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Yesterday I was truly honored when Mike Saia from the Family Circle Tennis Center asked me to be the exclusive photographer for a press conference announcing the new home of the Nationwide Tour Championships on Daniel Island. There were plenty of TV crews, but I was the only photographer. 🙂

A three-year contract running through 2011 has been signed for the season-ending event, which features the top 60 on the Nationwide money list competing in a $1 million, 72-hole, no-cut event. The top 25 money winners after the Nationwide Tour Championship earn their PGA Tour playing privileges for the following season.

James Cramer (VP of Communications at the PGA Tour, Bill Calfee (president of the Nationwide Tour), Matt Sloan (president of the Daniel Island Club), and Mayor Joe Riley were among the dignitaries who spoke.

Shelley, Chris, Logan & I had the worst luck with weather while trying to get their beach portraits for Christmas. Yesterday was our third try at it and all I can say is WOW!!! We had the prettiest day and got some really neat images. YAY! 🙂

Donny & Jennie had a SWEET wedding day! I had photographed Jennie’s sister’s wedding, Callie, several years ago. Plus I photographed Jennie’s Bridal Shoot a few weeks earlier. So I knew how much fun Jennie and her family were. And Donny and his crew were a BLAST!!! So combining these two camps made for a terrific day for me!

I started off photographing Jennie’s preparations at her Aunt’s house…which was a beautiful location. Then we zipped down to White Point Gardens at The Battery where she and Donny had their First Glance. I got some really cool shots under and around the Gazebo. Then we headed over to The Citadel where we got family and wedding party photos before the ceremony started. Lee Horst did a great job on the bouquets and floral arrangements. Father Willey led a beautiful service with an exceptional homily. After the wedding, they descended down the steps and through the arched swords for a dramatic exit.

The reception was at The Hibernian…a venue I always enjoy working in. Hamby’s Catering did a fabulous job with the food and decorations. Linda from I Bake Cakes made a unique creation for Donny & Jenny to enjoy. Mike and The Mixers, an AMAZING band in town, rocked the place until not a single foot was standing still. It was AWESOME! At one point I was worried that the floor was going to cave in! 🙂 At the end of the night, Donny & Jenny made their grand escape while being pelted with bird-seed from every direction, then zipping off into the night in their Black Cab. CONGRATULATIONS Donny & Jenny!!!

I had an AMAZING time with Corey McNabb and the rest of the photographers who attended the Keep’n It Fresh workshop at T&J; Studios in Wichita, Kansas! Not only did we gain a tremendous amount of insight from Corey, but we developed new friendships amongst ourselves and were all able to share ideas and inspiration with each other. It was a really unique experience that I can recommend whole-heartedly to any photographer wanting to take their craft to the next level. Many thanks to Tyffany, Jeff, Brett, and Alex for organizing and planning such a cool experience for us!!!

This morning I flew into Wichita, where I’ll be spending the week getting refreshed and renewed at the Keep ‘n It Fresh workshop. We’re all staying at this really cool hotel in the “Old Town”. The program is put on by T&J; Studios. Tyfanny & Jeff are really neat folks and I’m so thankful to them for inviting me. ESPECIALLY since Corey McNabb is our guest speaker! Corey is an AMAZING photographer from Asheville. I first heard him speak at the Pictage Partner Conference in L.A. earlier this year. Since he and I have a similar style and use the same camera equipment, I’m really looking forward to learning all kinds of new ideas and fresh concepts from Corey!

Every once in a while, a couple comes along that are just very special people! Susan & Edie’s

Last night was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL evening. And there’s no better place to enjoy a nice evening than on the deck of The Yorktown. The American Buildings Company was having their annual meeting in Charleston and I got to photograph their big night out. Dinner was catered by The Mills House. God provided the light-show. 🙂

Bradford Mortgage Company has been a WONDERFUL client of ours for many years. They’re a great group of people and really care about their clients. Yesterday I photographed several new members who have joined the team. Congratulations to Kevin, Linda, and Brenda!

One of the greatest things about photography is there is ALWAYS something to play around with. Lately I’ve been exploring a technique called HDR (High Dynamic Range). It can be a very useful way to retain detail in an image that has an extreme amount of contrast. Or it can be used to create something a little “edgy”. Here’s an image I tricked out from a recent shoot I did for Holiday Inn.

I never get a chance to share Bridal Portraits on the blog because we’re always worried that the groom might see the dress before the wedding day. But I particularly liked this elegant portrait of Susan, who was married to Edie last weekend. So I thought I’d share it with everyone. It was done in the lobby of the historic Riviera Theater, with their antique movie projector in the background. I used four SB-800 Speedlights for the dramatic lighting…all triggered by an SB-900 on the D3. Susan had a 20×30 Canvas of this on display at the reception…STUNNING!

My friend Byron, who works for DNR here in Charleston, shared this link with me: http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/index.php. This photo by Paul Taggart is of Kabiriza, one of the most impressive Silverback living today! These mountain gorillas are the rarest breed of mamals on earth. And the huge conflicts between military forces in and around Virunga National Park where these gorillas live means that many of these great beasts are being murdered. Check out this video by National Geographic with images by photographer Brent Stirton: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/video/player#/?titleID=1588530850&catID=8. If you’d like to help, go to the website above and you can donate funds to buy boots, tents, medical kits, and other items the rangers need to protect the mountain gorillas.

An AMAZING thing happened at the Selah Concert on Friday! While I was hanging out afterwards waiting for Todd, Allan, and Amy to finish signing autographs, this handsome young man got down on his knee right in front of the band and asked his girlfriend if she would spend the rest of her life with him! It was SO COOL!!! Congratulations Jamie & Amanda!