June 18, 2026
Hello, and happy Friday! I’m Justin Taylor, the Visual Journalist at The Current. Thank you for checking out another installment of Coastal Lens!
In this month’s newsletter, we will be taking a look at a slow paddle through Effingham County’s Ebenezer Creek, youth basketball in Brunswick, and a day looking for terrapins with the Department of Natural Resources.
I’ll also share some visually interesting community events across Coastal Georgia, including art markets, local photo walks, and exhibitions.
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Visual stories from the coast
Last month, The Current’s Sarah Harwell and I joined Color My Outdoors, a nonprofit that aims to reconnect people of color with the outdoors, for a kayak trip down Ebenezer Creek. The event was part nature outing and part history lesson, as we visited the site of one of the Civil War’s least-known tragedies.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of paddling through some of the oldest bald cypress and tupelo trees in Georgia, here’s what you’re missing…
I also had the pleasure of photographing Friday Night Hoops in Brunswick for an upcoming story by Glynn County reporter Jabari Gibbs. The event invites area youth to play basketball, enjoy a meal, and make new friends in a safe environment. It takes place every Friday night throughout the summer at the Glynn Academy Gym.
Make sure to look for Jabari’s story coming out in the next few days.
Favorite Photos
A look back at a few of my favorite frames from the past several weeks.
Creek in Effingham County on June 20, 2026. Credit: Justin Taylor/The Current GA/CatchLight/Report for America
Viewfinder
Each month, I take hundreds of photos for The Current. Only a fraction make it into published stories. Sometimes it comes down to space. Other times, a photo simply does not fit the story as well as other visuals do.
Viewfinder is where those moments live.
For summer fellow Gracie Nelson’s story about terrapin turtles, I spent a day with Georgia DNR biologists as they searched the winding tidal creeks of McIntosh County for diamondback terrapins. The work is part of a statewide effort to better understand whether the turtles are declining and what their numbers say about the health of Georgia’s marshes.
Sadly, no terrapins were spotted in McIntosh County that day, which is unusual when compared to Georgia’s other coastal counties, said GADNR senior biologist Mark Dodd.
Community focus
Here are a few other events that celebrate the visually creative.
Mountainfilm on Tour Savannah – Summer Screening
When: Saturday, Aug. 1; food trucks at 5 p.m., showtime 7 p.m.
Where: Savannah Arts Academy, 500 Washington Ave, Savannah
Details: A free outdoor screening of five short documentary films from Mountainfilm, including “What the River Knows” and “First In, Last Out.” Presented by Mountainfilm on Tour Savannah.
Savannah Photo Club Photo Walk
When: 9 a.m. June 19
Where: Starts at The Sentient Bean, 13 E. Park Ave.
Details: A two-hour stroll through downtown Savannah with the Savannah Photo Club. Free, all skill levels welcome. Check the Savannah Photo Club’s Instagram for more details.
When: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7
Where: 2301 Bull St., Savannah
Details: Monthly open house in the Starland District with gallery receptions, open studios, and extended hours in the Sulfur Studios — currently featuring “Rooted,” curated by Lisa Jaye Young.
When: Aug. 15-16
Where: Postell Park, 530 Beachview Dr., St. Simons Island
Details: A monthly market of handmade goods and fine art from local and traveling makers, steps from the beach and lighthouse.
“Growing” by Catherine Durrett
When: Opens Thursday, Aug. 6, on view through Sept. 30
Where: Wilcox Gallery, Historic Ritz Theatre, 1530 Newcastle St., Brunswick
Details: A new exhibition of works by local artist Catherine Durrett, hosted by Golden Isles Arts & Humanities.
Off the Coast of Paradise: Artists and Ossabaw Island
Where: Jepson Center for the Arts, 207 W York St, Savannah
When: March 13 – Sept. 6.
Details: The first major exhibition to explore how Ossabaw Island’s 26,000 undeveloped acres influenced American artists. Focusing on the Ossabaw Island Project and Genesis residencies from 1961 to 1982, it highlights the island’s legacy as a space for creative experimentation.
If you’ve scrolled this far, thanks for sticking with me, and I’ll see you next month!
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Is something happening in your neighborhood that we should know about? A story unfolding. A tradition worth preserving. A moment that deserves a wider audience.
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