Author: Chris Smith

I had a SUPER EARLY photo shoot a few weeks back for Coastal Cardiology.  It was one of those days that was absolutely FREEZING here in Charleston.  I had to be on-site at 6:30am to set up and photograph the exterior of their building in that pre-dawn light that gives the sky that dramatic blue color and makes the interior look so warm and inviting.  I set up three SB-800 flashes with full CTO gels on them to light up the building.  Then, bundled up like an Eskimo, I waited by my tripod for the light to be just right.  I shot with my Nikon D3 (set to tungsten white-balance to give the sky that saturated blue) with a 14-24 f2.8 lens.

After I got my shot, I went in and set up for head shots of all the doctors.  These had to be completed before patients began arriving at 7:45!  I decided to use a giant 36” shoot-through umbrella, for the main light, with two SB-800s firing through it.  I placed a white light-disc on the opposite side for fill.  In the past, I might have used a main light and a fill light.  But I’ve really been liking the effect of my new head-shot lighting set up because it produces only ONE catch-light in the eye.  If I use a main light AND a fill light, this produces TWO catch-lights…not quite as natural looking.  A third SB-800 provided a hair light to complete the look I wanted.  All the head-shots were done with my D3 mounted to the 70-200 f2.8.  All the flashes were triggered by an SB-900 in Commander Mode only, via RadioPoppers.  Enjoy!

Earlier this month I headed over to our FAVORITE dentist’s office to do some holiday team photos for them.  We’ve been going to Hilton Dental for quite a while and just LOVE how well they take care of us! 

Their office has this really cool translucent wall of glass bricks separating two of the work stations.  So I decided to put it to use.  For the first shot, I placed two SB-800 strobes with blue gels behind the wall to give me a friendly blue glow to contrast with their red Santa hats.  Then I took the gels off the flashes and increased the power so they would give me a giant wall of soft diffused light as my main light source for the shot with Dr. Hilton in the dentist’s chair.  I photographed everything using the Nikon D3 and 24-70mm f2.8 with an SB-900 on-camera in Commander Mode.  The two SB-800s were triggered with my trusty RadioPoppers. 

Even though I always carry plenty of umbrellas, soft boxes, and other light modifiers…sometimes it’s better to work with what you have in the environment around you!

Every now and then I get to work with a really AMAZING couple that really “clicks” with my personality and fun style of photography.  Matt & Brittany are just such a couple!  They’re just dating.  But Matt knew Brittany LOVED the camera.  So for Christmas he secretly got her a fun portrait session with me.  As it turns out, the camera LOVED her back…and him too.  Aren’t they just stunning together?!?  I mean these guys could be doing some serious modeling!  Matt is in the Navy and Brittany is in medical school.  We really had a lot of fun walking around town…and got lucky with a dramatic sunset to end our session with. 

I owe a huge thanks to my good friend and amazing photographer, Alice Keeney, for recommending me to the Costello’s.  Like my family, they are spread out all over the country.  So it’s very rare that everyone is together.  This Christmas, that actually happened!  In addition, Sophie and Brian are engaged!  (Alice is photographing their Big Day.)  So what better way to preserve their time together, than with a fun family portrait session at their home…with a few engagement photos added on for good measure.  J

Grace & John are the most AMAZING couple you could ever hope to meet.  Last weekend, my good friend and fellow “Speedlighting Guru”, Robbin Knight, joined me to cover their beautiful wedding.  Here are a few of my favorites from their Big Day.  Visit www.chrisandcami.com/blog to check out the fun Music Video.  Then head over to www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com to see the rest of their Online Gallery.  Enjoy!

Many moons ago, Cami & I worked for a wonderful company called High-Purity Standards.  They are a global manufacturer of single and multielement standards for the calibration of analytical instruments.  The company, under the leadership of Dr. Rains and his daughter, Connie, has continued to grow and prosper.  They’ll be moving into a new larger facility soon.  And they needed some new images for their website.  It was so much fun going back to shoot for them, and getting to see our old friends and colleagues.  Here are a few images from the shoot.  All photos were shot with a Nikon D3 with wireless light provided by multiple SB-800 and SB-900 flashes. 

If you’ve ever eaten at Bessinger’s BBQ, you KNOW it’s the best BBQ anywhere!  Recently I’ve enjoyed photographing Michael Bessinger and his family.  Well last week I finally got to meet his brother, Tommy, and have the pleasure of photographing the “other” Bessinger brother with his children.  Rian has been attending Bible College in Australia and was home for the holidays.  So this was the perfect opportunity.  I had a great time hanging out with her and her brother, Drew, as we explored some of my favorite “Charleston Charm” sections of downtown.

A few months ago I photographed Ashley’s Bridal Shoot at the Old Sheldon Church Ruins.  Then she changed and we met up with Jason at his grandmother’s house not far away for their Engagement Session.  Both of their shoots were some of my FAVORITES from the entire year.  We had so much fun exploring and experimenting and really came away with some fun shots.  So I KNEW their wedding was going to be a BLAST!!!

Ashley & Jason were married last weekend at the historic French Huguenot Church in downtown Charleston.  I met up with the guys at the Double Tree Inn, where we got some cool shots in and around the area, including down by The Market.  Then I headed over to the church hall at 44 Queen where the girls were getting ready.  It was dusk by then, so I was able to use a lot of neat creative lighting techniques to get some great shots of them.  Ashley had seen a shot I had taken at this church once before where I hid a remote camera in the choir loft shooting back at the congregation.  She’d asked me to do the same for her, so after finishing with the girls I went and set that up.  The shots turned out great!  The ceremony was wonderful with Jason’s brother, Daniel, performing the honors.  Then it was off to The Citadel Alumni Center for a rockin’ party with the Blue Dogs band!  Check out their Music Video at www.chrisandcami.com/blog.  And see the rest of their photos at www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com.

CONGRATULATIONS, Jason & Ashley.  You’re so AMAZING just the way you are!!!

While the folks from Falling Whistles were in town, we photographed conceptual images for use in this Human Rights Day campaign.  I thought it would be fun to show you the progression from early photographic concept to final rendition after going through full retouching and graphic artistry.  We had a great time getting to know the folks from the team and I truly hope you’ll read the message and become a whistle blower for peace.  Human Rights Day is only two days away!  We in this country are so blessed to have the freedoms and creature comforts we so readily take for granted.  Let’s not forget many are still fighting for the basic right to live at peace!

Here are a few more shots of the team from FW with their “mobile command center” on our kitchen table.  🙂

A few weeks ago, Cami & I hosted the amazing team from Falling Whistles as they made their stop in Charleston along their Nationwide Tour designed to elevate the conversation in this country about the war in Congo.  Wait, there’s a war in Congo?

The Democratic Republic of Congo (the country I was born in) is home to our world’s deadliest war since WWII. Over the last decade more than 6 million people have died, and nearly 1,500 people continue to lose their lives daily. Sexual violence is more rampant here than anywhere else in the world, and thousands of children are involved in the war. Why?

There are a number of reasons, dating back over a century. The conflict has been tied directly to the country’s vast natural resources. They are both a blessing and a curse, making Congo a country of great potential and a frequent victim of exploitation.

The Falling Whistles campaign launched with a simple response – make their weapon your voice and be a whistleblower for peace in Congo. Read the story and buy the whistle. Proceeds go to rehabilitate and advocate for war-affected children. Share their story and speak up for them.

I don’t get the chance to shoot in our studio that often.  Here’s a couple shots from a really fun shoot the other day.  Adam & Kristyn live in our neighborhood.  So we bump into them when we’re out and about walking our dog and have gotten to know them over the years.  They are SUCH a neat couple.  So creating these timeless memories for them was a real joy for me.