Volvo Car Open 2017 – Day 7

Day 7 of the Volvo Car Open brought us down to JUST FOUR playeers left!!! Each of them survived the round of 16 through fearless play, upsetting all the top seeds along the way. I look at each of the four players left in the draw and find I like every single one of them for different reasons: Laura Siegemund, Daria Kastkina, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, Jelena Ostapenko. Who will YOU be cheering for as we enter Semi-final Saturday?!?

Volvo Car Open 2017 – Day 5

Day 5 of the Volvo Car Open had a number of major upsets…as well as some huge triumphs. Not the least of which was Charleston’s own Shelby Rogers, who defeated the Number 1 seed, Madison Keys, in 3 sets!!!  And who can forget Laura Seigemund’s battle over Venus Williams?!?

Volvo Car Open 2017 – Day 3

Day 3 of the Volvo Car Open started with me hanging out with Jennifer Brady at Charleston Day School. The kids LOVED her!

Then it was on to the MUSC Children’s Hospital where Darija Jurak and Misaki Doi took time out of their busy practice schedules to go and play with some kids that really needed some cheering up!

I then zipped over to the Daniel Island Club to photograph the All Access Media Hour, where 8 of the top seeds gather to be interviewed by various media outlets. Madison Keys, Johanna Konta Venus Williams, Samantha Stosur, Elena Vesnina, KiKi Bertens, and Daria Gavrilova were among the stars I got to photograph. Even last year’s Champion, Sloan Stephens, made in appearance, in spite of not being able to play this year due to injury.

Finally, I headed to the Family Circle Tennis Center to photograph several matches, including former Champions Andrea Petkovic and Jelena Jankovic, plus local home-town hero Shelby Rogers, before the rain drove us all indoors.

It’s all in a day’s work when you’re the official photographer at this world-class professional women’s tennis tournament!!!

Volvo Car Open 2017 – Iconic Photo Shoot

Day two of the Volvo Car Open had me photographing what’s known as the Iconic Photo Shoot. This is where we photograph two of the top players at an iconic Charleston location. Previous locations have included the beach on Isle of Palms, and the flight deck of The USS Yorktown!

This year the selected location was The Cistern on the College of Charleston campus. The team from WTA even set up a net across The Cistern so the players could play a few points during the photo shoot. Before the players arrived, the C of C tennis team arrived for a couple cool photos!

Eventually, Elena Vesnina and Daria Gavrilova arrived for the shoot. We all had a BLAST and came away with some really cool images with which to promote this year’s Volvo Car Open!!! 🙂

Volvo Car Open 2017 – Qualies

A big sight of relief! After another year of anticipation and preparation, day 1 of the 2017 Volvo Car Open is under the belt.

The first Saturday is always full of fun. It’s not only the first day of qualifying for the un-seeded players, but it’s also Family Day. There are tons of activities for the kids, tennis clinics, autograph sessions, and of course world-class tennis matches!

To add to the excitement, this year the PowerShares series was moved from the second Saturday to the first Saturday of the tournament. Featuring legends of the game like John MacEnroe, Andy Roddick, James Blake, and Mark Philippousis, the evening was not only a showcase of the men’s talent, but also entertaining with the humerous banter between them!

Stay tuned for tons more action to come as I cover this annual WTA tournament, my 16th as their official photographer!!!

Amy & Adam at Middleton Place Plantation & Garden

I’ve known Amazing Amy for several years through the hair salon she manages. She is super fun, full of energy, and loves life to the fullest! Adam is her rock. He comes from a family with a history in law enforcement, and works for the Sheriff’s Department. He’s the strong silent half of Amy & Adam!  🙂

Yesterday we met up at the always-picturesque Middleton Place for their engagement shoot. The soft glow of late afternoon light was absolutely perfect! Playing tourist in our own town, we explored every corner of this amazing Charleston plantation, capturing the love these two share for each other.

We had an absolute BLAST together!  And we even got ourselves a rainbow!  I can’t wait to photograph their awesome wedding celebration this fall!!!

Megan’s Modeling Debut

Megan is such a gorgeous young lady with a beautiful spirit!

It’s been a pleasure getting to know her over the years as I photograph for the company she works for.  I was so excited to finally get to photograph her yesterday. We met up at White Point Garden and had a fun little fashion shoot as we toured some of the old historic downtown areas. Then we zipped over to the Ashley River for a grand finale with the dramatic sunset!

Thanks for a great session, Megan! YOU ROCK!!!

Pinckney 50th Wedding Anniversary

Photographing the Pinckney’s 50th Wedding Anniversary at The Gillaird was a true joy for me! As many weddings as I’ve photographed over my career, my wish is that EVERY ONE of those couples is able to one day celebrate the love they share the way Chris & Bea did this night!!! 🙂

Austin Asked, Courtney SAID YES!!!

This morning was a magical start to my day! Not only was it a crisp, fresh, glorious spring day, but I got to do one of my absolute FAVORITE things in the whole wide world…photograph two young people giving their hearts to each other!!!

Austin and I have been secretly planning behind Courtney’s back for months. We were making plans for his Secret Wedding Proposal to Courtney, his girlfriend of 2 years. Courtney is a bit of a history buff. And Austin wanted a majestic Avenue of Oaks. The majestic and historical Charlestowne Landing turned out to be the ABSOLUTELY PERFECT location!!!

After Courtney had caught her breath from all the excitement, we had a wonderful time exploring the grounds as we photographed their authentic Engagement Session. Courtney and Austin were so much fun to work with! I just loved how they melted into each other’s arms and couldn’t stop kissing. 😉  You just couldn’t imagine a sweeter couple!

CONGRATULATIONS Courtney & Austin! We wish you all the happiness in the world as you embark on this new journey together!!!

Dr. Giep Proposes to Michelle at Anson’s Restaurant

It’s hard to imagine two people more in love than Michelle & Dr. Giep!

I had the distinct honor of secretly photographing their wedding proposal at the renowned Anson Restaurant in historic downtown Charleston this evening.  They were the sweetest, kindest, most adorable couple you could ever imagine!!!  What a privilege it was to capture this special moment in their lives!

CONGRATULATIONS to Michelle & Dr. Giep! We wish you all the happiness in the world as you begin this new journey together…