Author: Chris Smith

It’s the classic setup…Kyle goes to the Citadel and Erin goes to the College of Charleston. 🙂 They got engaged last month and are super excited to get started on wedding planning. They are absolutely adorable together! Erin has a heart for helping others and has been on several mission trips and disaster relief projects. Kyle is a true gentleman, a very sincere and proper young man. They met at shag dancing and continue to enjoy dancing together. Here’s to them dancing through life as they begin their beautiful journey together!!!

Megan & Bryan’s Wedding Rehearsal had just concluded. My buddy Robbin Knight and I are up here in Springfield, MO to photograph their wedding. As we left the church to head over to the Rehearsal Dinner, a brief moment of serendipity saw this beautiful old glimpse of history driving down the empty road behind us. 🙂

Meeting Debra & Tom for the first time earlier this week to photograph their Destination Engagement Session at Waterfront Park, I knew right away we were going to have a lot of fun together. Meeting each other later in life, they have such an AWESOME appreciation for the special connection they have!

So when I arrived at The Sanctuary on Kiawah Island to photograph their intimate beach-front wedding, I was really looking forward to what the day had in store. I got MORE than I deserved!!! Here are a few of the images from their Big Day. The rest are at www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com.

CONGRATULATIONS Debra & Tom!

Funny story about Heather & Ryan…when he proposed to her in White Point Gardens, he had to ask her to marry him TWICE! The jury is still out as to whether she was to shocked and surprised, or if she was just dazed and confused. But in the end she said “YES”!!! 🙂

They were married last weekend in a beautiful ceremony at the Market Street Circle, Charleston Place Hotel. Using Facebook, Ryan had tracked down the minister that had married his parents many years ago and asked him to drive all the way from Alabama to perform their ceremony. How cool is THAT?!? Their reception was held at The Riviera, a beautiful old historic theater adjacent to Charleston Place, where Two 3 Ways Band rocked the house!

Portraits with family and wedding party were taken at White Point Gardens (near the gazebo where Ryan proposed), Waterfront Park, Charleston Place and the terrace at The Riviera. After enjoying this sneak preview of their day, head over to www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com to see the rest of their photos.

I had so much fun working with this beautiful, smart, outgoing couple. CONGRATULATIONS Heather & Ryan! You two deserve each other!!!

Seeing the Night Heron’s at White Point Gardens the other day got me wondering how the rookery at the Magnolia Gardens Audubon Swampis looking! I try to get over there a couple times each spring.  So my friend and fellow photographer, Chrissy Janes, and I headed out there to poke around yesterday evening. I didn’t see as many chicks as usual. But there was quite a bit of activity going on…both in the air and in the water.  🙂   Here are a few of my favorites…enjoy!

White Point Gardens down by The Battery is known as a breeding area for Yellow-crowned Night Herons in Charleston. After a really fun engagement shoot in that part of town last night, I hung out and watched them go about their busy tasks of preening, gathering twigs, and mending nests. 

This image was photographed with a Nikon D300, Nikkor 200-400mm VR, and TC14eII mounted to a Wimberly Sidekick on a Bogen/Manfrotto tripod. Effective focal length was 840mm.  I’ll be speaking about Avian Photography at the Hilton Head Sun City Birding Club on July 6th if anywone is interested… 

I grew up in the Congo where my parents were missionaries.  One of the ways we got around was through the services of Mission Aviation Fellowship.  My mother-in-law just shared this video with me.  What an AMAZING concept!  The builder is also the son of missionary parents who flew for MAF.  Last summer, Steve Saint of I-TEC drove his road-legal flying car from Florida to Oshkosh. Since then the FAA has also issued the Maverick a S-LSA aircraft airworthiness certificate. I-TEC hopes to be in production by EAA Oshkosh 2011. Steve’s dream is to have the Maverick available to drive/fly into the furthest remote corners of the world where roads are scarce, airports are non-exestant, and the needs are great!

Jack was a wonderful surprise! I had a photo shoot for Bostick+Cottrell Marketing Communications scheduled for this morning. I thought it was just a head-shot. But my beautiful subject, Amy, brought her lively 1-year old with her. You all know I’m just a kid at heart.  So I had a great time with them!!! The images will be used in a campaign for East Cooper Medical Center.

Brookgreen Gardens is such a gorgeous old plantation to photograph in. So when Elizabeth at Grand Occasions told me that Tanika & Jeffrey wanted me to photograph their wedding there, I was ECSTATIC!!! 🙂

Even though it was a damp day. Tanika & Jeffrey were in good spirits, were awesome to work with, and were such a beautiful couple. I’m so honored that I got to be a part of this special time in their lives. To see the rest of their photos, head over to www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com.

CONGRATULATIONS Tanika & Jeffrey!!!

Cami & I were able to get out of town and visit her family in Sun City Hilton Head for Easter weekend. It was so nice to just relax and have a change of pace. One afternoon I took their golf cart, grabbed a camera, and just went out on a relaxing photo excursion to capture the beauty of Easter. Enjoy!

Before we left town to spend Easter with Cami’s family, I got to photograph beach portraits for another WONDERFUL family!  Terri & Arthur are from Tampa, FL.  They were all staying on Isle of Palms, but met me at Sullivan’s Island near Station 18 so we could take advantage of the gorgeous natural landscape without any houses in the background. I had a GREAT time with everyone!  And towards the end I found out that their family is growing…Jeffrey & Paula are expecting!!!  🙂  What an honor to be a part such family’s lives and document such beautiful occasions…

Spring is the time when we start getting tons of calls for Beach Portraits. One of my FAVORITE families so far this year was the Grindall family. About half the family lives in Virginia. While the other half lives in Ohio. And their Dad works half the year in Main. All too common in today’s transient society…they are rarely together as a family! So we scheduled this fun beach shoot for them while they were vacationing together on Kiawah Island. 🙂