Charleston in the Rain

“For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain.”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I have spent several Memorial Day weekends in Charleston; however, this is the first time I have experienced the amount of rainfall that I did this weekend.

On our first full day, many visitors were unhappy about the weather conditions.  Instead of being upset, I fully embraced what was in store for the day.

Since I love completing projects, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to do a short-term photography project, which I have just titled Charleston in Rain.

My husband, Randy, and I spent the entire day on foot and in the car seeking exciting subjects to photograph in the rainy, windy conditions that enveloped the area.

There are many interesting art galleries in downtown Charleston.  We enjoyed getting out of the weather for short periods of time as we explored these galleries.  My favorite gallery from that morning was the RLSART Gallery, located at 2 Queen Street.  It had such a lovely, welcoming feel to it.

Visitors throughout the Holy City were dressed for the weather.

It wasn’t only the rain that made outdoor activities challenging but also the extreme winds.  I had an incredible time investigating which camera settings would best capture these flags as I saw them in my mind.

We continued our exploration after dark.  The rain and wind couldn’t keep the crowd from waiting for entrance to enjoy their favorite music on Market Street.

We were definitely in the right place at the right time to witness a band joyfully sharing music at the United States Custom House.

My decision to work on a short-term photography project allowed me to embrace less-than-stellar weather conditions while photographing subjects I would not have ordinarily photographed.

As much fun as I had photographing in the rain, I was even more appreciative of the clearing conditions the morning after the storm passed.

Whether short-term or long-term, working on projects helps you grow as a photographer and seek out subjects you might not otherwise photograph.  My online course, Personal Projects Workshop begins next week.  It’s not too late to join us.  For more information and to register, please click here.