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.
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!
Tasha & Joe took a little R&R last week and rented a place on Folly Beach. They’re expecting TWINS! J So to celebrate, their growing family, they brought their “other” family member, Titan, out for a fun Family Portrait Session on the beach.
Yesterday Cami & I did a fun “Dual Photo Shoot” with our good friends Robbin & Leighanne of Robbin Knight Photography! We went out to Folly Beach where we took turns photographing each other for our respective Christmas Card photos. First Robbin & Leighanne would set Cami & I up with our golden retriever, Marley, and photograph us. Then we’d do the same for their family. It was a BLAST and we had a lot of fun trading who was shooting, who was watching “the kids”, and who was playing with the squeaky toy. Afterwards we took the dogs, the kids, and our tired selves to a dog-friendly restaurant on the island and had a great time relaxing on the patio with the cool evening breeze and wonderful conversation. Here’s a couple of my favorites of the Knight gang. You’ll have to wait until Christmas to see ours!!! J
The last time we tried this, it started to rain as soon as we began our walk out to the beach. THIS TIME, Dawn & Chris pulled up on the most beautiful day you could imagine! After having to reschedule their previous session, they deserved it!!! J The light was warm and beautiful, the temperature wasn’t too hot, and the beach was relatively un-crowded for a Friday evening. I had a great time with them and their two fantastic children. As we were walking back after the shoot was over, Chris exclaimed “This wasn’t NEARLY as painful as I thought it was going to be…you actually made it kind of fun!” J
Faith & Michael Bessinger (yup, of the famous BBQ restaurant in town), are friends from our old Sunday School class at Ashley River Baptist. When they called to let me know they were expecting their third and wanted to do a Maternity Family Shoot on the beach with me, I was THRILLED! Here are some of my fav’s. J
The Blalocks are spread out all over the country…Colorado, Georgia, Pennsylvania. So it was very special for them to be able to come together for a family vacation here in the Charleston area. I was honored that they contacted us about photographing their family portrait on the beach across from the house they had rented on IOP. We laughed, got wet, and had a great time creating some fun memories. J
Just before I left for Romania I got a call from Corbin, who was secretly planning to propose to his girlfriend. They are from Augusta, but were moving to Charleston that weekend. He’d already convinced her that they should make their first morning in town a special one by watching the sunrise together and going to breakfast afterwards. He even bought her a special beach dress to wear and made arrangements with The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island. He’d seen my pictures of Allison & Damon’s Proposal (http://chrisandcami.com/blog/2010/07/07/allison-says-yes-to-damon-on-kiawah-island/) and really wanted me to be there to capture theirs.
Well, 5:00 A.M. came awfully early as I dragged myself out of bed to drive out to Kiawah. But to experience such a beautiful moment between two people in love, within the stillness and calm of a deserted beach before dawn, and accentuated with the glorious rising of the sun…well, I have chills just writing about it. Needless to say, the comfort of my bed didn’t hold a stick to the gravity of such a moment! I felt truly blessed to be there.
After shooting his proposal incognito, Corbin brought Sarah over to meet me. We laughed and I shared some of the pictures from the back of the camera with them. Then as the sun rose into place, I shot a few “true” Engagement Portraits for them. We had such a great time together. Corbin & Sarah were so much fun to work with…even letting me talk them into getting a little wet. J CONGRATULATIONS to you both!
A few days ago I had the distinct pleasure of photographing Jim & Pat, who were celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary with a vacation to Kiawah Island along with their extended family. Having recently returned from my own family reunion in Ohio, it was neat to witness the bonds and connections that were shared by all. Next month marks 15 years for Cami & I. Only 35 more to go and we’ll reach Jim & Pat’s status!!! J
A few days ago I had the distinct pleasure of photographing Jessica & Keith’s family portraits on Isle of Palms. I photographed the usual shots on their rental property, then offered to shoot some of them on the beach at no charge. It was a beautiful evening, cooler weather than last week, and an absolutely GORGEOUS sunset to work with. As a bonus, the tide was going out and left all kinds of interesting tidal pools in the soft sand. I asked if everyone was crazy enough to get a little wet, and they were all for it! I LOVE the shots at the end with the reflections from the tidal pool they are sitting in. J Such a neat family…so much fun to hang out with these guys. Enjoy…
