Brookgreen Gardens – Photography in Pearls

Photo Challenge: Lens-Artists – Serene

Our prompt this week is “serene” – a wonderful choice for year end.

I frequently am at Brookgreen Gardens and enjoy the sculpture there. There’s something about finding a bench and enjoying the tranquility and serenity of the gardens. It’s the perfect example of the “stop and smell the roses” quote.

One of my favorite subjects in the garden is Diana – the Roman goddess of wild animals and the hunt. Diana was a popular subject of the artists as there are several interpretations of her in the gardens. The photo above and two photos below are of a sculpture done by Augustus Saint-Gaudin. There is always a fantastic seasonal floral display around the sculpture.

The Diana sculpture below was done by Anna Hyatt Huntington. She and her husband – Archer Huntington – purchased the property and transformed it into the first sculpture garden in the country.

Anna Hyatt Huntington sculpted the two lions above also.

On one visit, I was able to get a photo with the sunset in the background. I’m especially happy with this photo as I was able to photoshop a couple of pesky tourists out of the background.

You can see responses from other bloggers here: https://pilotfishblog.com/2021/12/18/lens-artists-photo-challenge-179-serene/

You can see more of my photography here: http://photographyinpearls.photoshelter.com

December 23, 2021 by Gina Categories: Photo ChallengeTags: Brookgreen Gardens, Diana, Lens-Artists, Roman Goddess, Sculpture 3 Comments

Photo Challenge – Lens-Artists: Spring

So this week our challenge is to get outside and take some photos of Spring. Yay! With warm weather now outside and being fully vaccinated, I needed no further encouragement to grab my camera and head out to Brookgreen Gardens.

The colors were absolutely beautiful and although there were some empty beds, the air was filled with the perfume of the flowers.

I stopped at the outside kitchen to take a break and grab some water and a cookie (chocolate chip – delicious!) and watched these little birds stroll back and forth looking for crumbs.

You can find responses from other bloggers here: https://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/2021/04/10/lapc-4/

April 15, 2021April 21, 2021 by Gina Categories: Photo ChallengeTags: Birds, Brookgreen Gardens, Floral, Flowers, Lens-Artists, Photography 13 Comments

Photo Challenge – Lens-Artists: My Photography Journey

One Saturday back in 2015, two of my daughters and my mother asked me for my spaghetti recipe. I’m an OK cook if there’s a recipe to follow and with my family’s requests for my recipe, I decided to do a food blog so I could share all my recipes. It wasn’t long before I realized that good photos were a necessity for a food blog and photos taken with my cell phone weren’t up to the job.

So I went back to school taking several photography classes at the local tech school with my new Nikon 3300. And it was never on Auto thanks to a wonderful teacher. And my food pictures started looking like food you would want to eat.

For more than 40 years, I did cross stitch, crochet and knit but had to quit when I could no longer see to thread a needle. So finding a new hobby – no, make that a new passion – has meant the world to me and I now take my camera everywhere I go. My Nikon D3300 has graduated to a D7100 and now a D750.

I’m very lucky to have so many wonderful places and subjects to photograph – from Brookgreen Gardens to Huntington Beach State Park, Boneyard Beach to Charleston and all the beaches along the way.

You can see responses from other bloggers here: https://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/2021/01/30/76724/

February 5, 2021 by Gina Categories: Photo ChallengeTags: Beaches, Brookgreen Gardens, Food, Food Blog 1 Comment

Photo Challenge – Lens:Artists – Emotions

This week Patti has given us the prompt of “emotions” for our challenge.

I don’t take a lot of photos of people – except my grandson who has the most expressive face but I’ve featured him a little too much lately – so I went through my files and actually found a few photos that apply.

Brookgreen Gardens hosts a summer musical series – cancelled this year due to Covid – where local bands come and play for a couple of hours. It’s a nice relaxing way to end the day – sitting under the oaks, sipping a beverage and tapping your toes. The photo above is father and son.

The son and the singer really got into the music but you might not realize it if you didn’t know better. They do look a little like they are in pain. Check out the man on the drums grinning away.

Music stirs our hearts and engages our souls in ways we can’t describe. Hildegard of Bingen.

So whether it’s tapping your toes to country music, head banging to heavy metal, shagging to beach music or conducting along with classical music, music has the ability to draw emotion from us.

You can find responses from other bloggers here: https://pilotfishblog.com/2021/01/16/lens-artists-photo-challenge-131-emotions/

You can see more of my photography here: http://photographyinpearls.photoshelter.com

January 19, 2021 by Gina Categories: Photo ChallengeTags: Bands, Brookgreen Gardens, Emotion, Lens-Artists, Music 6 Comments

Photo Challenge – Lens-Artists: And Here Comes the Holiday Season

One of the special things we do for the holidays is a trip to Brookgreen Gardens for the Night of a Thousand Candles. Brookgreen Gardens is a beautiful sculpture garden and I visit there often. There’s always something in bloom and I always have my camera with me.

The gardens are transformed each December for Night of a Thousand Candles. Lights are placed throughout the gardens and it is transformed into a magical place. It started a week early this year so some of our family visiting for Thanksgiving were still here and able to see it for the first time, Three of our four grandchildren were with us and it was very special to me to see it through their eyes.

My father passed away on Christmas day 2014 so the holiday season has been tough since then. We now have grandchildren though and we make the rounds to visit them so Christmas is magical for me again.

You can see responses from other bloggers here: https://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/2020/12/18/lens-artists-challenge-128-and-here-comes-the-holiday-season/

You can see more of my photography here: http://photographyinpearls.photoshelter.com

December 23, 2020 by Gina Categories: Photo Challenge, PhotographyTags: Brookgreen Gardens, Christmas, Christmas Lights, Night of a Thousand Candles, Sculpture 5 Comments

Photo Challenge – Lens-Artists: Abstract

This week Patti has asked that we go “abstract” so our viewers can use their imagination.

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My photos this week are of Christmas lights at Brookgreen Gardens. Each year Brookgreen presents “Night of a Thousand Candles”. The paths throughout the sculpture gardens are lined with candles and lights as well as carolers and there’s even a bagpipe group that strolls throughout the gardens. There are entertainment tents with choirs and bands, a characterization of Scrooge and a presentation of the Gullah language.

Because there are candles in the fountain pools as well as the reflection from the lights in the pools, it’s hard to tell where the actual lights end and the reflections begin.

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The sculptures are surrounded by lights also. The Fountain of the Muses is my favorite spot in the gardens and I believe the lights here are the most awe inspiring. The lights are placed above but they reflect into the pool below so that it looks as if the pool is a bottomless abyss.

Needless to say, I already have my tickets for opening night.

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You can see responses from other bloggers here: https://pilotfishblog.com/2019/11/30/lens-artists-photo-challenge-74-abstract/

You can see more of my photography here: photographyinpearls.photoshelter.com

December 4, 2019December 3, 2019 by Gina Categories: Photo ChallengeTags: Abstract, Brookgreen Gardens, Christmas Lights, Fountain of the Muses, Lens-Artists, Night of a Thousand Candles, Photography 16 Comments

Photo Challenge: Lens-Artists – Splash

This week Patti has asked us to share the magical quality of water.

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Brookgreen Gardens is a sculpture garden down the road in Murrells Inlet. Many of the pieces are in fountains so I decided to use these in my post. We have a family membership (only $100) which allows us to visit as many times as we want during the year – and considering how many times I visit, it’s a fantastic bargain for me.

This sculpture was done by Anna Hyatt Huntington as are many of the pieces in the gardens. A former rice plantation, Mrs Huntington and her husband, Archer Huntington purchased the property and it was Mrs Huntington’s vision that built the gardens.

The Fighting Stallions piece is located at the entrance of the gardens. This view is of the back of the piece as it’s rather difficult to take a photo of the front due to the traffic conditions.

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The Fountain of the Muses by Carl Milles is my absolute favorite. The figures represent the arts – architecture, music, poetry, sculpture and painting. It’s so peaceful and beautiful and the sound of the tiny splashes of water are soothing.

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The picture above was taken a couple of years ago during the Night of a Thousand Candles. The reflection of the lights above into the pool gives it the feel of a bottomless abyss. This year’s event starts next week and I’m excited to see what they do this year.

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The Tortoise Fountain is by Janet Scudder. It’s in a small, quiet section named “Anne’s Garden”.

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Another favorite of mine is Diana by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. It adjoins The Fountain of the Muses. I often sit on the wall and watch the reactions of others as they walk by. The plantings are changed out regularly and I’ve gotten a lot of my butterfly and bee captures here also.

I often post pictures of the gardens so check back often to see more.

You can see responses from other bloggers here: https://pilotfishblog.com/2018/11/24/lens-artists-photo-challenge-21-splash/

More of my photography can be seen here: photographyinpearls.photoshelter.com

December 2, 2018 by Gina Categories: Photo ChallengeTags: Brookgreen Gardens, Diana, Fountain of the Muses, Fountains, Night of a Thousand Candles, Splash, Tortoise Fountain 3 Comments

Cee’s Black and White Challenge – Sculpture, Statues, Carvings

I can’t believe I almost missed Cee’s challenge this week! I live five miles from Brookgreen Gardens, the first sculpture garden in America and founded by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington.

I go to walk the gardens often – always with my camera in hand. I’ve taken so many photos there that I’ve published a book with some of my favorites and I’m working on a second volume. You can see Volume 1 here.

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