South Carolina From Above: Aerial Photography Shots You Need to See

South Carolina packs an astonishing range of scenery into one state, and you haven't really seen the Palmetto State until you've seen it from above. Here are some of the most striking aerial scenes in the corners of South Carolina we shoot every week, from the mountains outside Greenville to the big water of the Midlands.

The Blue Ridge Foothills and Caesars Head

The northwestern corner of South Carolina rises into the Blue Ridge Escarpment, where Caesars Head and Table Rock look out over a sea of forested ridges. From the air, the mountains fold into one another in layers of blue and green, and in autumn the hardwoods turn the slopes gold and crimson. It is some of the most dramatic terrain in the state, all within an easy drive of Greenville.

Lake Jocassee and Lake Keowee

Tucked into the Jocassee Gorges, these two clearwater lakes are ringed by steep, forested shoreline and fed by mountain waterfalls that spill straight into the water. Seen from above, the deep blue coves and green peninsulas look almost untouched. For aerial photography, few places in the Upstate reward a drone like Jocassee on a calm morning.

Falls Park and Downtown Greenville

In the middle of downtown Greenville, the Reedy River drops over a series of falls beneath the curving Liberty Bridge in Falls Park. From overhead, the green of the park threads through the brick and glass of a thriving downtown, a reminder of how much the Upstate's hub has grown. It is one of the most photogenic city centers in the Carolinas.

The Midlands and Lake Murray

Closer to Columbia, Lake Murray spreads out behind its dam with hundreds of miles of shoreline and quiet islands. Aerial shots capture the wide water, the dam, and the famous Bomb Island, where thousands of purple martins roost at dusk. It is a different kind of beauty than the mountains: open, calm, and expansive.

Lake Hartwell and Anderson

On the state's western edge, Lake Hartwell wraps around Anderson with nearly a thousand miles of shoreline: quiet coves, red-clay points, and long highway bridges skimming the water. From above, the lake breaks into blues and greens that shift with the light, and boat wakes draw white lines between the islands. It's the Upstate at its most laid back, and it rewards a drone the way few places do.

Whether your project is in the Upstate or the Midlands, South Carolina is built for aerial photography. Beyond All Media captures it from above for real estate, commercial, and marketing projects across the Carolinas and Virginia. Call our Carolinas team at (864) 714-0724 to plan your next aerial shoot.

More from us: read our full SC & VA real estate photography guide, or book a shoot.