LANCASTER, S.C. — From the mountains of the Upstate to the beaches along the South Carolina coast, the Palmetto State has a lot to see.
One man had the chance to visit some of the state's most beautiful areas to capture it all.
For more than 25 years, Travis Bell has found himself behind the camera, snapping everything from Good Morning America to Dancing with the Stars, and a whole lot of college and NFL football in between.
This summer, the Lancaster native found himself with an assignment closer to home, photographing some of the most awe-inspiring places in South Carolina.
"This was a dream project," Bell said. "I feel blessed to be able to get up each day and do something that I love doing."
The project comes as SC Teacher, housed in the University of South Carolina's College of Education, looks to increase awareness of its brand, which collects data to help improve South Carolina's educator workforce.
"We want to create images that show how education impacts the economy," Bell said. "We look for Volvo, down in the Charleston area, down in Summerville, BMW, those places that show economic impact, but we also look for just the beauty of the state.”
He hopes the project will help people see the impact education is having in the area and discover something new.
“I know that I'm guilty sometimes of thinking, oh, I've got to get on a plane or travel two states away to enjoy something. We've got something really special here in South Carolina. It's amazing. When I get to Caesars Head and look out and see that landscape. When I go to Aiken, that's horse country," Bell said. "When you get down around Hilton Head, you know, out of the coast. Gosh, around Daufuskie Island. It's an amazing place....We have these places around our state that kind of take you to another world and it's worth checking out sometime.”
To view images from the project visit Travis Bell Photography online and connect with SC Teacher.
Contact Kayland Hagwood at khagwood@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.