PNC Bank Elite Awards Banquet – Westin Savannah Harbor Resort

It was an absolute pleasure photographing the PNC Elite Awards Banquet at the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort earlier this week!

Because all the Elite Awards Winners were going to be receiving complimentary headshots during cocktail hour, my good friend and amazing photographer, Jason, joined me so we could double the pace. We set up two identical shooting stations on either side of a Savage Studio Gray backdrop. This allowed us two have two shooting stations going full tilt so we could get everyone photographed before the awards banquet began.

Once everyone had gotten their portraits made, Jason and I quickly repurposed several of the off-camera speedlights to use as spot-lights on the stage. As each award winner was called up, I photographed the formal shot of them receiving the award, while Jason coverd the podium and candids of the crowd cheering and clapping for their friends. It was a fun and exciting night!

Many thanks to Laura at KLH Group, as well as Margeaux & Danielle at PNC Bank, for trusting us with this assignment and keeping everything organized.

Jackie & Jason’s Engagement Photos at White Point Garden

I am so excited about Jackie & Jason’s upcoming wedding this November!!!

We’ve been talking, emailing, and planning for a couple months now. But yesterday was the first time I’d actually met Jackie & Jason in person! We met up at White Point Garden during late afternoon Golden Hour for their Engagement Session. We had so much fun getting to know each other, capturing their love for each other, and exploring the old historic downtown area around The Battery together.

Jason is a law enforcement officer with Isle of Palms. Jackie works in hospitality with Seabrook Island. They are absolutely ADORABLE together! And I can’t wait to be there for them on their Big Day!!! 🙂

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.

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!

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)

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 – Day 4

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 4 was hot, sunny, and full of intense competition! Little did we know, our eventual champion would step foot on court that day. I also got a peek behind the curtain into the player’s private dining area, got to photograph some winners at the Tennis Channel desk, and captured a few more drone photos at sunset.

Credit One Charleston Open – Drone Photos

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.

During one of the tournament’s night sessions, we had a great crowd and nice colors in the sky. So I was tasked with getting some stadium shots with my drone. Obtaining proper authorization first, I launched the DJI Mavic 3 Pro just before sunset. Aside from this drone’s amazing image quality, I love how long the battery lasts! I was able to circle the stadium several times, capturing a variety of different angles, as well as the changing light throughout the evening. While the sun set behind the horizon and the skies transitioned to the deep blue colors of twilight, the players battled on!

Credit One Charleston Open – Pre Tournament

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.

The week before the tournament began, I had the pleasure of photographing some pre-event photos! Working with the new DJI Mavic 3 Pro, I got some cool drone shots of the grounds. Then I brought out the Z9 for details of the trophy. And I even caught a few practice shots of last year’s champion, Ons Jabeur!!!

Music Movement 7th Annual East Coast Charity Golf Tournament

Music Movement is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that develops and funds music-centric programs, scholarships, and events to improve the lives of young people with Autism and learning differences. The organization hosts several major fundraisers throughout the year. One of them is the popular Annual Music Movement Charity Golf Tournament at the beautiful Dunes West Golf Club in Mount Pleasant, SC. Proceeds from the tournament benefit their cause of changing the lives of the young people they serve.

I had an absolute pleasure photographing the tournament and reception this year. In spite of the inclimate weather, everyone still showed up and had a great time at the event!!!

Palmetto ADV Rally

This weekend I had the pleasure of participating in the 3rd annual Palmetto ADV Rally! It was so fun re-connecting with old riding buddies, and meeting new ones. Our YouTube channel of @MotoPhotoAdventures was well represented with Jason, Steve, and I all being there together. We led a couple of the group rides to showcase how beautiful the lowcountry is, stayed up ’till all hours solving the world’s problems around the campfire with our fellow riders, and supporting our awesome sponsors like Moto Camp Nerd, SC Moto Lawyer Rick Stewart, and ADV Gourmet. Plus we were able to reconnect with our fellow YouTubers, Greg Simpson at The Bearded Grump and Frank Cone at One Old Man Riding! What a great weekend…we’re already looking forward to the 2025 PAR!!!