Last week I completed the first half of a project for Clawson & Staubes, LLC on Daniel Island. They are redoing their website, marketing, and promotional material and asked me to do the photos for it. As a full-service law firm committed to excellence, Clawson & Staubes, has been providing clients with quality legal services since 1975. In 1997 they opened a location in Charlotte. They are one of the largest law firms in the Charleston area.
Megan is from Fairhaven up near Boston. David is from Down Under…REALLY…like as in Australia. The story of how these two met online is a wonderful tale that shows how love knows no boundaries!
Megan got our name through Deb & Michael, who’s wedding we photographed her in Charleston a few years ago. (So a HUGE thank you goes to Deb & Michael!) Megan loved the photos we’d done for them and contacted us to set up a conference call on Skype. We had a BLAST talking to them via computer…Meg was up in New England having just gotten home from work…David was waaay over in Australia JUST waking up…and Cami & I were here in Charleston. We really hit it off, especailly since Cami’s been to Australia twice and her Maid of Honor in our wedding doesn’t live far from David’s home. So we had a lot in common from the start and everything simply fell in place from there.
The wedding was held at the beatiful gothic style Unitarian Church in Fairhaven, which I absolutely loved. And the reception was held at The Sky Room, a really edgy, ultra modern venue that had great natural light and was really cool to shoot in. Meg & David were introduced into the reception hall with a Bagpipe processional. And their music and entertainment featured a fantastic Big Band. I loved the bright yellow dancing outfit Megan changed into during the partaaay.) J After the reception, Megan, David, Cami & I, along with the entire wedding party, drove all over town photographing really cool artsy images as we went.
We eventually ended up at the bay with its huge rock outcroppings right before sunset. So after starting at 8:00am, we wrapped up our 12-hour day with some gorgeous images at 8:00pm right before the sun faded away. Those were some of my FAVORITE shots!!! What an AWESOME day Megan & David put together! CONGRATULATIONS to you both…you guys ROCK!!!
(Visit www.chrisandcami.com/blog to see their fun Music Video, head over to www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com to see the rest of their images, and jump to https://chrisandcami.com/blog/2010/05/11/megan-daves-new-england-day-after-shoot/ if you haven’t seen the photos from their Day-After Shoot.)
I totally subscribe to the sentiment “variety is the spice of life”. Even though most folks know us for our wedding and portrait work. I love shooting a variety of subjects…from corporate to sports, arials to architecture, head shots to barmitzvahs. Knowing your equipment and knowing how to beautifully light ANY subject…whether it’s a tiny wedding ring or a huge five-story building…makes it possible to attack any assignment with confidence.
For the “hero” shot at dusk, I augmented the buildings up-lighting with 4 SB-800 strobes on light stands spread along the right side just out of frame. Each had a full CTO warming gel and was triggered at full power via RadioPopper by an on-camera SB-900 in Commander Mode. The image was shot with a D3 and 14-24mm f2.8 lens securely mounted to the top of a 12 foot A-frame ladder. The camera was fired with a PocketWizard at 1/6 second with a white balance setting around 4100K to enhance the rich blue color of the sky.
Megan & Dave’s Destination Wedding in the beautiful seaside town of Fairhaven was absolutely AMAZING! Cami & I are still editing the TONS of images we photographed that day. But I did have a chance to edit their New England style “Day-After” shoot this afternoon. So even though it’s in reverse order, here are a few of my fav’s from that. Basically, many couples elect to do a “Day-After” so they can have dramatic images taken in a location that just isn’t feasible on their wedding day. Whether it’s because of time constraints, logistics, or the fact that the bride doesn’t want to be in an environment that might adversely affect her dress before she walks down the isle…a Day-After shoot allows them to accomplish all of the above without worry. J Megan & Dave decided to do theirs on the beach near her Mom’s house. It was a perfect, balmy, New England Day. We had a great time and I love how they all turned out. We even found a few crab-traps in front of an old weathered deep blue steel background…perfect scene for a New England style Day-After photo!!!
This past weekend Cami & I had an AWESOME Destination Wedding to photograph in Fairhaven, just outside of Boston, MA. So we decided to fly up a couple days early to check out the beautiful and historic town of Boston. We stayed at the quaint old Milner Hotel near the Boston Common. So everything was within walking distance. We thoroughly enjoyed Park Street Church, the Old Granury Burial Ground (where the fabled Mother Goose lies), followed the Freedom Trail, saw Kings Chapel, the Old State House, Faneuil Hall Place, Quincy Market, Columbus Park, and of course my favorite…Cheers! Here are a few shots from our wanderings.
I’m privileged to be part of a wonderful group of fun, friendly, and super talented photographers who get together for lunch here in Charleston once a month. It’s just a great way to fellowship, talk shop, exchange ideas, and help keep each other sharp. After all, “iron sharpens iron”, right?!? Here’s a few of us at Wild Wing Café last week.
Cami & I are off to Boston this morning to photograph Megan & Dave’s wedding. Interesting story…Megan is from the Boston area, but dave is from Australia…so for our initial consultation and planning meetings, we all conferenced together on SKYPE! The funny part is, Dave & Megan originally met online. So for us to get to know them online is kind of ironic! J It’s been a really cool and fun experience and we’re THRILLED to be joining them during this special weekend. We’ll be back in the office on Tuesday.
I had the most AWESOME wedding last weekend!!! Jennifer & Robert were married at the beautiful Unitarian Church. I met up with Jennifer at Charleston Place Hotel where she was getting ready. I knew from their engagement shoot that she was going to be a GORGEOUS bride. I wasn’t wrong! From there I met up with Robert and his family at the Wentworth Mansion to get their photos. Robert is such a fun, casual kind of guy…I had a great time working with him. Then it was on to the church for their wedding vows. Dwight, my favorite Limo driver in the world, took them back to Charleston Place where he let me get a few cool shots with his vintage Rolls Royce. At the reception, the delightful Jay Maxwell kept the party rolling. The whole day just went beautifully. Check out the rest of their pictures at www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com. I was so blessed to be a part of this special time in their lives. CONGRATULATIONS, Jennifer & Robert!!!
Last weekend I showed up at Charleston Place Hotel after my wedding, on my way to the reception upstairs in the Cypress Ballroom. As walked across Market Street Circle to head inside, I glanced over and who should I see but my good friends Joey & Casey Grobb from Olive Productions! I instinctively whipped out my six-shooter and grabbed this shot. Needless to say I won the draw contest! J
Tricia & Michael are two of the sweetest folks you could ever meet. I had an instant connection with both of them when we first met. Michael traveled a lot when he was a kid…Guam, Puerto Rico, and all over the US…so he and I had that in common. And Tricia is a school teacher…as both my parents were “educators” I have the utmost respect for teachers! The story of how Michael proposed is one for the storybooks. Suffice it to say that he asked her to marry him while they were at Waterfront Park watching their first sunrise together. Awwwww! He had even secretly arranged for all their family and friends to meet them for brunch afterwards. I’m a hopeless romantic at heart…so I love that Michael took the initiative to plan all that!!! We had the BEST time on their Engagement Shoot. We started at White Point Gardens in downtown Charleston and walked all over the historic district and around The Battery. I’m SO EXCITED at being a part of their wedding day in October!!!
I had the most AWESOME Engagement Shoot with Sarah & Seth in downtown Charleston the other day! I knew when we originally met that I was going have a real “connection” with these guys. I have never laughed, acted as goofy, or had so much fun on an E-Session as I did with these two. We just seem to have the same sense of humor and outspoken joy of life! Not to mention how strong the connection is between Sarah & Seth. They are just so comfortable with each other and willing to be themselves in front of each other…no fake facades or guarded feelings here…they are truly in love and it SHOWS! I can’t wait to be a part of their beautiful wedding in Rock Hill later this summer…
Amanda Assey Lewis of Southern Chic Weddings got a HUGE surprise from her hubby yesterday. J Tim planned an elaborate evening, including a stop at the Pavilion at Patriots Point, which is where they were married one year ago. He’d arranged for a white linen table setting with Champaigne and a “fresh” replica of their cake topper to be placed out on the green overlooking Charleston Harbor. I got there ahead of time, stashed a remote camera on one side of the table, and hid in the bushes with my 400mm lens on the other. Feeling a little voyeristic, but knowing I had all the angles covered, I waited! Amanda was totally surprised by the whole thing and we had a good laugh when I came out of the bushes afterwards. Since it was right at sunset, we took advantage of the dramatic light and did a few portraits to commemorate the occasion before they headed off to dinner. Tim really raised the bar for the rest of us married men! Well done, sir!!! And CONGRATULATIONS to you both on your 1-year Anniversary!!! Many thanks to my friend and colleague, Liz Duren, for letting me in on the “secret”.
