10 years, one tree and the effects of mankind

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Ten years ago I was introduced to Cedar Island by a fellow photographer by the name of Shane Willis (RIP) His family is from that part of NC and he had been shooting around there for awhile. We had been communicating for a little bit of time and after awhile he gave me directions to there because I had been talking about wanting to find new out of the way places to shoot. He told me that I would fall in love with Cedar Island and boy did I. It’s just under a 2 hour trip from where I live but well worth the it.

During this time I started incorporating nature as a primary subject and the female form as an addition…wide scenes…etc, etc, etc. That’s when I came upon this tree:

Rachel, 2010

Rachel, 2010

Several trips have been made over the past decade and while in that time I have found other trees to use a a backdrop this one has always been my beacon, my first.

Bria, 2014

Bria, 2014

Jamie and Jillian, 2014

Jamie and Jillian, 2014

Crystal, 2015

Crystal, 2015

Zy, 2016

Zy, 2016

Karen, 2016

Karen, 2016

Which brings us to its current state:

Sarah Lace, 2020

Sarah Lace, 2020

Now let us back up a year to 2019. Our first photo trip wasn’t until June 30th and we took Bria up for a rare second trip. While I didn’t shoot her on that particular tree on this trip it was still intact. A week later on July 7th we went up there again where I photographed my now wife as my birthday muse. When we walked down the beach to where “my tree” was the vast majority had been cut up for firewood as was evidenced by a makeshift fire pit not far from the tree itself. Suffice it to say I was a tad bit distraught. This tree has survived 100mph howling winds from hurricanes in the 10 year timeframe I’ve been going up there but it couldn’t survive a random 4th of July holiday.

They have started to revitalize the businesses in Cedar Island and around the ferry terminal which brings more money into an area that probably needs it. With that brings more people and with more people means “less privacy” down the beach. It’s not really a destination beach so it never really gets too crowded. When you time your arrival there and the fact you have a clear line of sight down the beach it’s not uncommon to have my subject nude the entire time up there uninterrupted, up to about 3 hours.

My time making the trip up there may be coming to a close. I wasn’t going to go this year but something called me back. I may have one last season in me. We shall see…