The Cape at Kiawah Island

Photographing The Cape, an amazing brand new high-end condo complex on Kiawah Island, was an absolute dream! Although the project is far from complete, I was able to get into a few of the units.  The views are absolutely STUNNING!!! Many thanks to Anna and the team at Trident Construcion for this amazing oportunity.

Chelsea & Trey’s Wedding at Pametto Dunes Resort

As a photographer, every wedding tells a unique story, and Chelsea and Trey’s special day at Palmetto Dunes Resort on Hilton Head Island was no exception. Despite unexpected rain showers challenging their plans for a beach ceremony, their love shone brighter than the sun, creating unforgettable memories against the stunning backdrop of this coastal paradise.

The day began with an air of anticipation as Chelsea prepared for her big moment at the Windsor Place condos. The excitement in the air was palpable, with laughter and joy filling the room. Meanwhile, Trey, no doubt equally eager and nervous, awaited the moment he would see his bride. The beautiful couple met in the private garden for their First Look, exchanging some personal vows they had written for one another. Just as they finished this touching moment, family began to arrive for some fun group portraits!

Although they had hoped for a beach wedding with sand under their feet, and blue skies above…Mother Nature had other plans. As raindrops fell, the dream of exchanging vows on the sandy shores seemed to drift away. But Chelsea and Trey weren’t about to let a little rain dampen their spirits. With grace and flexibility, they embraced the change, moving their ceremony to the exquisite Centre Court Pavilion, a setting just as enchanting as the beach itself. Against the backdrop of an elegant arbor, draped in white linens and palmetto greens, Chelsea and Trey exchanged heartfelt vows, surrounded by their closest friends and family. The love and warmth that filled the air were a testament to the deep bond shared between the couple and their loved ones.

Following the ceremony, dinner, and a warm toast by the father of the bride…the skies cleared and the sun made a triumphant appearance! I had the privilege of capturing some breathtaking portraits of Chelsea and Trey in the surrounding woodlands and trails. The golden hour bathed them in a warm, ethereal glow, lending an extra touch of magic to their already radiant smiles.

The magic didn’t stop there. As evening descended, the celebration kicked into high gear, marking the beginning of a joyous evening ahead. After their First Dance, and parent dances, just when we thought the day couldn’t get any more enchanting, Chelsea’s family from Jordan took center stage, leading everyone in lively Middle Eastern dances that brought the house down. It was a beautiful fusion of cultures and traditions, a testament to the power of love to unite people from all walks of life. As I watched Chelsea and Trey twirl and laugh, surrounded by their loved ones, I couldn’t help but feel grateful to be a part of such a special moment.

In the end, Chelsea and Trey’s wedding at Palmetto Dunes Resort was a reminder that love is not just about perfect moments, but about embracing the unexpected twists and turns that life throws our way. As their photographer, I was honored to capture each and every precious moment, preserving their love story for generations to come.

Please help me send a huge CONGRATULATIONS to Chelse & Trey as they begin this new journey together!!!

Danny Jones North Charleston Sports Complex

We don’t have many aquatic centers in Charleston. I guess everybody goes to the beach to swim?!? And we have very few really nice public sports complexes. Most of the nicer ones are private. When the city of North Charleston decided to build the Danny Jones Sports Complex near Park Circle, there was a ton of excitement surrounding the project. Imagine my excitement when I was selected to photograph it!!!

The city of North Charleston invested $25 million to build the North Charleston Sports Complex after demolishing the Danny Jones Athletic Center over a year ago. The new sports facility has a 25-meter competitive pool, and a multi-use gymnasium for basketball, volleyball, pickleball and badminton. Visitors can also enjoy the five outdoor tennis courts, multi-use roller rink, soccer field and baseball diamond.

“Built for our residents, this facility underscores our dedication to enriching lives through comprehensive recreational opportunities,” Mayor Reggie Burgess says. “It signifies our ongoing effort to ensure that North Charleston remains a place where community and health go hand in hand.”

Many thanks to Caitlyn from the architecture team at McMillan Pazdan Smith, and Anna from the contractor team at Trident Construction, for trusting me with this assignment!

Headshots of Elliott Davis

I’ve been photographing headshots for Elliott Davis for many years. Usually we meet at a park across the street from their office. Unfortunately it was POURING rain the morning we had scheduled for this round of headshots!

Luckily, I always carry my Flashpoint Li-Ion speedlights with me. So it didn’t take but 15 minute for me to set up a few lightstands, umbrellas, and speedlights to create a little “indoor sunshine”. Although it was a dreary day out, having my lights allowed me to still create bright, beautiful, and cheerful marketing portraits and headshots for the new team.

Many thanks to Holly for helping her coordinate everyone’s schedules!

Durham Family Edisto Island Beach Shoot

It’s almost time for summer vacation! That means it’s almost “beach portrait season”. I always look forward to this time of year when I get to wear flip-flops and shorts, meeting fun families enjoying their beach vacation together, and capturing beautiful portraits of them to celebrate their time together.

Kicking off this season, I met up with the Durham family on Edisto Island. They had rented a beach house to celebrate their daughter’s 40th birthday, and to kick off their summer vacation. I met up with them at beach access #29. It was a beautiful evening and we had a blast capturing a variety of fun portraits!

If you’re interested in booking us for your family beach portraits, call or email now to get on the calendar! Summer flies by and we book up fast!!!

Realtors of Distinction

It was an absolute honor photographing the Realtors of Distinction Awards Banquet for the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors!

The Realtors of Distinction award recognizes the top 10% of producing Charleston Realtors with 1 or more transactions who apply for the award, complete additional education requirements in the award year, and adhere to the REALTOR®️ Code of Ethics & LLR regulations.

CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners!!! And many thanks to Claire and Gary for inviting me to capture this amazing event!

Kristin is a Doctor of Physical Therapy

This weekend, Cami and I made a quick trip to Ohio to celebrate our amazing niece’s graduation as a Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Dayton.

“Our innovative and recently updated three-year (eight-semester) program combines classroom and hands-on training from day one that will prepare therapists to meet the demands of a rapidly changing health care system. Our faculty and graduates contribute to society and the physical therapy profession through practice, teaching, administration and research. The need for highly trained physical therapists continues to rise, and our program will put you at the front of the curve.” – University of Dayton DPT

The day before Kristin’s graduation, we were invited to photograph some portraits of her and her friends around the U of D campus. We had a BLAST and came away with some fun portriats. The following day, we arrived early and got some great seats in the massive arena. I was able to get some nice tight shots of the ceremony with the Nikon Z9 and Nikkor Z 400mm f4.5 lens. It was a beautiful service. We were so honored to be there to celebrate our beutiful niece and all that she has accomplished!

CONGRATULATIONS Kristin!!!

The Citadel Foundation Campaign Launch

Sometimes I get to photograph the COOLEST events!!!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing The Citadel Foundation’s annual Campaign Launch. It was an AMAZING evening! After cocktails on the lawn at Johnson Hagood Memorial Stadium football field, welcome speeches and toasts were made. A delicious dinner was followed by an incredible live band under the big white tent. Everyone partied and danced the night away!

(DJI Mavic 3 Pro, Nikon Z9 with Nikkor 24-120 f4 VR, Nikon Z9 with Nikkor 14-24 f4, 6 Speedlights)

Rosen Hagood Marketing Photos

Last year, I had the pleasure of photographing the Grand Opening of the new Rosen Hagood office. I had a great time and really enjoyed working with them. So I was extremely pleased when they reached out again to see if I could help them with some new marketing and branding photos for their website!

Usually law firms request fairly standard headshots. But the Rosen Hagood Law Firm decided they wanted something different! As a creative, I LOVED the concept they pitched. They were looking for something more casual, artistic, and classic. What better way to do that then with some timeless black-and-white, right?!?

Many thanks to Morgan for helping to coordinate everyone’s schedules and share their ideas…

Colorful Folly Beach Condo for SMHa Architects

I always enjoy photographing assignments for SMHa Architects. Their work is always so creative, while being practical at the same time!

This week I had the pleasure of photographing a newly renovated condo building for them on Folly Beach. The project is in a prime location, right on the beach, just steps from the amazing new Folly Beach Pier! With it still being spring, I knew the afternoon sun wouldn’t hit the front of the building until late afternoon. I love shooting during that “Golden Hour” part of the day anyway. Plus we were blessed with a gorgeous blue-sky day. So it worked out perfect!

Many thanks to Marie for organizing everything, and for trusting me with this assignment.

Credit One Charleston Open – Champion’s Portraits

Every spring, it’s an absolute honor to be invited back as the official photographer of the Credit One Charleston Open!

Since 1973, the Charleston Open has been a pioneer in women’s professional sports, creating milestones that have directly influenced the popularity of women’s professional tennis. It was the first women’s tennis event to offer $100,000 in prize money. The tournament was the first women’s event to be broadcast on network television. More recently, the Credit One Charleston Open was named WTA 500 Tournament of the Year. Kicking off the clay season, it’s grown to be the largest women’s professional tennis tournament in North America.

As the official photographer of the tournament, it’s always a great honor to capture some private portraits of each year’s champion with their trophy! This year’s champion, Danielle Collins, was sweet, kind, and wonderful to work with. Unfortunately the daylight got away from us. So some of our plans to shoot along the historic downtown backdrops got squashed. But we were able to catch the final rays of sunset overlooking the Ashley River at The Battery! Plus we got a few shots of Danielle undernieth her marquis banner at The Riviera Theater. And finally we photographed her in front of the grand staircase at Charleston Place before she headed off to celebrate with her family and friends!!!

Credit One Charleston Open – Day 9

Every spring, it’s an absolute honor to be invited back as the official photographer of the Credit One Charleston Open!

Since 1973, the Charleston Open has been a pioneer in women’s professional sports, creating milestones that have directly influenced the popularity of women’s professional tennis. It was the first women’s tennis event to offer $100,000 in prize money. The tournament was the first women’s event to be broadcast on network television. More recently, the Credit One Charleston Open was named WTA 500 Tournament of the Year. Kicking off the clay season, it’s grown to be the largest women’s professional tennis tournament in North America.

Day 9 is finally hear!!! After 9 grueling 12+ hour days of constant shooting, editing, and uploading photos for the tournament, we have completed Finals Sunday. When I arrived that morning, I could feel the excitement in the air. All the staff and volunteers were exhausted, in a good way, and ready to see who the new champion would be. Caroline Collins fought hard to triumph over Daria Kasatkina. It was the first time a player had won back-to-back Miami Open and Charleston Open titles since Serena Williams. Collins, who is retiring at the end of this year said: “I’ve been so happy to be playing at the level that I’ve been playing [and] to be able to back it up two weeks in a row has just been fantastic.”.