Old Sheldon Church Photo Tips & Guide: 2024 Update

Old Sheldon Church Photo Tips & Guide: 2024 Update

If you are a photographer planning to visit Charleston, let me tell you about a killer location about an hour from the city that you really need to see:  The Ruins of Old Sheldon Church.

Old sheldon church photo tips
The Fire Within

The ruins are hauntingly beautiful, especially near the end of the day when shadows stream thru the columns.  The brick Greek Revival architecture is pretty impressive.

Images taken early in the day with the site shrouded in fog would be worth the trip too.  The ruins do favor black-and-white photography, give it a try. 

Old Sheldon Church Ruins Photography near Charleston S.C.
“The Ghosts Within” I used a wet-plate processing technique to create a period ambiance.

 In addition, there are bits and pieces of an old graveyard around the church.  This particular tombstone caught my eye:

photo tips for Old Sheldon Church
Sinking gravestone the field behind the church

The church has an incredible history…burnt twice, once during the Revolution and then again by Sherman’s troops nearly a century later.  It sits on a nicely maintained site and is free to visit.  It is a peaceful place with very few visitors.

Old Sheldon Church Ruins Photography near Charleston S.C.

The address is 919 Old Sheldon Church Rd. Yemassee, SC 29945.  From the north on Interstate 95, take Exit 38 (S.C. 68) toward Yemassee. This turns into Castle Hall Road. Make a slight left onto Old Sheldon Church Road from there. The site will be about five and a half miles down that road on the right. There is a grass parking area directly across the street.

Charleston is wonderful and has lots of photo opportunities, but do yourself a favor and check this out.

Cheers!

Jeff

2024 Update: A metal decorative fence has been installed around the church in the years since I originally wrote this blog. It does prevent you from photographing inside the church, but I found you could still get good exterior shots.

Old Sheldon Church Ruins Photography near Charleston S.C.
2024 View showing the ‘new’ fence

2024

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This Post Has 3 Comments

    1. Yes, I should have a blog about my trip to Charleston posted today!

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