If you want an amazing experience, go to Folly Beach by the Morris Island Lighthouse on the morning each month that the high tide hits at dawn and the moon is full. Squadrons of pelicans head out of the marsh to feed in the ocean. Egrets, cormorants and seagulls and a host of other shore-birds are all searching for breakfast. The waves hit the rock walls throwing spray ten - fifteen - sometimes twenty feet overhead. Dolphins head out of the Folly River. It all hits a crescendo as the sunrise moves through all the pastel hues of light into the brilliant oranges and reds that signal dawn. If you are attuned, it is an incredible spiritual experience - and most amazingly? There is never anyone there. A million people live in the tri-county area, and it is rare that even one shows up here at dawn.
After an hour's drive from Seabrook, I arrived a half hour before sunrise while everything was shrouded in fog. The lighthouse wasn't even visible. But as the sun broke the horizon the fog began to dissipate and the landscape emerged from the mist.
Afterward, I headed over to spend a few minutes with a friend on Folly, Duke. He told me about a huge machine on the beach. I was skeptical, but headed over to see what he was talking about. And he was not exaggerating. The tires on this machine are six foot tall. No one could answer what it was for, so I headed to the other end of Folly Beach where I was told there were surveyors working.
I found the surveyors mapping elevations, and they said the machine is designed to run in the water and map out the beach to calculate the best way to go about beach replenishment. It seems Folly is eroding rapidly at the south end, and they are trying to figure out the best way to slow the pace of erosion.
I headed back to Seabrook Island and gave the marketing manager a disc of 100 finished photos from this last week's shooting. She told me they had paid photographers a lot of money in the past who didnt come close to that type of quality. She said that she would love to have me back when I come back to shoot Kiawah in March to shoot some "lifestyle" shots. Later, I spoke with the island's engineer and newspaper editor - both interesting conversations.
I rounded out the day by shooting test shots at Turtle Point on Kiawah, and am going to shoot test shots on their Oak Point tomorrow. I have not even looked at those photos, nor of the photos I took at sunset from Marriage Proposal Dunes on Kiawah.
All have a great Friday !! If you are moved to help me a bit on this journey, please click HERE. I could really use the help at the moment.
Have a great Thursday !!
David
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