Well Dorian took it’s sweet time to get here, after decimating the Bahama Islands. So grateful that we didn’t suffer the same damage, and so grieved for all those whose loss is incomprehensible.
Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve, Folly Island
I visited the Folly Beach area yesterday evening to see what erosion damage had been done by the seasonal king tides combined with the hurricane, and found nothing too shocking. This little barrier island is morphing all the time, its shape determined by natural forces, and this was just another small adjustment. It will always be beautiful.
Some of my favorite times to experience Folly Beach are when it’s wild and gray and gusty. Sunny days with children paddling and colorful beach umbrellas are great, but so are the days when storm squalls race across the sand and you know you have no chance to outrun them. The clouds are unruly and the sand is stinging, but it’s wonderfully beautiful all the same. This was such a day.
These are the last images from the recent Savannah flight that I will post on this blog. If you want to see a wider selection, please visit www.charlestonaerials.com
Harbour Town and the Sea Pines Resort, Hilton Head Island
There is a lot that is addictive about buzzing around in the warm summer air, pretending you are a bird and looking at the world from a completely different perspective. I am already looking forward to and planning my next flight.
Shelter Cove Harbour and Marina
Hwy174 and the Dawhoo Bridge, Edisto Island
Coming in to land after sunset at Charleston International Airport
One of my aerial targets on the recent trip down to Savannah was the Beaufort area. These images specifically cover the area of Port Royal and Parris Island. The sun was setting as we circled and the flooded marshes and creeks reflected the sky. What a privilege to live in the lowcountry!
My passion for a few years now has been aerial photography, and not using a drone but rather shooting from a helicopter. It is challenging and exhilarating all at the same time, and this trip was no exception. Having covered pretty much all of Charleston and the surrounding area, my plan was to extend my library of aerials to include our sister city, Savannah GA. It is a long way to fly in an R22 and the route had to be carefully planned around fuel stops and airspace rules. Holy City Helicopters came through magnificently and Kyle, my skilled and patient pilot was more than up to the task. It was a 3+ hour flight and we got back after dark. I have over 1,600 images to sort through and edit from Rockville, Seabrook, Edisto, Hunting Island, Pritchards Island, Hilton Head, Daufuskie Island, Tybee Island and then all the way back. It will take me awhile, but I will post more from time to time as I go.
Savannah looking Northwest towards the port and Talmadge Memorial Bridge
Container Ship sailing under the Talmadge Memorial Bridge
It had been awhile since I had been up in the chopper shooting aerials. Somehow Winter is not very inspiring. The marsh grass is brown, and more importantly, it gets cold up there without doors and heating. That all changed yesterday afternoon. It was sunny and mild (if a little breezy), but that just adds to the challenge of trying to keep your horizons level! Here are a couple from our route from Signature Airport in North Charleston, downtown Charleston, across Shem Creek and up to Isle of Palms, across to Boone Hall Plantation and back again. Thanks as always to my skilled pilot, Kyle – you’re the bomb.
Historic Downtown CharlestonWando River Bridge (I-526)The Old Pitt Street Bridge, Mount PleasantBoone Hall Plantation, Mount PleasantShem Creek, Mount Pleasant
I know not why I find fog so irresistibly seductive, but there it is – I do. I didn’t have to detour far out of my ho-hum daily errand route to discover these quintessential southern scenes. It’s almost noon, and it’s still foggy out there!
