We present preliminary calculations towards radiative transitions in charmonium using anisotropic $N_f = 2 + 1$ dynamical ensembles generated by the Hadron Spectrum Collaboration. With the use of newer technologies we aim to investigate transitions between states, including potential exotic charmonium states, lying higher in the spectrum than in previous studies. A crucial ingredient in this work is the use of variationally optimised interpolating operators which allow for a reliable determination of the three-point correlation functions needed. Using these operators, we perform first calculations of relevant three-point correlation functions before discussing future
directions.