My Five Top Shot Spots

by Rebecca Rogers

President - Augusta Photo Festival

Funny how most of us will grab our camera when we’re going on vacation. Sunset at the beach, mountain morning mist—we strive to get that great ‘picture-postcard’ shot when we’re out of town. But sometimes closer to home, we don’t always see the photo opportunities all around us.

Here are five of my favorite Augusta shooting locations.

  1. The 500 & 600 block of Telfair Street. There is extraordinary architecture along the south side of the street including Old MCG, First Presbyterian Church, Old Richmond Academy, the Gertrude Institute of Art. In the spring the mature dogwoods and cherry blossoms provide great foreground interest. And in autumn, the jewel-hued leaves of those same trees offer another stunning frame.
  2. Upper Augusta Canal / Savannah Rapids Area.  Lots of folks find the old stone locks, headgates and the Savannah River rapids attractive subjects. But venture down the towpath and you’ll find other worthy subjects. Try to capture the motion of the Reed Creek waterfall. Or turn off the trail down the old fish camp path. The vaulting trees and vistas of the Savannah are inspiring
  3. Downtown Saturday Market. The colorful abundance is a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds. I like to grab shots of produce vendors’ wares as they spill forth from their  baskets, then choose a few interesting fruits and veggies, take them home, arrange and shoot as a still life (before they become dinner!)
  4. Harrisburg. The simple symmetry of hundred-year-old shotgun houses, the touches of gingerbread detailing on the rooflines, the weathered front porch of a home that has seen better days. Some of the beauty of this former mill village is obscured by deterioration and neglect, but even that presents interesting photographic possibilities.
  5. The King and Sibley Mill district. When the light is just right, and that usually is toward sundown in late autumn, the bricks of these venerable old buildings take on a burnished glow, reflected in the glassy water of the Augusta Canal.  Perhaps my favorite photographic subject in Augusta.

I hope these suggestions help inspire you to keep your camera gear ready to capture that next great shot right here close to home. We’d love to see it entered in the 2012 Augusta Photo Festival competition.  Entries are being accepted now through August 1. More than $2000 in cash prizes are presented at the finalist exhibition at the North Augusta Arts and Heritage Center.  Competition entries can be submitted at  www.augustaphotofestival.org. The third edition of the Augusta Photo Festival, a 10-day-long exploration of photography, is coming to the CSRA October 27 through November 4.

It has been my pleasure to serve on the steering committee since the first Augusta Photo Festival in 2008.  The Festival has uncovered an extraordinary vein of local talent and enthusiasm for this medium of expression. This year’s biennial festival features more than two dozen workshops, including photo safaris to inside the Miller Theater and several other downtown architectural treasures.

One of the hallmarks of our festival is its appeal to many levels of photo enthusiasts, from practiced professionals to point-and-shoot beginners. Through participation in the festival, skills have been learned, professional alliances forged, and perhaps most importantly, lasting friendships formed.

Since its beginnings, the Festival has been a grass-roots effort organized by an enthusiastic group of local volunteers.  We invite you to join us. Just let us know your interest at the Festival website.