South Carolina
Engagement session · Charleston
In short
Engagement session in Charleston starts at $450: 2 hours on location with a photographer who works in Charleston, and 60 edited photos delivered to a private gallery within 5 business days.
Why choose Engagement session in Charleston?
Charleston is the best walking engagement session in this catalogue. Rainbow Row, the Battery, a French Quarter alley and Waterfront Park are within fifteen minutes of each other on foot, which means a two-hour booking here is two hours of photographs rather than ninety minutes and a car. The constraint is the hour rather than the distance: Rainbow Row faces east and is finished by mid-morning.
Worth knowing about Charleston
Rainbow Row faces east, which decides the entire schedule: the facades are lit directly for about ninety minutes after sunrise and by noon they are flat and blown out. It is also thirteen private homes, so the photograph is taken from the public sidewalk opposite rather than from anybody’s steps — which is both the courteous position and the better angle, because it holds the whole run of color.
What does the session in Charleston look like?
- Rainbow Row, East Bay Street
- Thirteen pastel Georgian houses. Photographed from the pavement opposite, at sunrise, when the facades are lit.
- The Battery and White Point Garden
- Seawall, live oaks and the harbor. Golden hour, and checked against the tide.
- A French Quarter alley
- Stucco, ironwork and shade — the frames that work when the sun is already too high.
What does engagement session in Charleston include?
- 60 retouched photographs
- Two locations, including travel between them
- Outfit change included
- Save-the-date crops sized for print and for email
- Private online gallery within 5 business days
- Print release for personal use
Permits at these locations: Rainbow Row, East Bay Street: Private homes: the steps and piazzas are not public. Check the City of Charleston film and photography permit rules for a paid session on the street. The Battery and White Point Garden: City of Charleston film and photography permit ($25 a day, 10 business days ahead) plus a park reservation. Weddings in White Point Garden are capped at 25 people.
FAQ — Engagement session in Charleston
Can we stand on the Rainbow Row steps?
No — those are thirteen private homes and the steps, piazzas and gardens belong to the people living in them. The photograph everyone recognizes is taken from the public sidewalk on the far side of East Bay Street, which is entirely permitted and is the better angle anyway because it holds the full run of color.
What time do we need to start?
Sunrise, if Rainbow Row is on the list. It faces east, so the facades are lit for about ninety minutes after sunrise and flat by noon. A later start changes the route rather than ruining it — the French Quarter alleys and White Point Garden both hold up in mid-morning shade in a way the pastel houses do not.