Sometimes, when the tide is slack and there is no breath of wind, the water so perfectly mirrors the sky that it’s hard to figure what is sky and what is water, what is physically before you and what is a mirror image. This was just one of those evenings.
This entry will be “Part I” since I plan to return in about 3 weeks to hopefully photograph some fall color in the lower elevations. The first image is of Hooker Falls in the Du Pont State Forest at Cedar Mountain. The other photos were taken from the Blue Ridge Parkway, mainly at 4,000 ft and above, where the color has just started to show. The last image is of Rough Ridge Overlook, one of the higher BRP overlook elevations where the color was magnificent. Hang in there leaves, I’ll be back soon!
So this is when you set out with a purpose and vision for an image, and things don’t quite go the way you planned. I drove an hour to Lake Moultrie one of the evenings during Comet NEOWISE’s visit, and the clouds were just way too thick to reveal any celestial activity. When ya don’t get what you want, you just shoot what ya got!
Every Summer sees the congregation of thousands of diverse shore birds on Bird Key, a small island in the Stono Inlet between Folly and Kiawah, managed by SC Department of Natural Resources. I notice that it is now being referred to as the Stono Seabird Sanctuary. Regardless, it is recognized as an important bird area by Audubon and it is forbidden to land on the island during nesting season. It makes for a great boat ride in the evening. Even the Stono Bridge looked beautiful in the late afternoon light.
I have seen winelands in France and California (Italy, Portugal and others are still on my bucket list) but so far, I have to say that some of the prettiest are to be found in the Cape, South Africa. I know I may be a little biased, but seriously, this has to be some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere on God’s earth. These were taken on an estate in the Stellenbosch area.
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.
