Bodie Island Lighthouse, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Outer Banks, North Carolina
"To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." ~ Luke 1:79
The Graveyard of the Atlantic is well named. Along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, navigational hazards off Cape Hatteras have caused the loss of over 5,000 ships since 1526…Think about the tragic loss of life which has taken place off this island.
Even the world’s first ironclad, USS Monitor, the victor of the famous Battle of Hampton Roads during the American Civil War, was lost in this area during a storm in 1863.
The area needed a guiding light, and Bodie Island Lighthouse is that light, even to this day.
The lighthouse seen here was built in 1872, after two previous efforts which didn’t last long; the first in 1847 wasn’t built properly and was abandoned, the second was blown up by the Confederates in 1861 to keep it out of Union hands. But this one lasted and stands 156 feet (48 m) tall and still shines out to give light to those who are in darkness, in what can often be dangerous waters.
The lighthouse is one of only a dozen tall, brick tower lighthouses remaining intact in the United States, and one of the few with an original first-order Fresnel lens to cast its light. It was automated in 1932 and transferred to the National Park Service as part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore in 1953. You can climb the 214 steps that spiral to the top for a wonderful view of the area.
This was one of my most memorable photographic experiences. It was so wonderful to walk out on that boardwalk onto a covered pier and shoot this joyously beautiful sunset with the iconic lighthouse glowing from the fading rays. The pier sits in the middle of a lake with surrounding marshlands, and has tables to stay and enjoy it all. And I did stay long after sunset, watching the light fade into the twilight of a lovely October evening. Manual settings, tripod, Lee ND and CPL filters, Capture One Pro post-processing.
Selected for FLICKR Explore April 9, 2021, # 38.
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Posted by GSB Photography on 2021-04-09 10:57:22
Tagged: , America , USA , US , United States , North America , North Carolina , Outer Banks , OBX , Bodie Island , Light Station , Cape Hatteras , National Seashore , National Park , Graveyard of the Atlantic , lighthouse , stripes , history , historical , 1872 , architecture , building , house , tree , marsh , grass , wetlands , boardwalk , pier , landscape , paysage , paisaje , paesaggio , Landschaft , horizon , water , ripple , pond , inlet , reflection , sky , cloud , light , sunlight , sunset , glow , twilight , shadow , Nikon , Z7 , mirrorless , Nikkor , ND filter , Lee Filter , Capture One , Explore , elitegalleryaoi , bestcapturesaoi , aoi , YBSOpen21 , GSB
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