Yearning for Spring

Spring arrives a little earlier in Charleston, South Carolina than here in the midwest. I am always more than eager to travel south and meet spring as it works its way north. South Carolina is a wonderful place to explore with a camera. After a long, cold and grey winter color just seems to explode throughout the "Low Country" each spring. 

Before the Dawn

As I strolled the beach before dawn one spring morning I was treated to beautiful light bathing the shoreline at Hunting Island State Park in South Carolina. It always amazes me how beautiful the pre-dawn light can be! I'm very fortunate to have been born a "morning person." It's never been too difficult for me to roll out of bed to pursue a beautiful sunrise. That said, I do appreciate a siesta every once in a while! Hunting Island State Park in South Carolina is a great location to explore. There's a very beautiful beach, an historic lighthouse, wildlife and much more! I'll be leading a photo workshop in South Carolina this March for Michigan Photo Adventures and Hunting Island will definately be on our list of photo locations!

Already Waiting for Spring!

It's only January but I've already had enough of winter! Yes, I know snow can be very beautiful and it is fun to shoot in BUT this winter has already been way too early, way too cold and now it's shaping up to be way too snowy! I can't wait for spring to arrive…Only another three months to go! What's one of my favorite things to shoot each spring? Waterfalls, of course! They're actually fun to shoot anytime…Even in winter! This shot of a simple river rapids is from last spring in the Smokies. Great Smoky Mountain National Park is a fascinating place to visit in the spring with beautiful waterfalls and lush spring-greens all around!  There are many ways to shoot waterfalls. Personally, I almost always prefer a somewhat slower shutter speed so as to achieve a more silky/smooth effect on the moving water. Stopping down your lens (think f16 or f22) is one way to achieve a longer exposure. Using a polorizer and or neutral density filter can help as well. I usually find a polorizer to be enough to do the trick as I still want some detail in the flowing water to show through. One key thing to remember with the use of the polorizer is the greatly reduced glare you'll get on the water. Reduced glare is great BUT some glare helps to show the movement of the water. The movement is what gives the photo some visual energy! So the objective is not to eliminate all the glare! I'm planning on leading a workshop to the Smokies again this spring…Most likely the third week of April. Hope you can join us! The Smokies NEVER disapoint!