Last week I had a really neat assignment for Mount Pleasant Magazine!
Working with Denise, the wonderfully talented and eloquent new Managing Editor at the magazine, we shot a huge variety of images for a story about the up-coming Homes & Gardens tour in Old Mt. P. It was a beautiful day and the home-owners we met along the way were so pleasant and generous with their time.
Here are a few of my favorites. Look for the article in the up-coming fall issue!!!
A couple days ago I had the pleasure of photographing Brooke & Daniel’s Engagement Shoot at Folly Beach. Brooke is absolutely STUNNING and was the model in the last couple images of this Lightbending Photo Mentor Session: https://chrisandcami.com/blog/2011/10/15/photo-mentor-session/. I’d never met Daniel before, but he was AWESOME! He’s super nice…and I can certainly see why Brooke is head-over-heals over him. 🙂
Congratulations you guys! I can’t WAIT to see you at the wedding in a few weeks!!!
Slipping away in my canoe is one of the ways I enjoy a quiet escape from the hustle of daily life. I caught these sandpipers hanging out while glidding past an old oyster bed near Cherry Point boat landing. Soon after I pulled over and followed suit…basking in the late afternoon sun, enjoying the slap-slap of gentle waves, and listening to the cries of gulls that flew by.
Shot hand-held with Nikkor 200-400 f4, VR set to Active, using Nikon D300 with MB-D10 grip.
When I met with Brian & Artie, there was a chemistry and a liveliness between them that intrigued me! We bonded and before I left, I knew that I couldn’t pass up on a chance to be a part of their special day! That turned out to be the BEST decision I’ve made all year!!! 🙂
Both Artie & Brian are world travelers, like Cami & I. They’ve even been to Africa, a place near and dear to our hearts! They love the outdoors like we do, go boating and hiking and hang out at the beach a lot. Plus Brian is a hopeless romantic like I am. 🙂 Their love for life, for our great planet, and for each other is truly self-evident!
Artie & Brian were married on the long dock at the gorgeous Harbor Resort & Marina in Mt. Pleasant. Their reception with all their c-r-a-z-y friends and family followed at the Sunrise Terrace beside the resort. To see the rest of their photos, head over to www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com.
Many thanks to our mutual friend and amazing wedding planner, Stephanie Gibbs at www.sweetgrass-events.com, for recommending us. And a HUGE congratulations to Artie & Brian!!!
“The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.”
~ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
A popular option among new parents is our “Welcome to the World” or WTTW Package! It includes 4 sessions of the parent’s choosing, throughout the baby’s first 18 months on the planet. Choices include a Maternity Shoot, Newborn Session, 3-Month Session, 6-Month Session, 9-Month Session, and 1st Year Shoot. At the end of the 4 Photo Shoots, they get to choose their favorite nine images to display on a beautiful complimentary Canvas Gallery Wrap Collage!
Brad & Anne-Magill instantly became favorite clients of ours when we first photographed their wedding several years ago. They have such a great “Laissez Faire” outlook on life!!!
When they started their family with beautiful Merritt…our WTTW Package was a perfect fit for Brad & Anne-Magill. They LOVED their collage! So of course when sweet Riley came along, we started on another series of sessions for her. As a bonus, Merritt gets to make cameo appearances with her little sister along the way. 🙂
Here’s a few from Riley’s 6-month session at the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site. Enjoy…
Serena Williams truly was the story of the Family Circle Cup. From the first ball she struck, she dominated the field…only loosing 15 games the entire tournament!!! This was Serena’s second Family Circle Cup title, and her 40th WTA Tour title…the third most titles of any active player on the tour!
As a doubles player myself, I thoroughly enjoy watching and photographing the doubles action. It was nice to see Lucie Safarova (who had lost earlier to Serena) partner with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to take home the trophy. Anabel Medina Garrigues and Yaroslava Shvedova had a great tournament. They won the first set in the finals, but ended up a little short in the third set tiebreaker.
I was the only photographer to have a private photo session with Lucie & Anastasia, who were super excited about their win. Alice Keeney and I also arranged a private photo shoot with Serena for a small group of photographers in a location we’d scouted out on Daniel Island. It’s always extra special to be a part of these more personal encounters with our champions!!!
Well, it was one heck of a week! And the score of the final match may have been one-sided. But visually The Finals at the Family Circle Cup were amazing to be a part of. From the appearance of the Easter Bunny, to the presence of legends like Billie Jean King, to the amazing action on-court…there was an electric buzz in the air that you could just feel in your bones!
Congratulations to Lucie Safarova, Serena Williams, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Anabel Medina Garrigues, and Yaroslava Shvedova for all making it to the deciding day!
Check out this video by the WTA about the Original 9 Reunion that I had the honor of photographing during the Family Circle Cup!
Highlights for this AMAZING event on Semi-Finals night at the Family Circle Cup included:
– Original 9 Reunion
– Stadium Court Dedication to Billie Jean King
– Star-Studded Tennis Exhibition with
Coaches: Billie Jean King and Virginia Wade
Players: Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, Martina Hingis, Rennae Stubbs, John McEnroe, Aaron Krickstein
Nikki Haley, Governor, South Carolina, Stacey Allaster, CEO, Women’s Tennis Association, and several representatives from Dove will be present to recognize the Family Circle Cup and the Original 9.
In September 1970, the birth of women’s professional tennis was launched when nine female tennis players signed $1 contracts with World Tennis publications publisher Gladys Heldman to compete in what would become the Virginia Slims Series. The Original 9, as they were called, included Billie Jean King, Rosie Casals, Nancy Richey, Kerry Melville Reid, Peaches Bartkowicz, Kristy Pigeon, Judy Tegart Dalton, Valerie Ziegenfuss and Julie Heldman. They have previously reunited in 1980 (US Open, NYC), 1986 (Virginia Slims Championships, NYC), and 1989 (Slims of Houston, TX).
Additional 40Love honorees will include Fern Lee “Peachy” Kellmeyer, the first employee and director of the WTA in 1973, a direct contributor to the creation of the Title IX amendment, and International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee. Kellmeyer currently serves as WTA Operations Executive Consultant. She is also a member of the ITF Fed Cup Committee and oversees the WTA’s alumni program to ensure that past players and tournament directors remain engaged with the WTA that they helped build. During Kellmeyer’s tenure, prize money on the WTA has increased from $309,000 in 1973 to more than $90,000,000 in 2012, and the number of WTA events has increased from 23 domestic tournaments to 53 events in 33 different countries.
“The WTA has been extremely fortunate to have the Family Circle Cup as its partner for 40 years and I congratulate them on running one of our most prestigious events,” said Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the WTA. “We are excited to celebrate Family Circle Cup’s landmark anniversary along with the reunion of our Original 9 trailblazers. These amazing champions helped shape women’s professional tennis into the number one professional sport for women and it is wonderful to bring them all back together to celebrate the historic achievements of the past 40 years at the Family Circle Cup.”
“Women’s tennis is about more than serving up exciting match play,” said Rob Candelino, Vice President, Brand Building, for Unilever Skincare. “Dove® believes that when girls see positive female role models in action at the Family Circle Cup, it helps expand their definition of beauty and builds their self-esteem to better equip them to become future leaders. Our brand and the Family Circle Cup have a shared commitment to helping women and girls reach their full potential, on and off the court.”
One of my favorite VIP Events at the Family Circle Cup this year was the “40 Love Original 9 Celebration” held in the grand ballroom at Charleston Place Hotel.
Hosted by ESPN Commentators Pam Shriver (a tennis legend in her own right) and Julie Foudy (of international soccer acclaim), the evening was full of superstars and celebrities. It was held in honor of the Original 9, for whom I’d just photographed the re-creation photo earlier that evening.
So of course Valerie Ziegenfuss, Billie Jean King, Nancy Richey, Peaches Bartkowicz, Kristy Pigeon, Judy Tegart Dalton, Kerry Melville Reid, Rosie Casals, & Gladys Heldman were all there. Other notables that were in attendance included Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Tracy Austin, Martina Hingis, Aaron Krickstein, Venus Williams, Cliff Drysdale, Renee Stubbs, and Virginia Wade.
The number of Grand Slam championships in that room was absolutely staggering! And to think…as the Official Photographers, my friend Alice Keeney and I had the best seats in the house!!! 🙂
One of the many facets of being the Official Photographer of the Family Circle Cup involves photographing several off-court events. Here are a few images from a VIP event honoring the Original 9. It was held in a beautifully decorated clear-top tent under the Avenue of Oaks near the Lagare Waring House in Charlestowne Landing.
