A Brit in the US

One fine day I set out for Myrtle Beach from my home in Lexington intending to view all the tourist attractions. The first day was beautiful with wonderful weather and a wonderful evening scene as the moon ascended over the water. It was such a romantic evening as I sat on a bench on the promenade, watching the scene unfolding before my eyes. Myrtle Beach at night The moon on its own that night was beautiful. A few clouds in the sky failed to obscure the wonderful illumination of the waves. It was interesting to see the color of the water changing to match the color of the clouds in the foreground. That evening was really balmy with a slight cool breeze coming in off the Atlantic. The Atlantic at night The next day started fairly promisingly but soon clouds began to form over the ocean and a stiff breeze whipped the waves from their normal gentle roll into more of a frenzy. The white horses began breaking over the beach as the tide began to turn. Even the seagulls that ...

I was honored to be invited to join in as a photographer for an Indian wedding in Sparkleberry. It was described as being also a mini pow-wow. As a British man, I just didn't know what to expect and didn't know quite what a pow-wow was but I turned up, camera in hand ready to record the proceedings. When I arrived, there were a lot of people already present. It was a blisteringly hot day with not a cloud in the sky. There was a TV crew in attendance with the cameraman wearing a hastily knotted handkerchief to protect his scalp from the fierce midday sun. The ceremony started with a purification ritual performed by the medicine man. We were informed that later there would be a sacred fire ceremony during which no pictures would be permitted. Respecting tradition and my role as an invited guest, I did not step over the boundaries though the ceremony itself was interesting enough to need to be documented. Flash was not permitted but such was the strength of the sun, it was du...