This gave me a completely different perspective viewing an old plantation and the rice fields.

We photograph many old plantations, however we see them from a modern perspective. By that I mean I drive or walk there. They were built when the rivers and creeks provided access, there were no roads to many of them.

Below is the first view of the Hampton Plantation as we came in through the creek. The same view and trip as the 1700’s.

Below is the Hampton Creek, the plants along side are rice. The creek was surrounded by rice fields. Rice when harvested went back the way we came on small barges.

The rice growing now is not the original ‘Carolina Gold’ harvested here. It has been taken over by the first crops, wild rice. Knowing wild rice grew here was one of the reasons we became the British Empires rice farmers.

Rice growing in the old fields.

Another thing I learned was how common the Bobolink once was. And how they were the plantations biggest enemy. The bird migrates to South America each fall, with stops in the South Carolina fields. Plantations had people out in the fields all fall chasing the birds as the landed. A large flock could clean an entire crop if left alone.

Hampton Creek, South Carolina.