Author: Chris Smith

There’s always a first time for EVERYTHING! This week I got to photograph the christening of a brand new Oil Tanker for Stena Bulk/Concordia Meritime. I have never done that before. I must say, it was a pretty cool affair. The ship had been built in Sweden and had already completed it’s maiden voyage over here to Charleston. Once in dock, the crew cleaned it up like new. Then there was a beautiful ceremony, complete with dignitaries and Honor Guard, where the ship’s “Grandmother” broke the ceremonial champagne bottle over the bow as thousands of red, white, and blue balloons were released into the sky. (I found out later that an environmentalist group called to complain about the balloons.) The lady that had been selected for the honor of Grandmother was the wife of Captain Douglas Uhles of the Hess Corporation. After the ceremony there was a wonderful luncheon at the famous Charleston Place Hotel. Of course there were a lot of big-wigs present…company CEO, captain of the ship, head of the Coast Guard, etc. Anyway, it was very exciting for me to be able to preserve this historic occasion.

Earlier this week I attended the annual Professional Photographers of South Carolina convention. It’s so much fun to be a part of all the professional associations I belong to. But more than that, it gives me an opportunity to feed that voracious appetite I have for ANYTHING dealing with my craft. Sure, you might say I’ve had a formal education on the subject, I’ve been doing it for over a decade, why bother?!? Well, I have a BURNING passion for what I do. Many of you have heard me say this before…”Being a photographer is not WHAT I DO, it’s WHO I AM!” Belonging to excellent organizations like the PPSC is one of the many ways I keep in touch with fellow photographers who I trust and admire, share new techniques and skills with others, gain insights, and garner inspiration. I don’t have any photos from the event to share with you. So here’s one of my favorites of Paige & Perry’s wedding as they did a little gig and drew gales of laughter from all their friends! 🙂 Congratulations you two!!!

As a professional photographer, I’m often faced with less than ideal lighting situations. In many of those cases, I’m not allowed to augment the existing light (what little there is) with any sort of flash. Many of these situations include indoor sporting events, like the Southern Conference basketball tournament I shot earlier this year, where the flash would distract the athletes. Others include formal church weddings where a flash would take the focus off the bride & groom. Finally, like in this corporate conference for the American Council of Engineering Companies, it would simply be in poor taste. People ask me all the time, “why do certain lenses cost so much?”. Well, some lenses are simply designed and built with larger maximum apertures and larger glass elements so they can “see” better in dim light. Often referred to as “fast glass”, these lenses allow more light into the camera the same way those huge pupils from an owl’s eyes allow it to see better at night. I carry an arsenal of fast lenses to every assignment so that when the other photographers don’t have enough light to get the shot, I switch to one of these gems and keep on shooting. Check out my gear box if you’re interested in this sort of thing.

Engagement Sessions are a wonderful opportunity for me to get to know a couple before their wedding day. It’s always fun to pick a casual setting like the beach or a local park and just go have fun! Brandon & Stacia didn’t need ANY of my usual coaxing to get them to relax. We hit it off right from the start. They are very much in love and completely comfortable being themselves in front of the camera. I had a GREAT time getting to know them and creating some beautiful images that reflect their personalities and their relationship. Here’s one of my favorites from the end of the session as the setting sun sent vibrant colors skimming across the sky behind them while the moon hung omnisciently in the distance. I CAN’T WAIT to photograph their wedding this coming spring – it’s going to be AWESOME!

Grand Ideas is another one of my favorite clients. They market promotional products, including a special line of SUPER COOL Palmetto Ideas for the true South-Carolinian in you. The owner, Grandee (how fitting), has more energy than a four year old! She’s always got a smile on her face and her bubbly personality is VERY CONTAGIOUS!!! I do all the product photography, head shots, and team photos for their website. This was a recent one I took while all her sales people from around the state were in town for one of their Grand Meetings. 🙂

Many of you know that Cami & I adopted our beloved Golden Retriever, Henry, from a wonderful organization called Pet Helpers. He’s truly become a special part of our lives. To this day we still feel grateful towards, and keep in touch with the wonderful folks we got him from! So when the opportunity arose to photograph an editorial piece about Pet Helpers, I jumped at the chance. This was another feature article for Charleston Magazine and showcased a number of wonderful pets who have found loving homes through the assistance of Pet Helpers. If your heart is ready to adopt a new family member, don’t hesitate to give these wonderful folks a call!

I used to HATE going to the dentist. Now I don’t mind it so much! 🙂 Since switching to Hilton Dental, I’ve been treated with the utmost respect by Dr. Hilton, given top notch care by his staff, and experienced a quality of service that far exceeds any other health care I’ve ever received. As we’ve gotten to know each other over the years, I now look at my dentist as a friend rather than a tyrant (HA!) He uses modern technology and refined techniques to do a thorough job WITHOUT leaving me bleeding. I LIKE THAT! My teeth have never looked healthier. It’s nice to have friends in strategic places! This was a staff portrait I did for their office this week. Thanks for the great service, guys!

Last night Christopher Teves (respected local guitarist) & Tacy Edwards (acclaimed local flutist) invited me to attend the Release Party of their new CD! Last year they had seen the cover I photographed for country music star Paul Parr’s “Family Tree” album, and had hired me to photograph some images for THEIR new album. Chris & Tacy are true artists and ambassador’s of their craft. So it was an honor to be invited and to be recognized for my tiny contribution to their new CD. Check out their website at http://www.classicallycharleston.com/ and order your copy of the “The Water is Wide” while you’re at it!

You would not BELIEVE the background checks and security clearance I had to go through to get this job. But I had the privilege of covering the National Governor’s Association this week. It was very interesting and I got to meet a lot of powerful people. (I was secretly hoping Arnold Schwarzenegger would be there, but he couldn’t make it.) This is a shot of Governor Mark Sanford with his son, enjoying the huge fish tank at the South Carolina Aquarium. I don’t know why as a society we single out celebrities and put them on such a high pedestal? Deep down, they’re just people too. They deserve all the same courtesy, privacy, and respect that you and I take for granted every day. Instead of mobbing him like the rest of the paparazzi, I just quietly approached him like a regular guy. The Governor was kind, friendly, approachable…and had a great time showing his son all the wonders of the aquatic world while I clicked away!

I had a GREAT TIME at Anna & Jared’s wedding this weekend. They both have so much enthusiasm and charisma! I remember sitting down with them last year and talking about all their plans for the “big day”. Anna mentioned that she really liked the unique perspective of a special lens she had seen another photographer use…The Fisheye. I did not own a Fisheye at the time. I guess I just sort of thought it wasn’t a “real” lens, just a gimmick. And at $650, an EXPENSIVE gimmick at that! But we truly aim to please – so after they left I immediately ordered Nikon’s famous 10.5mm Fisheye. Over the next year as I started practicing with this new lens, I realized it was the KEY to a whole NEW way of looking at the world. Now it’s one of my favorite lenses for fun candid shots like this one! Thanks, Anna!!! 🙂

I know it seems like I’ve been shooting a lot of editorial work recently. It’s a challenge I thoroughly enjoy. This was another Charleston Magazine shoot about remodeled carriage houses. This particular shot is from the historic Edmonston-Alston House at 21 East Battery. Mindy Crawford, the caretaker, was very helpful and told me all kinds of amazing details about the property. This carriage house has been fully remodeled into a beautiful B&B.; Another one I shot had been converted to an indoor swimming pool. It simply BLEW ME AWAY how much money had been invested in these old carriage houses! I guess if you have it you might as well spend it. How does that song go? “If I had a million dollars…I’d be rich!”

After winning our State Championships last month, the local tennis team I play on competed against the best teams from all the other states in our section. The prize included bragging rights…and a chance to compete in the National Championships being held in Hawaii later this year! That’s me on the right and my doubles partner, Dan, in the red hat. Many thanks to Dan’s friend, George Ellin (an excellent photographer as well) for taking a few shots of our match. Our team did fairly well until the 100+ degree heat got to us on the 3rd day. One of our teammates got so dehydrated he had to be taken to the hospital after his match for an IV injection! Needless to say, we didn’t win the tournament. Still, we had a great time competing and playing the game we love.