Foggy mornings and overcast skies didn’t keep us from capturing the picturesque beauty of Charleston and the stunning nearby gardens. With tripods over our shoulders, the handful of photographers pictured at the end of this story covered a lot of ground alongside expert guides. We spent two and a half days, from sunrise to sunset, with Kate Silvia and Kenneth McKeithan, and along the way, we discovered why people love to visit Charleston in the spring.
Live oaks and azaleas at Magnolia Gardens; Charleston in the spring is colorful.
We started at Magnolia Gardens, where every angle offers a magnificent shot. Live oaks draped with moss and surrounded by azaleas in bloom are among the many reasons why visitors love Charleston in the spring.
Magnolia Cemetery
Magnolia Cemetery draws visitors for many reasons. Ghost enthusiasts go there for the “Spirits of Magnolia Cemetery Tour.” History buffs go there to see the magnificent tombstones of notable interments. Others go there to contemplate the elegant surroundings. Photographers go to Magnolia Cemetery for beautiful compositions.
Magnolia Cemetery, where azaleas complement wrought-iron fences, is another reason to love Charleston in the spring.
Folly Beach is stunning, even with clouds rolling in. We captured the pastel colors of overcast skies reflected on the ocean at sunrise and sunset.
Folly Beach – lovely serenity of Charleston in the spring
Sunrise at Folly Beach paints the coastline in soft, pastel hues that are sometimes even better reflected off the clouds. In the early morning, gentle light spreads across the water as the sky slowly brightens, and muted colors reflect off the calm Atlantic.
The beaches are lit with golden light at sunset.
By evening, the beaches glow with warm, golden light, casting long shadows on the sand and turning the surf a shimmering copper. Under overcast skies, the reflections on the ocean create a peaceful, almost painterly scene that makes Folly Beach feel both serene and dramatic.
Waterfront Park
Waterfront Park is shrouded in mist in the early morning, softening the silhouettes of the fountains and trees. The distance is shrouded in mystery.
The fog lifts and reveals Charleston’s iconic springtime glory: wisteria spilling over fences, morning carriage rides, cobblestone streets, all in dappled sunlight. All the more reason to visit Charleston in the spring!
Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
Wonder’s Way is a 2.7-mile bike-and-pedestrian path on the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, offering sweeping views of the harbor and skyline. Under overcast skies, we turned our cameras toward the bridge’s graceful contours and cable-stayed sails, letting its lines and angles take center stage.
Kate and Kenny provided invaluable guidance on composition, settings, post-processing the images, and the importance of using a tripod to avoid blurry photos! After leading field trips together for years, they form a dynamic duo. They know where to go and how to capture the best pictures. They also offered lessons on using Adobe editing tools.
About Kenny McKeithan
Almost entirely self-taught, Kenny McKeithan brings more than 30 years of experience in photography and photo finishing. His passion began in childhood when his parents bought him his first box camera, and it only grew from there. As a teenager, he worked for local photo retailers before moving into teaching. Eager to share his knowledge, Kenny now leads hands-on field workshops, training photographers locally and on 4- to 5-day outings in North Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Florida. An award‑winning nature photographer, Kenny also enjoys aviation, fashion, glamour, and portraiture. His work has appeared in Charleston Magazine, Art Mag, Camera in the Wild, and Where Magazine. He owns The Charleston Center for Photography. A Lowcountry native, he grew up on James Island and now lives in Summerville.
lives in Summerville, S.C.
Charleston Center for Photography
workshop schedule
Kenny McKeithan Photography
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www.kennymphoto.com
kennym328@gmail.com
“My greatest fear is that, when I die, my wife will sell all of my camera gear for what I told her it cost!” – Kenny McKeithan.
About Kate Silvia
Kate Silvia is a professional landscape photographer, author, videographer, field guide, and instructor based in Charleston, S.C. Her field trips, educational blog, and YouTube tutorials are popular among aspiring photographers at all levels. Kate’s accomplishments are numerous. She has images published in Landscape Photographer, Nature Photographers Network, Aquarium Fish, Nature Photographer, Camera in the Wild, and NANPA’s Expressions. She’s produced streaming video workshops for NIK Software, Photoshop, and Creative Post Processing. Her E-Books include “Composition For The Landscape Photographer” and “The Nature Photographer’s Guide to Greater Charleston.” Kate writes regularly for the Visual Wilderness blog and produces full-length educational videos for all aspects of landscape photography.
“It’s all about helping others become better photographers.” – Kate Silvia
Equipment
Sony a7III and Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 G Master lens. Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 lens for a few shots of the mansions along E. Bay Street. Really Right Stuff TVC-34L carbon fiber tripod. The tripod was too heavy for this walk-around trip, especially with a BH-55 ball head, but it was very stable in heavy winds. Next time, I’ll take a travel tripod!
Lodging
Francis Marion Hotel is named after famed Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion (the Swamp Fox). It is designated as an Historic Hotel of America. I enjoyed short respites and dinner there in between photography sessions. Fried Okra with Fresno Chili Oil and Chèvre Goat cheese is my favorite appetizer on their extensive menu of classic Southern cuisine.
Go to my Gallery to see more alluring images of Charleston in the spring.
For another of my Charleston stories, see “Checking Up on Downtown Charleston.“
For Charleston’s self-proclaimed most haunted ghost tours rooted in the city’s history, visit Charleston Terrors.
One of the joys of photography is spending time with talented people, each with their own creative interpretations. Thank you all for enhancing my knowledge of photography.
It’s special to get to do photography with other enthusiasts, learn from them, and highlight their work. These pictures are contributions from members of this tour visit Charleston in the spring.
Travel Notes – a visit to Charleston in the spring
Learning photography with the experts is a great way to learn quickly and share information with fellow photographers. With photography experts Kate Silvia and Kenny McKeithan, we covered a lot of ground in two and a half days. It was fast-paced yet educational; we learned the whole way.
You never know what the weather will do, and this tour was no exception. Cloud cover dogged us at the beach, Ravenel Bridge, and Shem Creek Park, but we adjusted and pressed on, making it part of the scene. At places such as Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, we arrived when it opened to beat the heat and the crowds. Our guides arranged the perfect morning and evening schedule to take advantage of the best light, helping us capture all the reasons people love to visit Charleston in the spring.
- Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
- Magnolia Cemetary
- Folly Beach
- Waterfront Park
- Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
- Shem Creek Park in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
- Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner, S.C.
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