Heading to a local marsh we cut through the old garden area of Magnolia Plantation. While I didn’t have the right gear with me the other morning I gave in and grabbed a few snapshots.

This day they opened the gates prior to dawn to give photographers early access. I think five different photographers were scattered around.

Our shortcuts include bridges since the old garden was built around swamps. Above is ‘the red bridge’ used to cross over one. Magnolia does have maps of the grounds, it’s big, but we have our own names for places. Not creative but if you tell a local photog a big gator is by the red bridge, well we all know the same spot.

Sun was coming up through the back marsh trees, it was pretty, so even though I had to shoot at 150 mm I figured it would be OK.

And of course the ‘long white bridge’, descriptive not creative.

This bridge is a southern icon. Small miniatures are in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington. It was first built in the 1700’s. Engagement and wedding photos are a daily occurrence, just not at dawn.

It was dark when the above was taken. You can’t help yourself when here with a camera. I’ll add this to 7 billion other shots.

BTW, one of the huge Live Oaks crashed down on the bridge last year. Flatten part of it. You can see how big those old trees are.

To repair the bridge, exactly as it had been for 300 years, was a big project. They found old Black Cypress trees, the same age as the original logs, at the bottom of swamps and had artists recreate every detail.

While working from small boats they had an ongoing audience. Of course they were Alligators, it’s a swamp.

We live just down the road so Ellen has many posts documenting the repairs at www.PassingByPhoto.com.

Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, South Carolina.