Contest Winner: Magnolia Cemetery Sunrise

 When I saw that the weekly Charleston Post and Courier photography contest topic was graveyards and cemeteries, I thought this is one I have to enter. Deciding which photo to submit was the hard part. 

I thought about the pictures I took last November when Magnolia Cemetery superintendent and fellow Carolinas Nature Photography Association (CNPA) member Beverly Donald opened the gates pre-dawn for our club members to take sunrise photos. 

Those of us who came out so early enjoyed a glorious sunrise in the dramatic setting of beautiful and historic Magnolia Cemetery.

I posted my ten favorite photos from the day (good example of a "listicle" list article that I have shared with my college students) and this is where I found the image I entered in the newspaper's contest. 

Sunrise at Magnolia Cemetery

Many thanks to Magnolia Cemetery's Beverly Donald, superintendent, and Jamie Parks, grounds manager, for today's early morning access for our Carolina Nature Photographers Association (CNPA) group.

Jamie opened the gates at 6 a.m., allowing early birds to come in and get set up for the sunrise, which would come at around 7:30.

I've been to the beautiful and historic cemetery (founded in 1849) many, many times but never at dark like this. The normal open hours are daily 8 a.m.-6 p.m. It was neat to walk around and take pictures in the dark!

I have never photographed the bridge across the front lagoon quite like this.

No, I didn't see a ghost.  I just look like I did!

Didn't see or here any ghosts, thank goodness. Any apparitions in these photos are most likely dust spots on my lens.

Glad Donnie Smith mentioned that he was bringing a flashlight. I'm glad I brought one. Would have been stumbling around all over the place otherwise!

It was neat to photograph the cemetery in different lighting conditions like this-- no light, that is.

The Smith Pyramid (below), one of the cemetery's iconic sites.

One of the many obelisk monuments at Magnolia Cemetery, which was founded in the mid-1800s amid America's Victorian rural cemetery movement.

The cemetery offices are in this old plantation house that dates to the 1790s.

Check out this amazing ancient live oak tree that graces the grounds.

Fellow Charleston CNPA photographers await the sunrise.

Raymond at the ready!

Alas, the sun started to rise from the east, over the salt marsh adjoining the back of the cemetery. This is the Lowndes family plot.

 We were fortunate to have a beautiful sunrise to enjoy and capture on (digital) film.

The sun just starting to come up. Temperatures were mild, in the mid-50s, and winds were calm.

The handless girl atop the T.A. Coffin vault sees the sunrise every day from her spot.

A huge container ship moves up the Cooper River toward the harbor and then the Atlantic Ocean.

The ship will go under the nearby Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge

First morning light bathes Magnolia Cemetery.

Sunlight, glorious sunlight!

Lagoon on the left, Smith Pyramid on the right, the rising sun dead ahead!

Meantime, at the front lagoon...

The birds of Magnolia Cemetery soon started their day. The ponds, marsh and food sources they bring attract quite an array of birds and ducks to the cemetery setting, such as this Red-tailed Hawk.

A Downy Woodpecker was busy drilling for a meal.

A Tricolored Heron and Snowy Egret hanging out.

A Mallard pair glides along the front lagoon.

The male Mallard. I never noticed before the green spot on the bill tip.

It was a truly blessed day at Magnolia Cemetery. Thanks again to Beverly and Jamie for this special CNPA outing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Best Photographs: Magnolia Cemetery Early Bird Outing

With my trusty Canon SX 50 mounted on a monopod

Up before the crack of dawn on a Saturday? There had better be a good reason!

And indeed there was when Beverly Donald, longtime Magnolia Cemetery superintendent, opened the gate super early so she and fellow members of our Carolinas' Nature Photography Association (CNPA) club could come in to take sunrise pictures.

I rolled in around 6:20 a.m. and had time to grab a selfie in front of a favorite Magnolia Cemetery sculpture- the girl with no hands. She, of course, used to have hands. In fact, she was holding a Bible, but some years ago vandals amputated her arms and the Good Book. There's a special place in you know where for such people!

First Light: Sunrise at Magnolia Cemetery

The Ravenel Bridge that connects Charleston and Mount Pleasant over the Cooper River

Being up and on the road extra early this fall to be at Charleston's Magnolia Cemetery by 8 a.m. for my parttime job there, I admired many glorious sunrises before the time changed recently.

Bevy of Backyard Birds and Other Recent Captures

Now that winter has passed, I'm starting to see more bird activity in my backyard and pond. Plus, a recent weekend in Hilton Head produced a nice bird photography opportunity. And I have a few photos to share from Magnolia Cemetery, which include an Anhinga with a fresh fish catch.

So this post is kind of a nest for my recent birding activities.

The American Goldfinches have been coming around recently. They are still in the molting stage, well on their way to the beautiful solid yellow sheen for which this striking bird is known.

Ravenel Bridge Walk A Christmas Gift Itself!

A Christmas afternoon walk on the Ravenel Bridge was a treat in many ways. The Holy Day was a great day to check out the Holy City and the Cooper River from this perspective. The weather was beautiful, a sunny day with temperatures in the low 60s. Many people had the same idea in mind but it was not too crowded along the bridge's walking lane.

We took our cameras and monopods, including Alesia’s new monopod that was wrapped under the tree for her.

Saluting “Sister City” Savannah!

We kicked off 2026 with a two hour 15 minute drive to Savannah, Ga. Savannah and Charleston are sister cities, we heard several times. This visit made me realize what a compliment this is to both Southern cities, and that they do nicely complement each other. 

Alesia and I rendezvoused in Savannah with my big brother Mike and his wife Christine. They live in Sarasota, Fla. One of the highlights would be our excursion on the Georgia Queen, learning about the old city’s rich maritime history during a 90-minute tour of the Savannah River. More on that later in this post.

Over a long post-holiday weekend, we walked, boated, dined, and even had a pirate ghost encounter! 

Our accommodations were the Andaz Hotel, a Hyatt property near the riverfront and City Market. Alesia and I had a nice experience at the Andaz several years ago so we knew it was a fine hotel in a central location. We parked our cars in an adjacent city garage and didn’t use them until we left on Tuesday. Tip: The hotel parking is much more expensive than the city garage just down the street. 

Within just a few-mile radius of the Andaz Hotel there is so much to see and do. From Saturday to Tuesday the weather became clearer and warmer. This photo is of Alesia in the City Market. The top of the Andaz Hotel is seen in the background to the left of the clock.

Savannah is a very walkable city. Monday, according to my iPhone’s health app, I logged a whopping 13,394 steps. That’s almost seven miles.

This photo is of us at Forsyth Park, Savannah’s oldest (1840s) and largest park (30 acres).