Here are a few more favorite images out of the 977 from my adventure at the Center for Birds of Prey. Shot with either the Nikkor 200-400 4.0 on a D300/MB-D10 combo, or the 70-200 VRII on a D3 body.

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to photograph some of the amazing creatures at the Center for Birds of Prey. If you’ve never been, I highly encourage you to visit…especially if you’re an avian buff!

I used a combination of two cameras throughout the day. I had my Nikkor 200-400 4.0 on my D300/MB-D10 to give me maximum reach. The full-frame equivalent to this is a 300-600mm lens! This is a HEAVY combination. So I mostly used in with my Wimberly Sidekick setup. I used my 70-200 VRII on one of the D3 bodies for the hand-held wider shots.

I’m certainly not a full-time nature photographer like my idol Raymond Barlow. So let me know what I can do better next time…

Justin is a chef at Husk, a fabulous new restaurant on Queen St. His fiance, Michaela, is from Slovakia and here on a fiance visa. Trust me when I tell you their story is like a fairy tale!

They met two years ago while Justin was working as an executive chef at a little inn in Brooklin Maine. Michaela (Miska, as her friends know her), was working at the same in as summer help through a program for college students from abroad. Since then Justin has flown to Slovakia to meet her parents and ask her father for her hand in marriage. He learned enough Slovakian so that he could ask him in their native tongue! They were engaged at Disney World last February. Soon after, Michaela went back to Slovakia to finish college. During that time, Justin went to Italy to study butchering in Tuscany. Finally three weeks ago Miska came back to the US so they could finally get married and be together.

Isn’t that an AWESOME story? They were married at the Gazebo in White Point Gardens, down by The Battery.  Afterwards, they rode off down Meeting Street in their white Palmetto Carriage.  It was so romantic!  Head over to www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com to see the rest of their photos. CONGRATULATIONS Michaela & Justin! It was such an honor being a part of your special day.

Cami & I haven’t been to the South Eastern Wildlife Expo in several years. I guess the crowds and parking headaches have detered us. SEWE is the largest art/nature event in the nation! This year we decided to venture down there again. It was a lot of fun! We saw some excellent programs and picked up great tips on places to hike, bike, canoe, photograph wildlife, and just enjoy the great outdoors. I probably spent most of my time at the booth and flight demonstrations by the Center for Birds of Prey. What AMAZING creatures these are! If you ever get a chance, go visit the center…it’s just up the road in Awendaw.

Mastering the use of small, compact speedlights has helped me improve in every aspect of our photography. Though we’re mostly known for our wedding and portrait work, we photograph a wide variety of subjects…from professional sports to editorial assignments to architectural work and so on.

Recently I had the pleasure of doing another shoot with Elizabeth Allen of Allen Designs. Elizabeth is an AMAZING architect who I’ve worked with many times before. Check out some of her other projects we’ve worked on together at http://www.allen-design-inc.com/projects.htm.  She wanted some “before” shots of the house before the new home-owners moved in. Later I’ll come back and photograph the “after” shots when they’re done settling in and decorating.

I mostly work with the Nikkor 14-24 f2.8 mounted to one D3 for the wide shots, and the Nikkor 70-200 VRII on the other D3 for detail shots. Both cameras have an SB-900 on it, set to commander mode, and triggering my remote SB-800 flashes via RadioPoppers. Depending on the complexity of the room, I might have 1, 2, even 6 remote speedlights with various umbrellas and light-modifiers to get the look I want. Here are a few before/after shots to show how the Nikon Creative Lighting System can solve just about any lighting issues you can think of…

(Before adding 3 speedlights)

(After adding 3 speedlights)

(Finished shot with 2 speedlights)

(Often bouncing a speedlight off a white wall or reflective surface is more efficient than using an umbrella or other modifier)

(Before adding a single speedlight)

(Hiding a speedlight in the closet and bouncing it off the white door to illuminate that space not only gave me better light, but it corrected the ugly orange glow from the incandescent light bulb, and brought the white balance in line with the natural daylight filling the rest of the bedroom)

World No. 11 Shahar Peer has officially entered the 2011 Family Circle Cup.  Peer, whose world ranking has set a new record for a player from Israel, joins World No. 5 and defending champion Samantha Stosur, Jelena Jankovic, Maria Sharapova, Daniela Hantuchova, and Melanie Oudin in a stellar player field assembling on Daniel Island.  As one of the Official Photographers of the event, I encourage you to come out and enjoy the world class tennis from April 2-10, 2011 at the Family Circle Tennis Center in the Best Tennis Town in America, Charleston, SC.

“Shahar Peer is a very talented tennis player who also transcends the game as an Israeli national hero,” said Eleanor Adams, Family Circle Cup Tournament Manager.  “She is playing the best tennis of her career, and has a very large and supportive fan base in Charleston, so we really look forward to watching her compete on Daniel Island this April.”

Throughout her 8-year WTA career, Peer has notched five singles titles, 309 singles victories, over $3.7 million in prize money, and posted three Top 20 seasons.  She has also competed on the Israeli Fed Cup Team from 2002-2009 and 2011, and her nation’s Olympic Team in 2008.  Peer’s official web site is www.shaharpeer.co.il.

“I’ve really enjoyed competing at the Family Circle Cup, and I’m excited to return to Charleston this spring,” commented Peer.  “I’ve received a lot of fan support at this event, so I’m looking forward to participating in this historic tournament again.”

Daniela Hantuchova, 2010 Family Circle Cup semifinalist, enters Charleston after capturing the fourth WTA title of her career on Sunday, February 13, in Pattaya City, Thailand.  Hantuchova joins World No. 5 and defending champion Samantha Stosur, World No. 8 Jelena Jankovic, former World No. 1 Maria Sharapova, and American teen sensation Melanie Oudin in a stellar player field assembling on Daniel Island.  Marking the tournament’s 39th consecutive year, the Family Circle Cup is scheduled April 2-10, 2011 at the Family Circle Tennis Center in the Best Tennis Town in America, Charleston, SC.

“Daniela Hantuchova is a very skilled and talented WTA veteran,” said Eleanor Adams, Family Circle Cup Tournament Manager.  “We congratulate her for the Pattaya City victory, and we look forward to her competing in Charleston.”

Throughout her 11-year WTA career, which began in 1999, Hantuchova has notched four singles titles, 421 singles victories, over $7.2 million in prize money, and posted eight Top 30 seasons in the last nine years.  She has achieved a career-high World No. 5 singles and doubles ranking during her tenure.  Hantuchova has also competed on the Slovak Fed Cup Team from 1999-2003, 2006-07 and 2009-2011, as well as and her nation’s Olympic Team in 2004 and 2008.

Hantuchova’s philanthropic involvement centers on health and education.  In November of 2010, she spent two days at a Hungary photo shoot for a 2011 calendar, with 100% of the proceeds benefitting a children’s hospital in Cambodia that specializes in juvenile HIV treatment, called House of the Smile. With her international appeal transcending the game, she appeared in the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, alongside fellow WTA stars Maria Kirilenko and Tatiana Golovin, in a pictorial entitled Volley of the Dolls.  Hantuchova’s official web site is www.danielahantuchova.com.

Cami & I were up in Maine a few months ago to lead one of our Lightbending 411 Workshops for the Aroostook F-Stops.  While we were there, we stopped at the famed Portland Head Lighthouse to create our spin on this heavily photographed landmark.  After shooting the usual suspects, we decided to go for something “different”. 

Waiting until twilight, I stood on a ledge a couple hundred feet away.  Cami took a Nikon SB-800 with a full CTO gel on it and walked back to stand right under the tower.  I set the Nikon D3′s white balance to 4100K to make the sky go blue and dialed in a long exposure.  An SB-900 was mounted to the camera and set to Commander Mode to control the flash Cami had.  I dialed the power to 1/2 and fired.  The CLS signal from my flash was then picked up by the RadioPopper Px Transmitter mounted to it, converted to radio waves, transmitted to the RadioPopper Px Receiver mounted on Cami’s flash, converted back to a light signal that her flash could understand…and PRESTO!  Like Magic, her flash lit up the building like a spotlight.  She then moved to the other side of the tower and I took a second shot…later combining the two images in Photoshop.  Here’s the before and after so you can see what a difference one tiny little flash can make to an entire scene!  Enjoy…

Former World No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam Champion Maria Sharapova has officially entered the 2011 Family Circle Cup.  Sharapova enters this WTA Tour Premier Event player field currently ranked No. 16 after posting a solid 2010 season, which included her 21^st and 22^nd Tour singles titles at Memphis and Strasbourg. 

Eleanor Adams, Family Circle Cup Tournament Manager said  “We’re thrilled that she will begin her clay court season at the Family Circle Cup in preparation for her pursuit of the career Grand Slam at Roland Garros.”  The 23-year-old, six-foot two-inch Russian superstar currently owns a 371-91 singles record, has amassed over $13.5 million in career earnings, and has notched major titles on three different continents. 

“I was very disappointed that I could not compete in the Family Circle Cup because of an injury last year, so I’m excited to enter the 2011 event,” said Maria Sharapova.  “I love the history and charm of Charleston, and I really look forward to returning to Daniel Island.”

I am BLOWN AWAY by the response to our Lightbending 411 Workshop coming up in Greenville on March 7th!  We opened registration for this latest wireless off-camera lighting workshop on Friday.  Here we are only three days later and already OVER HALF the available seats have sold out!!!  So if you’re inteested in joining us for this fun, hands-on, all-you-wanted-to-know-about-flash workshop, better head over to www.lightbending411.com and register right away.  We’re going to have a blast!  I can’t wait to see everyone out there!!!