My top 5 places to photograph in the Outer banks
Growing up at the beach your whole life it can become lost on you just how much beauty and variety there is available at beaches a stone's throw away from where you live. That's the realization I came to when I visited the Outer Banks for the first time. I had grown up in Virginia Beach my entire life, and I figured a “beach is a beach, right?”. Wrong. Having realized that I now want to share with you how I planned a photography trip to the Outer Banks, and what the best spots were.
Planning
Firstly, let's establish a timeframe– consider your travel goals. Are you like me, and you just want to take photos and not think about anything else? Well, that may mean you would be interested in a workshop. If that's not something you are up for though, you may also want to consider sticking with the off-season. Why go in the off-season you ask? Well, here’s the issue with the outer banks. It's tiny, and a LOT of people go there. There is only one main road that leads to the Outer Banks, and it's not uncommon in peak summer travel for people to be stuck in two hours of traffic going from Kitty Hawk to Corolla (that's only a 25 mile drive!). So that may weigh heavily into your consideration on picking a date to travel.
So, when to go? I prefer the off season, in either late Fall / early Winter or late Winter / early Spring for a few reasons.
Not nearly as many tourists, so no need to worry about clone-stamping dozens of people out of your final shots.
Early sunsets mean you won't be shooting in harsh lighting as long as in the summer
The weather is more mild temperature-wise, but you are also more likely to encounter fun weather anomalies like fog, coastal storms, or intense, fast-moving clouds that can add serious drama to your compositions. People think stormy weather is bad for photos, but I couldn't disagree more. There is no better way to add drama to your photo than some intense or anomalous weather.
It's cheaper. Hotels are significantly cheaper and easier to find in the off-season.
The wildlife. Around these times of year you get a wider variety of birds like the Tundra Swan, The Double Crested Cormorant, sanderlings and so many more. Not to mention the wild horses of Corolla that are roaming year-round.
Overall, if your goal is simply to maximize time spent on photography, the off-season is where It’s at.
Travel
Before we get into the specific locations, let's go over some things I did in my recent travels that you should avoid doing, and also a few things to be cautious of. One of the biggest hazards in the Outer Banks is– believe it or not, the ocean. Considering we know more about outer space than our own oceans, its safe to say they are the Earth’s last true frontier– an untamed beast of fury. NC-12 is infamous for getting overwashed by the ocean during moderate-severe storms, and this was no exception on my recent trip. NC-12 was closed the first 2 days of my trip at Pea Island and Ocracoke due to significant overwash. Eventually, with the tireless work of the NCDOT crews, it was reopened– albeit with some road hazards along the way. It’s vital that you keep up to date on the road conditions while you are traveling. You can get alerts on the NC–12 X, or Facebook accounts, and also directly from the NCDOT website.
The ocean isn't the only element that we need to respect. Let’s talk about sand. You may be thinking “Sand, what is it gonna get on my floor mats or something?”. Yes, you are going to get a ton of sand in your floor mats, but that's not the concern. The Outer Banks is famous for its ORV (off-road vehicle) Beach accesses scattered across the barrier Islands. It is detrimental that you understand your vehicle, and only drive on those accesses if you have 4-wheel / all-wheel drive, know why you are driving on the sand, and know where you are going. A very many people get stuck in the sand each year, costing insurance companies a fortune, but boosting the local tow truck industry. If you get stuck in the sand, you run the risk of salt water damage tro your vehicle if the tide rises too high. “Oh, well I'm not driving on the beach, so I should be fine.” Is a sentence I said to myself. I was wrong. While driving to get breakfast I made a wrong turn and needed to turn around. Luckily for me, the side of the roads were loose sand. My rear-wheel-drive never stood a chance. In the end, with some dire deflation, digging, and praying, I was freed. This should all be a reflection on how the Outer Banks may be a popular tourist location, But it is still an unforgiving environment.
Me, stuck in the sand.
Gear
What gear should you bring to ensure you get the best photos in the Outer Banks? Well, some of that depends on your goals. Are you going to capture late-night astrophotography? Are you going to photograph Lighthouses like the Bodie Island Lighthouse, the Currituck Lighthouse, etc.? Do you want to capture dramatic fast-moving clouds, and take silky smooth shots of flowing waves at the beach during sunrise? Or, maybe just a little bit of all of that?
Let's talk about lenses. I will generally always recommend having your focal ranges of 16mm - 200mm (full-frame) covered with quality glass. I personally have a Canon 14-35mm f/4, a Canon 28-70mm f/2, a Canon 70-200mm EF II, and a Sigma 14mm f1.8 (for astrophotography). This loadout– while heavy– gets me very high quality coverage for most photos I would need in a given circumstance. It is also perfectly fine if you just have one or two zoom lenses that do the job of three or four. As long as you get your wide / ultra-wide, and medium - telephoto ranges covered, that is all you need.
Shooting at the Oregon Inlet Beach
We can't forget about filters. When you are going to spend potentially days photographing a bright, and sunny place like a beach, a CPL is non-negotiable. What is a CPL? A CPL– or Circular Polarizer, is a filter that helps polarize light coming into your lens. Its the same way sunglasses work. Try getting a pair of cheap sunglasses and turning them vertically, you will see the effect. So, not only does the polarizer help cut down the highlights to avoid clipping, it also reduces glare. Again, when you are in an environment with tons of water, and direct bright sunlight, the importance of a CPL cannot be overstated. Almost as important as a CPL is th ND filter. ND filters are simple, yet magical in use. All they do is just block light. That's it. This is essential if you want photos with soft, wispy clouds that are streaming by, or if you want to capture the motion of waves in direct bright daylight. Lastly, bring a good tripod and take care of it. Putting your tripod in the sand and saltwater can harm it over time, so make sure you know how to disassemble it and clean it afterwards. If all of this gear talk is intimidating, and you aren't sure where to start, be sure to give a look at my Outer Banks Photography workshop in November of 2025, where I will instruct hands-on how to use your gear and maximize it (even if you don't have filters) for the Outer Banks, while covering all the remedial stressful details of travel.
So we’ve sorted out when to go, why to go, what not to do, and gear, so the only last question is where?
Bodie Island Lighthouse
What can be said about the Bodie Island Lighthouse that hasn’t already? The bodie Island Lighthouse is an iconic landmark in the Outer Banks that tourists and professional photographers alike adore. Located on the Northern end of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, this is one of the most popular stops on the Barrier Islands. There is really no wrong time of day, or year to photograph this renowned landmark. I personally wanted to get a few different moods so I got a bright, airy broad daylight shot (with the help of my CPL of course), and I also got a couple sunset shots.
There are a few different angles that people like of this spot, but the first— and my favorite, is the walkway shot. This spot is perfect for sunset. As the sun sets you get a golden glow illuminating the lighthouse and accentuating the walkway that guides the eye straight to the subject. Second to that is the ultra-wide, head-on shot. Just behind the gift store there is a brick path that leads straight to the lighthouse. If you frame this shot vertically and down low, the brick path provides an incredible visual cue to the viewer, drawing the eye into the lighthouse, and perhaps a stunning sunrise or sunset draped behind it. The skies truly are the limit to this location, as astrophotography is also a popular choice for composition at this location– although, I’ll leave that to the astro pros.
2. Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse
Are you noticing a theme? This is not what you would traditionally think of when you think of a lighthouse, however it is still incredibly charming. Located in Manteo, the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse that stands today is a replica of the original 19th century lighthouse. This small, low-lying lighthouse provides a charming focal point to a stormy sky, dense fog, or a colorful sunrise. From a photographic standpoint, something to remember with this location is sunstars. The path to the lighthouse is illuminated by small path lights which is a great visual cue leading to the larger light of the lighthouse itself. If you set your lens’ aperture to around f/8-11 (depending on the lens quality), you can end up with some incredible sunstars. Beyond the technical aspect of it, this location is great to shoot in various conditions, but I would plan on making it your sunrise shot. Afterwards, you can head to one of the local cafes in Manteo’s charming historical downtown.
3. Oregon Inlet Lifesaving Station
The Oregon Inlet Lifesaving Station is a historic structure located in the Outer Banks, near Oregon Inlet. Built in 1897 as part of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, it was designed to aid in rescuing shipwrecked sailors along the infamously dangerous coastline. The station has unique coastal architecture that makes it a complete and iconic location for photography in the Outer Banks. There are many ways to frame and shoot this location. Obviously, your sunrises and sunsets will be best suited, but any time of day (again, bring your CPL), can work just fine. Your only concerns for consideration are the Highway (NC12) and framing the station with the shrubbery. Be sure that you frame your shots in a way that obfuscates the highway behind it, as it can be a bit of an eyesore. If you don't mind it, by all means shoot away. A great frame of this location should incorporate a few things. You want to include the surrounding environment to make the station feel more out of place. Frame the ripples of the sand dunes in front of the station. This will captivate the eye and lead it to naturally wander towards the main focal point– the Station itself. This spot can run the risk of producing one-dimensional photos, so be diligent in creative and captivating framing.
4. Duck Town Boardwalk
Duck is a town in the Outer Banks that is primarily known for Donuts at this point. However, it is a beautiful town with ain incredible publicly accessible boardwalk along the Currituck Sound. This location offers plentiful spots for sunset photography. A couple of the best locations along the boardwalk are the Kayak Launch, and the Bald Cypress Tree behind the Super Wings. There is public parking available here, but be sure to get there before sunset to ensure you actually snag a parking spot. It can get packed in the busy season.
5. Currituck Lighthouse / Currituck Banks Reserve
Last but not least is our third and Final lighthouse on this list. Built in 1875 this lighthouse is iconic for its re-brick exterior– which is a unique characteristic for lighthouses in the region, and its jaw-dropping interior. The spiraling staircases with the landings create so much material for architectural compositions. Whether looking up, or looking down, you can frame the interior to look like a glowing eye. The spiraling stairs are an incredible visual cue that spiral around and around until your eye meets the center. From a photographic standpoint, it is stunning. Beyond that, there are plentiful live-oaks, and views of the sound in the reserve area. The reserve is free to access, but the lighthouse costs $13 to climb. The photos, and the view are well worth it.
Learn more
The Outer Banks offers much material to the amateur and professional photographer alike. From Glowing sunsets over the sound, to colossal lighthouses, and sandy shell-laden beaches you could spend a week in the Outer Banks shooting and not run out of frames. If you want to dive head-first into photographing the Outer Banks, sign up for my Outer Banks Photography Workshop November 2025. I take care of the accommodation, travel, and even food. All so you can maximize your time learning, and creating.