All posts by Tom Dills

One Lucky Turn Turned Out Well!

Sunset at Port Royal, South Carolina

I mentioned in a previous post about how I happened upon this scene and wanted to share a few more of the resulting photos.

Sunset at Port Royal, South Carolina
Sunset at Port Royal, South Carolina

Kathy & I had made a day trip to Beaufort, SC and stopped by Port Royal on the way back.  In Port Royal we had stopped at a little park with a boat ramp, boardwalk and an observation tower.  It was really buggy there so we didn’t stay long, but while we were at the top of the tower I noticed that there were some fishing boats farther along the river.

Sunset at Port Royal, South Carolina

We stopped in town and took a little walk, then when we were back in the car and getting ready to head back to Hilton Head, I decided to just go down one of the side streets to see where it lead.  As it turned out it lead directly to the dock where the fishing boats were!  And just in time to make some photos of a beautiful sky before heading back to our “home away from home.”

Sunset at Port Royal, South Carolina

At The Beach: 11/26/18

Deer outside our villa at Palmetto Dunes Oceanside Resort, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

We’ve been seeing these guys around since we got here but I hadn’t gotten a good look at them while I had a camera and was in a good position for a photo.  Caught them this afternoon on our way back to the beach.  Some of the weekenders had been feeding them carrots, so I think they were looking for another handout from us.  But we know better!

At The Beach: 11/25/18

Sunset on the beach, Palmetto Dunes Oceanside Resort, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

I really love the look of a wide angle lens on the beach at low tide.  Lots of interesting foreground, and a dramatic sky just adds to the appeal!  Not a lot of big-time color, but enough to be interesting.

At The Beach: 11/24/18

Glynn County Courthouse, Brunswick, Georgia

We took a road trip to Georgia today and visited St. Simon’s Island and Brunswick.  The Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick is surrounded by these amazing Live Oak trees, complete with Spanish Moss.  This photo just begins to do them justice.

From the local tourism board website:

The Historic Brunswick Courthouse is situated in a grove of live oaks within Magnolia Square—one of the historic parks and squares used to house livestock as a community pasture. The parcel was purchased in 1905 from the City for $1.00. Today it is still surrounded by mossy live oak trees in addition to trees of foreign origin including Tung and Chinese pistachio. The courthouse was designed by New Jersey architect Charles Alling Gifford of the New York firm Gifford & Bates. Gifford’s work is notable within the National Historic Landmark District on Jekyll Island, principally Sans Souci Apartments (1896), Mistletoe Cottage (1900), and Jekyll Island Clubhouse Annex (1901). The cornerstone was laid on December 27, 1906 and construction was completed on December 18, 1907 at a total cost of $97,613. Restoration work began in the early 1990’s. Noted as a fine example of Neoclassical Revival style or Beaux Arts (fine arts) architecture that flourished, 1885-1920, this impressive building is still widely known for its exceptional beauty. Beaux Arts combines ancient Greek & Roman forms with Renaissance ideas and is an eclectic Neoclassical style. Design suggests interlinking philosophy of justice: four identical entrances complement interior columns leading to justice; an intricate iron stair rail suggests delicate balance and the frailties of man. The new Glynn County Courthouse is located immediately north of the structure and opposite the Courthouse at 1709 Reynolds Street, the Mahoney-McGarvey House is known as one of the finest examples of Carpenter Gothic architecture in Georgia.

Glynn County Courthouse, Brunswick, Georgia

Blurry Pictures

Sunset on the beach, Palmetto Dunes Oceanside Resort, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

A technique that I love to use at the beach is motion blur.  This can take the form of long shutter speeds on a tripod, or panning the camera along the scene or with a moving wave.  It can convey a feeling of motion, simplify a busy scene or just look “pretty.”  It doesn’t work just anywhere, and I’ve become pretty good about knowing when to use it.

Sunset on the beach, Palmetto Dunes Oceanside Resort, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

I hadn’t tried using motion blur much this trip until I was reminded of it in a recent Instagram post by William Neill.  Bill originally inspired me to try using motion blur years ago, and his work continues to inspire me.

Sunset on the beach, Palmetto Dunes Oceanside Resort, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Last night while we waited to see if the moonrise would be visible, I tried using a slow shutter speed on the water, the sky and even some sea oats blowing in the wind.  A few of them came out OK, so I thought I would share.

Sunset on the beach, Palmetto Dunes Oceanside Resort, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Sunset on the beach, Palmetto Dunes Oceanside Resort, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina