Filly Foal on the Shoal
Elizabeth and I visited my folks, her sister, husband and kids at Emerald Isle, North Carolina over Memorial Day weekend. We took a water taxi from Beaufort over to Shackleford Banks so Elizabeth could do some shelling and I could do some photography.
I've always wanted to shoot (with a camera) the wild horses that roam the outer banks. The captain of the water taxi told us that there were new foals born recently to a couple of the herds. He cautioned that we probably wouldn't be able to see them or get close enough to photograph them well. He obviously didn't know me and my stubborn determination to get the shots I'm after. I trudged through the hot interior dunes and brush of the island fighting flies and looking for horses while Elizabeth enjoyed a breezy, leisurely walk along the beaches.
After running out of water and patience, I was heading to the rendezvous point to meet Elizabeth and catch the boat back to Beaufort. I was about a half a mile from her when I spotted the head of a stalion looking over the dunes at me. He made a snort and disappeared. This is my chance, I thought. I proceeded to trudge back into the dunes in pursuit, flies in tow. The flies and I crested the dune and gazed upon a small herd in a grotto formed by dunes and live oaks. I almost immediately spotted a light gray filly foal nursing on it's mother. At the same time, an older mare spotted me and immediately let me know I was not welcome to come closer. I took out my trusty Canon A-1 (film) camera and attached a Tokina 100-300mm zoom. That did the trick in getting a close shot of the foal without meeting the old mare in a physical challenge.
As time went by, I was able to move closer and the old mare finally decided that I was no longer a threat. The two stallions in the herd also seemed to be OK with my presence. I shot three rolls, thanked the horses for their trust and got back to the breezy relief of the beach as fast as I could.
2008.1.06
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