The Old Sheldon Church is a historical landmark near Beaufort, South Carolina. Surviving burnings from the Revolutionary War and Civil War, the ruins remain a treasure. 

On this beautiful spring day in March, I had the entire grounds to myself for about an hour. I remember taking in every moment as I walked around the ruins, appreciating the structure, reading about the history, and admiring its enduring presence. I began looking for my composition and saw the open doorway and windows in my image, “Ruins” represents a gateway to the past that should be treasured. There was a yearning from my internal compass to capture the essence of this special place as a way to honor a piece of American history. 

The late afternoon sunlight created a heavenly glow around the entire structure, illuminating the delicate details in every brick and the resurrection fern that adorned the interior walls of the ruins. After capturing this shot, a feeling of peace and gratitude rushed over me. From my core, at that moment, I acknowledged there is something special about honoring the past that connects us to the present.