I don’t always listen to my wife like I should. She’d been telling me for years I should lead a photo trip to Savannah, GA, but it wasn’t until 2024 that I finally did. Partnering with my old friend and Nikon School co-instructor Bill Durrence (who’s lived there his entire life), our group had a great week. Which led me to run the same trip, with a few changes, this year. And once again, it was great. The area offers amazing variety, which to me is one of the keys to a successful photo trip. Below are some of the photos we made while there in early March (plus one day in Charleston). If you’re interested in joining Bill and me on a return trip in the spring of 2026, let me know. (If you’d like to see the complete gallery of photos from this trip, it can be found here)
We began the trip with an early arrival at Bluff Drive to catch sunrise over the Skidaway River. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 125, 1/100 at f/8 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 24mm.
That area is also home (literally) to some beautiful homes facing the river. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 640, 1/30 at f/7.1 in Matrix metering, -0.7 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 14mm.
That was followed by a walking tour of Savannah, as Bill talked about its history (and there’s a lot of that!). Being my fourth time exploring those streets, I focused more on details than the grand old homes. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 100, 1/400 at f/7.1 in Matrix metering, -0.7 EV, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 200mm.
Another of those details, this time aided by nice light. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 100, 1/200 at f/9 in Matrix metering, -1.0 EV, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 200mm.
Did I mention variety? Not far outside the city limits is the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. It’s home to a bunch of these critters, among other animals. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance,, ISO 200, 1/400 at f/6.3 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm.
It’s also a great place to see birds, like this egret. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 320, 1/4000 at f/6.3 in Matrix metering, -1.0 EV, Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm.
The next day’s early shoot was at the beach on Tybee Island, where we were rewarded with another beautiful sunrise. Here, Betty crouches down for a low angle, which allows me to add the human element to this photo. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 1000, 1/40 at f/7.1 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 24mm.
The port of Savannah is one of the busiest in the country, so we didn’t lack for ships to put against the sunrise. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 200, 1/1000 at f/8 in Matrix metering, +0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 150mm.
Leaving the beach, we visited Tybee Light Station, a classic lighthouse. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 64, 1/125 at f/11 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 14mm.
After breakfast nearby, we explored “The Strand,” a long-time tourist destination near the beach. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a photo booth in the parking lot of a motel. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 125, 1/100 at f/6.3 in Matrix metering, -1.0 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 17mm.
The crowds aren’t there yet in March, but the scenes are. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 125, 1/800 at f/6.3 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 15mm.
Fort Pulaski, near Tybee Island, has a fascinating history. Built to be impregnable, like the Titanic, it didn’t live up to its reputation during the Civil War. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 64, 1/80 at f/16 in Matrix metering, -1.7 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 14mm.
For a change of pace, I shifted to my infrared camera during part of our visit to the fort. That worked well with the sky we had. Nikon Z 6 converted to full-spectrum, Aperture Priority, Preset white balance, ISO 100, 1/100 at f/14 in Matrix metering, +2.0 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 14mm.
A Savannah trip wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Bonaventure Cemetery. The old monuments, paired with Spanish moss-laden oaks, make for dramatic photos. Especially with infrared. Nikon Z 6 converted to full-spectrum, Aperture Priority, Preset white balance, ISO 100, 1/200 at f/10 in Matrix metering, +1.7 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 15mm.
A shaft of sunlight spilling across one of the headstones and bed of leaves in the military cemetery made for a beautiful scene. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 200, 1/800 at f/8 in Matrix metering, -1.3 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 14mm.
Sometimes all you need is a little color, light and shadow. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 500, 1/250 at f/10 in Matrix metering, -0.7 EV, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 125mm.
Raleigh was one of the docents at the Green-Meldrim House who was kind enough to pose for us. In this case I used my compact 40mm f/2 lens to throw the background out of focus, and having Raleigh in shadow, let the background blow out (overexposed). In color, that overexposure looks wrong, but in black-and-white, just fine. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 160, 1/250 at f/2 in Matrix metering, +1.0 EV, Nikkor Z 40mm f/2 lens.
Molly was our other model there, and this time I took advantage of the beautiful patterned floor as a foreground. I chose black-and-white for the “old-timey” look, which fit well with her dress and the room. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Auto white balance, ISO 1250, 1/40 at f/4 in Matrix metering, -0.3 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 19mm.
This year we added the Georgia State Railroad Museum to our schedule, and arranged to be there after closing to take advantage of late-day light. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Auto white balance, ISO 160, 1/13 at f/9 in Matrix metering, -0.7 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 25mm.
The other reason we arranged to stay late at the museum was to do a little light painting. This is an old street car that’s part of the collection. I used four lights to make this. Nikon Z 8, Manual exposure, Sunny white balance, ISO 200, 8 at f/5 in Matrix metering, -1.3 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 15mm.
Our fourth and final day was spent in South Carolina, visiting the Charleston area. We started with a walking tour of the old city. Once again I found good opportunities to use my infrared camera. Nikon Z 6 converted to full-spectrum, Aperture Priority, Preset white balance, ISO 100, 1/160 at f/9 in Matrix metering, +1.3 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 14mm.
And of course, there are lots of beautiful old mansions to see and photograph in Charleston. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 200, 1/200 at f/10 in Matrix metering, -1.0 EV, Nikkor Z 14-30mm f/4 S lens at 14mm.=
The last stop on our visit to South Carolina was Magnolia Plantation. Having visited the buildings and grounds before, this time I chose to spend my time in the woods and marshes that are part of the property. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, 5210K, ISO 64, 1/80 at f/8 in Matrix metering, -1.0 EV, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 130mm.
This is a reflection of a heron sculpture in one of the ponds, that I then flipped 180-degrees. Nikon Z 8, Aperture Priority, Sunny white balance, ISO 1000, 1/1250 at f/6.3 in Matrix metering, -1.3 EV, Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens at 200mm.
(If you like this story, please share it with your friends and let them know about the links on photography that I post on my business Facebook page. I’m also on Instagram and Twitter, @reedhoffmann. And if you’re curious about the workshops I teach, you can find them here. And, you can subscribe to this blog on my home page.)
Amazing photography/-you are a great photographer …appreciate all your guidence…