Category Archives: Shooting A Grand Old House

Black And White Photography, Landscape, Marsh, Monochrome, OM System, Shooting A Grand Old House

Boynton House Visit

October 14, 2026 Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography 7 Comments

The old Boynton house, a cattle farm, is being eaten by the surrounding trees and brush. Big Live Oaks and the Spanish Moss will probably hide it completely by next summer.

It still is a beautiful house, even after being empty for 100+ years.

The property is about 4 miles down a dirt road, then a little less than a 1/2 mile down a dirt track.

When we stop by I usually shoot both B&W and color. These images were taken in a custom in-camera setup for .jpg monochrome.

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Boynton House Visit

Specs; OM-1 (1), OM 12-100, Lightroom, DxO Silver Efex.

Black And White Photography, Film Filter, Historical, Landscape, Monochrome, OM System, ON1, Shooting A Grand Old House

A World Of Changes While Sitting In The Old Rockers

July 28, 2026 Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography 12 Comments

I do love an old big porch filled with rockers.

People sit around and ‘solve the problems of the world’, without ever leaving the chair.

A World Of Changes While Sitting In The Old Rockers

This is a porch that came close to doing just that.

In 1777 the Marquis de La Fayette sat here after landing in the US colonies in the south rather than the northern ports where the British expected him. He went on to lead the Continental Army during the US revolution.

Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, was here often in 1779 after the siege of Savannah while being pursued by British forces. Marion and his militia hid in the swamps and marshes behind this plantation while fighting the first guerrilla warfare campaign.

George Washington stayed here during his tour of the original US following his term as President. He had meetings with veterans of the southern campaign here.

The poet laureate Archibald Rutledge was the last of his family to own Hampton Plantation. In 1971 the state of South Carolina purchased the land.

I’ve written about this before, it still amazes me after hundreds of years of history you too can just sit on the porch (usually by yourself).

Black And White Photography, Charleston, Historical, Landscape, Monochrome, OM System, Shooting A Grand Old House, What I Saw

Back Door Plantation House

July 22, 2026 Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography 4 Comments

In many of the old plantation houses there was little difference between back and front. Around Charleston the homes used the rivers for transportation and moving goods to market. People arrived on small boats.

They also had private roads leading in from the traditional dirt roads passing in front of their property. These roads were lined with old stately Oaks filled with Spanish Moss.

Photographed early yesterday morning as we passed by. This is the river side of Magnolia Plantation.

Specs; OM-1 mk2, OM 100-400 ll, Lightroom, Topaz, DxO Silver Efex.

Landscape, Marsh, OM System, Shooting A Grand Old House, Swamp, What I Saw

New State Owned Plantation

June 21, 2026 Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography 2 Comments

Old plantation homes, especially the rural ones, seldom look like the houses seen in the movies. Below is a good example, except the metal roof, of what a real 1800’s main house looked like.

Recently this house, and the land along the South Santee River were purchased by South Carolina. The delta is an important watershed running through both North and South Carolina. When you read about flooding in either state its a good chance it’s along the delta, same as the Mississippi Delta.

Keeping the land here undeveloped is key to wildlife conservation and water control. Just a few miles north of here is a ‘Class A’ wilderness area, one of only a handful outside Alaska. Basically it’s an area that has not been touched by man and restricted to remain that way.

Charleston, Historical, Landscape, OM System, Shooting A Grand Old House, What I Saw

Aiken – Rhett, Wandering Allowed

June 8, 2026 Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography 4 Comments

This house was built in 1820. A three story brick double house, two entrances on different streets since there was much more open space at the time.

The same family lived here for almost two centuries, it’s currently owned by the Historic Charleston Foundation. The property was listed on the National Historic Registry in 1997.

Aiken - Rhett, Wandering Allowed — Aiken – Rhett, Wandering Allowed

These buildings have been maintained in the same condition as of 1850. All original, no renovations, and best of all…you can wander around on your own.