Living on Hilton Head Island and practicing Real Estate for over 33 years has given me the opportunity to experience most all of the amenities, activities, sports and hobbies that the Lowcountry has to offer. Besides golf, tennis, kayaking, fishing, biking and enjoying the beach, Hilton Head Island is an outstanding place to hone your photography skills. Just recently, I was able to capture a beautiful sunrise in North Forest Beach on a Sunday in September.
Although I have spent many early weekend mornings shooting sunrise at Sea Pines Beach Club, Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Pavilion and Forest Beach at Coligny Beach Park, Silhouettes at Sunrise on a Sunday in September is one of my favorites. I usually arrive an hour before sunrise when I only have Ring Billed Gulls, Piping Plovers and Pelicans for company. I head out about 15 feet from the tideline and set up a tripod while accessing the ambient light conditions.
When the sunrise is 15 minutes away, the beach starts to populate with residents, vacationers and an assortment of pets, with Black Labradors being the most popular. At this time, I start manipulating the settings until I see the photo that I want, start to form in the viewfinder. I’ve found that AV mode with a shade setting often produces the best results. If my goal is to stop motion on the incoming tide, I work with the settings until I’m shooting with a minimum of 1/250 of a second.
Instead of using a remote shutter release, I often set the timer on the camera for a 2 second delay. This works to alleviate “camera shake”. When setting up for this shot, I was concentrating on the beauty of the sunrise and the reflection off of the Atlantic. After I pushed the shutter release, a couple strolled into the viewfinder. Thinking that this shot was ruined, I continued to shoot additional photos. It wasn’t until I returned home and started reviewing the mornings photos, did I discover what would turn out to be one of my favorites. Many of my best shots could be labeled as “Lucky”.
In 33 years of practicing real estate on Hilton Head Island, I’ve experienced most of the activities and amenities this Lowcountry Gem has to offer. One of my favorites is photography. Whether it involves photographing homes and villas for sale, the abundance of wildlife, or allowing others to view how kind nature has been to our area, photography is a way to share with clients, friends and family. One option I enjoy most is to share through my blogs. While I post many to my Hilton Head Website, Facebook and Twitter, I’ve found that posting to Active Rain reaches the largest audience. Many times I’ve received telephone calls and emails with comments on the photography in my Active Rain posts.
Whether you are just getting started, or a pro photographer, you may be surprised at how sharing your work will create clients, make friends and possibly lead to a sale.
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