-energized, had to make my migration back home.

“Zen Silhouette”