St. Philips Church, Charleston, SC

April 15, 2013 by The F/Stop Guy | 5 Comments
St. Philips Church St. Philips Church, Charleston, SC

Click to enlarge or to buy prints

St. Philips Church is a historical Episcopal church located in the french quarter neighborhood of Charleston, South Carolina.

The Story

I was visiting Charleston in early April. It is beginning to become Spring here and I wanted to visit the St. Philip’s cemetery across from the main church. When I finished taking photos in the cemetery, I wandered over to the church to see if it was open. It was and I went into to see this spectacular structure.

Established in 1681, St. Philip’s is the oldest religious congregation in South Carolina. The first St. Philips Church, a wooden building, was built between 1680 and 1681 at the corner of Broad and Meeting streets on the present day site of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church. It was damaged in a hurricane in 1710 and a new St. Phillips Church was begun a few blocks away on Church Street. After being delayed it was finished in 1723 but burned to the ground in 1835. Work on the present church was begun that same year and completed the next. The steeple was added between 1848 and 1850.

St. Philips Church Sanctuary St. Philips Church, Charleston, SC

Click to enlarge or to purchase prints

One of the especially interesting features is the way the pews are set up. Called “Box Pews”, a family would seat themselves and then close the door at the end of the pew. On colder days, this enabled them to heat the pew by bringing a hot brick or stone to church with them. The heat would radiate throughout the pew box and keep them warm.

Processing

These images were created using 5 bracketed images merged in HDR Efex Pro. Once blended, I applied minor finishing adjustments to the images to maintain the balance and realism of the scene.

 

© 2013, The F/Stop Guy: St. Philip’s Church, Charleston, SC

Posted in Architectural, HDR, Historical Buildings Tagged , , , , , , |

Beaufort National Cemetery

April 12, 2013 by The F/Stop Guy | 1 Comment
Natl Cemetery Beaufort SC Beaufort National Cemetery

Click to enlarge or to buy prints

There’s something about cemeteries that draws me in every time I pass one in my travels. Such was the case with Beaufort National Cemetery in Beaufort, South Carolina.

The Story

In my travels last week, I spent a brief period of time in Beaufort. There was little time for photography but I did get to take a few shots in the national cemetery there. It was a cool evening with a gentle breeze blowing. It was incredibly peaceful standing in the cemetery watching the breeze blow the Spanish Moss in the huge Live Oaks throughout the cemetery. I find myself pondering the lives of the people interred in cemeteries often wondering about who they were and what they did in life.

Processing

Imported into Lightroom and refined in Color Efex Pro 4.

 

© 2013, The F/Stop Guy: Beaufort National Cemetery

Posted in Landscape, Travel Tagged , , , , , , |

Tree of Life, Angel Oak

April 8, 2013 by The F/Stop Guy | 4 Comments
Angel Oak1 Tree of Life, Angel Oak

Click to enlarge or to order prints

I spent the second half of last week shooting in and around the Low Country of South Carolina. One of the must see stops in the area is the Angel Oak on Johns Island near Charleston

The Story

The Angel Oak is a Live Oak that is native throughout the Low Country or Coastal South Carolina. It is estimated to be between 300 and 400 years old. There a number of sites on the Internet that suggest an age of upwards of 1500 years. The lifespan of a Live Oak is only 1000 years so those age estimates grossly exaggerate. The tree is 65 feet tall with a circumference of 25.5 feet. The spread of its limbs is so broad that its shade area covers 17,000 square feet. The largest limb has a circumference of 11.5 feet and the longest limb is 89 feet in length. Live Oaks are not particularly tall trees. Instead they tend to develop wide spreading canopies of branches with some limbs resting on the ground like what can be found on the Angel Oak.

Processing

This image was imported into Lightroom where I refined the exposure and added contrast to give the image some pop. If you’re ever in the Low Country of South Carolina, I encourage you to check out this natural wonder.

 

© 2013, The F/Stop Guy: Tree of Life, Angel Oak

Posted in Landscape, Travel Tagged , , , , |

City Hall, Athens, Georgia

April 5, 2013 by The F/Stop Guy | 3 Comments
Athens City Hall City Hall, Athens, Georgia

Click to enlarge or to order prints

This week traveling I’m traveling the Southeast with my son looking at universities and reviewing his educational options when he graduates in 18 months. One of our stops this week was in Athens, Georgia to visit the University of Georgia. During the evening, just as twilight was beginning, I was able to take some time to photograph the historical Athens-Clarke County city hall.

The Story

Built in 1845, the Athens-Clarke County city hall is constructed of Lexington granite, brick and oolitic limestone trimmings. The clock tower is constructed of wood topped by a copper cupola, or dome. Perched atop the four-faced clock and the dome is an eagle with an eight-foot wing span. The eagle was originally intended to act as a weather vane, but it moves slowly because of its weight. Of particular interest are the clock and bell connected to it that rings on the hour. This bell was once connected to the Fire Department’s alarm system, but it rang so loud and clear that all of Clarke County would come to a fire, hindering the work of the firemen. It was disconnected from the signal alarm, and the clangor was dulled. The clock was handmade and operated with counterweights like an old grandfather clock until it was electrified in 1943. Before this change, the janitor had to climb five flights of steps once a week to wind the clock.

Processing

This image was created from 5 brackets blended in HDR Efex Pro 2 using the “Deep” preset and refined in Lightroom.

 

© 2013: The F/Stop Guy: City Hall, Athens, Georgia

Posted in Architectural, HDR, Historical Buildings Tagged , , , , , , |