Full manual...Exploring Core Sound, a peaceful sliver of water in North Carolina's remote Southern Outer Banks. I decided to ditch the motorized [R/V] (Research Vessel) to keep things completely analog, and spend a day on the water really taking it all in. And there's no better way to connect with nature than with a canoe, right?

After paddling around for a few hours, gliding though tidal creeks, over grass beds, and past remote islands, I found this defunct hunting blind, which I couldn't help but photograph. It was positioned well, taking into account lighting, background, and the graphic elements of the pilings, so I moved the canoe into position, hopped overboard into the waist-deep water (not an easy feat in a canoe), tied a line around my waist so the canoe wouldn't drift off while I was composing under the dark cloth, and carefully positioned the tripod into the position which I deemed the "sweet spot". Some careful exposure and development, and voila!

I've photographed a few other abandoned blinds in Core Sound, so I guess you could consider this an ongoing interest; one which will be expanded upon throughout the winter. Each rickety structure is completely unique...like graphical death in the midst of one of the most serene locations I've ever frequented. It's very paradoxical.

Yet, locals have been harvesting fish and game from this remote corner of the world for centuries, so these relics which sparsely dot the horizon seem almost as much of the natural habitat as a tree in the forest.

Photographed with a Chamonix 45Hs-1 on Ilford Delta 100 sheet film.