Behind the Scenes with Photographer Ann Helms

"I am originally from Spartanburg and still visit my parents and brother there several times a month. I used to drive mostly the interstate, but now when time permits I prefer to take US 176, or SC 215, or US 76 from the Midlands to the Upstate and back. I have taken a lot of pictures along those routes. I also lived in the Charleston area for 15 years before changing jobs, and still visit friends in the Lowcountry as often as I can. Berkeley, Colleton, Dorchester and Charleston counties are some of my favorite places to shoot.

"When I can, I try to venture further out to places I have not visited before, usually in search of train depots and sites on the National Historic Register. My dad is a retired architectural engineer, and he shared his love of history and architecture and photography with me. He bought me my first camera when I was a teenager, and he has been with me when I have taken many of my favorite pictures. His age no longer permits him to travel as he once did, but he is always asking what I've been out shooting. Whenever I get a compliment on a picture, particularly about its composition, I take a second to say, 'Thanks, Dad.'"