Bumblebee Towers : History in Surf City

Have you ever heard of the Bumblebee Towers? Me either. A military friend of mine was moving out of North Carolina and wanted something to remember the area by. She wondered if I had ever photographed the beach with one of these towers in it. I had never even noticed them. They were built during WWII and used for military testing along the beaches of North Carolina. Some of them have been converted into beach houses, some have fallen down and others like this one, are just still standing there. The thing with military life is everywhere you live takes a piece of your heart. It is kind of like having multiple children. You think how will I ever love this place, home, friends, situation as much as the last? Then it comes time for new orders and you want to live forever in the place you are now. I never expected to feel “at home” at so many different places spread all over the country. But I do. So I totally understood when my friend came and requested I photograph this tower and spot of beach that has been a special spot for her and her family. I loved doing it. The first series of images were taken early in the morning after a Saturday run. I really just wanted to scope out the area and access to the tower, but I ended up loving these images. The moodiness of them and the fog coming off the ocean are my favorite elements. At some point this particular tower has a pier attached to it, hence the few sticks out in the water. I came back a couple weeks later and spend a beautiful sunset with this stretch of beach. I figure when someone commissions you to take a landscape photograph they are looking for a stunning sky and it did not disappoint this day. I loved every moment of this project!