Sony Creative Space Charleston

I recently found myself down in Charleston for a couple of days to check out the Sony Creative Space On The Road Tour.

This had been on my radar for a while. I originally planned to hit the Savannah stop, but that didn’t work out so I pivoted. Same drive time, just had to point the car in a different direction.

At a glance, the whole thing felt like a throwback. The kind of meetup photographers used to do more often — just showing up, walking around, shooting and talking. And honestly, it was just what I needed.

First Impressions

The event ended up being two days, which I didn’t fully realize at first.

Day one was a shorter evening session from 5 to 8 PM. Which was very welcomed because we got a chance for a sunset photo walk with a small group. Day two was much more hectic: sessions running pretty much all day, photo walks every hour and a half or so.

The entire time, we had access to gear, models, experts and the beautiful Middleton Place.all the things you’d want. And for the most part, it delivered even though there were a few tradeoffs.

The Reality of Shooting in a Crowd

Day one felt great. Smaller group, better light, more room to move. I really felt I could slow down and work a scene. Day two was a completely different story.

A lot more people showed up. And once you’ve got a big group of photographers all trying to shoot the same subject, things got a little chaotic. Everyone’s calling out directions, shifting angles, trying to get their shot.

I did a couple of sessions before back a bit and exploring the property. Turns out, this worked out for me because it allowed me to have some unexpected experiences.

What Actually Made It Worth It

The photos were solid. I got some good work out of day one and a few shots from day two. Even got some updated headshots while I was there. But that’s not really what stuck with me.

The real value was in the access and the conversations. Being able to talk directly with Sony reps, ask questions, handle the gear, test things out made it a much better experience than watching a YouTube review or reading specs online. They’re pushing the Sony A7V pretty heavily right now, so it was interesting to get a feel for the camera.

And then there were the people.

I had a chance to talk with a wildlife photographer, Allegra Hutton, whose work immediately caught my attention. Those kinds of conversations, where you’re just picking someone’s brain, trying to learn something is one of the most valuable parts of this event.

Final Thoughts

This was a great experience and I’d do it again without hesitation.

Having an opportunity to meet with other creatives and Sony representatives was an awesome way to connect over a shared interest. Over a day and a half, I tried new gear, explored a new place and met so many helpful people. It felt less like an activation and more like a meetup — something I have been wanting more of this year.