by Alan Trammel
Planning is so imperative for a location photo shoot, especially when traveling to an “out of town” location. After selecting Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head, North Carolina for a belly dance shoot, watching the weather forecast became top priority.
Full sun and cloudless skies are not only a formula for harsh light but also, well…boring. Cloudy skies and early morning light were exactly what we were looking for.
Gear:
- Nikon D750
- Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8 (non VR)
- Tokina Opera 50mm f/1.4 FF
- Godox AD200
- Godox XproN Tripper
- MagMod Maggrip
- MagMod Magsphere
- MagMod Magshoe
- Bowens 32″ collapsible reflector
- Manfrotto Alu Master Air-Cushioned Stand-12′
Lugging around a backpack full of camera gar and lighting equipment over sand dunes is not something you want to do for long distances. Scouting the location in advance of the shoot allowed us to select a location both close to the parking area and that provided the scenes and backgrounds we wanted.
Jockey’s Ridge, the tallest living sand dune on the Atlantic is a premier location. Grassy dunes and maritime thickets offer nice textural back drops for a photo shoot. After a short walk from the parking lot it’s like your on another planet as all signs of civilization vanish.
