Student Transportation Inc at Francis Marion Hotel

I had the pleasure of photographing this AMAZING event at the Francis Marion Hotel for a wonderful organization named Student Transportation Inc.

Unlike some of the other school bus services around the country, these guys really care about the safety of their kids! One of the ways I know that, is by the mere fact that they have this fantastic Awards Banquet to honor their top drivers! These folks are true heroes!!! We’re talking records like “driving for 30 years without a single preventable accident” or “never ever ever having missed a day of work to drive their appointed route”.

It was a humbling experience being a part of this incredible occasion. I salute all the award recipients! And I want to send a HUGE shout out to the amazing folks at Student Transportation Inc. Keep up the great work!!!

US Grains Council at Tavern on 4th

After a long day of debates, lectures, presentations, and discussions…it’s always good to relax and have some fun!

I had the honor of photographing this wonderful corporate event at Tavern on 4th in Louisville, KY, for the US Grains Council last month. It was a really neat location, with tons of games and entertainment for folks to participate in. The resulting laughter and lively conversation was great for team-building and making new friends!

I absolutely love photographing company parties and exciting galas like this one!!!

US Grains Council Board of Delegates Meeting

Last month I had the honor of photographing the US Grains Council‘s 56th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting in Louisville, KY. It’s been such a privilege to be a part of this wonderful organization!!!

Hotel Room Head-shots

While photographing the Withit Women’s Conference at the historic Francis Marion Hotel this week, part of my assignment included creating head-shots for the professional ladies attending the program.

The motivational conference was held in the elegant Gold Ballroom. So as not to distract from the speakers, and to give each lady the time and privacy they deserved for their photo session, I was asked to setup in one of the hotel rooms down the hall. The point of this post is to show that with a little knowledge, a smart selection of compact lighting tools, and some beautiful subjects to work with, professional portraits can be created just about anywhere!!!

My entire portable studio setup included 6 Nikon SB-800 speedlights, 4 Manfrotto light stands, 2 60″ Westcott shoot-through umbrellas, and a white pop-up style background. Utilizing the given space to suite my purpose, I arranged everything around using the white doors as a reflector for extra fill. A couple of the flashes were used as background lights to create the modern high-key look I wanted. A couple flashes were used to evenly disperse light through one umbrella as the main light source. And the last two were used similarly through the other umbrella as a fill light. This entire lighting kit fits into a large Manfrotto tripod bag for compact portability!

All the flashes were triggered through RadioPoppers, using a Nikon SB910 as the Master flash. The images were photographed with a Nikon D4, and a Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 VRII, tethered to my laptop. After each client’s portrait session, we reviewed the images together to make sure there was something in there that they LOVED!!!  🙂

AM Conservation Group National Sales Meeting

Last week the AM Conservation Group held their annual National Sales Meeting at Palmetto Hall in Wild Dunes Resort on Isle of Palms.

I’ve had the honor and pleasure of working with this amazing company for the last few years. The AM Conservation Group is a world leader in Water Conservation Products, Energy Efficient Products, Energy Efficient Lighting, Weatherization Products, and more.

I arrived early at the event and set up a portable studio where attendees could get their head-shots and business portraits made during the various breaks. When I wasn’t photographing those, I covered the president’s address, keynote speakers, experts in their field, and panel discussions to document the entire event.

Photographing such corporate events, company meetings, and awards ceremonies is one of our specialties. But doing so for companies like the AM Conservation Group who are doing their best to help our planet, makes it even more enjoyable!

DHG Leadership Conference

One of my favorite corporate clients in the world is Dixon Hughes Goodman. The entire organization has an amazing culture, attitude, and authenticity about it. Plus I LOVE their “no jerk” policy. 🙂 So it was a great honor when they contacted me again to photograph this year’s DHG Leadership Conference!

Most of the conference centered around The Mills House, in beautiful downtown Charleston. But activities like historic carriage rides, ghost tours, volunteering at the Lowcountry Food Bank, and the grand gala on The Yorktown, took us to various parts of town. From the many keynote speakers and motivational leaders, to the team-building excercises, to the amazing food and fellowship, to the community outreach activities, to the awards presentations, to the fabulous banquet…it was one of the most amazing conferences to be a part of!
Here are just a few favorites of the zillions of photos from this fantastic 3-day event…

Charleston Trident Association of Realtors at Edmunds Oast

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing a fantastic corporate event at Edmunds Oast for the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors! They are a great client, and we ALWAYS enjoy working with Claire and all the fabulous Charleston area realtors!!!

AM Conservation Group at The Riviera Theater

I always enjoy photographing corporate events…especially the holiday gala’s that are so fun and festive. One of my favorites each year is the AM Conservation Group’s Christmas Party!!! 🙂

As each couple arrives, I photograph a nice Christmas portrait of them. Using our state-of-the-art dye sublimation photo printers, we instantly print them a beautiful 5×7 photo, delivered to their table in an elegant folio for them to take home as a memento of the evening. The instant gratification of this print-on-site service is always a HUGE HIT!!!

Once everyone has arrived and had a cocktail or two, I cover the president’s address. His message is always poignant, and always made memorable with a magic trick or two! Everyone then gathers for a fun group shot before dinner. The remainder of the evening is filled with merriment as everyone enjoys dinner, dancing, and the always-popular gift exchange!

I’ve been photographing this event for 3 years now. Already I’m looking forward to NEXT YEAR’s big party!!!