As a landscape photographer who lives in Florida, I find myself on airplanes a lot. Although I adore the Sunshine State, most of the landscapes that excite my camera are far, far away. This is why finding a killer landscape photography location I can drive to in a few hours is a Godsend.
Jekyll Island is one of the small coastal barrier islands off the south coast of Georgia. It was once the playground of the ultra-rich during the Victorian era but now the whole island is the crown jewel of the Georgia state park system. It is beautiful and quaint…which is why it is now a popular vacation destination. But what interests photographers is a small, 1/2 mile stretch of beach on the northern edge of the Island known as Driftwood Beach.
Over the years, the ocean has nibbled away at the beach in front of an old grove of trees that have gradually succumbed to the saltwater. Now their skeletons litter the beach, which is why some playfully call it “Boneyard Beach.” But by whatever name, the result is a playground for landscape photographers. I recently spent three days there and want to share some tips for other photographers that might get a chance to visit.
Logistics
Jekyll Island is about halfway between Savannah Ga. and Jacksonville, Fl. and less than 15 miles from I-95. There is an $8 fee to enter the island via a causeway. You have a wealth of options when you decide where to stay..ranging from the luxury of the Jekyll Island Club to AirBNBs and hotels and even a campground. The Island is only 7 miles long and 1.5 miles wide but you will need a car to get around.
Finding the Beach
Driftwood is near the northern point of the Island. Just take BeachView Drive to the north tip of the island. Unfortunately, there are no signs for Driftwood Beach (I suggest you just use Google Maps on your phone…there is excellent cell service). If you pass Maurice Drive, the Campground, or the Horton House, you’ve gone too far.
Parking is easy: there are three free parking areas located alongside the road.
The walk to the beach is less than five minutes. Most of the really interesting trees are within a pretty small 800′ section on the beach. I strongly suggest you scout the area during the daytime ahead of time, so you know which trees you want to photograph when you come back in the pre-dawn morning.
When to Go
Driftwood Beach looks pretty much the same all year, so good photographs can be made in any season. However, sand gnats are a real pest in the summer and can make your experience unpleasant.
Driftwood Beach is really a sunrise and morning location (although Milky Way photography would also be fun).
Do yourself a favor and be on the beach at least 45 minutes BEFORE the scheduled sunrise to catch the most colorful skies. Trust me, I arrived 20 minutes early the first morning, then 30 minutes early the second day, and missed the peak both times!
Some folks like shooting at low tide, others at high tide. Good images can be made at either but personally, I prefer high tide since it ensures that many of the trees will actually be standing in the water (as opposed to being high and dry in the sand).
Gear
Obviously, a tripod is a necessity due to the low light.
A mid-range zoom is perfect here. More than 90% of my shots were taken with a 24-70mm on a full-frame camera. You might also bring a 14mm for that occasional wide-angle shot and a macro lens would come in handy for shooting close-ups of the wild patterns in the weathered wood.
If the tide is up, a pair of wading shoes/boots will allow you to get the shots that would otherwise result in you driving home with cold, wet, and wrinkled feet.
A dark ND filter will allow you to make the long exposures (more than 2 seconds) that result in those images with long, silky lines of surf stretching across the beach without overexposing your image. For the best look, wait until the water reaches its high point on the beach and hit your shutter as it starts to recede.
Techniques
Unless you want the trees to show as solid black silhouettes I’d suggest using exposure bracketing (3 to 5 stops) since the dynamic range can be pretty dramatic. Consider trying some HDR or plan to manually blend multiple exposures.
Try shooting from a few inches over the sand rather than at eye-level. The difference in perspective might surprise you.
If the tide is up, there will be shallow reflecting pools of water that you can use as foregrounds.
There are usually shrimp boats working the coast well before dawn. They can be nice additions on the horizon if you can work one into your composition.
Be aware of your depth of field. If you are working with close foregrounds you will have to adjust your aperture (f/22 or higher) to ensure good focus through-out your image (focus-stacking is another option).
Weather
Landscape photographers lust over partial cloudy skies for sunrises and sunsets, but Driftwood Beach has serious photographic potential under nearly any weather conditions.
Clear Skies
No clouds? Use the silhouettes of the tree skeletons and the long shadows they create as long leading lines. The result is a kind of minimalist photography that can be striking.
Use limbs or trunks to partially block the sun and create sunbursts.
Overcast Skies
My first day at Driftwood Beach was overcast and I frankly thought that photography would be a bust…but I changed my mind a few minutes later when I recognized that the contrast between the trees, surf and clouds was pretty eye-catching.
The tide was up this morning, which made for a much different look than my first day.
The lack of sunlight made black and white processing an obvious choice. Also consider the use of tinting, vignettes, and creative borders to add interest.
Partly Cloudy Skies
Yes, every photographer’s nirvana…a sunrise with partly cloudy skies! If you are blessed with a wicked sunrise AND you have scouted the area well, you should be able to quickly shift between a half dozen pre-chosen spots and capture them all during those elusive minutes when your fleeting sunrise is at it’s best.
I consider Driftwood Beach to be an underappreciated landscape photography location with incredible potential. If you have a family and live on the east coast, I think you might find it to be a fine vacation destination…and you would still be able to get your’ photography fix’ every morning before the spouse and kids manage to drag themselves out of bed.
What more can any photographer ask?
Happy Holidays!
Jeff
Jekyll Island’s Driftwood Beach Photography Tips
Related Images:
Visits: 561
Kim
8 Jul 2023Do you have any tips for a non-photographer who has an iPhone 14 pro and want to capture the best pictureswith what I have?
Jeff Stamer
8 Jul 2023Hi Kim,
While iPhone photography is not my area of expertise, I’d bet that just being at Driftwood beach before sunrise and using your HDR function on the iPhone should help you get some decent photos. Bring along a tripod and I’m sure you could get some stellar results. Try using some of the different filter modes the iPhone camera has as well…like ‘Dramatic Warm” which should help enhance the colors as well.
Have fun and just experiment!
Jeff
Randy Clegg
20 Apr 2023Hi Jeff –
How do you typically meter for photos like this? Are you using Matrix metering, or perhaps spot metering off the sky? Can you say a bit about how you meet her? Thanks! Photos are great.
Jeff Stamer
21 Apr 2023Hi Randy,
I spot meter on an area with ‘average’ lighting, then run a series of exposure bracketed shots (usually 5 frames each one with a 1 stop difference). Then I combine them in photoshop via HDR. A single exposure can’t handle the wide dynamic range here at sunrise. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Jeff
Stephen Hill
5 Mar 2022Hello Jeff…thanks for the settings tips and ideas for getting shots similar to what you achieved. You teach well and I’ve always been inspired by your work, so thank you for that. Yet I have to disagree with your statement that the season you visit Driftwood Beach doesn’t matter. Folks need to know if you go in summer, you will be eaten alive by the sand gnats, tiny little devils that get in your hair, ears and face, anywhere you are not covered up. Trust me on this, they will ruin your time there. Fall or wintertime are the best times to go, but “if” you must go in summer, cover all exposed flesh, and I mean everywhere, ears, face, “teeth,”
with any kind of oil, like baby oil, ect. because the gnats drown in the oil when they try to bite you ! and you will survive the devils.
Jeff Stamer
6 Mar 2022Hi Stephen,
You are right, I’d forgotten about the sand gnats. I’ll revise the blog accordingly. Thanks for reminding me!
Jeff
Jeffrey
21 Oct 2021Hi Jeff, After a recent visit to DWB, I returned home to review my pictures only to feel at a loss on how to best compose driftwood. I reached out to an accomplished associate for counsel. She agreed that driftwood can be a challenge and suggested that I, “google “photographing driftwood jekyll island” and look at some of the images that show up”. That’s how I came upon your site – one brilliant idea from my friend and a wealth of learning for me. Unfortunately, my time there did not permit for sunrise / sunset but I’ll be back in November.
Thank you, thank you!!
Jeff Stamer
22 Oct 2021So glad you found my blog helpful. Good luck on your next trip out to DWB!
Ed Rosack
23 Dec 2020Wonderful post, Jeff. I haven’t been there but you’ve made me add it to my list. And your tips will definitely help.
All of your images are very strong, but I think I like the ones with shadows the best – especially the first.
Ed
Jeff Stamer
25 Dec 2020Thanks Ed. Hope you get a chance to visit. By the way, there are quite a selection of birds to photograph nearby as well, which I think you would really enjoy. Have a great Holiday!
Jeff
Bruce Rawlinson
22 Dec 2020I love your work and these images from Jekyll Island are stellar. Would love to go there but it’s a long haul from Seattle. Thanks for the work you post. I struggle to move beyond mediocrity; your photos are a real inspiration.
Jeff Stamer
22 Dec 2020Hi Bruce,
Glad you enjoyed the blog and photos and I’m humbled you would find them inspiring. You are a lucky man to live in Seattle, the places near you for landscape photography are legendary. Hope you appreciate how lucky you are!
Jeff
Karl Chiang
21 Dec 2020Great shots! Were these recent? A friend of mine went last month and see the trees are mostly gone after Hurricanes .
Jeff Stamer
22 Dec 2020Hi Karl, Yes these shots are only a couple weeks old. There may have been more trees before the hurricanes, but there are still plenty left to work with!