It’s well known that Charleston, South Carolina is a photographer’s paradise with its world-renown historic downtown, beaches, marshes, and a beautiful waterfront park. In fact, take a look at my Photographing Historic Charleston post and my Southern Architecture Gallery to get a glimpse of a few of Charleston’s historic homes and buildings.

Charleston’s photography subjects do not end at its riverfront, however, since there are at least 4 great Mt. Pleasant photo spots photographers should visit. In fact, there are many great photo spots in Mt. Pleasant.

Where is Mt. Pleasant?

Interesting Facts about Mt. Pleasant

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina was founded in 1680 and later became known for Shem Creek, a shrimping village and as a summer destination for wealthy Charleston residents. Today, Mt. Pleasant is not only home to Shem Creek but also Patriot Point Naval and Maritime Museum, the Ravenel Bridge, Boone Hall, great shopping and dining, and safe neighborhoods.

Mt. Pleasant has been named as one of the top 50 best cities to live in America. It has a median income of over $100,000 which is more than double the state’s average income. To learn more about Mt. Pleasant visit: Mt. Pleasant.

4 Great Photo Spots in Mt. Pleasant

1. Arthur Ravenel Bridge

The Ravenel Bridge, also known as the Cooper River Bridge, opened in 2005 to replace the old Cooper River Bridge. The bridge connects downtown Charleston to Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina over the Cooper River and when built was the 3rd largest cable-stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere. It’s two diamond-shaped towers are stunning, especially as night and before twillight, making it a very popular subject for photographers.

By the way, a cable-stayed bridge is a bridge whose weight is supported by diagonal cables that extend to the bridge’s towers which are built to support the weight of the bridge.

Best Places to Photograph the Ravenel Bridge

Map of Photo Locations for Ravenel Bridge

The Ravenel Bridge can be photographed from both sides of the Cooper River but since we are focused on Mt. Pleasant, here are my top 3 locations in Mt. Pleasant that produce the best bridge images.

Mt. Pleasant Memorial Park

  • Easy access and parking
  • Restrooms
  • 1250 foot long pier
  • Good closeup views of the bridge and pilings
  • Good location for photography both at sunrise and sunset
  • No wide angle expansive photo opportunities since park is so close to the bridge

Photo of Ravenel Bridge from Mt. Pleasant Waterfront Park

Charleston Ravenel Brige 345

Parking Lot Adjacent to Embassy Suites

  • Good wide angle and expansive photo location for capturing the bridge.
  • Easy access.
  • This is a very popular sunset location but I have found the area to also offer good photo opportunities in the early morning hours.
  • This area can also be accessed by parking in the Mt. Pleasant Waterfront Park and walking a boardwalk under the bridge to the Embassy Suites area to avoid the issue listed below.
  • This location is on private property of Embassy Suites and you may be asked to leave at any time. However, I and many others park next to an open grass area just at sunset and am careful to not block traffic and have never had any issues. Be respectful and you should have no issues.

Photo of Ravenel Bridge from Lot Next to Embassy Suites

Charleston Arthur Ravenel Bridge

Top of Ravenel Bridge

  • Amazing views of bridge spans.
  • Many places to capture the bridge along the walk.
  • Walk to top of bridge is 1.25 miles along the 2.5 mile bridge up an incline which can be difficult for some people. At present I am one of those people due to a bum knee.

Stock Photo of Ravenel Bridge Cables from Top of Bridge

2. Shem Creek

Shem Creek, in Mt Pleasant is located directly off the main thoroughfare, Coleman Blvd and another of my 4 Great Photo Spots in Mt. Pleasant. Here photographers will find an eclectic collection of restaurants, shops, a marsh walk, shrimp boats, power boats, birds, and also paddle boarders in the creek to keep your cameras busy. To fully appreciate the Shem Creek area, I highly suggest checking out Shem Creek History.

Popular photographs from Shem Creek include shots of the creek from an overpass on Coleman Blvd as well as a sunset at the end of a 2200 foot Shem Creek Marsh boardwalk. But that’s now all, pelicans are begging to be photographed as they fly overhead, reflections of restaurants at night twinkle in the Creek’s waters, and marsh grasses glow, especially in the late afternoon.

Shem Creek Photo Tips

  • Great sunset location but also good for photography in the early morning and evening hours.
  • Beautiful marsh and bird photography opportunities along the Shem Creek Boardwalk.
  • Many interesting photo opportunities of boats, restaurants, and other travel scenes.
  • Be sure to capture a sunset from the end of the Shem Creek Boardwalk.
  • Area gets very crowded, especially on weekends making parking difficult. Visit on weekdays if at all possible.

Photo of Shem Creek at Sunset

Shem Creek Sunset 82

3. Sullivan Island Lighthouse

Sullivan Island Lighthouse also known as Charleston Light is a modern triangle shaped 140 foot tall black and white lighthouse. The Lighthouse was built as a replacement for the old Morris Island Lighthouse which was being destroyed by erosion.

Sullivan Island Lighthouse Location

Sullivan Island Lighthouse Photo Tips

  • Sullivan Island Lighthouse is not very photogenic unless compositions include some interesting elements such as the beach in the foreground.
  • Photograph the Lighthouse from all angles, including boardwalk by the lighthouse.
  • Be sure to also photograph the Lighthouse from Station 18th Street where trees can be used to frame the Lighthouse.
  • Parking is terrible as the Lighthouse shares parking with beach access spots. Unless arriving in the early mornings hours, plan on spending quite a bit of time driving around looking for a space.

Photos of Sullivan Island Lighthouse

Sullivan Island Lighthouse 63
Sullivan Island Lighthouse 16

4. Boone Hall Plantation

Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens is one of the top photo destinations in the greater Charleston area and for good reason. In fact, a photograph of the oak tree-lined road is one of the iconic landscape images from all of South Carolina.

Boone Hall Plantation 3

I am currently writing a post about photography at all of the Charleston Plantations and Gardens that will definitely include Boone Hall. So as to not repeat any information, here are just a few quick tips for photographing Boone Hall. Stay tuned for the complete photo guide to Charleston Plantations and Gardens coming in early 2023.

Boone Hall Plantation Photo Tips

  • The Avenue of the Oaks can’t be viewed without entering the Plantation so be prepared to pay the entrance fee that includes a tour of the home..
  • Arrive as early as possible or very late in the day to avoid crowds and the large number of cars driving in and out of the Plantation. At peak season, I do not recommend this location on any weekend.
  • I found partly cloudy to mostly cloudy skies worked best when capturing the oak lined entrance. Bright sunny days should be avoided if at all possible.
  • Although peak azalea blooms around the end of March to first of April are a great time to visit Charleston Plantations, this particular photo is not very azalea dependent.

Map of Boone Hall

Well I could not stop this post at 4 photo locations so here are a few more options to put on your Mt. Pleasant Photo Destination list.

Other Good Photo Spots in Mt. Pleasant

Ft. Moultrie

Ft. Moultrie is located just south of the Sullivan Lighthouse making it an easy stop after photographing the Lighthouse. Although the Fort is not very photogenic, its location by the ocean combined with a bit of good light can provide some interesting Fort images. Unfortunately, I have never been able to catch that perfect light but still believe Ft. Moulrie to be a good photography spot.

3 More Places To Photograph around Mt. Pleasant

Pitt Street Bridge

  • Pitt Street Bridge -This was previously a trolley bridge from Mt. Pleasant to Sullivan Island but now is a great recreation site which includes a pier where part of the bridge once stood.
  • The walk as well as the pier offer many scenic locations for photography, especially of marshes.
  • This is a good location for photography both at sunrise and sunset
  • The walk to the pier, although an easy 1/4 mile ,may limit some people from reaching the pier.

Palmetto Island County Park

  • Palmetto Island County Park – This is a beautiful nature park full of scenic locations for landscape photography that is well worth a visit. I have photographed here twice and will definitely return to this park.
  • The Park also has a Water Splash Island that is open seasonally and a kid favorite.

Patriots Point Naval Museum

  • Patriots Point Navel Museum- I am listing this location since I have heard repeatedly that it is a great place but have never been here myself so can’t offer any insight.

Summary of Mt. Pleasant Photography

I hope this brief glimpse into 4 Great Photo Spots in Mt. Pleasant encourages each of you to spend time photographing this historic and beautiful area. Although Mt. Pleasant can easily be overlooked as a photo destination due to the understandable draw of Charleston, South Carolina, it would be a mistake to not dedicate photo time here.

In addition to the 4 Great Photo Spots, Mt. Pleasant is also home to some absolutely beautiful sandy beaches for more photo fun as well as offering a break from photography to enjoy the ocean and salt air.

Happy travels to all my fellow photographers and if you have a special Mt. Pleasant location that I failed to mention, I would love to hear from you. Thanks again for joining me on another of my Photo Road Trip Adventures.

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