FOLLY BEACH PIER
Charleston, SC,
Image by Darron Franta @ www.frantaphotography.com
This wonderful location is in the heart of the South Carolina Low Country. Folly Beach Pier is a 24 ft. wide, 1,045 ft. long fishing pier that stretches into the Atlantic Ocean 15 miles south of Charleston in the small tourist community of Folly Beach.
Originally built in the 1930s it has been rebuilt a few times after being damaged by hurricanes and a fire over the years The current pier and tackle shop were built in 1995. The pier, its undercarriage and surf can create wonderful compositions. I would consider this primarily a sunrise location that looks best with colorful clouds.
Photos and location summary by Darron Franta
Trail Difficulty - EASY
I would rate the difficulty of this trail as a 1 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being most difficult). Once you park your car, you will have anywhere from a two to five minute walk to the sand underneath the pier. The toughest part of the hike... if you want to call it that... will be getting the sand off of you and your tripod. However, there is an outdoor spigot shower available for public use at the beach entrance that will come in handy when you are done.
What Lens(es) Do You Need
This location is primarily an ultra-wide to medium telephoto spot (depending on the composition you are looking for).
The image below was taken with a 15mm lens.
Nuances of Shot
For the most part, this shot is pretty straight forward.
The morning I visited the pier, the cloud cover was quite thick, and I thought I was going to get skunked on having any type of visible sunrise.
However, due to not having a sunrise that really popped, I spent much of the morning using a slow shutter while focusing on the pier's undercarriage to capture some nice images …
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GPS Coordinates & Elevation
Sea Level Ft. Elevation
Directions
CLICK HERE to get driving directions to Folly Beach Pier
This shot is located on the beach in Folly Beach, South Carolina.
From the Charleston peninsula (downtown) take SC-30 W toward James Island/Folly Beach. Stay on SC-30 for 3 miles at which point you will turn left onto State Highway 171. Stay on 171 (Center Street) for 7.2 miles and turn left onto E Arctic Ave. The destination will be immediately on your right.
If you arrive before sunrise you will likely be able to park free of charge in the Folly Beach Pier parking area. Or, you may choose to park in one of the many street spaces that should be available. Any parking spot in this general area will be fine. Once you park, you will find the beach access at rear of the main structure and underneath the pier. Access the beach and walk around until you find the perfect …
Equipment Needed
Other than a sturdy tripod, there is no need for special equipment. Although, a polarized filter was used to allow for a longer exposure time. I do recommend a beefy tripod because if you set up in the surf, the water, as it rushes back into the ocean will vibrate against the tripod and also pull sand away from the legs causing it to move ever so slightly. Thus, if you are shooting a timed exposure you will likely have blurred images if you are not extremely stable.
Weather
Download KMZ Trail File
Click Here to download the KMZ file for this location.
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