A brand new high-end Kiawah Event Hall is going up on the banks of the Kiawah River. I had the honor of being the first person to photograph the freshly finished project for Trident Construction!!!
Azalea Drive Project for Trident Construction
Trident Construction, founded in Charleston in 1981, provides construction services in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Florida and Alabama. The amazing team at Trident Construction invited me to photograph some promotional photos of the progress being made on their latest project.
Forty years after opening its first Public Works facility, North Charleston is unveiling a new, state of the art complex posed to streamline services from a central location within the city. This $42 million multi-building campus, spread across 38 acres, houses public works functions, such as engineering, street and sidewalk maintenance, stormwater maintenance and utility, solid waste disposal, traffic signs and signals, landscaping, city facilities maintenance and repair, fleet maintenance, and construction contract administration.
“We are proud to open a Public Works complex that fits the stature of our growing city. From an old, small, metal creek-side building to a beautiful campus on repurposed land from the federal government, this facility ensures the capacity to handle the growth of North Charleston over the decades to come,” said North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey.
Headshots for Weeks & Irvine
Becca moved here to attend the Charleston School of Law. She specialized in real-estate law. And has joined the amazing team at Weeks & Irvine! It was a pleasure photographing her headshots this morning.
Not only has Bacca had a great start to her new career, she’s also getting married in 5 weeks! She and her fiance, along with 140 of their favorite friends and family, are heading to Key West to tie the knot. How fun is that? 🙂
Everyone help me congratulate Becca on her new position…and on her upcoming wedding!!!
Headshots for Joye Law Firm
In a complex personal injury case, two sisters suffered severe and permanent injuries as passengers in a Tesla accident in Charleston. The case was handled by Attorney Mark Joye of the Joye Law Firm. The litigation involved challenging negotiations with the Cincinnati Insurance Company, which initially understated the available insurance coverage. Ultimately, Mark was able to get a $2,417,500 settlement for the sisters. This case highlights the importance of skilled legal representation in personal injury cases.
It was an honor to photograph updated headshots for the Joye Law Firm last week. I set up a portable studio in their atrium, with a white background, and a high-key Rembrandt lighting style. I used the Nikon Z9, Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 Z, Flashpoint speedlights (x5), Manfrotto supports, and Westcott umbrellas. Of course I created serious portraits of each employee. But my favorites are the fun “outtakes” that I frequently throw in to help people get relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera!!! 🙂
Many thanks to Nicole & Rachel for coordinating schedules and helping organize the shoot.
Why Use Flash for Outdoor Portraits?
A nice couple was walking by as I set up my lights for a photo shoot on Daniel Island. Curious, they asked “why are you using flash for outdoor photos?” I thought that was a great question!
Commonwealth Financial is a longtime client. Several times a year, they have me come out to photograph headshots of new advisors that have joined their team. Heather is always so good about organizing everyone’s schedules and coordinating these photo shoots. She had arranged for me to come out for some updates this week.
We always schedule their headshots in the morning, when the side of their building is in open shade. That way, the light is consistent each time I go out, and nobody is squinting in the sunlight. The even shade also gives me a blank canvas to work with. It creates the ambient light that illuminates the side of the building that we always use as the backdrop, plus provides a nice fill light to the faces. Yes, I could just shoot these headshots with natural light. The light would be nice and soft. But it would also be flat, lacking punch and directionality. Plus it would be inconsistent from shoot to shoot…on overcast days it would be extra flat with a cool color tone…on sunny days it would be warmer and more contrasty. For these reasons, I always blend in some lighting from off-camera flash.
For the main light (to the subject’s right), I set up a Manfrotto lightstand, with 3 SB-5000 flashes on a bracket, firing into an Westcott Apollo 50″ softbox. Since this is a very large light source, susceptible to wind, the stand is held in place by 4 10-lb BoaBags. On the opposite side, firing from behind the subject’s left shoulder, I place another Manfrotto lightstand. This one has a single SB-5000 flash, firing into a Westcott Apollo Strip softbox, and is held down by a single 10-lb BoaBag. This light provides a “kicker” that highlights the hair, provides a little fill on the cheek, gives a little edging to the shoulders, and helps separate the subject from the background. I shoot these portraits using my Nikon Z9 with the Nikkor Z 70-200 f2.8 lens on a Manfrotto tripod.
In the first photo, you can see the results without flash, which I shoot to get a “base” exposure. There’s nothing wrong with it. The light just doesn’t sculpt the face and provide the punch I like in a headshots! The subsequent shots show the final results with the off-camera flashes. I hope this helps answer the question of why I use flash for outdoor portraits!
Joye Law Firm Marketing Photos
I’ve had the pleasure of working with the Joye Law Firm over the years. This week we photographed a variety of new marketing photos for them. They are a great group and everyone is always so nice!
Reese Joye opened the doors of the Joye Law Firm in 1968 to guide people through some of the most difficult times of their lives. Mark Joye and Ken Harrell are the partners who carry on that tradition. Today, their South Carolina accident attorneys work diligently to do more than help their clients get the compensation they deserve – they help restore the quality of their lives.
Pierce Sloan Kennedy & Early for Super Lawyers Magazine
I have enjoyed being one of the designated photographers for Super Lawyers Magazine for many years.
Super Lawyers Magazine, which is a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters, recognizes the top attorneys nationwide, across a variety of practice areas and firm sizes, using a patented process of independent research and peer input. The lawyers selected include not only represent the seasone veterans with years of experience, but also the Rising Stars of the profession. This well-respected publications is a great resource, designed to aid those needing an attorney they can trust. It has grown over three decades with an unparalleled reach in print magazines and online content.
This week I had the pleasure of photographing the attorneys from Pierce Sloan Kennedy & Early for an upcoming article in Super Lawyers Magazine!
Seamon Whiteside Headshots
I always enjoy working with Seamon Whiteside! Their company has such a healthy culture to it. Every employee I’ve ever met there is always happy, friendly, and eager to help out!!! That statement certainly applies to my photo shoot with them this week. It was an honor photographing some updated headshots and marketing photos for a few of their newest team members.
Aero Logistics Warehouse for Trident Construction
AERO Logistics just moved into their massive new industrial distribution warehouse in Summerville!
If you’ve never heard of them, AERO Logistics is an asset-based service provider structured to support the cold-chain efforts of the 3PL and Freight Forwarding Community. Their operation is supported by a knowledgeable staff, a fleet of new well-maintained equipment, cutting edge technology, and robust warehouse operations. But it’s their customer-oriented service-driven approach that sets this organization apart from other distribution groups.
I had the pleasure of photographing this giant new warehouse for Trident Construction, the amazing team that designed and built it!
McMillan Pazdan Smith Architects and Trident Construction
McMillan Pazdan Smith is a regional, studio-based architecture, planning, and interior design firm. Their purpose is to create meaningful and lasting impact for the good of all. Their goal is to design a better future through thoughtful, creative, and purpose-driven solutions. Serving with integrity has always been at the heart of what MPS is about. Many projects stem from repeat clients, a testament to their focus on design excellence and customer service.
McMillan Pazden Smith recently moved their offices into the brand new and ultra-modern Morrison Yard building in downtown Charleston. One of my favorite clients, Trident Construction, was tasked with the uplift of the new office space. And I was honored to be selected to photograph it for them!
Headshots for McCabe Trotter & Beverly
Over the years, I’ve developed some wonderful relationships within the photography industy. Charleston…and South Carolina as a whole…has a wonderfully supportive cummunity of photographers. If a client contacts me and I’m not available, I find out what they are looking for and recommend several photographers who I know personally, and trust to do a great job for them. Frequently, that good karma comes back to me!
Last week, my friend and amazingly talented photographer, Clark Berry, passed along one of his clients for me. Clark is from Columbia, and photographs headshots for McCabe, Trotter & Beverly, P.C. But when they opened a new branch in Charleston, Clark’s schedule was too tight to drive all the way down here for one headshot. So he recommended me! He also sent me samples of how he photographed the ones in Columbia, what lights he used, and even a behind-the-scenes photo of his setup.
From that information, I was able to meet up with attorney Jim Lady at the new office, and capture a variety of headshots that mirrored the style Clark had used on the original photos!
Retina Consultants for Novus Architects
Novus Architects was founded 25 years ago by Tommy Smith in his living room, working for one client. It didn’t take long for the Novus family to expand, as the demand grew for Tommy’s creative process and commitment to exceptional customer service. That first client, and many others that followed, are still working with Novus Architects today. Many of the team members from those early days are still around as well. What started as a small family firm, has simply grown into a larger extended family.
It was a pleasure photographing the new revovations Novus Architect implimented at Retina Consultants in Mt. Pleasant!