The area around Savannah, Georgia, is steeped in history – from the founding of our country to navigating the challenges of modern times – which made it a perfect location for the “Jewels of the South” photography trip I just led. We spent time among towering oaks draped in moss and ferns, explored trails through swamps and marshes, walked colonial-era streets, visited homes dating back hundreds of years, photographed locals in outfits from the 1800s, left tracks in the sand along the seashore and much more. The seeds for this trip were laid in 2002 when I began teaching Nikon School, and one of the instructors I did that with was Bill Durrence.
If you ever meet Bill, you’ll quickly learn that he was born, and has spent most of his life, in Savannah, GA. He’s incredibly knowledgeable of the city’s history – both the good and the bad – from its founding through current times, and loves sharing that knowledge. After my first visit a few years ago, I knew it would be a great place to run a photography trip, especially partnering with Bill. It’s one thing to tour an area with a guide, but entirely different to have a guide who’s spent his life living there while both doing, and teaching photography.
On the first morning of the trip, Bill begins our tour of Savannah at one of its many squares.
I called it “Jewels of the South” because we’d explore not just Savannah, but areas around it as well, including a day in Charleston, SC. Bill put together a full four-day itinerary for our five clients, and we covered a lot of ground, from the very old to the very new. Here are a few of my favorite photos from some of those places we visited in early March:
We spent five nights at Planters Inn on Reynolds Square, and the first two mornings were treated to an eery fog. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 3200, 1/13 at f/4.5 in Matrix metering, -2.0 EV, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens at 24mm.
One of the mornings was spent visiting some of the beautiful homes on Isle of Hope. In Savannah’s early days, it was an area where people fled to try to avoid outbreaks of disease. Today it’s a just a lovely place to live. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 2500, 1/50 at f/4.5 in Matrix metering, -1.0 EV, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens at 24mm.
I loved combining the architecture of the old homes with the majesty of the trees surrounding them. The largest of the “live oaks” were planted around 200 years ago. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 64, 1/800 at f/4 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 lens.
Bill’s a bit of a “foodie,” so he made sure we had some very nice meals. So nice, in fact, that there were rarely leftovers. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, ISO 1250, 1/200 at f/2 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 lens at 40mm.
We spent a sunny afternoon touring the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to lots of wildlife, including alligators. This is one of the times where I really appreciate having a LONG telephoto lens! Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 800, 1/1600 at f/6.3 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm.
Thanks to the internet, we were able to figure out that this was a glossy ibis, plucking a snack from the water at the Refuge. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 3200, 1/1600 at f/6 in Matrix metering, +0.7 EV, Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 460mm.
We arrived at Tybee Island’s beach well before sunrise, to heavy overcast skies above us. But eventually the sun poked through, serving up some beautiful light to work with. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 200, 1/400 at f/7.1 in Matrix metering, -1.0 EV, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens at 100mm.
Just across from the beach on Tybee Island is the old, classic lighthouse. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 100, 1/50 at f/16 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 14mm.
The Strand on Tybee Island caters to tourists, and sa such offers some unique photo possibilities. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 320, 1/320 at f/5 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens at 96mm.
We also explored Fort Pulaski, and I was intrigued by the patterns vreated by the bricks in the circular staircases leading to the parapet. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 640, 1/10 at f/8 in Matrix metering, -1.3 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 14mm.
Bill used his contacts in the community to arrange a photo shoot in one of the historic homes, the Green-Meldrim house. Greg was kind enough to join those who offered to pose for our group. I regularly switched my camera to black-and-white during the trip when I felt that better fit the mood of the scene. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 2000, 1/500 at f/2.8 in Matrix metering, +0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 lens.
Greg’s wife, Jan, was another of our models. I asked her to stand on the staircase to create a photo for the group, wtih Bill using a flashlight and reflector to create the shadows. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Auto white balance, ISO 2000, 1/30 at f/4 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens at 39mm.
When I saw these window seats, I knew they’d be perfect for Molly and her dress, which she made herself. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Auto white balance, ISO 500, 1/125 at f/2.5 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 lens.
Again choosing black-and-white, I felt this made a stronger statement with the lines and shapes in this scene at Bonaventure Cemetery. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Auto white balance, ISO 200, 1/640 at f/4 in Matrix metering, +1.3 EV, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens at 37mm.
Three of the group joined me on an optional night shoot one evening in Savannah. Despite the rain, we found a nice scenes, including this one of Forsyth Fountain. A duplicate of it stands in the main square in Cusco, Peru, which I’ll be visiting in August during a photo trip I’m leading there. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Auto white balance, ISO 160, 30 at f/14 in Matrix metering, -2.0 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 22mm.
We left early one morning to visit Charleston and spent a couple of hours toruing some of the streets in the old part of the city. Lots of nice color and patterns to work with. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 160, 1/1000 at f/7.1 in Matrix metering, 0.0 EV, Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens at 82mm.[/caption]
Our afternoon in Charleston was spent at the nearby Magnolia Plantation, where I used my infrared-converted camera to make this photo. While we spent a couple of hours there, you could easily take the whole day to explore it. Nikon Z 6, Aperture Priority, Preset white balance, ISO 100, 1/100 at f/11 in Matrix metering, +1.0 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 16mm.
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Reed,
Great story! Wonderful images! A great trip.
Thanks,
Norm
Beautiful photos …