The Humble Speedlight

I’m often asked what kind of studio lights I use for all the beautiful head-shots and creative corporate work I shoot. Although I own plenty of powerful strobes designed by the legendary Paul C. Buff, the honest answer is that 99% of the time I use the humble Speedlight!

Yes I carry a plethora of them. Yes I often gang up multiples of them on a single light-stand to act as a more powerful flash. But the beauty in using them is their extreme versatility! If I need to band 3 together and shoot in high-speed sync mode to overpower the sun on a beach shoot, it’s not a problem. But if I just need a single unit through a portable softbox to photograph a senior portrait session in a park, that’s just as easy. It’s clean. It’s simple. It’s light. It’s compact. And it works!

To photograph headshots of the new attorneys at Weeks & Irvine Law this morning, I was able to carry everything I needed into their office in a single trip…camera, laptop, light-stands, tripod, background, umbrellas, and 4 little Nikon SB-5000 Speedlights. Within a few minutes their lobby was transformed into a professional portrait studio, where everyone was laughing, having fun, and capturing great head-shots for the firm’s website!  🙂

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Riley & Tommy’s Surprise Proposal at The Ocean Course

Being a part of some of the most special moments in a family’s life always makes me feel so humbled and so blessed!!!

This weekend I had the honor of photographing Tommy’s surprise wedding proposal to his beautiful girlfriend, Riley! He had made special arrangements for cocktails and dinner in The Atlantic Room at The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island. After Riley got settled and had a drink in hand, Tommy excused himself for a minute. He had stashed a gorgeous bouquet of flowers with a note inside. Returning with the bouquet, he have Riley a kiss and told her to read the note, which instructed her to meet him outside by the famous Rolex clock-tower in 5 minutes.

Tommy had picked the iconic clock-tower as the backdrop for this special moment. For many golfers, a photograph with the famous clock tower is a “bucket-list” item. It’s one of the most photographed landmarks on Kiawah Island! Who can forget that iconic 1991 Ryder Cup battle when The United States team won the competition by 14½ to 13½ points, with a last-minute clincher on the 18th hole of the final match?!? With the nation glued to their televisions, it was the first win for the U.S. since 1983!!!

But more importantly to Tommy, it would serve as a reminder for Riley of the exact minute when he took to his knee and asked her to be his wife. 🙂 After Riley said “YES”, Tommy had another surprise for her. Turning around, she saw her parents and his parents coming around the corner to congratulate them. Running over to exchange hugs with everyone, the excitement and energy of the moment was truly palpable!

I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect day for Tommy & Riley. It was an absolutely gorgeous summer evening. But the icing on the cake came when I was driving home and saw the amazing Neowise Comet descending on the horizon!!! Major comets, like Haley’s Comet in 1986, don’t come around but once every 25-40 years. This particular one has such a huge trajectory that it won’t be back in earth’s atmosphere for some 6,800 years!

CONGRATULATIONS to Riley & Tommy! How special is that to know your engagement took place during a celestial show that won’t happen again for thousands of years?!? We wish you all the best as you begin your own journey around the earth together.

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Izzy & Chance’s Senior Portrait Sessions

I love photographing Senior Portrait Sessions. But what’s even more fun is when I get to photograph a double-session for an AMAZING couple like Izzy & Chance!!!

I was so excited when Tena and Tammy (Izzy & Chance’s parents) called to set up a double photo shoot for these two. They are all from Thomson, GA, and had planned a family get-away this weekend. They thought it would be really cool to get some amazing photos of their kids that would be unique and different from the ones Izzy & Chance’s friends were getting back home. What a cool idea!

After driving into Charleston Friday afternoon, I met up with both families at Folly Beach for Part 1 of their photo shoot. We had decided to do some beach portraits. I love Folly Beach County Park for its perfect views of the sunset. We lucked out with a gorgeous evening and a fantastic sunset!

The next morning we all met at White Point Garden for Part 2. This was a great location from which to explore the heart of old historic downtown Charleston. We had a fun walk-about as we discovered great avenues of trees, black iron gates, and old brick walls to use for backdrops. As a grand-finale, we also zipped over to Rainbow Row to mix in some of those cotton-candy colored houses.

Izzy was so beautiful and had such a delightful smile. Chance was quite dashing and so much fun. We all had a BLAST and came away with some wonderful images to preserve this special time in their lives.  CONGRATULATIONS Izzy & Chance!!!

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Madeleine & McLane’s Surprise Proposal at The Belmond

I have a confession. I’ve been privy to some fun family secrets!!!

Several weeks ago, Madeleine’s father, Jim, contacted me about photographing a really special surprise for his daughter. Madeleine’s boyfriend, McLane, had asked for Jim’s blessing to marry his daughter. The two of them immediately began devising an elaborate plan for McLane’s surprise proposal! 🙂

Jim and his family had a trip to Charleston coming up.  One evening they were going to go out for cocktails at The Belmond Hotel, have a fun family portrait session, then head over to Halls Chophouse for a nice dinner. Unannounced to Madeleine, McLane had secretly flown in to Charleston as well. He had arranged for a horse and carriage to carry him into the courtyard behind The Belmond Hotel where we would be taking family photos.

As the carraige rounded the corner, the girls all commented on how cool it was to see an old-fashioned carriage pull up. Then all of a sudden, Madeleine exclaims “Wait. What?!? Is that McLane in the carraige???” Immediately the girls all started cracking up in disbelief!

McLain pulled in like a knight in shining armor, stepped off the carriage, and walked over to take Madeleine’s hand. I think she was still in shock as he then led her over to the carraige, dropped to one knee, and asked her to marry him. Suddenly the expression on Madeleine’s face completely transformed as it finally sunk in! McLane was proposing to her!!! Of all the proposals I’ve ever photographed, her expressions of absolute excitement were some of the best I’ve ever seen. 🙂

But the surprise doesn’t stop there! After some congratulatory hugs from her family, McLane turned around in utter disbelief as HIS parents walked up!!! Going behind his back, Jim had secretly invited McLane’s parents to fly in and be there to surprise and support their son during this special time. McLane thought he was pulling a total surprise on Madeleine. But he had a surprise of his own in store! 😉

After more hugs and high-fives, McLane & Madeleine took off on a fun carriage ride around the historic downtown Charleston.  Plus they captured a few authentic engagement photos together.

Let’s say CONGRATULATIONS to this amazing couple as they embark on their new journey together…

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Ben & Kyle’s Secret Garden Proposal

Ben was referred to me by my good friend and amazing photographer, Roxy. He was planning a fun get-away to Charleston, and was so excited about proposing to his boyfriend, Kyle!

Ben & Kyle love historic Charleston, they love the beach, and they love all the secret gardens and hidden alleys around downtown. Ben particularly enjoys the Gateway Walk, a walking trail through some of the most iconic gardens and graveyards which was designed by The Garden Club of Charleston back in 1930:  https://discoversouthcarolina.com/articles/the-gateway-walk-an-other-worldly-journey-through-the-heart-of-charleston.  So we picked a particularly fitting location in the beautiful Unitarian Church garden. This place is so striking because the garden is allowed to flow and blossom in and around the ancient gravestones.

Arriving at our designated spot that morning, it was fun to meet some of the Garden Club members who were there doing some light pruning. The ones I talked to were so excited about the upcoming proposal in their garden, and were kind enough to keep our preferred spot clear for us. They even offered to unlock some of the gates for us to use in our photo shoot afterwards.

Upon entering the garden, Ben led the unsuspecting Kyle to a beautiful cross-section in the very center, surrounded by a rustic old black-iron railing, underneath a giant crape-myrtle tree that was draped from head to toe in Spanish moss.  After sharing what was on his heart, Ben dropped to one knee and asked Kyle to marry him.  It was such a touching and emotional moment!

After the surprise proposal, I had so much fun getting to know Ben & Kyle on a fun Engagement Shoot. We enjoyed exploring the garden and surrounding streets, finding beautiful backdrops and creative ways to showcase their love for one another and preserve this special moment for them!

CONGRATULATIONS Ben & Kyle!!! We wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together…

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Grace’s Senior Portraits on Kiawah Island

When she called, Marianne sounded a bit flustered. She had nothing to wear.

Vacationing on Kiawah Island for the week, Marianne and her family hadn’t planned for family portraits. They realized what a great opportunity this was to get some beautiful and unique Senior Portraits for their daughter Grace. And I had suggested we throw in a few fun family portraits while we were at it!  So suddenly Marianne was scrambling to find outfits for everyone.

Fortunately this gave her a good excuse to do a little shopping. And everything worked out PERFECT!!! 🙂 In spite of an afternoon thunderstorm, the weather was beautiful. Selecting three outfits for her session, Grace was absolutely stunning in each one. And the family outfits Marianne had selected were awesome.  We all had a fantastic time together…even their 11-year old golden doodle, Bella.

CONGRATULATIONS Grace! You rocked it!!!

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Nester Family on Seabrook Island

I have been photographing the Nester family so long that I feel like I’m that silly Uncle every family has…you know, the one that’s always acting silly and getting the kids riled up right before bedtime!  🙂

It’s been quite a few years. But I still remember Jeff & Suzanna’s 2006 wedding like it was yesterday. Each year their family returns for summer vacation, always with something fun and new and interesting going on in their lives. This year I was sad that Suzanna’s brother, Tyler, and his family couldn’t make it due to travel constraints from the corona-virus. But hopefully next year we’ll all be back together again!

It’s only been 24 hours since their photo shoot. And I’m already looking forward to seeing the Nester’s next year! They are easily one of my all-time favorite families other than my own!!!

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Muro Family on Isle of Palms

Every year I look forward with great anticipation to hanging out with and photographing the amazing Muro clan during their vacation to Isle of Palms!

We got rained out the night before, but quickly pivoted to this morning. It turned out to be a glorious day! The kids were all excited and full of energy. The sun finally peaked out from between the thunderclouds.  We all had so much fun!  🙂

Many thanks to Susan for all her hard work corralling and organizing this crazy crew!!!

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Johnston Family on Isle of Palms

Originally from the Greenville area, like most extended families these days the Johnstons are now all spread out. Individuals are following their dreams, from a Physical Therapist in Bristow to a dentist in Spartanburg, from a computer engineer in San Antonio to an attorney in Greenville. But they all come together once a year to re-connect those family ties!

I had the pleasure of meeting up with them at their beach house on IOP yesterday to capture some fun family memories. In addition to the usual family photos, we also celebrated Brook and her friends graduating college. Congratulations to them as they embark on a new journey following THEIR dreams!

It was a beautiful evening and I had a great time getting to know the three sisters and their families. Thanks for allowing me to be part of this year’s reunion, Susan, Stacey, and Cara!!!

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Porch Portraits with the Schiff Family

I had so much fun capturing some porch portraits, or what we call “porchaits”, for the Schiff Family on Kiawah Island this morning!

Every year the Schiffs schedule this special photo shoot exclusively for the grandparents and their grand-kids. Parents can help prep the young ones, but aren’t allowed in the photos…HA! 🙂 This year because of the resurgence of corona-virus, we elected to do the photos on the porch and pool deck of their rental home instead of at the beach. It was a gorgeous setting. And the kids did great!  I can’t believe how much they’ve grown since last year.

Thank you so much to Debbie & Russell for their kindness and continued patronage! We appreciate you more than you know!!!

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Brittny & Chuck at Folly Beach Pier

With just over a year to go until their wedding, I met up with Brittny & Chuck this morning for some sunrise engagement photos at the Folly Beach Pier!
 
We didn’t get to see the sunrise. But it turned out to be a REALLY cool morning with a deserted beach, a thick fog, and an eerie silence all about. It was almost like the beach was totally reserved for us!
 
Brittny & Chuck were absolutely ADORABLE!!! In spite of getting up at 3:00 AM, they were full of energy, laughing and flirting with each other throughout the shoot. We had so much fun together. And I can’t WAIT to capture all the beautiful moments of their wedding day!  🙂

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Aerial Drone Shoot for Docent Prodigy

I always love working and collaborating with my friends!

Earlier this week, Jason at Docent Prodigy, asked me to join him on a photo shoot for one of his clients in the solar power sector. We drove up to Orangeburg and had an AMAZING time working together. Jason photographed head-shots and team photos for the company.  (I grabbed a behind-the-scenes drone-shot of him in action when I brought the aircraft in to swap out batteries.) Meanwhile, I captured aerial photos and video footage for Jason to use in creating a promotional video for his client. It was an incredible spectacle to witness all those thousands of solar panels! Jason and I commented on the way home how lucky we are to have such cool opportunities in our line of work!

Many thanks to Jason for letting me be his wing-man.  🙂

If you need an amazing photographer, videographer, or video editor, I highly recommend Jason at http://docentprodigy.com/.  And if you’re a photographer in need of an FAA Certified drone-pilot to add an extra dimension to what you’re offering your clients, I’d love to work with you!

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