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!
We seem to be in a familiar pattern where after the intense heat of the day, summer storms form and unleash their energy in the late afternoons. This is always an opportunity for creating dramatic images, and this lightning strike was shot over the downtown Charleston skyline, under a canopy of broiling clouds.
Through most of the year, this small barrier island is just another one of many off the coast of the Carolinas, but during breeding and nesting season, it comes alive with activity. The diversity of shorebirds that crowd this space is nothing short of mind boggling, and the cacophony of squawking is carried on the wind for some distance. The smell also alerts you to your imminent arrival at the shores of the island. It is illegal to land, and really you should not get close enough that you change the natural behavior of the birds. These are a few images from our boat trip out there yesterday evening.
I have photographed this iconic lighthouse for years in and out of season, at night, at sunrise, in good and bad weather, but this was the first time I had seen it all lit up, doing what it was built to do. This beloved relic should be fully restored as a necessary and integral part of Charleston’s history. Support “Save the Light” at http://www.savethelight.org/
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.
Continuing my current Spring theme of playing tourist in my town, I joined the happy throng of pedestrians on King Street this afternoon. It was a beautiful day, and you could tell folks were thrilled to be outdoors in this gorgeous weather. It was almost a celebratory atmosphere. I know we complain about the flooding, about the bugs, about the heat, but seriously, there are worse places to live than Charleston. I for one feel fortunate to live here.
