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Watch the perfect beach sunrise at the North Carolina Outer Banks

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July 3, 2018 at 9:25 a.m. EDT
The sunrise on July 1, 2018, at Kill Devil Hills, N.C. (Video: Kevin Ambrose/TWP)

The sound of the surf combined with dancing reflections of sunlight on ocean waves can be very calming. That’s part of the reason many of us like the beach.

This past weekend featured near-perfect weather for relaxing, swimming and shooting a few photos.

On such a hot, humid day in Washington, surely the cool Atlantic water and refreshing sea breezes hold some appeal.

Late last week I traveled to Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a few days with my kids. Each morning I woke up early to photograph the sunrise, and on Sunday morning I photographed and shot video of what I consider the perfect beach sunrise — if you like relaxing, peaceful beach scenes.

If you prefer dramatic beach weather, however, I also photographed a cool thunderstorm that chased us off the beach during a previous trip to Kill Devil Hills.

The video of Sunday’s sunrise captures the essence of calm and beautiful beach weather. The sound of the surf is soothing. I think I’ll put the video in a repetitive loop and project it on a big screen display in my house, just to set a peaceful mood. It will be particularly good to watch after a stressful day at the job.

Unfortunately, I had to leave the beach Sunday afternoon. It was a short trip. Perhaps I can make a return trip soon, but for now, I need to prepare to photograph the fireworks. It’s only a day away!