Charleston Photographers Lunch Group

The Charleston Photographers Lunch Group is a fun, friendly, casual group of fellow photographers who share a common passion and enjoy getting together to exchange ideas, talk about the latest toys and techniques, build community, and develop friendships with others of like mind and spirit.

We meet for lunch once a month, on different days of the week, at different restaurants all over town. Throughout the year, different members take turns volunteering to organize and host each month’s lunch.

This is not a formal “organization”. There are no crazy fees or silly rules. It’s just a bunch of friends getting together who happen to LOVE photography. We check our egos at the door and come prepared to share openly, encourage graciously, and connect positively with one another. The range of folks that attend are everywhere from Pulitzer Prize nominated photojournalists to part-timers and hobbyists.

Like most things in life, what you get out of the group is directly proportional to what you put into it. I hope you enjoy this video and find many lasting friendships within the group!

GEAR FOR THIS VIDEO:
Sandisk Extreme 32GB MicroSD – https://amzn.to/2CkeGDs
Sena 10c Pro – https://amzn.to/2MeHemo
Sandisk Extreme 64GB MicroSD – https://amzn.to/2SWX4o8
GoPro Session 5 – https://amzn.to/2RP7Jnv
GoPro Suction Cup Mount by Smatree – https://amzn.to/2D8StcT
Samsung S7 – https://amzn.to/2AMr3rU
Joby Gorillapod for Smartphones – https://amzn.to/2CkcLie
Rode VideoMic ME – https://amzn.to/2W80Mgw
HJC RPHA Max Helmet – https://amzn.to/2SW1eMT

FULL GEAR BOX:
https://chrisandcami.com/events/gear/

STAY CONNECTED:
www.chrisandcami.com
www.facebook.com/chrisandcami
www.instagram.com/chrisandcami
www.twitter.com/chrisncami

MUSIC:
Half Day by Bad Snacks
Licensed under YouTube Audio Library

The Truth About the Sena 10c Pro

As a full time professional photographer, and an avid motorcyclist, the Sena 10c Pro appears to be that perfect device that blends the best of both worlds…image capture device + motorcycle communication device. The question is, does it live up to the hype?!?

After owning the original Sena 10c for 2 years, in this video I share my insights on their newly released product. I compare the image quality of the new model vs. the old model. I also compare the image quality to that of a GoPro Session 5, which is another great image capture device I often use to record my adventures with.

If I already own several GoPro cameras, and if I already own the Sena 10c…you might be wondering why bother upgrading to the Sena 10c Pro? Hopefully I can explain my thinking in this short video. Did I make the right choice? Is it worth the upgrade? Let me know your thoughts in a comment below.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments section as well. I always respond. If you like this video, please give us a THUMBS UP, Subscribe to the channel, and Share it with all your friends! We’ve got more videos coming soon…so click the Bell icon if you’d like to receive alerts when new videos go live.

GEAR FOR THIS VIDEO:
Sena 10c – https://amzn.to/2M8ZayB
Sandisk Extreme 32GB MicroSD – https://amzn.to/2CkeGDs
Sena 10c Pro – https://amzn.to/2MeHemo
Sandisk Extreme 64GB MicroSD – https://amzn.to/2SWX4o8
GoPro Session 5 – https://amzn.to/2RP7Jnv
GoPro Suction Cup Mount by Smatree – https://amzn.to/2D8StcT
Samsung S7 – https://amzn.to/2AMr3rU
Joby Gorillapod for Smartphones – https://amzn.to/2CkcLie
HJC RPHA Max Helmet – https://amzn.to/2SW1eMT

FULL GEAR BOX:
https://chrisandcami.com/events/gear/

STAY CONNECTED:
www.chrisandcami.com
www.facebook.com/chrisandcami
www.instagram.com/chrisandcami
www.twitter.com/chrisncami

 

Headshots at The Cigar Factory

I love using interesting old brick walls and unique backgrounds for corporate photo shoots and head-shots! Here are a few from last week where I used part of the exposed brick walls at The Cigar Factory.

Congratulations to all the new members of the amazing team at Lee & Associates!!!

Abby’s Fashion Shoot

Currently signed with Elite Model Management in New York, I had the distinct pleasure of photographing Abby Meeker last week! Check out her portfolio at https://www.elitemodel.com/newyork/women/abby-meeker/portfolio/ and contact the agency if you’re looking for an amazing young lady to work with!

This was my second shoot with Abby. If you’d like to see images from our outdoor session at an old abandoned hospital, visit: https://chrisandcami.com/abbys-model-portfolio/.

Congratulations to Abby on her rising stardom!!! And many thanks to LeRoy at Pixel Studios!

Roberts Family at Pepper Plantation

The soggy December rains kept ruining our plans for another annual Rogers Family Christmas Portrait.

But Dr. Lori of Belle Hall Eye Care is such a wonderful, easy-going, and understanding human being! She kept rolling with the punches. And on the 3rd day of the New Year, we FINALLY captured her family portraits at Pepper Plantation!  With ponies, puppies, and even a chicken, the session was a real treat.  Plus, at one point Ellie got a hold of my remote control and started taking their own photos.  So of course I HAD to jump in!  😉  We had so much fun!!!

We absolutely love this beautiful family to pieces!

Portrait in a Construction Trailer

As a professional photographer, I am sometimes required to deal with some interesting situations. But this one was a FIRST!!!

Several weeks ago, my good friend Jay hired me to photograph an updated head-shot for his business profile. I drove to the address he gave me…and this is what I found. Jay is a foreman with a large construction company. He was on-site, supervising a huge project on Daniel Island. So I got to make his portrait in the construction trailer that served as his mobile office!

Sometimes you just have to think outside the box…and work with what you’ve got! 🙂

AnnMarie & Mark’s Mountain Top Wedding

Earlier this year, Mark proposed to AnnMarie at the bottom of the ocean on a scuba diving expedition. How fitting it was that they decided to tie the knot at the top of a mountain during a snow-boarding expedition!!!

AnnMarie & Mark are close friends of Molly & Justin, who’s beautiful destination wedding we photographed several years ago in Charleston. We can’t thank them enough for the kind referral!

To make things even more interesting, AnnMarie & Mark planned their wedding for New Year’s Eve. So on the last day of the year, Cami and I met up with everyone at their rented cabin on the tip top of Beech Mountain, NC. Bringing just a core group of their closest family and friends, we could tell everyone was having a BLAST!!! The boys had already been out snowboarding that morning. The girls had been shopping and primping. Spirits were high, and excitement was in the air!

With a glowing fire in the fireplace, the intimate wedding took place under a beautifully decorated arbor in the great room. AnnMarie was absolutely STUNNING in her wedding gown. You could see the depths of the love between these two as Mark’s emotions poured out during the service, which AnnMarie’s sister conducted beautifully.

Following the ceremony, this crazy, adventurous couple, braved the bitter winds and heavy fog for some epic photo ops. At 5500 feet, their cabin was perched above Avery, the highest town east of the Rockies! The rugged landscape, biting winds, and dramatic fog made it feel like we were on the set of Game of Thrones!!!

It was an experience Cami and I will never forget! To see the rest of the photos, visit: https://chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/annmarieandmark.

CONGRATULATIONS AnnMarie & Mark! You two are so perfect for each other. We wish you all the best as you begin this new amazing adventure together!!!

Reviere Family at Hampton Park

For my last family portrait session before Christmas, what a pleasure it was to be with the Reviere Family!

Their son is a recruiter for a financial firm in New York. And their daughter just started medical school at MUSC. So they all congregated in Charleston to be together as a family for the holidays!

As part of his wife’s Christmas gift, Dee contacted me to photograph some updated portraits for their family…and yes, the dogs are definitely part of the family! 🙂 We met at Hampton Park for a beautiful morning session. I had so much fun with this amazing and loving family!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Capturing a Corporate Event

In this episode, go behind-the-scenes and follow along as Chris Smith of Chris & Cami Photography prepares his gear, lights up a venue, and captures a fun corporate event!!!

The Charleston Trident Association of Realtors has served as the “Voice of Real Estate” in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina for more than 100 years, issuing statistical analysis of market conditions, offering legislative support to its members, and serving as the premier resource for all things real estate.

MANY THANKS to Claire and her amazing team for inviting me back to photograph the CTAR Leadership Conference again! This year’s event was held at Founder’s Hall, located in Charles Towne Landing.

CTAR Leadership Conference at Founder’s Hall

The Charleston Trident Association of Realtors has served as the “Voice of Real Estate” in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina for more than 100 years, issuing statistical analysis of market conditions, offering legislative support to its members, and serving as the premier resource for all things real estate. This slideshow is a vignette into the story of the CTAR Leadership Conference, held at Founder’s Hall, located in Charles Towne Landing

eBay Exhaust: Best $100 Ever Spent?!?

I bought a cheap Chinese-manufactured exhaust off of eBay. IT WAS THE BEST $100 I’ve spent on my bike!

The slip-on exhaust muffler looks like a knock-off of a popular high-end Akrapovič brand. Akrapovič is a market-leading manufacturer of premium exhaust systems for motorcycles and performance cars. Their products were WAY out of my price range.

I had resigned my fate to keeping my OEM exhaust muffler…until I found this cheap clone. I knew there was a chance it could be a useless piece of junk. But for less than $100, I figured it was worth testing out. I was pleasantly surprised!

The product I purchased was this “CBR500 CB500X CB500F Slip on Mid Pipe Link Exhaust Muffler Pipe with DB Killer” from an eBay seller named mgod_motor: https://www.ebay.com/itm/123452619440.

Part of my decision to order from this seller was because, unlike others selling similar “look-alike” products from China, he is located in and distributes his items out of Kentucky! Thus, shipping was fast and free. Plus, there was no chance of the items getting held up in customs, or me having to pay a duty tax on them.

Before the sale, I had several questions that Jason at mgod_motor was very helpful and responsive with. I also appreciated that this item included the two key parts that I would have to order separately from other retailers, the Middle Pipe and the Exhaust. I was very pleased with the transaction. And the product arrived very well packaged.

Removal of the old, and installation of the new, was relatively simple. The hanging hardware on the new one was a bit tight. Luckily, my good friend, Mike, who is much more mechanically inclined than I am, helped me with the install. We got it all put together in about an hour, and were out riding with goofy grins on our faces shortly there-after.

I’ve made quite a few upgrades and additions to my Honda CB500X, especially with regards to carrying my camera gear to photo shoots. Now that I’ve been riding with the Ebay Exhaust for about a month, I can honestly say it was one of the best $100 I’ve spent on my bike! The deep, throaty growl has completely transformed this compact motorcycle’s personality. Yet at the same time, it’s not so loud that it’s offensive to my friends and neighbors.

I absolutely love it!!!

Lofton & Lofton Law Firm

As a full-time professional photographer, I have the honor of meeting and working with a lot of different law firms and attorneys. The team at Lofton & Lofton were very responsive, personable, and knowledgeable. They were an absolute delight to work! I would highly recommend them!!!