Charleston
This gem of the south is a night photographer's dream. We'll explore the natural—the boneyard beaches, the sandy shores, the dark skies over the Atlantic. And we'll explore the man-made—the cobblestone streets, the Civil War forts, the historic cemeteries. And so much more. Welcome to the ghosts and charm of one of America's prettiest cities.
Workshop Details
main workshop
March 23-27, 2025 — Sold Out, Join Waitlist Below
This is a 5-night, 5-day workshop. Your adventure begins on the morning of March 23, and ends after a night shoot on March 27.
$2,295. Register below.
Skill level
Intermediate. Participants should have a firm grasp of the basic principles of photography and of their cameras, and have a comfortable understanding of night photography fundamentals.
Group size
14, with 2 instructors — 7:1 ratio
add-on: Hunting Island
March 28-29, 2025
This is a 2-night optional add-on available only to attendees of the main workshop. Your adventure begins on the afternoon of March 28 and ends after a night shoot on March 29.
More information below.
$995. Registration information will be sent to attendees of the main workshop.
Group size
14, with 2 instructors — 7:1 ratio
Workshop Leaders
Registration
Hoping to get a spot? Sign up below for our no-fee waitlist.
| • Deposit of $600 is required to reserve your spot at the workshop. |
| • Balance of $1,695 is due on December 23, 2024. → Pay balance here. |
| • You may choose the “Pay in Full” ticket if you desire to pay all at once. |
| • Last day for a cancellation request is December 22, 2024. (see cancellation and refund policy) |
| • The workshop fee does not include lodging, food, airfare, or transportation to or during the workshop. |
| • The workshop fee does include entrance fees to historic sites that will be used for workshop shoot locations. |
The Charleston Experience
Charleston. It’s the oldest city in South Carolina, rich in history and charm, famous for its architecture and southern hospitality. It’s also wonderful for night photography.
We will spend five nights exploring the variety of photography subjects that Charleston has to offer.
Day and night we’ll explore and photograph the historic district, known for its cobblestone streets, 18th and 19th century residential architecture, old cemeteries and more. (For even better photography, we’ll keep our fingers crossed for a drizzly or misty night in this section of town!)
We’ll visit and photograph Civil War forts that stand sentinel at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. We’ll venture into natural spaces and a scenic plantation, and into the peaceful and creepy confines of a cemetery nearly two centuries old.
From old architecture to historical sites, from stately trees to tranquil rivers, from beautiful naturescapes to charming city scenes, Charleston will be a southern night photography experience y’all won’t soon forget.
The Hunting Island Add-On Experience
If you can’t get enough of Lowcountry South Carolina in spring, drive a couple of hours south with us for a weekend of night photography along the shore. We’ll spend two nights roaming the coastal confines of Hunting Island, home of the Hunting Island Lighthouse, the beautiful Boneyard Beach, a boardwalk marsh and more.
Further information will be sent after you register for the main workshop.
Note: This optional add-on is available only to workshop attendees. You will receive a link to purchase a ticket (if desired) after registering for the main workshop.
What You Should Know
This workshop caters to knowledgeable photographers with an intermediate or higher skill set. Participants should have a firm grasp of the basic principles of photography and of their cameras, and have a comfortable understanding of night photography fundamentals.
We will be happy to offer advice and answer questions about both day and night photography, but the focus of the formal education will be on working in an urban environment, light painting in a cemetery and exploring history through long exposure.
If you would like to join us on this trip but are unsure whether you have adequate night photography skills, we can offer pre-event tutoring to get you ready for your adventure with us. Additionally, a few of us have written books that may be productive pre-trip reads.
What You Will Learn
The workshop will explore both dark-sky and city nightscapes. For the former we’ll explore working with light pollution and adding light painting, and for the latter we’ll have an emphasis on using ambient light in an urban environment.
TOPICS COVERED WILL INCLUDE:
using lamplight and street lights in night photography
dealing with light pollution using creativity and post-processing
light painting
and more …
This workshop will have both field shooting and classroom instruction, but more of the former. We will be in the classroom during a few of the days, as well as making day trips, and we will be out in the field at different locations each night. Each participant will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with Chris and Tim in the field.
Night Conditions
Logistics & General Info
Travel
Charleston is pretty easy to get to and to get around.
Airport:
Charleston (CHS)
Rental Car
You will need a rental car to get to the workshop and to the shoot locations.
If you are interested in carpooling or sharing a rental car, let us know and we will try to connect you with another attendee looking for the same.
Lodging & Food
You are responsible for arranging and paying for your own meals and accommodations.
Lodging
We will stay in downtown Charleston, giving us central access to everything we want to shoot. Downtown is the midpoint for our shoot locations outside the city, and gives us ready and easy access to photographing in town anytime you may want to do so.
Info and group code will be sent soon once the hotel is ready to accept reservations.
You are not required to stay at the official workshop lodging, though doing so does make it easier to meet with the group each day.
If you are interested in sharing a room, let us know and we will try to connect you with someone like-minded in the group.
Food
Charleston has plenty of fantastic food options.
We encourage eating two meals per day—a good breakfast and a great late lunch.
When on the night shoots, you may wish to bring snack food or a sandwich and plenty of water.
Weather
Spring in Charleston is beautiful. Highs in the 70s F during daytime, lows in the 50s at night. And if we’re lucky, the azaleas will be in bloom.
Recommended Attire
Shorts or pants, and short-sleeve shirts for daytime, pants and long-sleeve shirts for night.
A sweatshirt and medium-weight jacket will likely be useful in the evenings.
If it rains, we will still shoot (in fact, we hope for light rain once or twice), so bring appropriate outerwear.
Comfortable walking shoes are recommended for getting around. Waterproof shoes are also good to pack, in case we’re out shooting in the rain.
Exertion Level
The exertion level of this workshop is Easy to Moderate. (See more about our classifications.)
No vigorous activity will be required during the workshop, but please consider your physical abilities prior to registering. There won’t be any trail hiking, but we will walk for some of our night shoots. You should be comfortable carrying your own equipment around in the dark.
Considerations
IMPORTANT: We encourage reading our FAQs page for more information about skill and gear requirements, and other information that pertains to all our workshops.
If you have questions, please contact us—we're happy to talk it over with you.
Returning to childhood memories …
“You can’t turn a corner in this town without feeling the ghosts. ”
You wouldn’t know it by my Yankee accent, but I lived in Charleston as a kid. Twice.
My dad was a Navy man, and he was stationed at the Charleston Naval Yard when I was 1 year old, and again when I was 4. I have a few memories of the second time. I remember what our house and neighborhood looked like, and I recall my friend who lived across the street, and the ice cream truck that would visit the neighborhood. I remember my parents waking me in the middle of a night because snow was falling, and then being disappointed in the morning when it had already melted. I remember learning to count and say my ABCs, reciting both while standing next to my mom in the kitchen while she cooked at the stove.
So I suppose it’s natural that I find myself drawn once again to Charleston. Visiting is like stepping back in time, not just into my own past, but into the history of our nation. The antiquity of the town is palpable. The charm, warm and undeniable.
I love visiting these Civil War forts and memorials, with their mix of military pride and national somberness. The plantations are at once beautiful for their aesthetic and sobering for their stark reminders of our slavery past. I love to hear the stories of how these places were affected by—and affected—the history of our nation, from the settling days to the Revolution to the War Between the States and beyond. You can’t turn a corner in this town without feeling the ghosts.
My dad passed away several years ago, but I have pictures of us here, and memories. My mom and her nostalgic heart are still just a phone call away. When I’m in Charleston, I find myself calling and texting her a little more than usual. I love to hear her stories too.
