Charlotte Assignment for Seamon Whiteside

Saturday was a LOOOONG day!!!

I left the house at 6:00 am and didn’t get home until 11:00 pm. Why you ask? I drove to Charlotte to photograph 8 major projects for the engineering firm of Seamon Whiteside. It was an ambitious goal. And I probably should have broken it up into 2 days. But the weather was great. And I wanted to knock it out to help keep them on budget. I mapped out an efficient route from one project to the next. The locations included everything from industrial warehouse complexes, to large scale multi-family units. And I just went at it non-stop from 9:00 am to 7:30 pm, with just one quick break at a Chick-fil-A to wolf down a sandwich.

It was an exhausting day! But it was also very rewarding. I’m pleased with the wide variety and creativity I was able to capture, even under pressure. As a photographer, it’s good to push your limits and challenge your skills from time to time. This assignment DEFINITELY did that!!! 🙂

Charleston County School District Office

The Charleston County School District had their office at 75 Calhoun Street pressure washed and professionally cleaned this week. It was looking so good that they asked me to come down and photograph some drone shots and detail photos of it for them. Using The Photographers Ephemeris, I calculated the optimal time when the beautiful late afternoon sunlight would hit the building and make it shine. Then I headed down and captured a variety of shots to showcase the building!

(DJI Mavic 3 Pro, Nikon Zf, Nikkor Z 24-120 f4)

South Carolina Aquarium Boeing Learning Lab for Trident Construction

Last year I had the pleasure of photographing the International African American Museum for Seamon Whiteside. This year I got to photograph the beautifully renovated property right next to it for Trident Construction!

The multimillion-dollar renovation of the Charleston Maritime Center will usher in a new chapter for the building, part of which will serve as a waterfront marine-life educational hub, sponsored by Boeing, and managed by The S.C. Aquarium. The project broke ground in July 2023. Now, it’s complete and gearing up to welcome students. But Trident Construction had me scheduled to photograph the finished building today before students arrived.

Since the property has a prime view of Charleston Harbor and the rising sun, I arrived at dawn to catch the warm glow of early morning light skimming across the water. It was a beatiful, misty sunrise. I captured a variety of aerial angles with my DJI Mavic 3 drone. Then I switched to the Nikon Z9 for the remaining shots. About the time I was wrapping up the exterior photos, Sarah, Mariah, and the rest of the staff from the SC Aquarium arrived to show me around the interior. And Grace arrived from Trident Construction to guide me to some of the key elements of the design that they wanted to feature in the photos.

It was an absolute pleasure being a part of this amazing new project!!!

Industrial Warehouses for Seamon Whiteside

Seamon Whiteside not only does the engineering for large apartment complexes, family communities, and multi-use facilities…they also provide their services for industrial warehouse spaces. It was so cool to photograph some of these MASSIVE buildings this weekend!!!

(Nikon Z9, Nikkor Z 14-30, Nikkor Z 24-120, DJI Mavic 3 Pro)

The Beckett Apartments for Seamon Whiteside

It was a beautiful morning to photograph The Beckett for the engineering firm of Seamon Whiteside.

“Nestled in the heart of Bees Ferry, we invite you to find your hive – where community and comfort are built into every moment. Our luxury one and two bedroom apartments boast stunning features that make home feel like a retreat, from private balconies to quartz countertops. Our location combines the tranquility of its serene setting with the convenience of West Ashley. Experience the celebration of community at The Beckett – where each day goes smoothly and every moment is sweet.”

(Nikon Z9, Nikkor Z 14-30, Nikkor Z 24-120, DJI Mavic 3 Pro)

River Landing Condos for Glick Boehm Architecture

It’s always sad to hear when families are having to sue the companies that built their home. On April 29, 2019, only one week before the trial of a lawsuit against the builders of River Landing Condos, The Post and Courier published an extensive article titled, “40 Charleston Area Condo and Apartment Buildings Involved in Lawsuits Over Defects”. The article by David Slade discusses alleged construction defects with multi-family buildings and lawsuits related to these alleged defects.

Fortunately, the team at Glick Boem Architecture knows how to do things right! And they have a ton of experience with fixing other’s mistakes. GBA was founded in 1981 as a multi-disciplinary firm specializing in Architecture, Planning and Interior Design. Providing professional services throughout the Southeast, the firm has received major national and local design awards, as well as extensive coverage in professional publications.

GBA wase brought in to fix the water damage, insulation deficiencies, and mold issues at the River Landing Apartments on Daniel Island. They in turn brought me in to photograph some before/after photos mid-way through the renovation process.  The difference is absolutely remarkable!!! Hopefully this massive undertaking makes these families whole again, allowing them to live the peaceful lives they dreamed their move to Daniel Island would be…

Tideline CPA Group for Rush Dixon Architects

I’ve had the pleasure of photographing projects for Rush Dixon Architects for several years now. Rush and Judy are the nicest people in the world. And they are always super organized…which makes my job easy! Their designs are always incredibly practical, unique, and interesting. I was particularly impressed with the way they worked the layout of the new building for Tideline around the beautiful giant live oak tree on the property!!!

Once Rush & Judy have reviewed the proofs, we’ll send their favorites off to our retouching team to remove those ugly powerlines!  🙂

(Nikon Z9, Nikkor 14-24Z, Nikkor 24-120Z, DJI Mavic 3 Pro)

North Charleston Senior Center for Glick Boem Architects

It was a pleasure photographing the new North Charleston Senior Center on Carner Avenue this week!

The North Charleston Senior Centers have an onsite state of the art fitness center, water aerobics pool, group fitness exercise room and plenty of programs for all levels during operating hours. The fitness centers are equipped with commercial quality cardio and weight training equipment. There are ongoing daily activities at each site to help encourage social interaction and support ongoing educational opportunities.

Many thanks to Shawn at GBA for coordinating everything to make this shoot possible!

Hallie Hill Animal Sanctuary for Trident Construction

Cami and I are both huge animal-lovers. So when my friends at Trident Construction invited me to photograph the brand new state-of-the-art facility they had just completed at the Hallie Hill Animal Sanctuary, I jumped at the chance!

It’s the season of giving…and adopting! Check out https://www.halliehill.com/ to make a donation…or make an appointment to meet some of their four-legged friends. Who knows?!? You just might find that perfect pet you’ve been looking for, and give them their forever-home!

Caleb’s Senior Portraits

When was the last time you reconnected with an old friend? As the saying goes, “Make new friends, but keep the old. Some are silver, some are gold.”

Cami and I had the pleasure of reconnecting with our good friends, Jim & Re, this week. The last time we had seen them was when we photographed their daughter McKenzie’s senior portraits in March of 2023. So it was with great excitement that we met up with them to photograph their son Caleb’s senior portraits!!!

Caleb has grown into a handsome young man with a booming voice and an infectious smile! He works and hangs out in downtown Summerville a lot. So that’s the location he picked for his session. It’s a really cool area with lots of great backgrounds. Plus we ended up with beautiful golden-hour light that evening. We all had so much fun and came away with a ton of great shots for Caleb!

CONGRATULATIONS on completing this huge milestone in your life, Caleb! We wish you all the best for an exciting and successful career with the military!!!

Coastal Carolina University for DWG Consulting Engineers

On the evening of July 23, 1954, a group of citizens met in the Horry County Memorial Library to discuss a daring proposal – the creation of a new local college. Later that year, 53 students are enrolled, taught by a handful of part-time faculty, with classes meeting after hours in Conway High School. Today, a diverse population of more than 10,800 students from across the country and around the world engages with a world-class faculty, enjoy an inspiring cultural calendar, and share in a community of 112 student clubs, organizations, and honor societies. The University now offers 72 undergraduate programs and 21 graduate programs. The University campus comprises 115 main buildings on 621 acres in Conway, SC, just minutes from the resort area of Myrtle Beach.

As the university grows to meet modern demands, DWG Consulting has been instrumental in upgrading and expanding the buildings and infrastructure of the campus. It was an honor and a pleasure to photograph some of theese projects for DWG’s protfolio.

Joe Daning Amphitheater for Trident Construction

Located behind Goose Creek’s City Hall, the new Joseph S. Daning Amphitheater opens on Sept. 6, 2024. With exciting amenities including a food truck court, pavilion, concert stage, dance floor, public restrooms, and lakeside views, the new amphitheater will encourage people to gather as a community and enjoy a variety of public performances. Its open-air design provides for a unique and memorable experience whether you’re performing or soaking up the atmosphere as a spectator. For more invormation and a calendar of events, check out: https://www.cityofgoosecreek.com/joseph-s-daning-amphitheater.

With the Danigh Amphitheater in its final stages of construction, Trident Construction arranged for me to go out and photograph the project for their portfolio. I lucked out with a beautiful day, with warm afternoon light, blue skies and puffy white clouds. All images were photographed with the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, plus the Nikon Z9 with either the 14-30 f4 or 24-120 f4 Z lenses.

Many thanks to Anna for coordinating schedules and organizing everything for this assignment!