Fall on the Georgia coast is beautiful! And there are photographs to be made everywhere you look.
So, whether we’re exploring the history and nature of Daufuskie Island, photographing birds from the dunes of Little Tybee Island, or shooting the architecture and culture of the Savannah Historic District, this is a workshop designed to help you expand your current photo skills, and explore new possibilities.
We are proud to have Molly Roberts joining us as our instructor
On Thursday and Friday, Sundial Charter Tours, an eco tour agency, will be our private tour guide while we boat to the islands of LIttle Tybee and Daufuskie. Sundial Charter Tours is owned and operated by my friend Captain René Heidt, a woman who knows these islands’ history, ecology, flora, and fauna like the back of her hand. She is also a master naturalist. She and her Captains, who are also well versed in these waters and islands. With no more than 6 students per boat we’ll have plenty of room to shoot as we move along the creeks, estuaries, and across the open water to Daufuskie.
Wednesday – Tybee Island
We’ll arrive at Tybee island, get settled in, and have some time to explore the island in the afternoon.
We’ll meet at 5 for our meet and greet at a restaurant on the beach.
Thursday – Daufuskie Island
Daufuskie comes from the Muscogee language and means “sharp feather” for the island’s distinctive shape. Long before European colonists arrived to the New World, native peoples called Daufuskie Island home as evidenced by artifacts dating back some 9,000 years.
Golf Carts and a map will be our sources of land transportation once we arrive. We will split up into groups of 4 or 6 and, using maps, head out on our own for 2 hours of shooting. Molly will divide her time between the golf carts! We’ll catch up with each other for lunch at a designated restaurant. Afterwards, we will have @2 hours of shooting before the return boat ride to Tybee.
Points of Interest:
Mary Dunn Cemetery
Bloody Point Lighthouse and Museum
Moses Ficklin Cottage and Oak Tree
White School House
Mary Fields School
First Union African Baptist Church
Mary Fields Cemetery
Oyster Union Society Hall
Mt. Carmel Baptist Church and Jane Hamilton School
Haig Point Lighthouse
Strachan Mansion
Birds of Daufuskie:
Wood Stork
Sandpipers
Anhingas
Snowy Egrets
Bald eagles
Gulls and terns
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Harlequin ducks
Osprey
Friday – Sunrise on the Tybee Pier, Boat Trip to Little Tybee Island, and Fort Pulaski
Rise and Shine! We’ll meet at the Tybee Pier and Pavilion at 6:30 am for the 6:51 sunrise. It’s quiet and calm that time of day on Tybee and the sunrises are spectacular.
Later that morning we’ll cast off over the creeks and marshes of Back River on our 30-minute ride to Little Tybee Island.
Little Tybee, owned by the state of Georgia, is an uninhabited barrier island lying just to the south of Tybee Island. It is made up of salt marsh interspersed with hardwood hammocks and fronts the Atlantic Ocean with pristine beaches. It is an undisturbed nature preserve with no hotels or other dwellings on the island. The only way to get to Little Tybee is by boat or kayak.
Bird watchers will be in for a treat as exotic species of birds are a common sight. Birding on Little Tybee may include: roseate spoonbill, reddish egret, and the curlew sandpiper. Osprey and bald eagles nest on the island. In the winter large numbers of shorebirds gather to rest on its beaches including whimbrels, dowitchers, and piping plovers. Egrets, herons, ibis, and storks are numerous and there are a few nesting spots on the island for these birds. In the summer oystercatchers, Wilson’s plover, and the endangered Least Tern nest on its undisturbed beaches. These birds are easy to see but you are requested to stay away from the posted nesting sites.
Post lunch and a bit of a respite, we’ll head out again. This time to Fort Pulaski, located on Cockspur Island near Savannah, has a rich history spanning its construction, its role in the Civil War, and its current status as a National Monument. Built between 1829 and 1847 to defend the city, the fort was initially considered virtually impregnable due to its thick brick and masonry walls. However, during the Civil War, it became the site of a pivotal battle that demonstrated the effectiveness of rifled artillery against such fortifications.
Saturday – Savannah Historic District North
Saturday morning we’ll head out to Savannah stopping first at Bonaventure Cemetery, 16 acres overlooking a scenic bluff on the Wilmington River in Thunderbolt. Afterwards we’ll head into the Savannah North Historic District where we’ll take our maps and walk the planned squares. There is also another historic cemetery, Colonial Park Cemetery, with 18th and 19th century graves in this district.
Returning back to the island late afternoon we’ll meet for our last dinner and a few parting nighttime shots on the beach.
Molly Roberts is a documentary photographer, visuals editor and curator residing in Baltimore, Maryland.
Molly RobertsRoberts’ 35+ year career includes creating visuals and managing contributing photographers at The Washington Post Magazine, USA Weekend, Smithsonian Magazine and National Geographic Magazine. She is the recipient of multiple awards for her magazine work including, the NPPA award for Best Use of Photography in a Magazine, finalist for National Magazine Award, special recognition for photography features by Communication Art, American Photography, and Society of Publication Design.
In 2019 she was awarded a John S. and James L. Knight Foundation fellowship to study and teach photography and multimedia at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where she received a masters degree in Visual Communication in 2021 focusing on the creative process and the history of the medium.
She has curated exhibits for PhotoWorks, Art Works Projects, University of Texas; Corpus Christi, Women Photojournalists of Washington, SXSE Gallery and Gallery 1448. She works on book projects for independent photographers and National Geographic Books. She has also participated in panels discussions and presentations about the current state of the photographic medium and the future of publishing at Ohio University School of Visual Communication, the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, Northern Short Course and the Corcoran/GW school of Fine Arts,
Roberts leads workshops in photo editing for long term visual projects and photo books. She teaches photography, photojournalism and photo-editing, recently at Ohio University and Loyola University. Roberts is a regular reviewer and mentor at La Luz Workshops, Palm Springs Photo Festival, Social Documentary Network, and Review Santa Fe as well as the annual Women Photojournalists of Washington portfolio review and Seminar, which she is co-chair of the mentorship committee. She is co-host of the weekly podcast 10fps.net a podcast about photojournalism by photojournalists, but for everyone produced by Loyola University in Baltimore.
Molly fell in love with photography at age 17 and her love for the medium has been most enduring. “As a teenager, I stumbled upon the work of Robert Frank and Diane Arbus in the Harvard Square bookstore and time stood still. I decided it was the most revolutionary art form I’d ever experienced and I wanted it in my life. Since then I studied photography at UMD with John Gossage and along the way with many other generous mentors and creative souls. I have worked as a photographer for newspapers, magazines and books. I have edited books, magazines and special issues. I’ve judged photo contests and given lectures. Mostly, I’ve just enjoyed a life made richer by photography, a medium that is wonderfully suited to explore and make sense of the world and the issues that surround us.”
Past collaborations with SXSE Gallery and Magazine include the exhibitions,The Women’s Show, Picturing Self and Others, and Southern Landscapes. Workshops with SXSE include, Photo Editing for Long Term projects, and the Yucatan Peninsula, Merida, Mexico workshop.
Molly lives in Baltimore, in an artists community where her studio is a sanctuary of photobooks which she is happy to share with her fellow creatives and the gallery associated with the community is a never ending source of inspiration and lively collaboration.
Included In the Fee:
The instruction and guidance of Molly Roberts.
Private boat trip to Daufuskie Island on Thursday.
Golf carts and maps for touring around Daufuskie Island
Private Boat Trip to Little Tybee Island
Not included in the fee:
Transportation to and from Tybee Island, Georgia
Night-time Accommodations on Tybee Island during the length of the workshop
Meals not listed above.
Alcoholic beverages.
Fee: $1999
Click Here
PLEASE NOTE: We strongly suggest you purchase travel insurance for last-minute change of plans. I have use Allianz many times with no problems.
Questions? Please just send me an email – nancy@sxsemagazine.com.
What previous workshop participants are saying….
I have been on several trips with Nancy McCrary and they never disappoint. She always engages photographers who are helpful and willing to share their knowledge. Her attention to detail with regard to accommodations, meals, daily outings, and other logistics is thorough and she attracts talented and considerate photographers. Nancy herself is a wonderful artist and very accessible. Her workshops appeal to any level of photographer. There are always professionals who attend, but if you’ve only just begun she encourages everyone to share knowledge. The groups she leads are supportive and I learn something new every time. After having photographed full-time for a decade, I rarely attend workshops anymore. That being said, I always love going to ones Nancy organizes since they are always in beautiful places and so much fun. –Lynne Buchanan
I was fortunate to attend my first South [x] Southeast photo workshop in April to Tybee Island, Georgia. My experience was magical. Our daily excursions by boats to the nearby barrier islands were led by seasoned naturalists who also happened to be our captains. They went out of their way to ensure that we had the opportunity to encounter as much wildlife as possible and to view the variety of ecosystems that exist in this fragile environment. It was a feast for the eyes. Our trip to Little Tybee Island was the highlight for me. Walking within the pristine landscape and seeing Oystercatcher’s nests with eggs on the beach was transformative. This experience would not have been possible without the careful planning on the part of Nancy McCrary. Nancy does an excellent job at organizing an experience that is sure to delight all who participate. –Beate Sass
