A Serene Sunset at Folly Beach in South Carolina

I almost didn’t make it to Folly Beach this day. The weather was not looking too promising, so I debated it for a while and in the end I figured that near the sea, the weather can change drastically in minutes, so why not take the chance? In hindsight, it was a good decision and I’m really happy with the sunset photos I was able to capture, in particular the imagery with the Edwin S. Taylor Fishing Pier. While the golden light gives the appearance of warmth, it was January and it was rather chilly. That worked out in my favour, as there was hardly a soul to be seen on the beach, but there were a few interesting characters that I did see.

To me, there is no better time to photograph than the hour during sunset. The light changes drastically from moment to moment, even more so when there are clouds or haze in the sky. I spent no more than 90 minutes at Folly Beach, but I think that they were very productive minutes when I look at the photographic results. I always find it funny that I can spend so little time in a  location, and spend 5 to 10 times more time working on the images on the computer afterward. I need to get a bumper sticker for the back of my office chair that says: “I’d rather be taking photos”.

Waiting for the perfect moment is one of the really fun parts of sunset photography for me. For example in the above image, the sun being ideally situated behind the pier and the man standing in the absolute perfect spot. Those elements all came together perfectly and I was ready for the moment, my trigger finger itching to press down on the camera’s shutter button. I don’t always luck out with everything coming together, so when it happens, I get this wide grin on my face, and I know it. It’s a great feeling.

While a beach can be a great place for photos just on its own, I really enjoy having some man-made element in the image as well. It can be as simple as a beach umbrella, a pair of flip flops, or a sea kayak; but when you can get something as striking as a lighthouse or pier like the one a Folly Beach,  that really adds to the potential awesomeness of the photos. Observe the long shadows, the texture in the wood, the sheer immensity of the structure…  the photographic possibilities are incredible. All the photos showcased here were taken within the previously mentioned 90 minutes. Take a look at the different qualities of light and what I was able to do with it. A short amount of time, in a relatively small area, produced some really fun photographs. It kind of makes me wish it was sunset all day long, but then it just wouldn’t be so special, would it?

While the beach was mostly deserted, there were a few interesting people to observe that afternoon. There were, of course, the couples taking leisurely strolls and a few families with young children. Then there was the two teenage girls practicing their dance moves. The music coming out of their small boom box was barely audible, but loud enough that I could hear the beat. They were actually quite good and they looked like they were having a blast. I didn’t get too close to them, as I was alone and it would seem a bit weird for some older dude to be watching two young women dancing around. So I just smiled at the fact that they were having so much fun. It was like  scene from a movie, so very carefree and yet energizing at the same time. I love people watching, especially people who are happy and having fun, it’s quite contagious.

The second person that captured my attention was “crazy guy” and his dog. I was trying to get the shot above of the Tommy & Jacqueline sand writing, when crazy guy decided to come and have a chat with me.  Now sometimes you meet crazy people and they don’t seem crazy at first. This was not the case with my new best friend crazy guy. He was crazy from a mile away and got crazier with each footstep closer. There was crazy written in his eyes as he went on a diatribe about his life, art, photography, his dog, and the national debt. That was just the beginning, but since he had this Charles Mansonesque quality about him, I decided to play along. Minutes turned into weeks as I listened to him chatter on about the next crazy thing, always nodding in agreement and trying to smile. His dog came close to urinating on poor Jaqueline’s name more than once, so thankfully I had already taken my photos. After what seemed like the longest conversation I had in recent memory, crazy guy took off wishing me a good day. I could have sworn he was humming Helter Skelter by the Beatles as he meandered off into the sunset.

As I was leaving, I managed this one last shot. Taking the photo of the lookout binocular seemed like a fitting way to say goodbye since I had been treated to quite a number of great views at Folly Beach and the Edwin S. Taylor Fishing Pier. Thanks South Carolina, hope to see you again very soon!