The Citadel – Academy of Engineers Awards Banquet

I had the pleasure of photographing the Academy of Engineers Awards Banquet held at The Citadel, one of Charleston’s most iconic and historic campuses. The event took place at the beautiful Holliday Alumni Center, providing an elegant setting that perfectly matched the prestige of the occasion.

The evening brought together an impressive group of engineers, leaders, and distinguished guests to celebrate outstanding achievements within the field. From the moment guests arrived, there was a strong sense of pride and camaraderie in the room. It’s always rewarding to document events like this, where meaningful recognition and genuine connections are at the forefront.

Throughout the banquet, I focused on capturing a mix of candid interactions, formal group photos, award presentations, and the overall atmosphere of the evening. The formal setting, combined with the energy of the attendees, created a great balance of polished moments and authentic expressions.

For this event, I worked with a dual-camera setup to ensure complete coverage. I used a Nikon Z9 paired with the Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/2.8 II for versatility, while a Nikon Zf with the Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 II allowed me to capture tighter, more intimate moments from a distance. This combination gave me the flexibility to move seamlessly between wide scene-setting shots and close-up storytelling images.

Lighting was key in bringing the room to life. I used six Godox off-camera flashes strategically placed around the space to create consistent, flattering light on the stage and throughout the venue. These remote flashes were controlled from the Godox V480 flashes on each camera, and helped give the images more depth and dimension than would otherwise be possible with only using on-camera flash.

It was an honor to document such a meaningful evening, and I always enjoy working in a setting as timeless as The Citadel.

Iowa Corn Grassroots Summit

I’ve discovered that farmers are the nicest people on the planet!!! So it was with great pleasure that I accepted Shannon’s request to come to Des Moines to photograph the annual Grassroots Summit for the Iowa Corn Growers Association.

Shannon and I met at one of the US Grains Council events that I’ve photographed over the years. She worked with her team in arranging all the details to get me to their event at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeney, just north of Des Moines, Iowa. So I owe her a HUGE Thank You!

Most of the delegates and guests at the event are local farmers. So they were able to drive to the event. It was fantastic to see so many familiar faces from photographing other conferences involving the farming and grains communities. To be honest, I’ve begun to think of many of these folks as my friends!

Luckily the weather was absolutely gorgeous, which allowed me to start my coverage with a few drone shots of the venue. When covering such conferences, I like to tell the “story” of the day from start to finish. A few cool establishing shots from the DJI Mini 3 Pro are a great way to do this. Next I switched to a pair of Nikon Z9 bodies, rotating between the Nikkor 14-30 f4 Z, 24-70 f2.8 Z, and 70-200 f2.8 Z as needed. For additional lighting, I brought 6 Flashpoint Zoom Li-On II strobes.

After getting registered, everyone had time to mingle and catch up with one another. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig, kicked things off with a fantastic keynote address. There was a delicious luncheon before delagates began debating and discussing various topics. Then Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg raised some fantastic points during his keynote address. After more discussions it was time for dinner. And finally we transitioned into the highlight of the program, the Awards Banquet!

It was a long day, but super fun and rewarding! I hope I get asked back to photograph it again next year!!!

Trident Health Holiday Gala

I’ve been photographing Trident Healthcare’s Christmas Party for almost a decade now…sheeesh that makes me sound old. 🙂

Held at the old historic Francis Marion Hotel, I set up a portrait station by the Christmas Tree just outside the banquet hall. This includes a Nikon D5, 4 Flashpoint Speedlights, Manfrotto supports, and Westcott umbrellas. As soon as each couple gets checked in, I snap a photo of them, which is instantly transferred to the laptop, where Cami fine-tunes the image if needed, and sends it to the DNP DS40 5×7 printer. Within seconds, their print comes out and is slipped into an elegant black 8×10 folio.  Guests can take them right then if they wish.  Otherwise, we lay them out on a table for them to pick up as they leave for the evening!

Once everyone has arrived, I switch to the Nikon Z9 for candid photos of everyone mingling during cocktails, catching up during dinner, and enjoying the presentations and awards by the CEO of Trident Health, Christina Oh, and her team.

Capturing the couple’s photos, candids, and awards ceremony at the annual Holiday Gala for Trident Health has become a milestone I look forward to each and every year!!!