Dilella Family on Kiawah Island

As the summer comes to an end, and schools start back up, I am critically aware that there are only a few “perfect” summer evenings left in the season. One of those was yesterday!

I met up with the Dilella Family on Kiawah Island on an absolutely perfect evening! The sun, which had baked the earth just hours before, had slipped into “Golden Hour”. And a gentle breeze was blowing off the ocean to drop the temps to “just right”.

The Dilella family was an absolute joy to work with! The grandkids were delightful and full of energy. It was such a pleasure capturing these beautiful family memories before their children head back to Cleveland.  To top it all off, as I was driving away I noticed these amazing crepuscular rays from the settings sun in the west, extending their fingers all the way to the rising moon in the east.  What a sight!!!   🙂

Piecewise Coffee Co

Yesterday I had the distinct honor of photographing Stan and Lindsey, the brains behind Piecewise Coffee Co in Columbia, SC. I was there to create images on behalf of the SC Community Loan Fund to tell their amazing success story.

Naturally, I arrived early to see what the experience was all about. Walking in, I was immediately hit with this wonderfully warm and vibrant atmosphere. This is clearly a place where “happy people” roam. I enjoyed an amazing cup of Chai tea with an organic gluten-free chocolate chunk cookie that was to die for!

Afterwards I introduced myself and we began shooting. Stan and Lindsey were absolutely fantastic to work with! We had a BLAST getting to know each other, and creating these beautiful images to go with the article.

I’d like to send out a HUGE Thank You to Victoria at SCCLF for trusting me to cover this assignment! And I’d like to say CONGRATULATIONS to Stan and Lindsey on following your dreams!!!

Parikshak Family on Kiawah Island

A few days ago, I had the great pleasure of meeting the Parikshak family at The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island to photograph their family reunion.

We had a beautiful afternoon with gorgeous light. With half the family coming in from North Carolina, and the other half from Indiana, it was great to see all of them together, renewing family bonds, and building new memories together!

The best part was, the night of the photo shoot was also Rita’s birthday. So after the photo shoot all the kids got to go have cake! Happy Birthday, Rita!!! 🙂

USGC Board of Delegates Meeting – Day 3

Day 3 of the 2019 US Grains Council Board of Delegates Meeting was full of excitement and anticipation for the year ahead!

The morning started off with the Board of Delegates Meeting, which included excellent presentations from the various team leaders, voting in new officers, and of course the changing of the guard as Darren Armstrong from North Carolina accepted the reigns from Jim Stitzlein as the new Chairman of the Board. Afterwards I had the pleasure of photographing the new Board of Directors, as well as new headshots for everyone. That afternoon we had an excellent tour of the facilities and operations of Consolidated Grain and Barge Co. Once we were back at the Hyatt Regency, I had just enough time to run down to Smale Riverfront Park and get some aerial drone photos of the Ohio River, the historic John A Roebling bridge, the Great American Ballpark, and the Cincinnati skyline.

Another successful US Grains Council conference is in the books! As usual, I had so much fun working with their amazing staff, and capturing all the exciting moments of this annual event!!!

USGC Board of Delegates Meeting – Day 2

Day 2 of the 2019 US Grains Council Board of Delegates Meeting was absolutely fabulous!

We kicked off with working breakfasts as each Sector met for meetings and discussions. The various sectors of the organization include Agribusiness, Barley, Corn, General Farm, and Sorghum. Next we had some exceptional presentations by keynote speakers Scott Sindelar, Kurt Shultz, Mike Dwyer, and Brian Healy during the General Session. During lunch we saw several distinguished Awards of Service presented, including one for 50 years of service! We also managed to wrangle a group photo with no fewer than 13 past chairmen…a record number! We had two breakout sessions after lunch, led by Bill Bryant and Andrea Durkin, respectively. And for the big off-site dinner event, we took in a Cincinnati Reds baseball game! The restaurant overlooking 3rd bass had been reserved exclussively for our group to mingle, network, and of course enjoy the game.

It was a long but super fun day of shooting!!!

USGC Board of Delegates Meeting – Day 1

Day 1 of the 2019 US Grains Council Board of Delegates Meeting was a huge success!

The day started off with a welcome from the new president and CEO, Ryan LeGrand…continued with keynote presentations from Ron Dulin and Ken Smithmier…then broke out into special Advisory Team meetings…and finally wrapped up with a fabulous Welcome Reception.

Taking place at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Cincinnati, this annual conference is off to a great start! I am truly honored to be photographing it again!!!

The Ocean Course Rainbow

Something truly magical happened at this family portrait session I had with the Cyrus Family at The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island!!!

Jennifer & Adrian at the Hilton Head Westin

It was such a beautiful afternoon when I arrived at the Westin on Hilton Head Island for Jennifer & Adrian’s AMAZING wedding last week!

Adrian and his gang of guys were relaxed and having a blast, while Jennifer and the girls were getting all dolled up while jamming to some great tunes. The atmosphere was one of fun and excitement!

After everyone was ready, Adrian and Jennifer met each other for a private First Look in the quiet courtyard by the coi pond. It was such a special moment! The way Adrian’s eyes lit up when he turned around and saw Jennifer in her wedding gown for the first time made my heart melt.

Their ceremony was held on the picturesque terrace overlooking the beautiful beach. I loved all the artistic details and special touches Jennifer thought of. The explosion of applause that erupted as they sealed their vows with a kiss was truly magnificent!!!

After a fun beach shoot with the newlyweds, Jennifer and Adrian entered the reception to more exciting applause. A grand party ensued, complete with cake cutting, fabulous toasts, and crazy dancing.

To see more of their photos, visit https://chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/jenniferandadrian.

CONGRATULATIONS Jennifer & Adrian! We wish you all the happiness in the world as you begin your new journey together!!!

Nester Family on Seabrook Island

We had a smaller crowd this year. Some of the Nester clan couldn’t make it. Even though they were missed, we still had a BLAST!!!

I had so much fun catching up with Jeff & Suzanna, who’s beautiful wedding I had the honor of photographing all those years ago. Their kids are growing like weeds and starting to show off their personalities. And in spite of a couple health-hiccups this year, their parents are doing great!

We met up at our usual spot on Seabrook Island. The landscape out there has changed quite a bit from their vacation last year…various storms and tides have shifted the sand and dunes considerably. In spite of the usual summer afternoon thunder-storms, it turned out to be a GORGEOUS evening!  We got some awesome shots!!!

Many thanks to the Nesters for all the years of fond memories together! We love you guys!!!

Headshots for Elliott Davis

This week was round two of headshots for Elliott Davis. They are such a great organization!  I really enjoy working with them.

Last time they had me set up in a big conference center. It was being used this time. So we pivoted over to one of the offices with some nice greenery outside the window. I lit everything with 4 Nikon SB5000 flashes, 2 Westcott umbrellas, and 2 Manfrotto light stands. I shot with my Nikon D5 and 70-200 f2.8 VRII tethered to the laptop so that each person could review their images immediately after their session.

Everyone was right on time, and so much fun to work with!  Can’t wait for round three!!!