photo provided

photo provided

photo provided

The Alhambra Garden Club has partnered with local photographer Dixie Fanning and released a book of photography that captures the essence of the Old Village.

Fanning is a retired lab director with Charleston Watersystems. But she wasn't quite ready to call it quits in the workforce. She knew she wanted to get back to work but this time wanted to be able to work from home and do something that would allow her creative juices to flow.

She decided to go back to school and enrolled in Trident Technical College, recently receiving a degree in Commercial Graphic Arts. As part of the digital photography course requirements, Fanning had to present a photography portfolio of street photography. She chose to do hers as panoramics. Each photo was a series stitched together in Photoshop.

While Fanning was out and about snapping shots in the Old Village, she came across Patjens Post Office. The small little building in James B. Edwards Park in the Old Village intrigued her. She noticed from a small sign that the Alhambra Garden Club maintained the property. She contacted a representative to see if she could get inside to take photos. She was given permission to photograph the inside of the building and struck up a relationship with the club members.

Fanning received an A on her project but had a handful of beautiful pictures of the Old Village and didn't know what to do with them.

"I decided to ask the garden club if they could make a book with the pictures, as a fund-raiser and they were interested," she said.

After selecting the photos for the book, The R. L. Bryan Company was selected to print the book.

The book is $25 and available at Pitt Street Pharmacy, Primal Fuel, Royall Hardware, Sweet Olive in I'On and by sending a check to Alhambra Garden Club at PO Box 1638, Mount Pleasant, SC 29465.

Today Fanning is enjoying her second career.

"I retired to do something completely different from science. I always enjoyed photography and working on my computer," she said.

She owns her own freelance design firm called Designs From Dixie. Her work includes everything from maps and book covers to news letters and a vehicle wrap. Learn more at www.designsfromdixie.com.

Fanning will be at the Mount Pleasant Holiday Market on Dec. 12 signing copies of her book at the Alhambra Garden Club booth.

"The Old Village of Mount Pleasant, SC - A panoramic view of past and present" captures the feeling of the restored homes, well tended gardens and grandeur of the live oak trees that dot the landscape.

Proceeds from the book will go to Alhambra Garden Club projects such as providing Christmas wreaths around town, installing a watering system at Patjens Post Office, the Blue Star Memorial Marker Program, Alhambra Applauds and towards scholarships to Camp Wildwood. There are 35 members in the Alhambra Garden Club which is a federated club, founded in 1955.

According to Minnie Mayberry, club member and book sale organizer, "The club is very proud of Mount Pleasant and we feel privileged to live here and want Mount Pleasant to be something that everyone who lives here is proud of. We are pleased to partner with Dixie on this project and her photos beautifully capture the past and present of the Old Village. "

For more information, contact Minnie Mayberry at 884-2807.