Another publication I work a great deal with is the Charleston Regional Business Journal. One of their most heralded supplements each year is the Profiles In Business. This advertorial piece highlights a number of the most prestigious businesses and organizations in the Charleston area. I’ve worked on this project for the past three years. It’s always a privilege to meet these business owners and create the photograph that will accompany their article. One such gentleman is Jerry Bacon, a motivational speaker. As we began discussing ideas, I suggested the historic American Theater downtown. I had done some photography for Randall Goldman, the property owner, in the past. So a phone call later we had permission and private access to the theater. When I met Jerry the morning of the shoot, he had a very relaxed but confident personality. He exhibited a genuine interest in others. And his charismatic personality made it obvious why he’s become such a successful speaker! With a pertinent setting, creative use of lighting, a long telephoto lens, shallow depth of field, and a few minutes of time…we created this winning photo for his article!

Although we’ve been freelancing for the Charleston Magazine group for some time now, we were pleased to have our first feature article and cover photo published in the winter issue of Charleston Home. Mel and the rest of the team at the magazine have always been wonderful to work with! And when they found out I had grown up in the Belgian Congo, had spent time in Belgium, and that my parents had studied French there – they knew I was perfectly suited for this assignment. Why? Well it turns out that the owner of this beautiful house we were covering was originally from Belgium! Needless to say, we hit it off right away when I greeted him with a properly accented “comment ca va?”. As it turned out, his grandparents spent some time in the Congo. So we shared that in common. And since he’s a gourmet chef…and I love to eat…we also had THAT in common. At any rate, Thierry and his beautiful wife, Melinda were WONDERFUL to work with. And they’ve made a GORGEOUS home out of the house they bought near the Battery. Next time you’re at Barnes & Noble, pick up a copy and admire the antique butcher’s block that sits in their entryway. He was once offered $10,000 for it!!!