Photographic opportunities.
We spent the holiday week on Kiawah Island, outside Charleston South Carolina. As in much of the U.S. it was an unusually cold week; here, where winter temperatures rarely dip below freezing, we had several days where the thermometer never rose above freezing. Nonetheless, it was clear and sunny and beautiful, and I managed to explore and capture some fun photographs – of a beautiful sunset and some of the island wildlife. Check out the gallery!
It’s hard to pick just twelve.
I enjoyed photography in 2022 and decided to share my pick of favorites. It was not easy! 12 photos for 12 months – not one per month, but just the twelve that I felt were especially beautiful or interesting. See the full gallery – where I recommend clicking the “play” button to see them as a slideshow – and read on for some commentary about each one.
Return of the Osprey!
We spent a long weekend at Kiawah, to join some family celebrations in nearby Charleston. I took the opportunity to do some photography, as I often do here, out on the beach and along the winding roads of the island neighborhoods. Indeed, I just switched to a new camera, the Canon R5 – about which I’ll write later – so this was a great chance to learn how to use it.
The full gallery includes a variety of photos, but the highlight was a visit to an osprey nest (the same one we photographed last June). Mama Osprey and two fledglings peered out from the nest, while Papa Osprey watched closely from a nearby tree.
Time to head home.
After two weeks with family here in Kiawah Island in South Carolina, it’s time to head home. We’ve had beautiful weather, allowing time to explore the sands and lagoons of this beautiful island. I’ve added to the gallery more photos of birds and scenery. It was foggy on the beach at sunrise this morning, so I’ll share this photo from Christmas morning.
Fog at sunrise.
Kiawah Island has been sunny and warm every day, but one consequence is the dense fog that settled over the island this morning. I was out on the beach at sunrise, but it was invisible. After a long walk I found driftwood to provide some foreground interest, just as a jogger passed by.
From the mountains to the sea.
From the mountains of Switzerland to the beaches of South Carolina… we are here at Kiawah Island for two weeks. On the first morning I enjoyed sunrise on the beach… and in the afternoon, some bird watching near the wetlands of Cinder Creek.
Kiawah Island.
During a two-week visit to Kiawah Island, I was able to tag along with my father and visit some of his favorite birding spots. Check out my gallery for some shots of herons, egrets, stilts, storks, oystercatchers, and an impressive osprey tending its nest (below).
During an August visit I made five trips to the west end of Kiawah Island to watch the bottlenose dolphins and their “strand-feeding” behavior. I got lucky on two days, with repeated displays of this behavior, in which a pod of dolphins herd fish toward shore and then, in a burst of activity, leap on shore to eat the captive fish. The pelicans are aware of this behavior too, and eagerly await an opportunity to snatch the jumping fish. One pelican, in this sequence of images, had trouble swallowing his catch!
See the photo gallery.
We’re just back from ten lovely days in South Carolina on the shores of Kiawah Island near Charleston. With lots of family nearby and abundant greenspace around the island, I had plenty of interesting opportunities for photography.
David Kotz 