Photographing Egrets in South Carolina

Great Egrets are pretty cool birds. They also seem to be the most abundant of the ‘big white birds’ in the area, so photo opportunities are many for  Great Egrets.

This photograph was taken up at Huntington Beach State Park, on Murrell’s Inlet. This park was a great find. Not only did I have a chance to photograph some big-ass alligators, but the bird life was pretty good as well. If you got tired of photographing the creatures of the swamp, you could head a few hundred yards down the road and photograph the ocean. Not a bad one-two-punch. If you are ever in the Myrtle Beach area, make sure to save some time to visit Huntington Beach State Park. It is well worth the short drive.

Huntington Beach, in Murrell’s Inlet is a pretty cool state park in South Carolina. This past summer when I was visiting my friend Jesse and his family we took a short trip over to Huntington Beach. Within just a few hundred yards of the ocean was a large swamp containing all sorts of wildlife goodness. This particular guy is a common Anhinga. They are funny to watch, always waving their long necks everywhere. Every once in awhile you will watch one dive into the water after a fish. When they swim their body is mostly submerged with only their neck and head above water…bizarre little critters.

If you get a chance to head to Myrtle Beach South Carolina, make sure to save some time to head to Brookgreen Gardens, just south of Myrtle Beach on 17. It is a great place to visit, and a photographer’s paradise to be sure. Whether you are photographing the statues, sculptures, or the beautiful gardens and water features, there is no shortage of targets for you and your camera.

This photograph was taken near the center of Brookgreen. In the middle, if you look closely, you can see the Dionysis Statue. This is just a (very) small example of what you can expect to see in Brookgreen. I can’t emphasize it enough…this place is GORGEOUS!

You may have also seen the photographs I took here of the Dionysis Statue and the ‘Youth Taming Wild‘. If not, go check them out too.

At Brookgreen Gardens, near Myrtle Beach South Carolina, is a beautiful sculpture and botanical garden worthy of a visit from anyone in the area. A few weeks ago I posted an image of one of the largest sculptures in the park, Youth Taming Wild. This photograph is the Dionysis sculpture. Sculpted by Edward Francis McCartan, Dionysis is one of the more impressive sculptures in the park. It was made in 1936 at the request of Anna Hyatt Huntington after seeing a smaller version of the same statue. Made of bronze, Dionysis glistens in the sun and can be seen from the four compass point of the park.

If you ever go to Myrtle Beach South Carolina, make sure that you set aside some time to go to Brookgreen Gardens. Brookgreen is one of the more beautifully landscaped places I have ever visited. It includes over 1,400 pieces of work by over 350 artists. According to their website, Brookgreen Gardens is the largest and most comprehensive collection of American Figurative Sculpture.

The sculpture below, titled “Youth Taming the Wild” is located near the entrance of the park. Positioned on a piece of land jutting out into a pond (filled with alligators btw), Youth Taming Wild stands tall and really grabs your attention. It very well might be my favorite sculpture in Brookgreen Gardens. The Photograph is an HDR Photograph comprised of 5 exposures. Pretty standard processing, nothing special.

Once agin, next time you are in Myrtle Beach make sure you stop by Brookgreen Gardens and check the place out.