Before I called it a night and went back inside from my night-time photo walk on the beach, I turned around and focused on the condominium buildings, where we are staying. I wanted to get a nice night portrait with the starry sky as a backdrop.

The Barony Beach is a six building complex with two buildings facing the beach, and four buildings having little to no beach views. We’re in the building on the left, third floor, with a nice beach side view.

It was mostly just me out there on the wide empty beach. I would occasionally see one or two folks wander down to the water’s edge and then slowly saunter back. Once a group of teenage girls with one same-aged fellow approached me with some giggling tinged with a bit of hesitancy: “What are you doing, are you a monster?” I suppose my camera on tripod added to my stature and gave them both curiosity and slight fear in the nearly pitch-black beach. I laughed and turned on my flashlight, showing them my camera and saying I was just taking night photos. I pointed the light up at my face and said “I’m ok” They laughed and said they saw what might be another fellow down near the water’s edge. I said “I’m ok but I don’t know about him.” I gave them a story to tell later on, I suppose.

More adventures will spring up tomorrow. All I have to do is venture out and explore.

I went out after 10PM for some night photography.

I’m new to this, and know that my equipment and skills are woefully inadequate. Some folks spend night after night in much darker conditions that this, and have motorized mounts to keep their stars in focus as the earth turns, and on (I’ve been reading up on it). I decided to give it a go, and see what I could get within the limitations I currently have.

This is looking west, down the far southern “bottom” edge of the “boot” shaped island that is Hilton Head. I’m about 100 yards from the nearest building to my right, in the middle of the beach (between dunes and water) at low tide.

The light pollution from all the beach front buildings is the glow on the horizon. Above that is the starry sky. The straight light trail you see in the upper middle of the frame is the lights from an airplane. I brightened up the beach a tad. It was bright enough to see, but dim enough that I needed a flashlight to be extra cautious.

Fun stuff, this night photography. I don’t think I’ll get real serious about it just yet. It can be a long lonely night out there with some long exposures. The benefit was the calm from little to no wind, and the gentle rolling surf crashing into shore. Quite a relaxing mood it was.

After an hour of tinkering around, I called it a night and came in to see what I had caught. I got a couple of keepers. Not bad for an hours work.

Sometimes, it takes waiting for the right light, the right moment.

Karen & I took an afternoon walk in Port Royal plantation, the part of Hilton Head Island where we are staying. The island is covered with maintained paths for bicyclists and folks out for a stroll or hike. It’s part of the strict land use rules that keep the island so idyllic.

Our path took us past this creek, which we’ve past without seeing as we have driven into or out of our condo. I never knew it was there before today’s walk brought us close up. From the view from inside of an automobile, it passes so quickly and is hidden from all but the highest of truck cabs.

I was struck by the range of light from bright sunshine to deep shadows, and the reflection off the sky on the waters of the creek. There were turtles, peeking up for a breath of fresh air as we watched. The clouds were thick overhead at our first passing of this location. We waited for a few minutes, thinking that the sky would clear up and the sun would brighten up the scene. I finally decided to push on and hope for better light on the way back. We still had to stop and wait about five minutes, but were rewarded with this tableau. Best viewed large.

It was worth the wait.

Wandering off the beaten path, taking the road less traveled has yielded great rewards for me. I’m usually full of delight at the wonders waiting to be discovered and relished.

There’s a boat launch on the Calibogue Sound at Pickney Island, just off Hilton Head Island. Our fist visit to this particular location.

The sunset called us as we were heading out for some supper, and I mentioned that the boat launch might be a good spot to get the water and sunset. That turned out to be a good hunch.

We’ll be back here.

A quick self-portrait of the two of us with smiles on our faces.

Not bad for having spent much of the past two days in a car together. I think it’s being on vacation and being at the beach. Two of our favorite things to share together.

That’s my bride next to me, my Karen Sue. She’s put up with my shenanigans and quirks for going on 32 years now. A fair piece of time. When we go away to get away, we often come to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. The beach is beautiful, the ocean breezes are refreshing and the land is a lush, soothing green.

The folks here have very strict land use rules, keeping the commercial growth in check and the natural habitat as close as possible to what nature intended. It makes it hard to find a certain store if you’re not from around here, but that’s one of the things we like. The trees are dominant here, not the signs or buildings.

We’re soaking up each other, and recharging our senses.

I highly recommend it to you.