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I was born and raised in beautiful North Carolina where both the mountains and the sea were easily reached with a short road trip. I remember visiting the Outer Banks of North Carolina numerous times as a child and some of my fondest memories were made there. When I learned that a local photographer would be hosting a workshop there, I was quick to get my name on the list. Going back to this special place as an adult and photographer brought new adventures and forged new memories.
There are moments in life when you realize your hobby has clearly become an obsession. This moment, early in the spring of 2021, was one of those times for me. Our small workshop group arrived at the Salvo Day Use area not long before sunset and quickly assessed our composition options. The most obvious foreground was an uprooted tree on the beach. Realizing that we might be able to capture a view of the setting sun between a couple of the branches, several of us spread out around the tree.
I found a spot I liked, framed up the shot, and then took one step backwards. That's when it happened! Down I went, one camera in my left hand and another camera and tripod in my right hand. A tiny little root had caught the back of my heel and landed me flat on my backside in the sand. As I fell, I heard a crack. I quickly checked all my gear, and everything looked good. Then the pain started. The crack I heard was my pinky finger on my right hand taking the impact of the fall. One of my friends who witnessed the fall was sure the knuckle was broken and urged me to go have it checked but all I could think about was not missing the sunset. I grabbed an ice pack out of cooler and carefully found a new position under some low hanging trees. The new vantage point provided me with a much stronger composition with the leading lines of the tree branches and the shoreline pointing towards the setting sun. Before long there was a whole group of other photographers gathered round me jockeying for the same composition, but I held my ground.
It may have taken a broken knuckle to get the shot, but it was worth it.
The next few days of the workshop were a challenge with a swollen and throbbing right hand, but I didn't let it make me miss a single shot. That's when I knew my hobby had become an obsession.
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