Amanda’s Anniversary Surprise at the Pavilion at Patriots Point

Amanda Assey Lewis of Southern Chic Weddings got a HUGE surprise from her hubby yesterday.  J  Tim planned an elaborate evening, including a stop at the Pavilion at Patriots Point, which is where they were married one year ago.  He’d arranged for a white linen table setting with Champaigne and a “fresh” replica of their cake topper to be placed out on the green overlooking Charleston Harbor.  I got there ahead of time, stashed a remote camera on one side of the table, and hid in the bushes with my 400mm lens on the other.  Feeling a little voyeristic, but knowing I had all the angles covered, I waited!  Amanda was totally surprised by the whole thing and we had a good laugh when I came out of the bushes afterwards.  Since it was right at sunset, we took advantage of the dramatic light and did a few portraits to commemorate the occasion before they headed off to dinner.  Tim really raised the bar for the rest of us married men!  Well done, sir!!!  And CONGRATULATIONS to you both on your 1-year Anniversary!!!  Many thanks to my friend and colleague, Liz Duren, for letting me in on the “secret”.   

Cotton Dock Remote

Last weekend I had the privilege of photographing Heather & Josh’s wedding at Boone Hall Plantation for our good friends Bill & Kelli Nixon.  The ceremony was held at the rustic Cotton Dock.  What a cool venue for a wedding!  I arrived early, as usual, and noticed the decorators were draping these long, silky, white sheets over the huge wooden rafters.  Seeing those rafters gave me the idea to mount a remote camera from one of the rafters to get this cool angle.  In the first photo you can see the D300 with 10.5mm Fisheye super-clamped to the rafter looking strait down.  The second shot is an image from the remote camera, which I fired with a set of PocketWizards.  Fun Stuff!!! 

The Miracle of Vision

My vision is pretty important to me!  So I make sure and get my eyes a thorough checkup every couple years.  Being a photographer, I always ask to have an imaging scan done as well.  It’s truly AMAZING what these medical imaging scanners can see.  Here are my Optomap Ultra-Widefield Retinal Images.  My doctor went through in detail and told me all about what every detail of my eye is.  It’s SO COOL!  Truly, the gift of vision that we have is a miracle in itself!!!

Munchkin Photography

Our good friend and amazing accountant, Kristin, asked us to photograph some new portraits of her ADORABLE “Munchkins”.  (Check it out at www.chrisandcami.com/blog.)  Since I’m still just a kid at heart, I had an awesome time with the girls.  Cami & Kristin just sort of stood off to the side and let the three of us “kids” play together.  It wasn’t really like a photo session at all!  It was a BLAST and we got some really cute shots.  I had the hardest time narrowing down my favorites…so many to pick from!  J

 

Ashley & Josh are Married!

What a BEAUTIFUL day to get married!  Ashley & Josh tied the knot yesterday on the beach in Destin, FL.  Ashley was simply stunning, her dress was so unique!  Here’s one of my favorites as a “teaser”.  More to come soon…

Into the Florida Panhandle

Yesterday I purposely kept to the windy coast-hugging roads from Western Florida up into the Panhandle.  Instead of just hitting the highways and making Destin my destination, I wanted to enjoy the journey in between.  It was absolutely beautiful and I made many stops to enjoy a picnic lunch, visit a historic lighthouse, and just take in the beautiful vistas of the Gulf of Mexico.

East to West

Yesterday I left the low-lying prairies of central Florida and kept heading west, landing in Homosassa Springs.  The area was absolutely VIBRANT with wildlife!  My trek from the east coast to the west coast was complete.  From here I meander up into the panhandle.  I’m really excited about Josh & Ashley’s wedding in Destin tomorrow! 

Paynes Prairie Preserve

Continuing my journey across the state of Florida, today found me visiting with the “Congo Mafia” at Penney Farms.  It was great to lunch with the Lindlands and Abells.  Then it was on to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, just outside Gainesville.  Here are a few fav’s from today’s shooting…

Florida Walk-about

This week I’ll be “on walk-about”, as the Aussie’s say, traveling through Florida.  I have a Destination Wedding over on the Gulf Coast this coming weekend.  So I decided to leave early, take my time getting there, and enjoy the beautiful “refreshment” that spring can bring.

 

My first stop found me in one of my favorite cities, the oldest in the US, the picturesque St. Augustine.  Here’s a few shots from the acclaimed St. Augustine Alligator Farm where birds garner almost as much attention as the gators!

Lisa & Justin at The Marina Inn At Grande Dunes

Lisa & Justin had an UNBELIEVABLE wedding last weekend at The Marina Inn At Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach.  Check out the crazy slideshow at www.chrisandcami.com/blog.  Then head over to www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com to see the rest of their photos!!!  J

 

Published in Tennis Magazine

Most folks know I’m one of the Official Photographers of the Family Circle Cup.  I’m also an avid tennis player with a USTA 4.5 ranking.  So naturally I subscribe to Tennis Magazine.  Last night I was about half-way through the new April issue…turn the page…and staring at me as a full-page add is one of my favorite shots of Caroline Wozniacki from last year’s cup!!!  With this year’s tournament only a few weeks away, excitement is building.  I think we’re going to have a FANTASTIC event this year!

As last year’s runner up puts it:  “The 2010 Family Circle Cup is my time to shine.  I came close to the title last year and now I’ve got my eye on the prize.”