Advice Requested Re Photography in the Carolinas

[Richard K.]

OK, my wife thinks it's too far for me to drive alone to Death Valley this Feb. because I'm too old :( . On the off chance that she may be right :mad: , I've considered closer places (I'm in Toronto). I've never been to either of the Carolinas and they're within reasonable driving distance. Can you please tell me what might be good areas there for LF photography (landscapes, derelict buildings, dunes, swamps - the usual rust, rot, rubbish, ruins, relics and rocks)? Where to stay? Any (personal) safety issues? Lastly, which one or two of my four cameras (WP, 7x11. 8x20. 14x17) should I take? :rolleyes: :D

Advice greatly appreciated!

Happy to meet up with local photographers!

[Steve Gledhill]

OK, my wife thinks it's too far for me to drive alone to Death Valley this Feb. because I'm too old :( . On the off chance that she may be right :mad: , I've considered closer places (I'm in Toronto). I've never been to either of the Carolinas and they're within reasonable driving distance. Can you please tell me what might be good areas there for LF photography (landscapes, derelict buildings, dunes, swamps - the usual rust, rot, rubbish, ruins, relics and rocks)? Where to stay? Any (personal) safety issues? Lastly, which one or two of my four cameras (WP, 7x11. 8x20. 14x17) should I take? :rolleyes: :D

Advice greatly appreciated!

Happy to meet up with local photographers!

Richard,
I visited S Carolina and Georgia a couple of autumns ago and came back with some great memories and pictures that pleased me. I travelled with a friend from NC who took care of the itinerary so I'm not too certain exactly where we went. Except to say that we visited several of the offshore islands - Sapelo, Cumberland (Georgia I think rather than Carolinas) as well as many places further north. So, I can't help much with exact locations (but others herein who know better than me surely can!) but I can encourage you to explore as there's a wealth of material to go for. Here's a selection of my work from that trip: http://www.virtuallygrey.co.uk/portfolio65717.html

[eddie]

stop by my place on the way by (kingston ny)...we can go shooting easy.

bring the wp and the 8x20......

[rfesk]

There is no shortage of places to go. The mountains, piedmont, the coast. There are old buildings in many small towns and also in Charleston, Columbia, Winston Salem, New Bern etc.

Personally, for a first trip, I would pick the mountains or the coast and do some research on the internet.

[Bruce Watson]

I've never been to either of the Carolinas and they're within reasonable driving distance. Can you please tell me what might be good areas there for LF photography (landscapes, derelict buildings, dunes, swamps - the usual rust, rot, rubbish, ruins, relics and rocks)?

The Carolinas are littered with photographic opportunity. Much depends on what you want. The obvious areas are the coast (think Cape Hatteras National Seashore and all up and down NC-12 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_Highway_12) down the barrier islands) and the mountains, in particular Great Smoky Mountains National Park (if you go there, stay in Townsend TN -- I personally avoid Gattlinburg TN like the plague). Other than that the eastern part of the state is largely agricultural -- you'll find your old barns if you make any effort at all. There are Civil War battle fields near Charlotte (Kings Mountain comes to mind) if you are into that kind of thing.

South Carolina is similar to NC, but different in its own way. Charleston is particularly picturesque if you want the old southern plantation thing. The mountains of SC are similar to the mountains of NC and Georgia. The piedmont is less interesting to me personally unless you really like peach farms. And of course there's the BMW factory in Greenville SC if you are into industrial sprawl ;-).

If you are into waterfalls there's a region that straddles the NC/SC state lines and has US-64 running more or less down the middle of it from Brevard NC way out west -- many interesting and varied water falls. If you want that, get Kevin Adams book (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/North-Carolina-Waterfalls/Kevin-Adams/e/9780895873200) -- the "bible" for area waterfalls and aimed right at photographers.

Finally, there's the Blue Ridge Parkway (http://www.blueridgeparkway.org/) that runs from NC up the Appalachian mountains all the way to Shenandoah National Park in VA.

There is of course plenty to photograph in VA also, not least is Charlottesville VA, home to both UVA and Monticello, both designed by Thomas Jefferson.

The list goes on and on. But if you are looking for the land of great open vistas, the east coast of the USA isn't really going to do it for you. Those vistas are much easier to find in the Rockies and points west. Just sayin'.

[Tom Conway]

Here are a few additions:

NC - Asheville, Bald Head Island, Manteo, Outer Banks, Wilmington: downtown, Cape Fear River, Arboretum, Intracoastal Water Way

SC - Beaufort, Brookgreen Gardens

VA - Norfolk Botanical Gardens, Richmond: Maymont, historical sites

If you come to Wilmington, NC, email and I'll show you the sights!

Tom Conway
www.naturesportraits.org
Email: tconway@conwaycompany.com

[Bob Salomon]

Look up the Carolina Nature Photographers Association, www.cnpa.org.

[Richard K.]

Thanks to all who have replied! :) I think I WILL go there and incorporate your excellent suggestions. Truly looking forward to it...:D
Now...which camera to take...:rolleyes:

[Brian Ellis]

Great Smoky Mountain National Park alone could easily occupy a week of your time. I agree with the person who said to avoid Gatlinburg. I stay in Pigeon Ford a few minutes away from Gatlinburg. Get a map of the park, do some on-line reasearch, and you'll find many photo opportunities with plenty available from the side of the road. Cades Cove is interesting if you like old structures.

If you choose to venture farther south to Georgia there's Cumberland Island that someone else mentioned but you have to take a ferry boat to get there and the ferry boat's hours aren't conducive to early morning and late night photography. I've stayed several times in the Greyfield Inn, which is the only hotel on the island and is your only choice for overnight stays unless you camp. The Inn is very expensive but it's a wonderful place to stay - no radios, no TVs, no telephones - just wonderful peace and quiet in a beautiful setting. They have their own boat that will pick you up from several locations so you don't need to deal with the ferry boat. They also have bikes you can use to get around the island. Sapelo Island which someone else mentioned is o.k. but it too requires a ferry boat ride. I didn't find it nearly as interesting for photography as Cumberland but I was only there for a day. Jekyll Island is easily accessible by carand it has a great old driftwood beach that I've photograhed many times. You can stay on the island or in one of the nearby motels.

[John Powers]

Richard,

If it is not over budget fly out to Death Valley Phil Kember’ workshop. He shoots an 8x10 Ebony and a Dick Phillips’ 7x17. In a thread some time ago when asked about what camera bag you use he responded Jeep Wrangler. http://www.deathvalleyphoto.com/Workshop.html

A couple of years ago Dick said he was going out to shoot in Death Valley. I asked him if he knew Phil or if Phil had bought the camera second hand. He did not know him, signed up, had a ball. Here is Phil’s tribute to Dick. http://www.deathvalleyphoto.com/Dick_Phillips_Tribute.html

John

[Fred L]

the 7x11 Chamonix should be riding shotgun ;)

[J Ney]

Sounds like you've got plenty of places already... but I'll just throw in Chimney Rock Park as it is the first place the came to mind when I saw the question...

Hope you have a great time! That's some beautiful country down there.