For the first adventure of Day 2 I drove to the northwest side of the island, where the houses are more sparse, the waters are still calm, and the beaches stretch for miles. I explored Dionis Beach and took my drone for a hike out towards Eel Point. It was about 2 miles through the sand, passing beachgoers with their dogs driving on the beach, before I found complete solitude. I droned as I walked, exploring the shapes in the sand and pathways through the brush. I used two batteries on the walk to the point, took a break to soak up some sun, and walked back towards my car collecting seashells along the way.
While I broke for lunch, I debated which area to visit - or revisit - for sunset. I settled on revisiting Madaket Harbor for golden hour, and staying through sunset. The weather was rather clear, with some clouds beginning to move in. The tide was high so I walked barefoot along the narrow beach and up a marshy inlet for a ways before settling on a composition to play with for some long exposure work. The haze moved in completely as the sun started to meet the horizon, and with the glassy water reflecting the blues and pinks from overhead, the scene turned truly mystical!
Day 3 started with a long walk through the bottom half of Sanford Farm and Ram Pasture. This large swath of conservation land is intermingled with walking trails. You can complete the full 7 miles to the beach, or do what I did and drive two thirds of the way south to the secondary parking lot for a shorter loop. The weather was much cooler and breezier than the previous day, as Maria continued to churn offshore. As I made my way to the beach I could see the huge waves crashing along the steep sand. This was perhaps the most weather we would get from this hurricane, and I was glad this was all she had for us. It made for a spectacular sight without the severe weather and worry.
On the way back to the car the weather began to clear, again about noontime. After lunch I explored the dunes along the east side of the island in Quidnet. I didn't quite find the compositions I was hoping for, reminiscent of the Cape Cod National Seashore, so I decided to rethink my plans for sunset.
As the sun began coming down I drove back to Madaket in the southwest, this time parking at Madaket Beach for a view of the waves and sand for my long exposure work. The breeze was still rather stiff on this side of the island, but warm sun kept everything temperate and warm.
Another couple of days in the books! There were still three days of shooting left to do... where to go next?..
Prints available in the Nantucket -- Away Offshore Gallery
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