We are Folly Beach family photographers with many years of experience photographing families here. When families visiting Charleston want beach photos, we usually recommend Folly Beach. It’s one of the few areas in Charleston that gets a great sunset. Also, Folly Beach has a few unique features that give it an edge over the other local beaches:
- Folly Beach County Park: Located on the south end of Folly Beach, the beach at the county park is situated perfectly to get great sunsets. It also has a convenient parking lot, restrooms, and showers.
- Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve: For families who like a bit of an edge to their photos, Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve is a great spot. It’s at the north end of Folly Beach. We love the high grasses and trees, which provide a unique backdrop to your beach photos. In addition, we love the big rocks with graffiti and the graffiti wall. And, perhaps best of all, we love that you have a view of the Morris Island Lighthouse (see below!).
- Morris Island Lighthouse: From the Heritage Preserve, you get a great view of the Morris Island Lighthouse, which will be in the background of your photos. There have been several versions of the lighthouse through the years. The first was constructed in 1767 and later replaced. The current structure was completed in 1876. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1962 when the Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse took over the role of guiding ships into Charleston Harbor. But the Morris Island Lighthouse, with its painted stripes, is by far the more photogenic of the two.
- Casual vibes: Folly Beach is known as the casual, low-key beach of Charleston. There’s nothing fancy about Folly. Throw on a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops, and you’ll be at home at the majority of the beachy restaurants and bars here. It’s also highly walkable, so you can take your time wandering the tiny shopping and dining area near the Folly Beach Pier.
In addition, we love Folly Beach because of the ease of parking. We often recommend families meet us at Folly Beach County Park, located at the south end. There’s a big parking lot, showers and restrooms. It costs $10 to park there, but the conveniences are worth it!
Furthermore, Erin grew up on James Island. Folly Beach is where she and her family have gone for generations. She loves immersing herself in her own family photos taken on Folly Beach – of herself as a child waddling around in a baby bikini, her grandmother stretched out on a beach chair, her grandfather casting fishing lines at the shoreline. Folly Beach is part of our own family history, which makes it such an honor to create photos of YOUR family there.
Not sure if the beach is the right location for your family photos? Check out our other favorite spots for family photos in Charleston.
