Maddie & Mark’s Engagement Session on Kiawah Island

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing Maddie and Mark’s engagement session in the picturesque Cassique neighborhood on Kiawah Island. The evening was perfect, bathed in the warm glow of golden hour, creating an enchanting atmosphere for capturing their love story.

As I arrived, the stunning scenery of lush landscapes and charming Southern architecture set the stage for a great session. My camera of choice wsa the Nikon Z9! It’s exceptional image quality and fast autofocus, ensuring that every candid moment reflected Maddie and Mark’s genuine joy and connection. I used the Nikkor Z 24-70 f2.8 II and the Nikkor Z 70-180 f2.8 for their incredible sharpness and beautiful bokeh. To add depth and dimension to certain shots, I used a Godox AD200 off-camera flash, creatively enhancing the images without overpowering the natural light. Plus a few shots on the DJI Mini 3 Pro added a unique perspective!

We explored different nooks and crannies of Cassique, from tree-lined pathways to waterfront vistas…ending up on a really cool wooden bridge over the marsh. I encouraged Maddie and Mark to interact naturally, allowing their personalities to shine through the lens. Their laughter and loving glances documented not just the moment but their deep connection to one another. The session culminated in a stunning sunset, with the sky painted in shades of orange and pink, resulting in breathtaking images. Each photograph not only captured a moment in time but also a reflection of their love, and their future together.

I felt a real connection with Maddie and Mark’s…and I loved hearing about their love story. I am honored to have been a part of this memorable experience and can’t wait to see where their journey takes them next!

Headshots for the LightGuage Company

I had the pleasure of working with the LightGauge Company this week, capturing their team’s new professional headshots in Charleston, SC. It’s always a rewarding experience to bring out the best in my clients.  And this shoot was no exception! LightGauge Company is an innovative leader in interior and exterior construction specialties. Their dedicated team brings unmatched quality and attention to detail in every project they work on. You can learn more about their services at golightgauge.com.

For this shoot, I used my trusted Nikon Z9 paired with the Nikkor Z 70-200mm f/2.8 lens to ensure sharp, high-quality images. To create a professional yet approachable look, I utilized two Godox AD200 flashes and two Godox Speedlights, which provided excellent control over lighting and helped highlight my client’s professionalism (while still catching a taste of their fun personalities). The combination of this high-end gear, and my years of experience, allowed me to help everyone relax while I worked quickly and efficiently.  I was able to deliver striking headshots that match the high caliber products LightGauge Company is known for.

It’s always a pleasure to collaborate with forward-thinking clients like LightGauge. Many thanks to my friend Bobby Carrier for his kind referral! And a special thank you to Jessica, their Director of Marketing, for working with me to come up with a neat concept for the look and feel of their new headshots!!!

Headshots for Seamon Whiteside

I snapped some stellar headshots today for my favorite client, Seamon Whiteside, in beautiful Mt. Pleasant, SC. Armed with my trusty Nikon Z9, I was ready to shoot, and everyone brought their A-game—complete with confident smiles. We dodged the Charleston humidity, though a squirrel briefly photobombed from the sidelines. The Nikon Z9’s fast autofocus and crisp detail made every shot pop like a rock star… even if these latest recruits to the company couldn’t quite hide their grin. Who knew headshots could be this fun? With my camera and the company’s charming courtyard, we proved that capturing confidence is an art—and a little playful humor makes the session so much more fun.

Madison & Justin’s Wedding at The Citadel

Madison & Justin are the sweetest couple you could ever hope to meet!!!

I had the distinct pleasure of photographing their nuptials at Summerall Chapel on The Citadel Campus this past weekend. The weather was dreary. But the love between these two brightened the chapel and warmed everyone’s hearts! Plus the rain let up just enough at the very end for a fun group photo with all their guests…which was one of Madison’s special requests. Plus we captured some dramatic shots of the beautiful couple on The Quad in front of Justin’s barracks.

CONGRATULATIONS to Madison & Justin!!! We wish you all the best as you begin this new journey together…

Headshots for Trident Construction

I always enjoy heading out to Trident Construction’s headquarters in North Charleston to photograph headshots for new team members. Here are a few fun shots and behind-the-scene images to share a little bit of what we captured!
(Nikon Z9, Nikkor Z 70-200 f2.8 S, Godox AD200 Pro flashes, Westcott umbrellas, Manfrotto supports, Sony memory cards, Savage seamless background)

Madeline & Logan’s Casstown Wedding

What an absolute pleasure it was to photograph Madeline & Logan’s gorgeous wedding on a beautiful farm in Casstown, OH!!!

Madeline’s mother is Cami’s best friend from high-school. When Noelle told Cami about Madeline’s engagement to Logan, we JUMPED at the chance to photograph it. And I’m so glad we did!!!

The wedding was held on a friend’s farm in Casstown, Ohio…not too far from where Madeline grew up on her parent’s horse farm in Troy. The farm was absolutely perfect…fully decked out and decorated for the Big Day!

After getting ready, Madeline and Logan had a private No-Look ceremony under the giant oak in the front yard, where they exchanged private vows that they had written to one another. Then Madeline had a fun Dress Reveal with all her bridesmaids, and a touching First Look with her dad and her brother.

Madeline’s family includes 3 giant Great Danes. Just because they have 4 legs instead of 2, doesn’t mean they are any less important. So of course Oscar, Oakley, and Winston were made official groomsmen, complete with bowties, and escorted to their places by 3 of the bridesmaids. Being a competitive horse rider, it was so perfect that Madeline and her parents arrived at the main ceremony in a classic horse-drawn carraige. Tears welled up in Logan’s eyes as he saw his bride for the first time, stepping off the carraige, beaming with joy as she walked down the aisle in her elegant gown.

The reception was held in a giant tent on the property. With touching toasts, an auctioneer letting the highest bidding table be first to go to the buffet line, a fun cake cutting, and an awesome band keeping the party going all night long…everyone had an amazing time!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Madeline & Logan! We wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together…

Toni & Billy expand the Summerville Flowership

It was such a joy to reconnect with our old friends Toni and Billy this week!

We’ve known Toni for a very long time…since way back when she and Cami worked at the same company. And we’ve known Billy since we photographed their wedding. It was great to see them again and photograph some new marketing photos for their beautiful business at the Summerville Flower Shop! Toni and Billy recently expanded and moved to this gorgeous new location. We love it!!!

Toni is an incredibly gifted florest. We are so happy that you found your true calling my friend! If anyone needs a great florist…we highly recommend contacting Toni and her team @SummervilleFlowerShop!!!

Kaitlin’s Bridal Portraits in Downtown Charleston

Kaitlin & Stevie were married in a lovely ceremony at Founder’s Hall this past weekend. You may recall I had the honor of photographing their awesome engagement shoot at the Lagare Waring House several months ago: https://chrisandcami.com/kaitlin-stevies-engagement-at-the-lagare-waring-house/. I am FINALLY able to share with you the fabulous bridal portraits of Kaitlin that we photographed in downtown Charleston, which have been under wraps until Stevie was able to see his beautiful bride in her gorgeous gown on their special day!!!

Rosen Hagood Charleston Office

Last week I had the pleasure of going back to Rosen Hagood law firm to photograph headshots for new attorneys that have joined the team. Their marketing group prefers I photograph everyone as a 3/4-lengh portrait, giving their graphic artists options for using the images in marketing material….while still being able to zoom in and crop headshots out of these photos for the website. This is one of the many reasons I love shooting with the Nikon Z9. The high-resolution 45MP sensor on Nikon’s flagship camera gives my clients PLENTY of pixels to play with so that they can kill two birds with one stone!

(Nikon Z9, Nikkor Z 70-100 f2.8, Godox/Flashpoint AD200 flash, Manfrotto supports, Westcott 60″ umbrellas)

Seamon Whiteside Columbia Office

Seamon Whiteside is expanding! I’ve photographed headshots, team photos, marketing shots, and of course a ton of their engineering projects throughout North and South Carolina. I’ve done photos at their offices in Mt. Pleasant, Greenville, Charlotte, Spartanburg…and now they are opening a new one in Columbia!

It was my pleasure to meet up with the founding members of the new Columbia office at The Horseshoe on the University of South Carolina Campus (USC). We strolled around, found some nice backdrops, captured a variety of headshots, and photographed some team photos. Plus one of the guys from the Charlotte office joined us to get his headshot taken as well!

Many thanks to Brittany for helping organize everyone’s schedules to make this happen…

High-Key Headshots for Bridge Commercial

I photograph high-key headshots for a lot of firms in Charleston. That clean, modern, all-white background just seems to be a popular choice for many companies. Plus it’s also an easy background to knock out in Photoshop if your marketing team wants to change the background to something else. I know the Rosen Hagood law firm does that with all the high-key portraits I shoot for them.

Periodically, companies will switch up their marketing or change their web-design, and ask me for a different background to go with their new “look”. But I’ve been working with Bridge Commercial for probably over a decade and they just continue to love the simple and elegant look of the high-key background. What’s not to like?!?

The key to lighting a high-key portrait is the background light. If you don’t light the background separately from the subject, even the whitest background will still come out looking dull. That’s because of the inverse square law of light. As you can see in my setup, I’ve got two speedlights on the left-side stand as my main light, which is Group A. I’ve got one speedlight on the right-side stand as my fill light, which is Group B. The power ratios in both groups are about the same. But having one speedlight instead of two naturally gives me half the amount of light, providing a pleasing ratio between the highlights and the shadows on my subject. Finally, I’ve got one speedlight on the stand behind the subject, aimed at the center of the background. The ratio on this light is double the others because I want the background to be nice and bright.

(Nikon Z9, Nikkor Z 70-200 f2.8, Godox/Flashpoint transmitter and speedlights, Manfrotto supports, Westcott 60″ umbrellas, and a twist-flex white background)

Headshtots for Premier Physical Therapy

It was a real pleasure to meet and photograph Darien for Premier Physical Therapy. She was super sweet and fun to work with. Her heritage is from Honduras. So I got to practice a little Spanish, which was awesome. Jill is the owner of Premier Physical Therapy. I’ve been photographing headshots and marketing photos for her and her team for a very long time. And I have to say, she always seems to find the nicest people to join her staff!!!