I tell my clients all the time that moving to Charleston was a pivotal moment for me in having the courage and means to start my business. There is no place like it! With the variety of landscapes available this is truly a place that holds it's beauty year round. I get asked on a weekly basis what the best place for portraits is, usually based on what a client wants to highlight, so I thought it would be helpful to list off my favorites, based on the time of year. Below you'll find the major seasons here in Charleston by month, what's blooming, the locations I love during that time, and any stipulation on time frames or location costs.

Spring in Charleston, to me, is when we have the most blooming the slightly cooler temperatures, and lower humidity. I've been in Charleston now for ten years and the best time for portraits to actually witness true SPRING is in the months of March and April. That's it?! Yes, thats really it! Late February has a chance for some early azalea blooms, but usually most of the colorful action outside will happen in phases between March and April. Sunrise in the spring is around 6:45am - 7:30am depending on the month and daylight savings. Sunset is around 6:15pm and as late as 8:00pm at the end of April as the days get longer.

Blooms of Spring:

Azaleas - A green bush with an abundance of blooming flowers. Of course depending on the weather and rain, but usually bloom for about two weeks in various locations around the Charleston Area. Primary colors are Pink, Fuchsia, Purple, and White.

Wisteria - A woody handing vine that produces bunches of purple flowers. Seems to bloom just after the azaleas, they usually last about a week or two and are like hidden gems since those hang higher from the ground 

Jasmine - A thick vine yet bushy greenery that grows along fences, walls and doorways. These bloom around April and can last until May, producing small white flowers with a lovely scent.

Best Locations for Spring Portraits

Magnolia Plantation

Located west of Charleston City on Highway 61
Open 9am - 5pm daily, my session times 9am or 4pm Monday through Friday only
Location Cost: $250 for a family of four, plus $25 for each additional person
Planning: Session must be planned and booked at least 1-2 weeks in advance as I must schedule the session and pay the location fee through their events office. I recommend a 9:00am start time for a quieter garden area, but to also actually enjoy the grounds once your session is completed.

March and April are the two months out of the year I think that Magnolia Plantation is worth every penny of their $250 location fee. If you're lucky enough to catch the azaleas during peak bloom it is an absolutely amazing site to see, and the variety of their grounds are completely unmatched. My sessions here are usually 60-90 minutes depending on if there are any kids involved in the session but this is one location I try to dedicate more time to since the fee is far beyond anything else here in the Charleston area. 

See more of Magnolia Plantation and Gardens sessions: HERE

Hampton Park

Located just outside of Historic Charleston
Open 24 hrs a day, best times are 30-60 minutes after sunrise or 60-120 minutes before sunset
Location Cost: None and parking is free
Planning: I typically like to get here first thing in the morning for the best light and less crowded park. Weekends are always busy as the park often has events and community activities which takes up parking and makes it harder to find good spots that are away from people.

Hampton is actually perfect year round, but they do have an array of azaleas that are stunning when in peak bloom. This park gives all the feels of the south with Spanish Moss, Live Oaks, and amazingly well kept and in-season flowerbeds.

See more of my sessions at Hampton Park in the Spring/Summer months: HERE

Charlestowne Landing

Located about 15 minutes outside and west of Historic Charleston
Planning: Open 9am-5pm, my session times are 9am Monday through Friday or 4:00pm Monday through Thursday to avoid events
Location Cost:  $12 per adult, $7 children aged 6-15, free for kids under 5

Historic Downtown

From Rainbow Row, Waterfront Park, White Point Gardens and South of Broad
Open 24 hrs a day, best times are from sunrise to 60 minutes after sunrise, and 60-90 minutes before sunset
Location Cost: Free, and free parking is available. Meters are fee before 9am and after 6pm
Planning: Not much planning needed unless you're looking for a particular spot with blooms like the azaleas and wisteria. As a general rule, anything session taking place near the waterfront needs to be as close to sunrise and sunset possible for the best lighting. But overall there are different parts of downtown that boast the golden hour light. 

Historic Downtown is full of variety and definitely great any time of year, but it's a treat to have a session there in the spring when you also get a great pop of color.

Beaches

From Isle of Palms, Folly Beach, Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island
Open 24 hrs a day, I only take sessions at sunrise and sunset for best lighting and beautiful skies
Location Cost: Isle of Palms and Folly Beach have free parking available for general public. Kiawah and Seabrook are only available to those who own or are renting on those islands because they are a private and gated community. A commercial pass is required for my entry that will need to be called in from the Client, costing $15-40.
Planning: My beach sessions are the most popular year round, and because the time frame is specifically sunrise or sunset I do not take on more than 4 beach sessions in one week. I typically book out about 1-2 months in advance for the SPRING months so I advise clients to plan 1-3 months in advance if you're looking for a beach session.

The Beaches are excellent year round, although March tends to be a pretty rainy month with fluctuating temperatures. Because of this, we can often have very foggy sunrises which are hard to predict the evening before. I recommend sunsets in the spring months for a better sky color, and to avoid the surprise of thick fog in the morning hours. 

Summer in Charleston is peak tourist season so naturally everything gets a bit more busy and the days get longer. Our sunrises in the summer months slowly creep as early as 6:00am and our sunsets get as late as 8:35pm making for some really long days. Our weather in the summer can be a bit hard to gauge, we often have what is more commonly known as "Florida Weather" meaning that the forecast shows rain EVERY DAY. More than likely, it will actually rain everyday in different parts of the state and for different amounts of time, but it is very rare that we have a complete washout of a day. That said, it's also important to remember that our summer months are technically a part of Hurricane Season. While Charleston doesn't usually get effected by any major hurricanes (knock on wood) until around September and October, the spinoff storms can create some washout days as they pass through the south and move north. My weather backup dates for summer clients are crucial for this reason. In most cases we often just move our session timeframe a bit to avoid impending storms, or to take advantage of westward cloud coverage. But in the event of hurricanes and passing storms it's important that all my clients have a set backup date in my schedule that we can move you to for better weather. 

Blooms of Summer:

Crepe Myrtles: These trees come in all sizes and have big bunches of blooms starting in late June through July. They have a variety of colors from light purple, bold pink, white, and even red. These trees also are notorious for some great Spanish Moss action. 

Magnolias: These trees are easy to spot with their dark green waxy leaves and white to light pink blooms. They actually tend to bloom between spring and early summer, but don't ever seem to last long.

Oleanders: These are the bushes lining the Charleston Battery that bloom early summer to early autumn in Charleston. They are usually white, and bold pink. 

Hydrangeas: These bushes with bunches of tiny flowers are much fewer and far between in Charleston than anywhere else I've lived. We mostly see the blue and white varieties and they tend to bloom in the early summer months of June.

Best Locations for Summer Portraits

Hampton Park

Located just outside of Historic Charleston
Open 24 hrs a day, best times are 30-60 minutes after sunrise or 60-120 minutes before sunset
Location Cost: None and parking is free
Planning: I typically like to get here first thing in the morning for the best light and less crowded park. Weekends are always busy as the park often has events and community activities which takes up parking and makes it harder to find good spots that are away from people.

Hampton is actually perfect year round, but the crepe myrtles in the summer months add a lovely pop of color against their spanish moss.

Historic Downtown

From Rainbow Row, Waterfront Park, White Point Gardens and South of Broad
Open 24 hrs a day, best times are from sunrise to 60 minutes after sunrise, and 60-90 minutes before sunset
Location Cost: Free, and free parking is available. Meters are fee before 9am and after 6pm
Planning: Not much planning needed unless you're looking for a particular spot with blooms like crepe myrtles or oleander. As a general rule, anything session taking place near the waterfront needs to be as close to sunrise and sunset possible for the best lighting. But overall there are different parts of downtown that boast the golden hour light. 

Historic Downtown is full of variety and definitely great any time of year, but it's a great spot with flexible times for the summer months.

College of Charleston Campus

Located just north of most popular tourist spots of Historic Downtown
Open 24 hrs a day, best times are from 30-60 minutes after sunrise, and 60-90 minutes before sunset
Location Cost: Free, and there are garages and meters nearby
Planning: Not much planning needed but the late spring to summer months are perfect when school is out of session. This is obviously a popular spot for my College of Charleston Grads, but it makes a beautiful spot for family portraits as well between the architecture and well-manicured grounds.

The College of Charleston Campus area around the Cistern is the most popular for the architecture, spanish moss, golden light, gorgeous stairs and columns. 

Beaches

From Isle of Palms, Folly Beach, Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island
Open 24 hrs a day, I only take sessions at sunrise and sunset for best lighting and beautiful skies
Location Cost: Isle of Palms and Folly Beach have free parking available for general public. Kiawah and Seabrook are only available to those who own or are renting on those islands because they are a private and gated community. A commercial pass is required for my entry that will need to be called in from the Client, costing $15-40.
Planning: My beach sessions are the most popular year round, and because the time frame is specifically sunrise or sunset I do not take on more than 4 beach sessions in one week. I typically book out about 3-4 months in advance for the SUMMER months so I advise clients to book their sessions 3-6 months in advance if you're looking for a beach session with particular dates and even earlier planning if your visiting week is also a holiday week.

The Beaches are excellent year round, but most popular in the summer months. Sunrise and Sunset are a MUST for those cooler temperatures as our heat index in the summer months can reach above 100 degrees. Sunrise is highly suggested for those with little ones since our sunset sessions often start around 7:30-8:00pm and last as long as 8:40pm. 

Fall and Winter in Charleston are definitely quieter as school is in session, the days get shorter, and hurricane season ramps up. This is definitely comprised of more of our wetter season later September through November, but also when we start to have a little break from the heat (here and there). It's not unusual to have a 75 degree day in November here, but our weather can really fluctuate week by week. Oddly enough, sometimes we get these spurts of warm weather that make the azaleas bloom again in some spots, it's pure nature confusion. This is the season of "I need a photo for my Christmas Card" and when I find my weekends lost to back to back portrait sessions. 

Blooms of Winter:

Camillias: Medium sized trees, a little mossy, and blooms usually around December through February. These blooms are typically pink, but can occasionally be lighter or darker within the same tree. 

Best Locations for Fall and Winter Portraits

Hampton Park

Located just outside of Historic Charleston
Open 24 hrs a day, best times are 30-60 minutes after sunrise or 60-120 minutes before sunset
Location Cost: None and parking is free
Planning: I typically like to get here first thing in the morning for the best light and less crowded park. Weekends are always busy as the park often has events and community activities which takes up parking and makes it harder to find good spots that are away from people.

Hampton is actually perfect year round, but they do keep their flower beds seasonal which is an added plush. In the fall and winter months it definitely has more of a tan and brown feel, but early morning light can help bring some life and warmth, and depending on the month, camillias are blooming.

Historic Downtown

From Rainbow Row, Waterfront Park, White Point Gardens and South of Broad
Open 24 hrs a day, best times are from sunrise to 60 minutes after sunrise, and 60-90 minutes before sunset
Location Cost: Free, and free parking is available. Meters are fee before 9am and after 6pm
Planning: Not much advanced planning needed unless you're looking for a weekend session. 

Historic Downtown is full of variety and definitely great any time of year, but it's a great spot in the cooler temperature months for the temperatures and shorter days.

College of Charleston Campus

Located just north of most popular tourist spots of Historic Downtown
Open 24 hrs a day, best times for sessions are from 30-60 minutes after sunrise 
Location Cost: Free, and there are garages and meters nearby
Planning: Not much planning needed but the late spring to summer months are perfect when school is out of session. This is obviously a popular spot for my College of Charleston Grads, but it makes a beautiful spot for family portraits as well between the architecture and well-manicured grounds.

The College of Charleston Campus area around the Cistern is the most popular for the architecture, spanish moss, golden light, gorgeous stairs and columns. 

Charlestowne Landing

Located about 15 minutes outside and west of Historic Charleston
Planning: Open 9am-4pm after daylight sabings, my session times are 9am or 3:00pm Monday through Friday only or an occasional Saturday morning
Location Cost: $12 per adult, $7 children aged 6-15, free for kids under 5 

Beaches

From Isle of Palms, Folly Beach, Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island
Open 24 hrs a day, I only take sessions at sunrise and sunset for best lighting and beautiful skies
Location Cost: Isle of Palms and Folly Beach have free parking available for general public. Kiawah and Seabrook are only available to those who own or are renting on those islands because they are a private and gated community. A commercial pass is required for my entry that will need to be called in from the Client, costing $15-40.
Planning: My beach sessions are the most popular year round, and because the time frame is specifically sunrise or sunset I do not take on more than 3 beach sessions in one week during hurricane season. I typically book out about 2-3 months in advance for the FALL/WINTER months so I advise clients to book their sessions 3-6 months in advance if you're looking for a beach session with particular dates or if around Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas.

The Beaches are excellent year round, but less popular in the fall and winter months due to our active hurricane season and colder temperatures where the wind can be chilling.

Some additional locations not mentioned above but have their good moments...

Riverfront Park - North Charleston
Spanish Moss, Columns and Stairs
Free and Free to park, best in the spring for the azaleas or winter months
Best time for sessions - WEEKDAYS ONLY and mornings preferred since most of the grounds are rented for weddings

Shem Creek Park - Mount Pleasant
Marsh Boardwalk, Shrimp Boats
Free and Free to park, best in the winter months since this is a high tourist area
Best time for sessions - WEEKDAYS at sunrise since you'll have it all to yourself

"Sunrise Park" Melton Peter Demetre Park - James Island
Small sandy area, view of the Ravenel Bridge
Free and free to park, best any time of year 
Best time for sessions - WEEKDAYS at sunrise and sunset due to the lack of shade 

Waterfront Park, Pineapple Fountain - Historic Charleston
The Iconic Pineapple Fountain area at the waterfront
Free and parking available via meters or parking garage
Best time for sessions - WEEKDAYS, off-season, and always sunrise. This location is VERY busy as it's a popular tourist stop. In the summer month's you'll find kids and dogs swimming in the fountain water, everyone taking pictures, and even proposals. While it is iconic, it's a photographers nightmare at times because of the lighting and how busy it is. 

Some locations I don't advise...

Angel Oak Tree - Johns Island
This is a great place to visit, but not recommended for sessions. Permits are required, but since it's a tourist site and surrounded by fences and gates it's not worth the trouble. I recommend just enjoying this spot with your own camera and using Hampton Park as a similar view.

Morris Island Lighthouse - East Folly Beach
There was a time when I loved this location, but that time has long past and it's easily been several years since I've made the trek out there. The walk out to the beach is about a quarter mile, part of which is completely uphill in the sand (think sand stair master). In the summer months this is enough to make you drip in sweat and want to pass out. For a sunrise session doing this walk in the complete dark isn't recommended as there are known snakes and other wild life in this area. For sunset you can expect to have difficulty finding parking and having to share the space with about 25-50 tourists, and about 10 other photographers and their clients on any given night. The view is amazing, don't get me wrong. I just recommend doing this walk on your own and being one of those tourists. But for pictures it's just not ideal anymore. Local kids have destroyed the beauty of this spot with profane and poorly drawn graffiti all over the rocks and some of the trees, adding hours of detailed work for me to edit out. The last few years of hurricane season have really destoryed the dunes and dwindled the available dry sand for sessions. This side of the island doesn't get much wind, making the noseeums and mosquitos quite unbearable. And if that wasn't enough to convince you, this location is truly only accessible to it's full potential at low tide due to extreme beach erosion. I instead have several other, less busy and beautiful spots of Folly Beach where I take my clients.