Last week I shot this fun family portrait session for our good friends, the McKelveys. They used to live on Sullivan’s Island near Fort Moultrie. Their kids used to play down there all the time. Since they had such fond memories from that area, we decided to do their family’s photo shoot there.
This will be my third year photographing the ESPN Charleston Classic. You can see some of my shots from previous years, including the banner image of the new Arthur Ravanel Bridge, on the website at www.charlestonclassic.com. It’s such a FANTASTIC event and I’m so honored to be a part of it! The teams arrived in town yesterday and were treated to a fabulous Welcome Reception on The Yorktown. Warren Pepper and several ESPN Announcers MC’d the event. Here are a few shots from the evening. Come on out to take in some great b-ball action…and don’t forget to say “Hi” if you see me!
I am, and always will be, a student of light! Most days I can find absolutely gorgeous natural light to work with. But sometimes a shot needs a little extra “something”. During this fun shoot with James & Ashleigh and their beautiful daughter, I started photographing this story-telling scene with all natural light. But the exposure value on Larkin was the same as James & Ashleigh’s. Even though the shallow depth of field made it clear that Larkin was my main subject, James & Ashleigh were competing for my attention. So to make them recede even more into the background and make Larkin really pop, I used a single SB-800 on my light stand off to my left to give her that extra lift. I didn’t pump it up too high…just enough to give her a little extra kiss of light and make her the true centerpiece of the shot. As always, the remote flash was triggered with a RadioPopper Px remote. Next time you’re out shooting, try adding a kiss of light to add extra depth to your shot!
It’s been about five years since I photographed James & Ashleigh’s wedding. What a joy it was to bump into them as guests at Ashley & Sherrod’s wedding just a few weeks ago. And even MORE exciting was the honor of meeting their beautiful daughter and getting to photograph yet another chapter in their lives. J
Before Cami & I left for Maine last week, I had a really fun shoot with the Hilton Family on Folly Beach. Dr. Hilton is our dentist and we LOVE the great care they give our smiles! J (Check out www.hiltondental.net.)
Here’s a couple shots from around Owl’s Head Lighthouse near Rockland, ME. It’s supposed to be the most haunted lighthouse in America! Many thanks to Mike & Becky of Rock Coast Sports for pointing us in the right direction and treating us to lunch. J
Cami & I just walked in the door from a fantastic and relaxing week-long trek through scenic Maine. The LIGHTBENDING 411 WORKSHOP at the end of the week went great! But before I do a full write-up on that, I thought I’d post a few shots from our travels. We spent several days in Bar Harbor, taking in the hikes and views of Acadia National Park.
The first morning we were there I woke pre-dawn and drove to Bass Harbor Lighthouse to get a sun-rise shot. It was cold and windy. So I set my white-balance to a 4500K to draw out the cool tones and help evoke the mood of the morning. I have a wonderful Cokin graduated tobacco filter I like using for landscapes. But unfortunately I didn’t have it with me. So when I brought the image in to Adobe Lightroom, I created a Virtual Copy of the image, and processed the second one at a much warmer 7000K white balance. Combining the images in Adobe Photoshop allowed me to duplicate the effect of that graduated filter and brought back the natural color of the rocks while retaining the cool blue tone of the sky that I liked. I shot this in two vertical frames that were stitched together for the final image.
I have been a HUGE fan of RadioPoppers since they liberated me from the line-of-sight limitations of my Nikon Creative Lighting System. I absolutely LOVE the versatility, dependability, and control that the whole Nikon CLS flash system gives me. Extending all those qualities to HUNDREDS of feet instead of a couple dozen, and being able to place remote flashes around walls and behind subjects, all while maintaining full i-TTL functionality and high-speed-sync, truly allows me to bring my vision to life without any limitations.
This past July I traveled to Romania with a very compact lineup of gear that included a RadioPopper Px System. (To see some my other posts and photos from Romania, Click Here.) I have a couple of tricks I’ll share some day that allow me to attach the units in a more compact and streamlined manner to my flashes. This maximizes my opportunities and minimizes set-up, tear-down, and excess space in my camera bag…especially important while doing run-n-gun street-level travel assignments like this!
In spite of the different radio frequencies floating around most of Eastern Europe, I had absolutely no problems with interference. My RadioPoppers worked every time and made for some really dramatic shots that never would have been possible without them! Since I’m such a believer and real-world tester of their products, the wonderful folks at RadioPopper have been kind enough to sponsor my “Light Bending 411” wireless lighting workshops like the one I’m doing in Maine next week. So please check them out at www.radiopopper.com and let me know if you have any questions or would like a discount code so you can order your own set!
I had a really fun time photographing Shelley, Chris, and their son Logan last year. So I was ecstatic when her Mom called to ask me to photograph the WHOLE family. J It was so beautiful, peaceful, and un-crowded out on my favorite stretch of Folly Beach. One of the joys of my job is getting to know folks as we walk to and from the beach…hearing about all the interesting things they do, their amazing accomplishments, their passions, and what’s important in their lives. I’m so blessed to be able to do what I do!
Alison & Kevin had a GORGEOUS ceremony last Saturday! The sky was blue, the temperature was perfect, and Alison & Kevin were a BLAST to hang out with!!!
I met up with them at Alhambra Hall where the wedding party was getting ready. Kevin & Alison shared their “First Glance” shortly after that, giving us time to get some fun wedding party photos before heading to the church. Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian has a beautiful historic sanctuary that I love photographing in. We always obey each church’s protocol, even if it means no photography inside the sanctuary during the worship service. But I was kindly allowed to polish the glass windows at the back to shoot through them from the foyer, and also mount my fisheye remote camera on the balcony for some unique shots.
After the ceremony, Alison & Kevin burst from the church to an excited gathering of friends and family clapping and blowing bubbles as they rode off on their horse-drawn carriage. The reception followed at the always-popular Alhambra Hall. It was an EXCITING party with lots of laughter, emotional toasts, crazy dancing, and a beautiful sunset for some of my favorite shots of the day. Later, a full moon rose in time for me to grab a couple dramatic images before Alison & Kevin made their grand escape among waving multi-colored glow sticks. What a FANTASTIC day! To see the rest of their photos, head over to www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com.
Alison & Kevin, may the joyous glow of your love for each other never fade…
I first got to know Dr. Lori Donovan when I photographed her wedding seven years ago. Hard to believe it’s been that long…she’s just as beautiful as the day she wore her wedding gown! Now Lori, with the help of her super sweet Mom, Maxine, and indeed the whole family, has become an instant success in the field of eye care. After out-growing their original building in just a few short years, I got to do a photo shoot for them to showcase their brand new state-of-the-art facility! Check them out at www.bellehalleyecare.com.
Last weekend Tricia & Mike tied the knot at Summerall Chapel on The Citadel! Their reception followed at the Carolina Yacht Club in downtown Charleston.
Tricia is a 1st Grade teacher…and we all know I have a big heart for teachers since my parents were educational missionaries and still teach even now that they are retired! Mike traveled a lot since his Dad was a contractor for the Army… Guam, Puerto Rico, and all over the US. So we had a lot in common too. But what really struck me about these two is just how much IN LOVE they are! J I could tell they were close during their engagement session. But even on their wedding day, with all the secret letters and gifts going back and forth…Tricia & Mike are soul mates indeed! I love the story of how Mike proposed. After picking out her ring all on his own, he planned a really amazing proposal at Waterfront Park as they watched their first sunrise together, then arranged to meet ALL their family and friends that he had secretly invited to join them for breakfast afterwards. Isn’t that cool?!?
Check out their fun Music Video at www.chrisandcami.com/blog. Then head over to www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com to see the rest of their Online Gallery.
Tricia & Mike, I absolutely LOVED being a part of your special day. Remember to CHOOSE to make each new day special for each other!!!
