Drayton Hall in Infrared

Drayton Hall, the iconic 18th-century estate in the South Carolina Lowcountry, is vital to our understanding of early American history. It’s also one of my favorite plantations in Charleston!

Founded in 1738, Drayton Hall is the nation’s earliest example of fully executed Palladian architecture…and the oldest preserved plantation house in America still open to the public!!!

I recently had the pleasure of exploring and photographing the property with my Infrared Camera. It’s a special Nikon camera, converted to be able to “see” a frequency of light that’s beyond the range of human sight. I’m always pleasantly surprised by the surreal images it creates! Please enjoy…

Edisto Island

Cami and I spent a week in a wonderful, secluded, log cabin on Edisto Island last week.

We were there for our annual business planning, affectionately called the “Chris & Cami Photography Summit”. But we also use the time to unplug, reconnect, and refocus.

As part of that process, I was able to take time to visit some favorite scenic spots like the beautiful avenue of oaks at Botany Bay Plantation, or sit on the porch and photograph the happy songbirds that came to the feeder for a snack. Here are a few of my favorites from those quiet times of reflection.

Our Fine Art images make great decorative pieces for the home or office, and are fantastic gifts for friends and family. Some of these images have been added to the gallery at: http://chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/fineart. Enjoy…

Charleston Center for Birds of Prey

Beautiful weather…beautiful birds…I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day at the Center for Birds of Prey!

I’ve been attending their Photography Day events for several years now. These events sell out fast, and never disappoint!

Most of these were shot with the new Nikkor 300mm f4 PF on either a Nikon D500 or a Nikon D4.

Kudos to the staff and volunteers at the Center for Birds of Prey for putting on such an AMAZING opportunity for us photographers to get up close and personal with these incredible creature.

Center for Birds of Prey

This spring I had the pleasure of attending one of the Photography Days at the Charleston Center for Birds of Prey.

I absolutely LOVE visiting and supporting this amazing facility. The work they do to save and rehab injured birds, and the education programs they have for schools and communities, are so valuable for our society if we’re to live in harmony with the other creatures on our planet.

If you ever get a chance, I highly recommend taking a trip to the Center for Birds of Prey!!!

The Kites of Allendale

Last week I managed to find a little time to go photograph a fun personal project!

I’ve heard of the amazing Kites of Allendale for several years, but never had a chance to get up there to photograph them. So I packed up the Nikon D500 and Nikkor 200-400 f4 VR…my favorite wildlife combo…and headed out on a road trip.

Allendale county is known to have huge fields of crops where tons of dragonflies and beetles congregate during the summer months. Swallow-tailed kites don’t normally come this far over. But during this time of year, they’ve discovered this bountiful feast-for-the-taking!  Here’s some info if you’re interested in seeing this majestic scene:  http://www.carolinabirdclub.org/sites/SC/allendale.html.

It’s a little late in the season. Normally July is the best time to catch them. But I managed to find a few swooping and soaring not far outside Allendale.  At first I just watched in awe as these expert flyers effortlessly circled and swirled overhead, periodically diving to grab a tasty handful, then climbing back into the wind to chow down. Eventually I grabbed the camera and enjoyed playing “target practice” with these fast-moving subjects.

It was a great challenge! I’m happy with what I got for as few kites as there were, and as short a window of time I had to work with. But my resolve to return next year during peak season has been doubled!!! 🙂

Foggy Boneyard Beach

Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve & Wildlife Management Area is a state preserve I love visiting periodically on Edisto Island. It was formed in the 1930s from the merger of the Colonial-era Sea Cloud Plantation and Bleak Hall Plantation. Then in 1977, it was given to the state as a wildlife preserve. It’s only been open to the public since 2008, but it’s already extremely popular among photographers, hunters, beachcombers, & bird watchers.

Last week I had an interior/architectural shoot on Edisto Island that ended in the late afternoon. As I left the assignment, I noticed this amazing fog that had swept in off the ocean. So instead of heading home, I made an immediate detour to Bottany Bay to photograph the boneyard beach in the quiet fog and fading light.