I love tennis! My dad taught me how to play back in high-school. I was a “walk-on” at college and rose to the #2 doubles position. I photograph the Volvo Car Open (among other) professional tennis tournaments every year. And I played USTA league tennis for many years at the 4.0 and 4.5 levels.
So it was a great honor when I was asked to photograph the USTA South Carolina Awards Banquet this weekend!!!
This week I had the great pleasure of working with the Kiawah Island Photo Club as their instructor during a private Wildlife Workshop that was held at the Center for Birds of Prey!
Under the care of Stephen Schabel (Director of Education), we had a fantastic time learning about these amazing hawks, falcons, kites, storks, kestrels, vultures, and owls. It was very rewarding for me, helping everyone figure out the best settings and techniques to capture these beautiful creatures. But the most amazing part was seeing the wonder and awe on the participant’s faces as they experienced these majestic birds up close and personal!
After a fun day together, we all set our cameras down and enjoyed an insightful behind-the-scenes tour of the operating rooms and rehabilitation facility.
Many thanks to Kimberly and Gordon from the Kiawah Island Photo Club, as well as Mandy, Stephen, and Katie from the Center for Birds of Prey for organizing this fabulous program!!!
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It was great to be back at Belmond Charleston Place this week, photographing the WP Chrysler Club sales meeting.
The program started off with a welcome reception for all the sales leaders and their significant others. My friend Gary and I partnered up to provide couples portraits, which Gary printed and delivered on-site for the guests to take home as a memento of the evening. We also photographed head-shots for the various dealership owners. Then everyone enjoyed a beautiful cocktail hour, followed by a fabulous dinner!
The next morning I photographed the business meeting, including all the networking opportunities, the keynote speakers, and of course the award presentations to the top sales leaders. CONGRATULATIONS to Chris & Joel for their achievements!
At the end of the day, everyone gathered for a big group photo on the famous Grand Staircase. That was the last “official” duty before everyone dispersed to partake in their various free-time activities, including golf, shopping, carriage tours, etc. As soon as I snapped the last frame, everyone scattered like school kids on the last day of class before summer break! 😉
I’ve been slowly incorporating the new Nikon Z system into some of my shooting. Although most of these images were photographed with my trusty Nikon D5, many were captured with the Z6II, which I’m very impressed with. However, there are still a few things that have left me wondering “why did they do that?!?”. The jury is still out as to whether I will fully switch over to mirrorless. But so far it’s been fun to play with. So stay tuned…
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Earlier this week I had the priviledge of photographing the Elanco Livestock Legend event at Middleton Plantation.
It was a beautiful fall evening with clear skies and perfect temperatures. As soon as the group arrived, I was able to photograph candid portraits of the award winners with their spouses. Then with drinks in hand, they strolled the grounds with personal guides telling about the history of this amazing plantation. Arriving at the Stableyards just after sunset, a casual cocktail hour included more interesting history told by blacksmiths and potters. Then it was off to The Pavilion for good food, lively conversation, and dancing. Plus of course the various regions got to have their group photos made!
It was a lovely evening celebrating the company’s accomplishments. Many thanks to Missy at Absolutely Charleston, and Samantha at Middleton Place for making it such a successful event!
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Jimmy is an awesome bagpiper, and a respected member of law enforcement in Charleston. I’ve had the privilege of bumping into him many times over the years as he’s played his pipes for tons of weddings and events that I’ve photographed. It was a great honor that he and Anna asked me to photograph their wedding!!!
Jimmy & Anna have known each other for over 20 years. Like many of us in life, they were good friends that drifted apart and lost track of each other. But they found their way back to each other when they re-connected through Facebook in 2014. They have been inseparable ever since! They fell in love and were married at the courthouse in June of 2019. But with the pandemic of 2020, their big wedding celebration had to wait until last weekend!
With preparations starting off at the Indigo Hotel in Mt. Pleasant, the sun was out and spirits were high! Anna looked absolutely stunning in her wedding gown. And Jimmy was quite dapper in his bowtie. Guests were shuttled to Sacred Heart Catholic Church on an old restored 1960s buss, which was REALLY cool!!! A beautiful ceremony was led by Father Jack, or “Uncle Jack” as he preferred. Jimmy’s Uncle came all the way from New York to perform the ceremony! After the service and formal portraits in the church, Jimmy & Anna stopped at the Mt. Pleasant Waterfront Park with me for some beautiful portraits before sunset. Then it was back to the Indigo Hotel for an awesome reception!!!
It was nice to see Sara Cavallon again, who coordinated everything at the church. I also enjoyed teaming up once more with my friend Robbin Knight as second-shooter. And Nicole with Direct My Days did an awesome job as their Day Of Coordinator. Also, many thanks to Carmella’s Bakery, Paper Dolls, Atlantic Executive Limousine, Lowcountry Valet, JW Wedding and Event, Blacktree Music Group, and all the other vendors and staff that helped make this day a huge success for Anna & Jimmy!
CONGRATULATIONS Anna & Jimmy! We wish you all the best as you continue loving life, loving each other, and loving this new journey you have begin…
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When Lisa called to secretly arrange for me to photograph portraits at her friend Donna’s 60th Birthday party, I was struck by what a kind and thoughtful gift that was!
Donna and her family had rented a beach house on Isle of Palms for the week. The night of the big celebration, they had a chef coming out to cook a delicious meal for all their friends and family. But before dinner, I arrived and took everyone out for some photos in the beautiful evening light!
We all had a wonderful time capturing these memories of a beutiful birthday celebration for Donna!!! 🙂
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Over the weekend I had the pleasure of photographing an intimate event called “Bird Songs” at the Center for Birds of Prey!
This special music event has become one of Charleston’s most anticipated experiences with Nashville singer songwriters performing in the round on the Center’s beautiful campus. Held in a relaxed and comfortable setting on the, surrounded by trees in the Owl Woods, this event has sold out every year. Past performers have included Grammy nominees, chart-topping performers, and some of country music’s most promising new stars. Guests enjoy an intimate and personal musical performance as well as a well-appointed open bar and a satisfying Lowcountry supper. One attendee described it this way: “Just like Austin City Limits in the woods!”
This year’s performers included:
– Phillip Lammonds, who has penned numerous tunes for and with artists like Darius Rucker, Lee Brice, Edwin McCain, Blake Shelton, and Hootie and The Blowfish
– Aaron Raitiere, who is an amazing lyricist, performer, and visual artist from Danville, Kentucky.
– Singer / Songwriter Barrett Baber who gave millions of viewers an unforgettable introduction to a rising new artist when he appeared on Season 9 of The Voice.
– Emily Brooke, who is a country/pop artist who has opened for nationally- renowned artists like Kelsea Ballerini, Old Dominion, Ryan Hurd, Charles Kelley, Craig Campbell and Randy Houser.
It was an absolutely magical evening! I would HIGHLY recommend getting your tickets for next year as soon as they become available!!!
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Day 3 of the US Grains Council’s 61st Annual Board of Delegates Meeting kicked off with more meetings in the big conference room, including great presentations, awards ceremonies, and votes for new officers.
Then I got to switch gears and turn to photographing headshots of the new board members, plus group photos of the new board of directors. I used the Nikon D5 + 70-200 f2.8 with the new Godox X2T transmitter in connection with 6 of the V860II flashes. For destination events, I carry the Manfrotto 5001B light-stands, which are super compact and great to travel with. The flashes worked beautifully, and everyone was fantastic to work with!
Once the portraits were done, I had to pack in a hurry and head to the airport to catch my flight home. The entire event was a HUGE success!!! Many thanks to the US Grains Council Staff for all their hard work putting everything together and making it run so smoothly.
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Day 2 of the US Grains Council’s 61st Annual Board of Delegates Meeting started off with headshots for some new staff members. I love meeting new people!!! 🙂
After that we had tons of presentations, both in person and virtually. This was the first year of hosting a “hybrid” meeting, in which most of the international staff and attendees couldn’t be there in person. Everything went incredibly well thanks to all the hard work and planning that had been put into the conference!
At the end of the day, everyone celebrated in an off-site event. The USGC hosted “A Taste of Des Moines” at Cowles Commons, which is a big beautiful square with fountains and gardens in the heart of the city. There was food, drinks, an amazing band…everyone had a fantastic time!
With Day 2 in the books, everyone headed back to the hotel to rest up and get ready for the big finale the following day.
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Last year’s Board of Delegates Meeting got cancelled due to the pandemic. So it was with great pleasure that I was invited back to photograph the US Grains Council’s 61st Annual Board of Delegates Meeting this year!!!
This year’s conference was held in Des Moines, IA. I’d never been there before. It’s actually a really cool city, with a truly impressive state capital building! The meetings were held in the Iowa Events Center, which was connected via a sky-bridge to the Hilton Des Moines Downtown, where everyone was staying. The first day’s highlight was the keynote presentaion by Tom Vilsack, the US Secretary of Agriculture!
I’ve been photographing these conferences for the USGC for about a decade. The staff, and most of the members, have become more than just clients to me…they’ve become my friends. It was absolutely wonderful to see everyone again, and capture all these moments for them!
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After numerous ups and downs, twists and turns, uncertainty and doubt, Jason was finally able to pull of his incredible Bar Mitzvah last weekend!!!
It may not have been the big party they originally envisioned. But Jason’s amazing parents, Jen & Gabe, worked diligently to make his coming-of-age a very special one! After all, a man only turns 13 once in his life. And just because there’s a pandemic going on doesn’t mean time stands still! So this past weekend, Jason was finally able to assume his religious and legal obligations under Jewish law.
Jason’s celebration was held at Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim synagogue, which was founded in 1749, and is one of the oldest Jewish congregations in the United States! It’s an absolutely stunning sanctuary that has recently undergone a beautiful renovation project.
In keeping with social distancing guidelines, only immediate family and grandparents were in attendants. However, a team of specialists were able to arrange it so that all Jason’s family and friends could still attend remotely. Even his Rabbi Stephanie Alexander and Music Minister Robin Shuler were present via the wonders of modern technology.
Many thanks to Sha Sha and her team at Loluma for making dreams come true. Much appreciation goes to Mark Swick for opening the synagogue and making sure everything went smoothly. As always, it was a pleasure to be working with my friend and incredible videographer, Ben Hough. And a HUGE shout out to Jason’s brother, Matthew for his amazing performance during the ceremony!
Congratulations and mazel tov, Bar Mitzvah!!! You are an INCREDUBLE human being, Jason! I can’t wait to see what great things you will accomplish in your future.
Bar Mitzvah, Bar Mitzvah Photographer, Beamah, Charleston Bar Mitzvah Photographer, Charleston Event Photographer, Charleston Family Photographer, Charleston Portrait Photographer, Chris & Cami Photography, D5, D850, Jew, Jewish Ceremony, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, KKBE, Mitzvah, Nikkor, Nikon, Nikon USA, Rabbi, SB-5000, Speedlight, Synagogue, Torah, KKBE, Loluma, Artistic Eye Productions
Last night I had the privilege of photographing a private high-profile event on the U.S.S. Yorktown. For privacy reasons, I’m unable to show any people pictures. But here are some shots of the beautiful setup, orchestrated by Lee and the amazingly talented team at Absolutely Charleston…
