A few years ago, a woman in my mom’s book club let us rent her cottage in the Outerbanks, NC as a very generous act of friendship. It was a small cottage and we were sharing rooms but, it was also two blocks from the beach, so there wasn’t much we could complain about. We spent the week trekking to the beach, spending all day in the sun and sand, and then coming home and laying out and relaxing. The ease of it all made it one of the most relaxing vacations I’ve taken in recent memory. 

I’ve now returned to the Outerbanks time and time again. By the water is a collection of photos shot there over my many years now of visiting. As my styles of photography have changed, the location has not. It’s a place I’ve visited with family, friends, and taken my dog too. It’s a place that is nostalgic, relaxing, and homey. Yet, its also a place so deep in its connection with nature and tourism, its still exciting each time. The photos bring me back and each year I look forward to our, now annual, trip to the coast.