Coastal Illustrated Article, October 31, 2012

Photo Destinations for Photographers: The Altamaha River, Coastal Georgia

            Fall is one of the best seasons for photography along the Georgia Coast.  By October the summer heat is gone and temperatures are perfect for early morning or twilight forays along the many tidal waterways in and around the Golden Isles.

           One of my favorite fall photo destinations is the Altamaha River, and seeing it from a kayak or canoe is the only way to truly experience its majestic beauty. As part of Georgia's major watershed system, the Altamaha offers sweeping scenic vistas as well as dozens of creeks and backwaters to investigate.  Its numerous ecosystems provide the opportunity to see a wide range birds, reptiles, and other animals that inhabit the area. 

            November is my favorite time along the Altamaha. By then the river banks are alight with autumn foliage casting colorful reflections in the water.  Warm water and cool nights make early morning a magical time as the mist rises over still water and birds call in the distance.  The occasional splash from jumping fish adds to the serene symphony.

            Numerous sand bars dot the river near the coast and provide perfect camping or picnicking spots.  The footprints you find probably won’t be human and its fun to try and identify what type of animal enjoyed the spot before you.

            The many small creeks and tributaries of the river provide quiet havens where you can paddle past ancient cypress trees rising out of the water and then float into a giant lily pad patch dotted with delicate yellow blossoms and shiny green leaves.

            The ability to travel quietly in a kayak or canoe is a major advantage when it comes to photographing wildlife along the river.  Otters, egrets and herons are plentiful along the protected shores of the Altamaha.  Alligators can also be seen on occasion sunning themselves on the banks of the river.  While they are generally not aggressive, it is best to admire from a distance so, bring your telephoto lens.  Closer to the ocean, it is not uncommon to see dolphin’s that have come upriver to feed.

            All of Georgia’s Coastal rivers and waterways are tidal and paddling against the tide is difficult and at times impossible so you will want to plan your trip accordingly.    Taking a guided tour from a local outfitter or booking a photography workshop along the river is advised for those unfamiliar with tidal waters.

           

            Barbara Marie Kraus is a freelance nature photographer and gives kayaking photography workshops along the Georgia coast.  For a workshop schedule, visit her website at www.BeachCottagePhotography.com

See my new profile at: “http://barbaramariekraus.brandyourself.com/”

Apeture Anecdotes: I Love IPhone Photography!

Apeture Anecdotes: I Love IPhone Photography!: A couple of weeks ago I pasted some photos on my facebook page that I had taken with my IPhone. The phone was a Christmas gif...

I Love IPhone Photography!

            A couple of weeks ago I pasted some photos on my facebook page that I had taken with my IPhone.  The phone was a Christmas gift so I wasn’t sure what to do with it at first until….. I found out it had an 8 megapixel camera!  As an avid lifelong photographer a new camera is always greeted with enthusiasm and this device was no different.

            The phone came in the mail the day before I was heading off on a three day, two night camping trip along the Florida Trail.  I had read in a magazine about some of the photo apps available for the IPhone and spent the drive down to Florida loading my phone up with various goodies. Two in particular have proven to be extremely useful.  The first is ‘AutoStitch’, an app for creating panorama images.  You take the photos and it stitches them together into wonderful all-encompassing images.  The second app is ‘PhotoForge’ which allows you to not only correct image problems but has a nice selection of special effects, textures and frames to enhance your photos.  I was thrilled with the photos I brought home from my trip.  Even enlarged into 8x10 prints, the results were very impressive.

            This early morning panorama of a wetland area was shot into the sun.  I took 7 photos and used AutoStitich to create the panorama.  I then opened the panorama image in PhotoForge and added the black frame.  I enlarged the image and printed it out at 16 inches wide and it still looked great.

Faith Chapel on Jekyll Island, Georgia is an architectural treasure complete with a large Tiffany window.  This images was a composite of over 30 photos stitched together.  I the used a vintage style filter and the applied the emulsion style frame.

           

These two images are only a small fraction of the truly creative images that can be produced on the IPhone. 

            Stay tuned in to find out how well a telephoto lens works and how another app can give the IPhone telephoto abilities!

Barbara Marie 
 www.BeachCottagePhotography.com