Some photographers just look and instinctively see images like this. Not me, which is why I appreciate these photographs when I am able to recognize them.
Oyster Catchers Working The Tide
Tag Archives: Charleston
Old Charleston Jail, Warden Quarters
Like a nightmare, one side was living quarters, the other cells.
Outside the doors were the asylum and prisoner cells.
Dolphins Working Together
When I first took this shot I had assumed it was an adult with her calf. While it still might have been they are very close to each other in size.
Just a few moments later a group of Dolphin circled and chased a school of fish so I think it more likely they were starting to herd fish together.
The Waiting Room, Old Charleston Jail
A dark and bizarre room within the jail. I called it the ‘Waiting Room’.
A jail room was set aside for a condemned prisoner. A number of days before the execution he was moved here.
Now it gets weird (my opinion). A few days later the executioner was locked in the jail room also.
And then… a few days later a minister was locked in the same room.
Prisoner, executioner, and minister waited here until the final day.
Chasing Fish To Shore, 2 Dolphins
Another in the series of Dolphin strand feeding.
In this photograph I was able to capture them pushing a school almost in front of me.
When picking my spot to shoot the first consideration is the shoreline and how steep the incline is. Just as important is being far enough back from the water line and off to the left of where I suspect they will land.
Far enough away is to respect their need for space, they are wild animals. Being on my left allows me to capture them facing me, they prefer to be on their right side.
Entering The Old Charleston Jail
There are no modern sliding metal doors here. Built in 1802 with cell renovations in 1855 everything is hammered steel bars, and reinforced wood.
You do walk through a few cages before entering the main hallways.
The only known escape I could find was the well published one by highwayman and murder John Fisher. His wife was imprisoned with him, the famous (beautiful) Lavinia Fisher. When she could not escape out the windows with her husband he returned in the morning, to be hanged soon after. Lavinia was a nasty piece of work and later 30 – 40 bodies were found buried under their tavern.
Oh, they hung her too even though it was rare to execute married women. Stories have her hung the day after John that way she was not married.
Solitary Confinement
It was a different type of solitary when this was a jail.
Yes, you were inside a dark room. There could be 12 others in the same dark room. Each standing inside their own rock box, that leaned against the wall. Not standing, not lying down.
Solitary was behind this door.
Dolphins, Pelicans, Fish
The fish were right in the middle, no place to go.
I have tried to describe a Dolphin charging just under the surface of the water. It’s like the water swells around them. The photograph above does a better job than I can.
These Dolphin hit the shore and the Pelicans were landing at the same time. They must have a great view from above to know where and when to appear.
This day Dolphins were strand feeding on the far side of this small inlet, away from my usual spot. It was later in the day and a group of people were standing too close to the waters edge.
Above the Dolphins were rolling to their right side and pushing back into the water. It’s always a right side roll.