Katie & Tom’s Tampa Bay Wedding

Early in the spring of 2018, a young man by the name of Tom reached out to me:
“My girlfriend and I will be visiting Charleston in early February, and I am planning on proposing to her…are you available February 9th?”

Tom spent the following weeks corresponding with me and planning every detail of his surprise proposal to Katie. I could tell he was an amazing guy, and that he wanted everything to be perfect for the girl if his dreams! It was. She said yes. And it was my distinct honor to capture that special moment when he slipped the engagement ring on her finger: https://chrisandcami.com/katie-toms-secret-proposal-at-white-point-garden/.

It was so much fun getting to know Katie & Tom through that experience. Imagine my excitement when several months later they also asked me to photograph their wedding in Tampa!?! Having been there for them in the beginning when Katie said “YES”, it was such a joy to be there on this special day in the spring of 2019 when she said “I DO”!!!

Katie & Tom’s wedding celebration was absolutely perfect. With a rehearsal dinner at the Tampa Yacht & Country Club, wedding day preparations starting off at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, and the wedding/reception held at the Davis Island Garden Club, I couldn’t have asked for more picturesque locations.  The sun was shining, the ocean breezes were blowing, and the temperature was absolutely perfect.  Katie was absolutely stunning in her gorgeous wedding gown and colorful bouquet.  Tom was quite dashing in his blue suit with choral necktie and complimentary boutonniere.

Throughout their special day, the energy was palpable, and the excitement ecstatic! I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much at a wedding. It was like every member of the wedding party was hand-picked to fit a perfect cast of comical characters with charisma and charm to boot. Everyone had so much fun…and I had so much fun capturing every moment of it all!!!

Many thanks to Katie’s Mom Sherry for all her hard work in pulling everything together.  I am so grateful to Christi Windsor of Windsor Events, everyone at the Davis Island Garden Club, Olympia Catering, FH Events, DJ Kevin Cramer, UDream Events, West Palm Wines, Femme Akoi, Tampa Lights, Connie Dugin Linens, OMG Trolley Company, and everyone else who played a part in making this amazing day come together so beautifully for Katie & Tom.

To see more of their photos, visit:  https://chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/katieandtomwedding.

CONGRATULATIONS Katie & Tom! We wish you all the happiness in the world as you begin your new journey together.

Headshots in The Cigar Factory Basement

Being a professional photographer is not always roses and sunshine. Sometimes we are faced with difficult scenarios, yet expected to produce stellar results!

Photographing an assignment for Lee & Associates, I needed to create headshots for a couple of recent additions to the team. We normally do their shoots in The Cedar Room. This is the big beautiful ballroom in Charleston that’s known for its gorgeous historic brick walls. Instead, they offered us this wall in the bottom floor, which is now a a back service entrance in the basement of the old factory.

I got to work and set up my Nikon D5 with Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 on the Manfrotto 055 carbon fiber tripod. I mounted 2 SB-5000 flashes, both set to Group A, on a Manfrotto light stand with a 60″ Westcott shoot-through umbrella, as my main light. I set 2 SB-5000 flashes, on another light stand with a shoot through umbrella in the back. One of these flashes was set to Group B and directed at the subject to act as a rim/fill light. The other was set to Group C and directed at the wall as a background light. The camera was then tethered to my Lenovo Yoga laptop, which rested comfortably on the trash can in the corner.  Using Adobe Lightroom allowed the client to proof images as I shot, and allowed each individual pick out their favorite shots.

In spite of the conditions, with a little ingenuity, and a dash of creativity, we were able to make this dark hallway look as bright and beautiful as the gorgeous ballroom above!

Mary Beth & Bryant at Brittlebank Park

I’ve been looking forward to meeting Mary Beth & Bryant for a VERY long time! We finally met up this weekend, on a gorgeous spring day, to capture some beautiful engagement photos for their up-coming wedding. 🙂

Starting off at Hampton Park, I was quite surprised at how many flowers were already in full bloom! With vibrant colors from the flowers, huge oak trees, a black iron bridge, and long wooded walkways, we came away with some absolutely MAGICAL images! But to top it all off, we zipped over to Brittlebank Park to capture the last rays of a gorgeous setting sun over the Ashley River… and of course the beautiful twilight that followed.

I had such a blast getting to know Mary Beth and Bryant. I can’t wait to be there for them to preserve all the special moments of their amazing wedding this summer!!!

Lancaster Christian Services

Yesterday found me traveling to Lancaster, SC for another shoot with the South Carolina Community Loan Fund.

The assignment was to tell the “story” of the Lancaster Christian Services Center. The SCCLF had helped this organization secure the financing to purchase a bowling alley to house a number of their community outreach programs, including two churches, a food pantry, meeting rooms for education programs, and of course a fun place for youth to hang out.

Images were captured with the DJI Mavic Pro and Nikon D850 with either the 14-24 f2.8 or 24-70 f2.8 and as many as three SB-5000 off-camera flashes, depending on the scene.

Marketing Photos for Lovely Law Firm

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of working with the amazing team at the Lovely Law Firm in Myrtle Beach. We picked the Grand Dunes Ocean Club for the backdrop of our photo shoot. It was a beautiful day and we came away with some awesome images!

This was my second time working with Justin and his company. They are a great group of people, and always fight hard for their clients!

Images shot with Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70, Nikkor 105, Sony XQD cards, and up to 4 Nikon SB-5000 off-camera flashes (depending on the scene).

Headshots for Siemon Whiteside

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of photographing more head-shot for one of my favorite clients! As Siemon Whiteside continues to grow and expand, they bring me in to photograph the newest members of their awesome team of professionals.

Setting up my portable studio in their conference room included the following: Savage seamless black background, Nikon D5, Sony XQD Card, Nikkor 70-200, Nikon SB-5000 (Master) flash, Westcott Apollo 50″ softbox with 3 SB-800 flashes (main light), two Westcott Apollo Strip Lights with 1 SB-800 each (rim lights), RadioPoppers (to sync all flashes), and Lenovo Yoga Laptop (tethered to camera).

I always enjoy working with this awesome team of wonderful human beings!

A Peace of Soul Vegan Kitchen

Today found me driving to Columbia, South Carolina, to photograph entrepreneur and chef extraordinaire, Folami Geter. Folami created “A Peace of Soul”, which is a food truck, and soon to be restaurant, serving fresh and delicious vegan meals that are to die for!

The assignment was for the South Carolina Community Loan Fund, which is writing a piece on Folami’s success story. The SCCLF was instrumental in helping Folami purchase and renovate her restaurant building, which will open its doors soon.

I photographed this assignment with the Nikon D850, Nikkor 24-70, and up to 4 SB-5000 flashes. Some of the shots include gels on the flashes for added color and drama to the otherwise drab interior of the food-truck’s utilitarian work space. I also captured some establishing shots with the DJI Mavic Pro.

Comcast Conference

Over the course of the two-day Comcast Conference, held at the North Charleston Marriott, I had the pleasure of photographing head-shots for over 150 executives, managers, and team leaders. It was hard work keeping on schedule and maintaining that pace. But everyone was so kind and gracious, and each individual was so full of energy. They kept me pumped up!  And I had so much fun! What a great group!!!

Headshots at Palmetto Community Care

This afternoon I had a super fun photo shoot with one of my all-time favorite clients!

Palmetto Community Care provides complete compassionate care, free testing and prevention measures, and referrals to medical care and support for those living with HIV and AIDS in the greater Charleston area.  “We believe no one living with HIV or AIDS should go without medical care, everyday resources and emotional support.”

I absolutely love working with Palmetto Community Care…not only because they are wonderful, vibrant, caring, and loving human beings, but because they are doing good things for the people of Charleston!

All images were shot on the Nikon D5 with my favorite Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 VRII lens.  Lighting was provided by 6 off-camera speedlights.  1 Nikon SB-5000 was lighting the background for that bright “high-key” look.  3 SB-800 flashes in a 50″ Westcott Apollo softbox provided the main light.  And 2 SB-800 flashes in a Westcott 36″ shoot-through umbrella created a soft fill light.  Shooting tethered to my Lenovo Yoga, images instantly popped up in Adobe Lightroom and automatically had my special black-and-white preset applied to them so that individuals could approve of their portraits and pick out their favorites.

Sunrise Shoot in Cartagena, Colombia

While in Cartagena, Colombia, I had the opportunity to photograph an AMAZING sunrise photo shoot with my good friends and gorgeous models, Heidi and Stella!
Arriving on the deserted beach in front of the Hilton Cartagena before dawn, I saw a bunch of birds circling overhead in the dim light. Rounding the rock jetty, I saw they were keen on picking off the remnants of a boat full of fisherman. It was fun watching the men work the nets and show off their catch with glee. The egrets, herons, and frigat birds fought for the scraps around the perimeter.

When Heidi and Stella arrived, we headed over to the rock jetty and the dilapidated lifeguard stand. One of my favorite shots is the one of them in the doorway of the faded structure up on its wooden stilts. Shooting with a Nikon D850 and a Nikkor 16-35 f4 VR, I placed a Nikon SB-5000 flash behind them inside the room, and covered it with a CTO warming gel to create a warm silhouette against that electric blue sky. The great white heron perched on top was just icing on the cake!

The rest of the shoot was done with a Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 VRII, often mixing in the SB-5000 flash, mounted on a Manfrotto 5001 nano stand as either a rim light, kicker light, or an off-camera main light. I love Nikon’s new Advanced Wireless Lighting (AWL) system, which allows me to control the flash directly from the camera’s menu.

I had an absolute BLAST with Heidi and Stella as we enjoyed our final morning in Cartagena together! These two adventurous ladies were heading out to an island off the coast later that morning, as Cami and I boarded a plane for our flight back to America. 🙂

Iron Gate Realty

Over the many years that I’ve been a photographer in Charleston, there are a handful of clients who have been with us since the beginning. I’ve known them and worked with them for so long that I think of them more as friends than as clients. Renee is just such a friend!

Last week I met up with Renee on Daniel Island to photograph some updated headshots and marketing photos for her company, Iron Gate Realty. Like me, her career has evolved and grown. It was quite interesting as we discussed the amazing similarities between our chosen professions. I’m so very proud of Renee for all she has accomplished, while staying true to herself, and truly finding joy in serving her clients the way that only she knows how to do.  I highly recommend contacting her if you’re looking for an outstanding real-estate agent to work with!

Congratulations on your Charleston Realtor of Distinction award, Renee!!!

Crowder/Stockham Three-Generation Shoot

One of the highlights of my week was photographing a beautiful three-generation family session for the Crowder/Stockham family!

I share a special connection with this family, since I grew up in the Congo (DRC) and attended The American School of Kinshasa (TASOK) with Sarah. And Sarah’s mother, who I call Aunt Elaine, was the MPH Hostel Parent at the time. Us MKs often refer to our friend’s parents as “aunt” and “uncle” because we feel like family, even though there are no legitimate blood ties.

While I was visiting my parents in Claremont, California, Aunt Elaine was visiting her daughter and grand-daughter, Morgan. Sarah was kind enough to ask if I’d be willing to photograph a 3-generation shoot for them. Would I?!? I told her I’d be DELIGHTED!!!

We started at their house in the hills, which has a beautiful back yard that is teaming with flowers and wildlife. Then we headed over to Pomona College, where Morgan is a senior. It’s a picturesque campus with great locations for portraits. We had a great time and came away with some fabulous photos!

It was such an honor being a part of this special family for the morning, re-connecting with our fond memories of days gone bye, and finally meeting Morgan!!!