Digital Field Workshop

Dates March 19–27, 2007
Leader Julie Eggers
Fee $2,795 from Savannah, Georgia
Deposit $300
Limit 8
Terms and Conditions

They’ve survived three centuries—through war, epidemic, earthquake, fire and hurricane—and today remain as the South's loveliest and best-preserved antebellum cities. These days, Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina brim with gracious southern hospitality, sumptuous architecture and lush gardens that characterize the plantation lifestyle of a bygone era.

Our photographic tour of the Old South offers a unique opportunity to indulge yourself in the
rich history, architectural splendor and natural beauty of the Low Country—the 200-mile-long coastal region of South Carolina and Georgia—characterized by an abundance of water in swampy, low-lying terrain. It is this profusion of water that made its charming seaports rich from rice and cotton in the nineteenth century, bankrolling the opulence of the historic districts we enjoy today. Charleston, Savannah and their Low Country environs, have provided a photogenic backdrop for many memorable feature films including Forrest Gump, Prince of Tides, The Big Chill, Glory and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. We’ll be able to draw on many similar settings for our daily shoots throughout the region.

We’ll walk down cobblestone streets lined with the steep tiled roofs of the colonial era and photograph impeccably maintained antebellum mansions along the way. At this time of year, many beautiful gardens will be ablaze with a throng of blooming azaleas, as well as the other floral emblems of the Old South—gardenias, dogwoods and magnolias! We’ll meander down
wooded pathways lined with spreading live oak trees whose low, arching limbs are festooned with Spanish moss.

Our trip begins in Savannah, the sultry and mysterious "Belle" of the Georgia coast. The unhurried pace of life here is written in its landscape, in the drooping limbs of hundred-year-old oaks and gracefully-arching wrought iron that garlands the city’s mansions. Savannah has the largest National Historic Landmark District in the US—two and one-half square miles—with more than one thousand restored buildings, including elegant houses, magnificent old churches, elaborate monuments, and twenty-two lush green squares, giving Savannah a character all of her own. We’ll visit the balmy beaches of Tybee Island and the Tybee Lighthouse, Georgia’s oldest and tallest lighthouse towering over the coastline at 154 feet. We’ll also discover the photographic pleasures of the historic Bonaventure Cemetery, with its stunning long-limbed live oaks hung with Spanish moss, and rows of elegant statuary, headstones and mausoleums dating beyond the Civil War.

To many, Charleston—the "Holy City," perhaps due to its skyline of cathedral spires—is considered one of the most historic and beautiful cities in America. At a leisurely walking pace, we explore Charleston’s prominent Southern-style homes, parks lush with flowering
plants and its historic waterfront. Since its founding in 1670, Charleston became the wealthy seaport serving South Carolina’s Low Country planters. The Civil War ignited at nearby Fort Sumter—and crushed the plantation economy—and the city slowly fell into decay. But by the 1920s, the city had revived enough to inspire the international dance craze named after it! In 1931, Charleston passed a preservation ordinance, protecting entire historic neighborhoods rather than individual landmarks. In these neighborhoods we’ll capture the beauty of East Bay Street with its antebellum homes bathed in the early morning light, the nostalgic Old South charm of Church Street, and South Battery. We will visit Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, as well as Boone Hall Plantation, one of America’s oldest working plantations.

Come with us to celebrate spring in the Old South and experience a wonderful blend of history, architectural splendor, natural beauty and, perhaps, a mint julep on the veranda!



Day 1 (Mar 19)
Participants fly to Savannah, Georgia, and transfer to our hotel. (D)

Days 2–4
Three full days to capture the beauty of Savannah’s characteristic town squares, the heart and soul of the Historic District. Tybee Island offers an assortment of images, from the Tybee lighthouse to the beachside pier and pavilion. Historic Bonaventure Cemetery, with its shady Spanish moss-draped live oak and colorful azaleas bursting with blossoms, will also be our focus. (BLD)

Day 5
We drive to Charleston, South Carolina. In the afternoon, we begin our walking tour of this beautifully-aged city rich in history and tradition. (BLD)

Days 6–8
Three full days to explore Charleston’s historic landmarks, skyline of church peaks, Rainbow Row and old city market. We will photograph the city in the evening, with lamppost lights reflecting in cobblestone streets. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens will inspire us with its lush grounds. One early morning we will photograph at Boone Hall Plantation, including the world’s longest oak-lined entrance drive. (BLD)

Day 9 (Mar 27)
We return to Savannah this morning, arriving at the airport in time for midday flights home. (B)


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