Area near Charleston, SC

[Jerzy Pawlowski]

I will be attending conference/show in Charleston, SC in mid April. I will travel by car so no problem with gear and can spare day or two just for shooting, even during the conference I have to be in my booth only 6 hours a day.
I am interested in dunes, beaches, etc. Years ago I have read nice books (by Alice Monroe) about the area and people trying to save islands from developers. Looking at satellite images I think it was not so successful.
Since I cannot spend much time wondering around can anyone point interesting sites at or near the ocean. I have looked at Folly Beach that seams to be parkland at both ends. Can I get there by car early morning or are there any gates (I am not lazy, still cannot walk long distances because of my Achilles tendon ruptured half a year ago). Any other locations worth trying?
Thanks in advance, Jerzy

[Marek Warunkiewicz]

Edisto is lovely to shoot, Sullivan's Island has a great fort (Fort Moultrie) that has some lovely angles to it and it also has some good places to eat all on Middle Street, Poe's Tavern for great (and I mean GREAT burgers), Dunleavy's Pub (all you can eat crab legs on Thursday), High Tyme Cuisine. Just north of Sullivan's Island there is a causewy connecting it to the Isle of Palms. Go there when the tides are changing and you will see many dolphins chowing down. You can also chow down at The Boathouse which is an amazing place with terrific food.

Take the Bull Harbor Tour, great beaches with driftwood. Then go eat at Seewee Restaurant 4808 North Highway 17 Awendaw, SC 29429, (843) 928-3609. best catfish EVER!

All of these places mentioned above are just North of Charleston.

In Charleston itself are many gardens. The Unitarian Church graveyard in the old part of town is simply stunning (King Street between Queen and Horlbeck Alley). So many places to shoot there in the old part.

Skip Kiawah, it's a rich-folk enclave that looks as "real" as Disneyland.

Bring lots of film, you won't be finding ANY there.

If you have the time, you MUST go to the Magnolia Plantation. They have an Audobon wetland that is simply unforgettable. http://www.magnoliaplantation.com. In the egret hatchery in mid-March you can watch these lovely birds performing mating dances, amazing.

I envy you! It's such an amazing place.

Cześć! To naprawdę jest kawałek raju.

Marek

[Marek Warunkiewicz]

Oh, I forgot, when in Charleston eat at Hominy Grill, 207 Rutledge Avenue, Charleston - (843) 937-0930: High Cotton (best brunch of my life) 199 E. Bay St., 843/724-3815; Magnolia's 185 East Bay Street, (843) 577-7771 and Jim N' Nick's at 288 King Street, 843-577-0406.

Marek

[bgh]

Jerzy--

Marek covered things pretty well; I used to live in Charleston (Mt. Pleasant, actually), and he hit on the good places. For ease and accessibility, I definitely would second Sullivan's Island. It is a short drive from downtown Charleston across the Cooper River Bridge, and Fort Moultrie, on the Charleston end of the Island, really is worth a visit either with or without the camera. Plus, it is right on the beach with a good morning view of Charleston. You will have no shortage of interesting views there, at various times of the day.

And, as Marek noted, there are some fantastic cemeteries in Charleston--down on the peninsula you have the Unitarian Church, the Circular Church on Meeting Street, and St. Philip's Church on Church Street. Then to the north part of the City you have the magnificent Magnolia Cemetery. All of these are well worth a visit, and will afford some interesting views if you prefer some urban vistas.

Further out, Edisto Island to the south of Charleston would be worth a visit, but you'll have to work a bit harder to find the good views, and you might spend more time driving around (which would be lovely, by the way, its gorgeous out there, and Po' Pigs has some of the best barbeque ever) than actually getting some photos.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

Bruce

[Kevin M Bourque]

Both ends of Folly Island are accessible. You get a nice view of the Morris Island Lighthouse from the NE end and its just a short walk to the end of the paved road.

Unitarian Cemetery is good, also check out Magnolia Cemetery which dates back to about 1850. Its close to downtown and Google will find it for you.

Charleston's a beautiful city and the Humidity Festival doesn't start till May ;-)

[Michael Batchelor]

Both ends of Folly Island are accessible. You get a nice view of the Morris Island Lighthouse from the NE end and its just a short walk to the end of the paved road.

Unitarian Cemetery is good, also check out Magnolia Cemetery which dates back to about 1850. Its close to downtown and Google will find it for you.

I'll second Folly Beach and the Unitarian church on Archdale. I have a house on Folly, and I'm a member of the Unitarian church.

The fishing pier on Folly offers interesting angles as well. Plus if you get to it at sunrise or moonrise you can exploit the pier as a foreground object from the beach strand.

An interesting juxtaposition for the church graveyard is the Lutheran church right next door. The Lutheran grounds are immaculately groomed, while the Unitarian grounds are only three steps away from wild.

One Sunday morning the guest speaker pointed this out and comment that it's as much a commentary on world view as it is a state of affairs for the grass!

MB

[keith english]

I'm curious what Magnolia Plantations photography policy is, especially large format. Looks like they have a photo contest going now, with special admission for shooting.

[Jerzy Pawlowski]

Thanks Marek, Bruce, Kevin, and Michael for lots of info. It looks I have more places than I will have time, I am more excited after reading your posts. I will have to make a second trip anyway, I have promised my wife who can not go at this time.
I located all indicated places on Google maps with no problems, all restaurants parameters will print out to have with me. I was interested at first in Folly Beach since it is very short drive from my hotel and as confirmed by Michael and Kevin I am glad I am looking at Google Earth before any trip.

[CantikFotos]

If you have time, you ought to drive up to Atalaya. It's about 90 miles north of Charleston.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atalaya_Castle_%28USA%29
http://www.huntingtonbeachstatepark.com/Atalaya.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Hyatt_Huntington

[thylightguy]

Both ends of Folly Island are accessible. You get a nice view of the Morris Island Lighthouse (http://www.lighthouseinn-ct.com/lighthouses-by-state/south-carolina-lighthouses/morris-island-lighthouse.html) from the NE end and its just a short walk to the end of the paved road.

Unitarian Cemetery is good, also check out Magnolia Cemetery which dates back to about 1850. Its close to downtown and Google will find it for you.

Charleston's a beautiful city and the Humidity Festival doesn't start till May ;-)

Thanks for this recommendation, but one question I have is... are there any good places to eat in the Charleston, SC area that you or ANYONE might recommend? Please PM me, or a reply here could work too. Thanks.

[DJG]

I was there earlier this year. Really liked Husk (Queen Street), in an old restored home, a menu that changes based on what's local and fresh. I also liked Hominy Grill (mentioned above), my wife liked Fleet Landing (Concord Street). A friend recommended Cru Cafe, Southend Brewery, and Peninsula Grill, but we never made it to those. There are tons of places for good food, good luck.