OuterBanksGuidebook.com is the brainchild of Fred Hurteau, who conceived, designed, wrote, photographed and executed every aspect of this site from the ground up. It is the "sister" to another web site, CarolinaOuterBanks.com, which he created in 1999 from 35mm slides of the Outer Banks he had photographed over 25 years earlier. His desire to create a more comprehensive, higher quality collection of Outer Banks photos, encompassing scenery, wildlife, lighthouses and other subjects of interest, was the impetus for this web domain's creation. His long fascination with the Outer Banks continues to fuel his interest in promoting and sharing with others its mystical beauty. The author on Jockey's Ridge photographing a spectacular October sunset. Based on his prior knowledge of these unique barrier islands, Fred spent three weeks taking over 3700 photos and collecting current information to begin the creation of OuterBanksGuidebook.com. The entire process, from conception to initial online posting, took several months, including lost time because of the unfortunate arrival of Hurricane Isabel just as the first of his initial three trips was to begin. Hurricane Isabel's unwelcome visit added compelling drama to what might otherwise have been thought of as three weeks of "working vacation". It also served as a harsh reminder of the true nature of the Outer Banks, and how precarious their position is in the grand scheme of nature. In retrospect, it provided an extremely rare opportunity to photograph part of the natural evolution of North Carolina's Outer Banks. Years of subsequent trips continue to expand and enhance this site with many more photos, new information and additional sections. The ultimate goal is to make OuterBanksGuidebook.com just what its name implies, and to be recognized as THE online "guidebook" for anyone wanting to learn more about North Carolina's Outer Banks. Fred's commercial art and graphics design experience spans over 35 years in business and education. This includes art direction and design for commercial printing, videography, news writing and feature photography, and computer software/hardware reviews and feature writing for national computer magazines. Presently Fred's career as a computer graphics illustrator, animator and web designer helps to keep his creative energy under control. But that creative energy still manages to spill over into his hobby interests, which are numerable. To contact the author use this email form Fred Hurteau's Nature & Wildlife Photography Tips & Techniques for Wildlife Photography   Copyright © 2003 Fred Hurteau * Copyright information and image use policy * To request digital images for publication, go to the Gallery. Visit these other web sites by Fred Hurteau