retreats

We're sorry to announce that we have had to cancel our 2013 Spirit of the Outer Banks photographers retreat.

Ocracoke Island, part of the on Outer Banks of North Carolina is one of those places where spirit can be felt keenly - a barrier island of sands that shift constantly in the winds and the ceaseless waves of the Atlantic Ocean. For long centuries a fishing place for the native Woccon people and their predecessors, the island is now inhabited by a few hundred self-reliant permanent residents living in the historic village of Ocracoke and a herd of wild horses, descendants of escapees from Spanish shipwrecks centuries ago. Outside of the village, the island features seventeen miles of dunes, undeveloped Atlantic beach (part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and recognized as one of the most beautiful beaches in America), maritime forest, tidal creeks, marsh, and Pamlico Sound shoreline.

A place of extraordinary light, sunrises over the Atlantic and sunsets over the Sound, and occasional dramatic storms and squalls, Ocracoke offers much inspiration for the photography of place as well as figurative photography in settings that range from intimate to dramatic. Arriving in early November, we will take advantage of the off-season to encounter the Outer Banks free of the summer throngs, and enjoy a quiet that nurtures your personal photographic work.

On the way to Ocracoke, we plan to spend a day in the historic coastal North Carolina town of Beaufort, from where (weather permitting) we will take a charter boat to the uninhabited Shackleford Banks, a home of the famed wild Banker horses. We will spend spend a good portion of a day roaming the island and photographing before departing to catch the Cedar Island ferry to Ocracoke. This Shackleford Banks expedition was one of the highlights of last year's retreat, and we can assure you that you won't want to miss it!

The retreat will be limited to a small group (max 6 participants)

The guiding vision and intentions include:

connecting with the spirit of a unique place and with each other
an environment that nurtures the creation of authentic personal work
sharing of work, knowledge, ideas, and inspirations
enjoying the special camaraderie and collaboration possible in the context of a small group of artists
in keeping with the intention that this be a retreat rather than a workshop, the focus of this event will not be instruction. However, we are happy to share our knowledge and experience, and we invite all participants come in that spirit.

when: november 5-11, 2013

We will meet on Wednesday evening, November 6 in Beaufort, NC, from where we will catch a small ferry to Shackleford Banks the next morning. Late that afternoon following our return from the day photographing on Shackleford Banks, we will board the Cedar Island ferry to Ocracoke, where we will stay through noon on Monday, November 11.

accommodations

The Crews Inn Bed & Breakfast, an old island home located in the Outer Banks village of Ocracoke, will be the home of our retreat while on the island. Constructed in 1908, the inn is set down an oyster shell driveway and surrounded by red cedars, live oaks, and other island vegetation. A wrap-around partially screened porch with swings and rockers provides a place to photograph, read, visit, or just enjoy the island's breezes.

The inn is a short walk to the harbor, shops, restaurants, and historical sites such as the Ocracoke Lighthouse, built in 1823 and one of the oldest still in operation on the East Coast. From the Inn, you can easily walk to any point in the 775 acre village, and the beach is only a mile away.

The inn has five guest rooms: the two first floor rooms have private baths, the two second floor rooms share a bath located in the hall between the two rooms, and a third floor room has wood walls and ceilings, dormer windows, and a private bath with an old claw foot bathtub. This room also has a private entrance stairway off the yard and a small deck. We will have the entire house to ourselves, and room assignments are on a first come, first served basis.

Notes

The Crews Inn can accommodate four retreat participants (in addition to the two retreat leaders) as single room occupants, but we can take up to six participants if individuals are willing to share a room. In this situation those doing so will receive a $75 discount on the cost of the retreat. If only the minimum of four people attend, while you are welcome to room with someone, no discount will be given to roommates.

While Crews Inn accommodations on Ocracoke are included in the cost of the retreat, the overnight stay in Beaufort is not. However, we will be making reservations for the group at a select accommodation once enrollment for the retreat has been closed.

how to get to there

Please note that your round-trip air flight to and from North Carolina, ground transportation, and auto ferry fares are not included in the cost of the retreat.

Assuming that you will be arriving at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport, you will have an approximately 3-hour drive to Beaufort, NC on the coast (there is also a Beaufort, SC - so please be aware!). Although airfares tend to be higher and fewer flights are available, there are closer regional airports to the Outer Banks (e.g. Greenville, Jacksonville).

Ocracoke Island is only accessible by water or by air taxi (there is a very small airfield on the island). From Beaufort, the ferry port at Cedar Island, is about a 40-minute drive, where you will board the ferry for a 2.25 hour passage across Pamlico Sound, arriving at the harbor on Ocracoke.

Ferry schedules are available at www.ncdot.org/download/transit/ferry/ferryschedule.pdf

If you want to split the cost of a car rental, we can try to help match you with someone arriving at the airport around the same time so that you can split costs.

weather

Ocracoke is a small barrier island many miles off the North Carolina coast, and as such the weather can be quite variable and unpredictable. While temperatures are typically moderate in early November (average of 64 high/52 low), it can at times get quite cool, especially on the beach when the wind is blowing. Showers and squalls come and go as well. So please pack accordingly! We encourage you to keep your heart and mind open to the experience the place brings us, as weather or other unexpected events may cause us to make changes in our itinerary.

the cost of the retreat is $675, and this includes

round trip by boat to Shackleford Banks
four nights lodging on Ocracoke Island, at the Crews Inn
group day trips to several locations
model sessions (on request)
daily discussion sessions, sharing of work
breakfast every day while on Ocracoke, and snacks
one group restaurant dinner while on Ocracoke

how to register

Please email us and let us know that you would like to attend the retreat. The email will serve as your registration form and should include your full name, address, and a phone number where you can be reached. We will then email you back with confirmation and a release form to fill out and return by mail, fax, or email. We will also email you with additional information in advance of the retreat.

cancellation policy

A deposit of $150.00 USD must be submitted to reserve your space. The balance is due October 1, 2013. We accept payment via PayPal - just let us know and we will email you an invoice with a PayPal link. Alternatively, payment may be made by personal check made out to Kenneth Jackson and mailed to 84 Lynn Oak Drive, Pittsboro, NC 27312.

Please be certain that you are able to commit to attending - our ability to offer these workshops and retreats is contingent upon a guaranteed attendance. If you need to withdraw from a retreat or workshop for any reason, the following reimbursement schedule applies:

any cancellation made in writing after September 15, 2013 will result in forfeiture of your $150 deposit.
any cancellation between October 1 and October 15, 2013 will receive a 50% refund of the full cost, minus your $150 deposit.
no refund will be made for any cancellation made after October 15, 2013 unless someone can be found to take your place. If someone is found to replace you, we will refund your balance minus your $150.00 deposit.
in case of emergency please notify us immediately and we will see if we can find someone to take your spot and issue a refund or credit at our discretion.
LATE REGISTRATION after October 1, 2013 will require payment of the full amount at the time of registration.

We reserve the right to cancel a workshop due to inadequate enrollment. In the event that a retreat must be cancelled, all fees and deposits are refunded in full. Jackson & Moser Photography is not responsible for reimbursement of non-refundable airline tickets in the event of a retreat cancellation but will do our best to notify you as soon as possible. We recommend that you consider buying trip insurance when you make your airline reservations.