Keith Summey Library for DWG

The Keith Summey North Charleston Library was opened in 2023 to replace a smaller facility erected more than seventy years earlier. The original structure was conceived in 1946, and dedicated to the “memory of the men and women of Cooper River District who died in service during World War II.” Use of the building was initially limited to White citizens. This and other branches of the CCPL system were opened to African Americans in 1963.

It took a bit of planning. But finally we were able to arrange a day and time to photograph the new Keith Summey Library outside of opening hours so that we had complete access without interfering with patrons!

DWG Consulting Engineers had done a fantastic job on this project! And I was excited to be selected to photograph it for them. Many thanks to Cate Smolinsky for all her hard work coordinating everyone’s schedules, and arranging for someone to to get me unfettered access!

Seabrook Island Club for SMHa Architects

It was an honot to photograph a few updated features that SMHa Architects made to the Seabrook Island Club last week. We ended up with a beautiful day, and had fun capturing the fresh landscaping, new bar features, and re-designed ADA entrance. Many thanks to Marie for all her hard work coordinating everyone’s schedules!

Park West Recreation Complex

It was another fun day to be outside, flying the drone, and capturing photos of a fantastic Mt. Pleasant park!

Seamon Whiteside did an AMAZING job, engineering this space to incorporate so many different sports fields. The Park West Recreation Complex has been around for a few years. But they just resurfaced the track and made a few additions. So I was asked to get some updated drone shots and still photos of the facility.  It was fun to see people out enjoying the sunshine!!!

* Nikon Z9, Nikkor Z 14-30 f4, Nikkor Z 24-120 f4, DJI Mavic 2 Pro

The Battery Soccer Stadium

Soccer holds a special place in my heart! I grew up playing soccer in Zaire (DRC), played midfield for the TASOK team that won the Kinshasa championships, and went on to receive a scholarship to play at Spring Arbor University.

So it was with great excitement that I received the request to photograph the new Charleston Battery Soccer Stadium for Seamon Whiteside!!!  While I was there, I got to meat Christian, the head coach of the College of Charleston women’s team.  So that was pretty cool. But other than him, I had the place to myself!

If you haven’t been to a game at the new facility, it’s pretty awesome.

The Hawks Nest – A New Public Park in Hannahan!

What a GORGEOUS spring day!!! The sun was out. The sky was blue with giant puffy clouds floating through. And the new public park in Hanahan was my “playground” for the day!

I had the honor of spending the day photographing The Hawks Nest, which is a new sports complex and public park in Berkeley County, SC. Seamon Whiteside is the engineering firm behind this picturesque park. They were responsible for designing the park and all it’s amazing amenities.

I got to photograph a wide variety of shots to showcase the many aspects of this beautiful property, as well as showcase how much the public is loving it!

Charleston Trident Association of Realtors at The Dewberry

An historic event took place at the Installation Reception for The Charleston Trident Association of Realtors earlier this week. For the first time in the history of CTAR, an African American woman was voted in as president! It was a pleasure photographing this wonderful event at The Dewberry Hotel. Congratulations to Katesha Breland and all the other inductees!!!

Sullivan’s Island Fire Station for Trident Construction

Who doesn’t LOVE a cool Fire Engine? I mean, every little boy dreams of becoming a fireman when they grow up, right?!? So it was with great excitement I accepted the opportunity to photograph the brand new Sullivan’s Island Fire Station for Trident Construction!

“The $8 million project is nearly two years in the making. Before this renovation, the station was built to the standard of the late 1980s to early 1990s. Fire Chief Anthony Stith says there have been a lot of upgrades since then. The station has features like hurricane-strength windows and siding, bi-fold garage doors that open in seconds, an exhaust system for the trucks in the garage, and industrial washers that remove carcinogens from gear after it’s worn at a fire. The project also built a storage facility behind the fire station to hold the town’s maintenance equipment and extra fire and police items to protect them from the elements.”

Many thanks to Elizabeth and Larry for making this happen!!!

Engineering Projects for Seamon Whiteside

The amazing engineering projects by Seamon Whiteside are some of my FAVORITE things to shoot!!! Whether it’s an entire residential neighborhood, a large multi-function building, a spacious park, or a new hotel, their teams always come up with some of the coolest designs!

The best part is, they give me full creative license to shoot and showcase the most interesting parts! This week I had the pleasure of photographing Liberty Place, The Porter, and the not-yet-completed Morrison Yard. All images were captured with DJI Mavic 2 Pro, the Nikon Z9, the 14-30S, and the 24-120S.

Many thanks to Anne for all her hard work coordinating these assignments with all of property management group!

Dorchester County Photo Shoot

This was a fun photo shoot! I got to see some of the inner workings of the judicial system, and meet some powerful players like Judge Jenkins. It’s always a pleasure working with Michelle at Dorchester County Government to capture headshots for their team, photograph drone photos of their facilities, and create beautiful images for their marketing program!

Folly Beach Architecture for Elizabeth Allen Design

Back in 2020, Elizabeth had me photograph some “before” photos of a run-down property on Folly Beach. It was an amazing location, right on the water, with beautiful views of the marsh. But the house and pool needed some serious help.
This week I got to see and photograph the final transformation. It turned out absolutely GORGEOUS!!! They completely gutted the place, extended new wings on both sides, re-designed the roofline, and of course gave the pool a total make-over. Elizabeth even got her master pool designer certification in order to be able to create this beautiful oasis in their back yard!
CONGRATULATIONS to Elizabeth and Greg and their talented crew! Check them out at www.charlestonarchitects.com.

Interior Design Photos for Sandy Ericksen

Sandy Ericksen is one of those people who just has a gift! She has a discerning eye, a keen sense of color, and an innate understanding of what fabrics and materials work in harmony together. I love how she can take a space with four walls and a few windows, and turn it into a warm and inviting home!

It was a pleasure working with Sandy to capture a few shots from some of her more recent projects on Daniel Island, Edisto, and James Island this week.  Check her out at www.sandraericksendesign.com.

First Baptist Church Learning Center

Trident Construction has been busy building a brand new Learning Center for the historic First Baptist Church in downtown Charleston.

Founded in 1682, the FBC is one of the oldest Baptist congregations in the American South. The church congregation was originally organized in Kittery, Maine (then part of Massachusetts) under the guidance of the First Baptist Church of Boston. In 1696 twenty-six congregants followed Pastor Screven and moved to Charleston after being pressured by the New England Congregationalist authorities. The relocated congregation became the First Baptist Church of Charleston.

Replacing the nearly 70-year old building that used to stand on this site was no easy task. The congregation had to temporarily relocate while demolition made the area unsafe. The new facility includes a welcome center, a nursery, a music room, a library, a preschool, eight classrooms, a conference room, several balconies, and a massive new cafeteria on the third floor that also doubles as an event space. Associate Pastor Walker Maginnis says the facility will house hundreds of students for the First Baptist School, as well as hundreds of congregates on the weekends during worship studies and church services.

Having photographed many brides getting ready for their wedding day in the dark basement “bridal suite” of the old facility, it truly was amazing to see the transformation this new building brings to campus!