Folly Beach Family Portrait

Jean & Dutch’s family are all originally from the Dayton area of Ohio. As most of you know, that’s where Cami grew up and where we met when I lived there after college. So it was GREAT talking about old stomping grounds and getting to know their family! They were vacationing on Isle Of Palms, but elected to make the trek to Folly Beach for their session. They LOVED the diversity and uniqueness of the beach compared to the more tame landscape on IOP. So they were pleased about their decision. But the best part was, they stopped at the famous Ye Ole Fashioned Icecream, a Charleston icon on this side of town that “happens” to be right on the way back to IOP. šŸ˜‰

Photography on IOP Beach is Illegal

Since Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island have passed ordinances making it illegal to have professional photographs taken on their beaches, we’ve had to find alternative locations for our vacationing clients. I know…it’s hard to believe that ANY town would put a ban on creating beautiful family photos that show the bonds of love, and preserve such special times in a family’s history. But that’s EXACTLY what they’re doing. Here’s a link: http://www.iop.net/FAQs.aspx.

Many of these families are made up of multiple generations, all coming from different areas of the country, who rarely see each other all together like this. And when an older matriarch or patriarch is involved, who knows when the NEXT time will happen that they’ll all be together again?!? So a portrait to commemorate the occasion holds a great deal of weight.

Fortunately for the Henley family, the beach house they rented sat on a beautiful property with lots of nice landscaping. So we were able to photograph their session without them leaving. Here’s a fun one of all the grand kids goofing off. šŸ˜‰ Still, they didn’t get any images on the beach…kind of the whole idea behind renting a beach house! Other families are forced to make the choice to drive all the way to Folly Beach…the nearest town without such a ban on it’s beaches.

Glorious Sunsets

Here’s a glorious sunset over (or under?) the new Arthur Ravanel Jr. Bridge, which has rapidly become a symbol of Charleston. I caught saw this while driving home from a portrait shoot one evening and just sat and soaked up the light show…just STUNNING! I wise photographer once told me: “God only gives us ONE sunset a day…and no two are EVER the same…so enjoy them.” šŸ™‚

Blue Sky Magic

I’ve had a lot of folks asking me how I get my dramatic “BLUE SKY” effect. It’s a technique I learned from the legendary Sports Illustrated photographer, Dave Black. And I recently saw a couple shots by Joe McNally with this technique as well.

Take this scene for instance. It was a dreary, overcast, hazy, UGLY GRAY evening sky. Who wants a BLAH background like that, right? So to make it POP, you have to set your camera’s White Balance Setting to a cooler tone. You can set it on the Tungsten setting if you like. I prefer to use the Kelvin Scale since it gives me more control. I often use 4,000K, which is a little warmer than full Tungsten. Now changing this in the camera means it’s a GLOBAL change…everything in your scene will be blue, including my subject.

So to get the right color back on my subject I place a WARMING gel over my flash and light him separately. I underexpose the sky by about a stop and a half to make this easier and to give the background more saturation. I have an SB-800 just out of camera frame on the left, zoomed to 105mm, with a full CTO (Color Temperature Orange) gel, at about 1/4 power. I’m controlling this flash through Nikon’s CLS system (I didn’t have my Radio Poppers on me at the time). The flash on my D3 is an SB-900, pointed strait at the sensor on the remote flash. All it’s doing is telling the SB-800 what to do and when to do it. I was shooting from across the street with the 70-200 to frame the subject with just enough of the beautiful Spanish Moss covered oak tree overhead. This was shot last week at Legend Oaks Golf Course.

As you can see, legendary golfer Bill Kalback now has a nice warm shaft of setting sunlight on him, while the gray sky in the background shifts to a complimenting blue twilight tone. Next time you’re faced with an ugly sky, give this a try!

Family Vacation

It’s summer time! That means FAMILY VACATION! I enjoy photographing family portraits for folks who are vacationing here in Charleston, Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Folly Beach, and Kiawah Island. These are all popular vacation rental sites. If you’re planning a trip to the area, call ahead as summer bookings get snatched up fast..

Kelly & Robbie

I photographed Robbie & Kelly’s wedding several years ago. They’ve referred so many of their friends to us over the years that I get to see them quite often as guests at those weddings when I shoot them. It’s a lot of fun showing up at these weddings and already knowing half the guests…almost like I’m part of the family now! šŸ™‚ Their adorable daughter just turned one. Here are some of the portraits with this beautiful, sweet girl and their family.

Whitney & Logan

Whitney & Logan’s wedding was like being a part of a celebrity event! They are both just so full of life, full of good looks (yes, you two Logan!), and full of the kind of charm that makes you want to get to know them better! When I photographed Whitney’s bridal shoot I knew right away I had a gorgeous young lady on my hands. But as I got to know her personality and her spirit, I realized it was the truth, kindness, and beauty within that REALLY caught Logan’s eye! Since he was a Citadel graduate, their ceremony was held at the impressive Summerall Chapel. After a fun ride in a Rolls Royce, they arrived with much fanfare at the Sand Dunes Club for the reception. The amazing Eddie “L” from ProWedding Entertainment was Master of Ceremonies for the evening. Logan & Whitney had cooked up something TRULY SPECIAL for their guests, performing a salsa dance number worthy of a final on Dancing with The Stars! As the party came to a close we snuck out to the beach for some dramatic closing images in the gorgeous evening light before all their friends and family lined up to cheer them on with sparklers. What a great day for creative story-telling. CONGRATULATIONS Whitney & Logan…you guys are AMAZING together!!!
(See their Online Gallery at www.chrisandcami.zenfolio.com)


Whitney & Ryan

Whitney & Ryan’s wedding ROCKED! I had photographed Whitney’s sister’s beautiful wedding two years ago (thanks for the referral Stacia and Brandon!), so when Whitney called to ask if I’d cover hers…well…how could I say “no”?!? šŸ™‚ The day started out kind of “iffy” with scattered thunder storms all around. Right up until the last minute we didn’t know if we would have to move things inside. But miraculously the skies opened up to gorgeous weather for their ceremony. The big man upstairs was smiling down on these two! It was the FIRST EVER wedding on Seabrook Island’s brand new Ocean Terrace. After the ceremony the clouds rolled back in allowing us to get some really dramatic images at dusk! CONGRATULATIONS Whitney & Ryan…you guys are a match made in heaven!

Ashley & Joseph are Married

Ashley was the Maid of Honor in a beautiful wedding I shot a few years ago at Middleton Place for her friend, also named Ashley. This past weekend the “Two Ashleys from Ashley Hall” reversed rolls. šŸ™‚ Ashley & JR held their ceremony and reception at the always photogenic Wickliffe House. I love the dramatic stair and bold colors throughout this historic home! After the beautiful ceremony, the reception spread throughout the house and out onto the tented lawn. Everything was elaborately decorated and everyone had a grand time. There were touching moments during the toasts and funny moments during the dancing, and everything in between. I had an AWESOME time with Ashley & JR and felt like part of the family by the end. Scurrying through a barrage of bubbles and jumping into their Black Cab get-away car, Ashley & JR waved as the drove off into the night. CONGRATULATIONS you guys!!!