A photographic glimpse into the Lowcountry region known for colossal antebellum homes, sprawling plantations, pristine beaches, mysterious swamps and my home – Southeastern South Carolina.

As I’ve mentioned before, there’s something to be said about looking in one’s own backyard for photographic inspiration. In the first installment of this two-part series, I shared a bit about my adolescent home in Canton, South Dakota. A portion of the United States not typically thought of as a vacation destination.  In this second half, I’d like to share with you my current residence of Charleston, South Carolina.

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I ended up in the Southeast after being stationed with the 1st Combat Camera Squadron on Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina. You may, or may not, know South Carolina was a formal British Colony and ironically I moved here by way of England in 2002. Obviously by the time I arrived the Revolutionary War was well in the past, but the British influence was here to stay.

With a deep-water harbor and the Ashley and Cooper Rivers surrounding it, colonial Charleston flourished as a port city and the shipping industry still thrives today. Despite the Revolutionary and Civil Wars that were fought here, much of the city’s historical buildings have been salvaged. What I really love about this place is the preservation society’s efforts to keep the city in tact, and as it stood in a bygone time. As a photographer, you can’t ask for a much better muse.

My house is located about 30 minutes east in of the town of Goose Creek, which is home of the famous Cypress Gardens and where they filmed a portion of The Patriot in 2000 and The Notebook in 2004.

Aside from being a majestic backdrop for some of Hollywood’s blockbuster films, Cypress Gardens is home to many indigenous animals and plant life such as its namesake, the cypress tree. Towering at 40 meters, this bald cypress thrives in saturated terrain. Considering the greater Charleston region sits at sea level, hence its nickname the Lowcountry, cypress trees are abundant and flourish here.

Because I was so blind to my surroundings in previous places of residency, I’ve made it a point to always be a tourist in my own town now. I continuously scan my surroundings with camera in-hand searching for scenes that define where I live. For example, decorative iron gates, churches, lilies, alligators and so on. Because my backyard isn’t going anywhere, I am afforded the luxury of making mistakes. By that I mean I can try new shooting techniques, screw up and go back to try again – hopefully with more success. I try to capture what I see every day in a unique and interesting approach.

When I have free time, I head over to the swamp for a leisurely photographic stroll or just enjoy the view. Given that much of what’s worth seeing is surrounded by water, the best vantage is from a boat. Other times, I load up my dogs and head out to the ocean to photograph one of the many beaches.
I don’t venture too far into the surf because I don’t have a waterproof housing for my camera. However, that’s on my backyard photography to-do list. Yes, I have a must-do photographic list!

During my backyard excursions, I try to change my perspective as often as possible by getting really high or super low. I have a point-and-shoot camera I don’t mind sticking in the mud to get a decent shot. In fact, I encourage folks to have a compact pocket-sized camera to take with them daily. Then there’s no excuse for missed opportunities. My Nikon S01 is about the size of a Tic Tac container and I wear it around my neck like a necklace.

I incorporate my hobbies into my backyard photography. This may sound outlandish, but I bring my camera with me when I ride my horse. The trails I jaunt are teaming with wildlife such as bald eagles, deer, boar, snakes and spiders. I see the world just as everyone else does, at eye level. However, from the back of my horse, I see a whole other place. Whether it’s my Nikon D800, or my COOLPIX, I’m never in the saddle empty handed….

There may be something special and unique about the place you live. Find out what that is. For Charleston, it’s our religious institutions. We’re called the Holy City, and for good reason. Seeing multiple church spires on the same block is common place and each of churches are equally extraordinary. I’ve made it a point to map out a section of Charleston and only photograph the churches within the designated area. This hones my focus for the backyard shoot session and gives me working parameters to abide by. I have a tendency to see a “squirrel” and get sidetracked easily. By creating confines for myself, I’m more apt to dive deeper into the subject matter.

Above and beyond creating geographic and subject matter boundaries for myself, I also narrow my lens selection to one option for the shoot. For instance, I’ll try a prime 24mm one day and a 70-200mm the next, never producing the same results twice. Each lens offers a different field of view, so my approach to composition changes with each lens too.

Let me leave you with this final though; I came from a rural region of the United States that, at the time, seemed empty and devoid of inspiration. Looking back, the only thing that lacked inspiration was me.

There were, and still is, a million and one things to photograph. That lesson has taught me to appreciate what’s around me. I don’t need to travel to a foreign country to capture something majestic. All I need to do is open my back door. The same goes for you too! Take off your blinders, be a tourist in your own area and show the world, photographically, your backyard.

Here is part one, just in case you missed it.