Category: Blog

Last weekend, I had the most AMAZING time photographing Mary & Jan’s beautiful wedding celebration!!! I owe a HUGE thank you to Nicole & Vince Ciello for recommending Mary & Jan to us. I remember their wonderful wedding like it was yesterday!

Originally from Virginia, Mary moved to Charleston following her sister. And recently her mom followed the two of them. Jan’s grandparents moved from Poland to Mexico, where his mom fell in love. He was born there, but his mom also brought him up speaking Polish. So he’s fluent in 3 languages! He eventually moved to Charleston for his MUSC residency in neurosurgery. A mutual friend introduced them, and they hit it off right away. In Mary’s words, this was largely because they “got” each other’s quirkiness!!! 🙂

Having been accused on many occasions of being “quirky” myself…Jan, Mary, and I hit it off right away. We had a great time getting to know each other, planning out their amazing day, and talking about their hopes and dreams for the future. They are both so fun, full of energy, and filled with a zest for abundant life!

Their ceremony was held at the beautiful Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. The reception was held at the Charleston Country Club. And in between the two, we had gotten special permission to do photos at the newly renovated, brand new to the public, McLeod Plantation! As far as we know, Mary & Jan are the FIRST bride and groom to have their wedding portraits done at this amazing, historical plantation…how cool is that?!?

The Bread and Salt Blessing is a popular Polish tradition. At the wedding reception, the parents of the bride and groom greet the newly married couple with bread and salt. The parents say: “Staropolskim zwyczajem witamy Was chlebem i sola, aby w Waszym domu zawsze goscil dostatek.” This means: “According to our Old Polish tradition, we greet you with bread and salt, so that your home might always enjoy abundance.”

CONGRATULATIONS Mary & Jan! May your home always enjoy abundance!!!

The Whitmer Family is back at it again!!!

I’ve had the honor and priviledge of photographing this beautiful family for many years. And each time, they seem to have a new addition for me. Congratulations on surviving your VERY FIRST photo shoot with “Mr. Chris”, Benjamin!!! 🙂

It was so much fun catching up with everyone…and seeing how much the kids have grown.

Earlier this week I had another great photo shoot with the wonderful folks at Premier Physical Therapy…

I always enjoy working with repeat clients.

Developing a long-term relationship gives me an oportunity to get to know everyone at the firm, learn about the company, and make lasting connections. But the best part is, I’m able to fine-tune my photography, and inherntly KNOW what types of images they are looking for without being told. I’m able to deliver the style of images they are looking for, over and over again!

It’s been a real pleasure working with Colliers International over the years, watching them grow. Last week I had the pleasure of photographing the latest additions to their team!!! 🙂

Young, old, or in-between…everyone worries about the future. So this year, for the 80th Anniversary of Social Security, the folks at AARP are going around the country, visiting every state, and interviewing Americans on the street to find out their thoughts on SS, their reflections on retirement, and their dreams for the future!

Many thanks to the kind referral from Holly Fisher, I got to be the AARP’s photographer for South Carolina. It was a pleasure working with Patrick & Reshma, watching them create a bond and engage in deep conversations with everyone we met.  We had a BLAST and got to know some really neat Americans!

Visit https://www.facebook.com/AARPadvocates where they will post one street-story a day for 80 days, in honor of the 80 years of Social Security.

Impossible angles enhance the experience of “being there” for our couples!

I often get asked “How did you do that?” by clients and fellow photographers alike. Shooting from seemingly impossible angles, and appearing to be in 2 places at once, are tools and techniques we’ve developed over the years to truly capture the grandeur and beauty of our weddings and events.

One of these techniques is to set up a remote camera. I picked this trick up while shooting basketball for ESPN. You’ve seen the shot many times in the covers of Sports Illustrated and similar publications, where a sports photographer has mounted a camera behind the backboard, or above the hoop. In my situation, I mounted a camera with a fisheye lens, way up outside the organist’s perch overlooking the sanctuary.  My good friend and fellow photographer, LeRoy, has aptly named this style of shot my “Angel Cam”.  🙂

Thus, during the ceremony last weekend, via PocketWizard wireless remote, I quietly photographed multiple angles of their beautiful ceremony, while Mary & Jan exchanged heartfelt wedding vows at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church!

It’s been my pleasure to work with Brittany McDougal over many years! I photographed her wedding, family portraits, and various conceptual photo shoots throughout her modeling career.

As we discussed our next project, this Urban Ballerina style photo shoot rose to the top. Brittany got back into the ballet studio to perfect her form. Her dedication and hard work showed! She did an AMAZING job, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results.

Many thanks to hair and make-up artist, Cierra Szeszko, and to Bethanne Warren Premier Jewerly for providing the accessories.

Today I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing Victoria, the newest member of the SC Community Loan Fund team! We also photographed a new Board Members group photo before their meeting at the North Charleston City Hall.  I always enjoy working with this wonderful organization…you just can’t find a nicer group of folks!!!

Jon & Jennifer met almost exactly a year ago, purely by chance, when he was out walking his dog. What started out as a lucky encounter turned out to be true love!

They both felt it pretty early on. You know the feeling…like they were just ment to be together. Jennifer had lost her husband about 3 years prior. Jon had lost his girlfriend about 7 months back.  Having each suffered the grief and loss from the passing of a partner gave them an instant and mutual connection.  Those early conversations quickly became a beautiful friendship…and soon they were falling in love. Each realized early on that what they had was something truly extraordinary!

Both Jon & Jennifer are from the Charlotte area. But Charleston is a favorite vacation spot for each of them. Once Jon had made plans to bring Jennifer to Charleston this weekend, and to secretly surprise her with a ring, he gave me a call to arrange for me to capture this special moment in their lives. Only a great guy, who is madly in love with the woman in his life, would think ahead to arrange such a thing!

While getting to know Jon through our emails, phone calls, and texts, I realized what an amazing guy he was! And now that I’ve met Jennifer, I can see why it would be so important to him to preserve these memories for her. She’s a beautiful young lady with an exuberant personality and an infections smile. CONGRATULATIONS you guys! We wish you all the happiness that you deserve!!!

It’s been a busy “wedding season” in Charleston. But last week I finally got a day off! So what do I do on my day off? I take pictures of course! 🙂

The sun was shining, the temperatures were moderate, so I grabbed my kayak and headed to Shem Creek! It was a little choppy, but I made it to Crab Bank in no time. DNR forbids getting out on this little island during the spring breeding season. But floating alongside gave me great angles for capturing all the fun activities without disturbing the beautiful creatures that nest there.

Here are a few favorites. Some will soon end up on display at The Art Mecca of Charleston, and available for purchase at www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/fineart. Enjoy!

Shannon & Ronnie have been together over 6 years. She is beautiful, sweet, and super organized. She grew up as a military brat, and is now the Youth Director at Joint Base Charleston. A ripped body builder with rugged good looks and an outrageous personality, Ronnie has been in the military for over 13 years. Fortunately, Shannon knows how to handle those military men…HA!

A romantic at heart, Ronnie proposed to Shannon down by the Ashley River, at the same exact spot where he first told her he loved her. When we met last year, I could tell these two had a very special relationship! They are both both so fun, outgoing, and charismatic.

Shannon & Ronnie’s wedding was held on the picturesque Carolina Girl. I absolutely LOVE photographing weddings on this yacht as it cruises around Charleston Harbor. There’s just something romantic and energetic about being on the water for such a special occasion. Captain Bob and his crew always make things extra special!

I am SO THANKFUL to Barbara Lang for recommending this amazing couple to us. They were an absolute BLAST to work with! CONGRATULATIONS Shannon & Ronnie!!! We wish you all the happiness and joy that you deserve.