Pictures from Altama Plantation, Southeast Georgia

This past week I had the opportunity to visit the Altama Plantation, formerly called Hopeton, near St Simons Island, Georgia.  It is such a beautiful property with a rich history with records dating back as far as 1763.  It was most recently owned by the Jones family that also owned Sea Island.  One of the original owners studied water control in Holland and put that knowledge to work in a diking and drainage system that supported the rice fields of Hopeton. It was also home to sugar mills, and ruins still remain, two of the chimneys pictured below with the year 1899 engraved with cut bricks.  The ancient oak and pine trees are just stunning with drooping Spanish moss, and Gardenia’s like you have never seen before left over from prior owners gardens.  Wildlife is abundant, while only there for 24 hours we saw an alligator, wild hog, tons of deer, a water moccasin, a turkey, several hawks and a massive owl.  Coming from Atlanta it was simply amazing to be in a place like that.

I spent some time looking for information on Altama, and this is one of the best records I could find: Georgia’s Land of the Golden Isles

Below are pictures I captured while there.  All of these images are available on www.CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com/Travel/GoldenIsles

 

Thanks for reading,

Carson Matthews
www.CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com

Washed up Seaweed on Sea Island Georgia

We went for a walk on the beach after a storm on Monday and found all sorts of creatures washed up on the shore.  I don’t have any idea what kinds of seaweed these are, so chime in below in the comments if you can identify any of these seaweed species.  Both of these are 5-image HDR shots taken with the lens resting on the beach sand (very carefully).

Print available for purchase at www.CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com

Print available for purchase at www.CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com

Sunset over the Marsh in Sea Island Georgia

Last night I got this shot of the sun setting on 13th Street overlooking the Marsh in Sea Island.

How it was taken:
ISO 100
14mm
f/2.8
5 images 1/50 – 1/800 sec

Print available for purchase at www.CarsonMatthewsPhotography.com 

4th of July Fireworks in Ponte Vedra Florida

Pictures of 4th of July fireworks in front of the Plantation Beach Club in Ponte Vedra Florida.

How I did it:
Nikon D800
Nikon 28-300mm
ISO 100, f/10, 15 sec.
on Tripod

Dump Trucks on Sea Island

These massive dump trucks were working hard to offset the erosion that is taking place at Sea Island.  They were running back and forth from Ocean Forest to Sea Island delivering sand.  The kids loved watching them fly back and forth down the beach.  It will be interesting to go back this summer and see how it turned out.

ISO 320, 300mm, f/10, 1/2000 sec

Chattahoochee River Sunset

Sunset over the Chattahoochee River last night.

A Bridge Over Water

I love this walking bridge over the swimming pool in Sea Island.  In the summer this pool is stacked with kids and teenagers, but in February it’s cold as ice and empty.  This is a 5 image HDR shot on a gorgeous winter day.

 

The Lodge at Sea Island Sunset

Sunday night we went to the Lodge at Sea Island to listen to the bagpipe player, have dinner and roast smores.  This amazing sunset over the St Simons Sound behind the Sidney Lanier Bridge was a bonus.  This is a 5-image HDR photograph taken with a Nikon D800 and processed in Photomatix & Lightroom.

The Lodge at Sea Island

Sidney Lanier Bridge

The Lodge at Sea Island Sunset

Water Spigot

Yesterday while walking around Chastain Park I found this really cool water spigot near the Chastain Arts Center.

Nikon D800, ISO 100, 72mm, f/5, 1/125 sec

Photos of Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada Florida

Florida Keys Sunrise

We took a quick trip to the Cheeca Lodge and Spa in Islamorada Florida the weekend before Thanksgiving.  It’s a pretty amazing place in the Florida Keys just south of Key Largo; mile marker 82 to be exact.  My brother, Father and I went there in 1992 on a boys fishing trip.  It was a very different place back then.  It has since burned to the ground and been rebuilt as a fabulous resort.  These photos were taken on campus as well as next door at the Moorings which is the resort next door to the Cheeca.  Sunrise and sunsets are simply amazing each day, and easy to see regardless where you are staying.  The island is probably a 10 minute walk from coast to coast.  We took a sunset cruise one night and there are a couple of pictures of that below.

Hope you enjoy the pictures.

     

The Moorings

The Moorings Hammock

Moorings Tree

Islamorada Sunset Cruise

Florida Keys Sunset