Firefly Distillery for Trident Construction

What a fun coincidence!!! Cami joined some friends for a fun night of music during the Safe Sounds Concert Series at the Firefly Distillery Saturday night. They enjoyed “20 Ride: A Tribute to Zac Brown Band and Natty Grass”. Check it out at www.fireflydistillery.com.

I was bummed that I had a photo shoot and couldn’t join them that evening. But then on Monday morning, I got to photograph the very same new Firefly Distillery for Trident Construction! How cool is that?!? For more information on this awesome team, visit www.tridentconstruction.com.

Many thanks to Elizabeth for all her hard work organizing everything!

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Allyson & Ron’s Surprise Proposal on Kiawah Island

I was struck by the strength and sincerity in Ron’s voice when he called a few weeks ago to ask if I could photograph his secret proposal to Allyson. I could tell he was a good guy.  And he clearly wanted to make sure everything was absolutely PERFECT for his beautiful girlfriend!

We had a great scheming together and hashing out a plan for this special moment. But when Friday arrived, afternoon storms threatened our chances. Things just didn’t seem to be falling into place as planned. We quickly pivoted to the following day. And I’m so glad we did. It was an absolutely SPECTACULAR evening for Ron’s proposal!

Arriving early, I set everything up on the beach in front of The Ocean Course Clubhouse on Kiawah Island. Ron had told her they were going to the Ryder Cub Bar for drinks, but wanted to go out and take a few “selfies” on the beach before going in.  Allyson was stunning in her colorful summer dress.  She had her phone out and was ready to go. What a COMPLETE surprised when instead of getting in the “selfie” with her, he dropped to one knee, and asked her to be his wife!!!  It was an absolutely magical moment.  🙂

CONGRATULATIONS Allyson & Ron! You two are so perfect for each other. We wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together…

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Aerial & Architectural Shoot for Seamon Whiteside

It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Seamon Whiteside over the years. They are an amazing organizations with some of the most brilliant engineers on the planet! Here are a few of their most recent projects I had the pleasure of photographing this week…

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Riley & Tommy’s Surprise Proposal at The Ocean Course

Being a part of some of the most special moments in a family’s life always makes me feel so humbled and so blessed!!!

This weekend I had the honor of photographing Tommy’s surprise wedding proposal to his beautiful girlfriend, Riley! He had made special arrangements for cocktails and dinner in The Atlantic Room at The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island. After Riley got settled and had a drink in hand, Tommy excused himself for a minute. He had stashed a gorgeous bouquet of flowers with a note inside. Returning with the bouquet, he have Riley a kiss and told her to read the note, which instructed her to meet him outside by the famous Rolex clock-tower in 5 minutes.

Tommy had picked the iconic clock-tower as the backdrop for this special moment. For many golfers, a photograph with the famous clock tower is a “bucket-list” item. It’s one of the most photographed landmarks on Kiawah Island! Who can forget that iconic 1991 Ryder Cup battle when The United States team won the competition by 14½ to 13½ points, with a last-minute clincher on the 18th hole of the final match?!? With the nation glued to their televisions, it was the first win for the U.S. since 1983!!!

But more importantly to Tommy, it would serve as a reminder for Riley of the exact minute when he took to his knee and asked her to be his wife. 🙂 After Riley said “YES”, Tommy had another surprise for her. Turning around, she saw her parents and his parents coming around the corner to congratulate them. Running over to exchange hugs with everyone, the excitement and energy of the moment was truly palpable!

I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect day for Tommy & Riley. It was an absolutely gorgeous summer evening. But the icing on the cake came when I was driving home and saw the amazing Neowise Comet descending on the horizon!!! Major comets, like Haley’s Comet in 1986, don’t come around but once every 25-40 years. This particular one has such a huge trajectory that it won’t be back in earth’s atmosphere for some 6,800 years!

CONGRATULATIONS to Riley & Tommy! How special is that to know your engagement took place during a celestial show that won’t happen again for thousands of years?!? We wish you all the best as you begin your own journey around the earth together.

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Brighton Park Emergency Center for Trident Construction

Every now and then I get some really cool assignments!

Earlier this week I got to photograph the Brighton Park Emergency Center in Summerville for Trident Construction. It’s pretty neat walking around a major medical facility like that while it’s brand new, and not even open yet! All the X-Ray and CAT Scan machines still had that “new car” smell. I guess for a million-dollar machine, they better smell nice! 🙂

I used a combination of tools to capture the scope of the project. From drone shots with the DJI Mavic Pro to detail shots with the Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 mounted on a D850, from natural-light interiors with the Nikkor 14-24 f2.8 to more creative lighting with a few SB-5000 Speedlights, I was able to deliver a wide variety of images to my client.

Many thanks to Elizabeth at Trident for coordinating everything, and to the on-site supervisor, Carl, for giving me access.

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Mt. Pleasant Home for Elizabeth Allen Design

I had the pleasure of photographing another beautiful home for the lovely and talented Greg & Elizabeth Allen today!

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Rice Family in Carolina Bay

Cami and I have known Ben & Daphne Rice for years! They are such an AMAZING couple. And it’s been an absolute joy to watch their family grow.

I can’t even believe their oldest daughter is graduating this year!!!  Before Samantha heads off to college next year, they thought it would be a good idea to get one last family photo in. You know how it is when kids go off to college and start spreading their wings…there’s no telling when you’ll be able to catch up with them next! 🙂

We met over at the marsh scene in Carolina Bay on a beautiful summer evening. It was surprisingly mild since the rain earlier in the week had cooled things off.  The late afternoon light was perfect. And we just had a BLAST hanging out together and capturing a variety of images for them!

CONGRATULATIONS to Samantha! We wish you all the best as you follow your dreams!!!

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Global Ethanol Summit – Washington DC

A few months ago, I had the honor of photographing the Global Ethanol Summit at the Captial Hilton in Washington, DC.

The Summit was an invitation-only meeting for Minister level officials and senior level industry leaders, ethanol producers, and refiners across global ethanol markets. It was an engaging event with, with approximately 350 attendees, about the benefits of creating or expanding ethanol policies with a role for trade. Expanding on previous regiounal events, this year’s Summit builds on current momentum of increased global ethanol trade.

Orchestrated by the US Grains Council (USGC), the event was held over the course of two days, and packed with informative general sessions, leading keynote speakers, networking opportunities, and dedicated trade time. The Global Ethanol Summit was a great opportunity for attendees to hear from thought-leaders on the future of global ethanol use and to build partnerships with industry professionals.

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EmergeOrtho Building for Citadel Contractors

Last week I had the pleasure of photographing a new building for Citadel Contractors!

They had completed this project in Leland, NC. Since they were very pleased with images I had made of one of their buildings in Charleston, they asked if I’d be willing to drive up and photograph this one as well. They are submitting this building for an award and wanted some really nice shots of it!

Researching the property, I realized it was right next to a Military Training Route (MTR), which military planes use for maneuvers. Knowing that would be a No Fly Zone for the drone, I mapped out exactly where that zone ended. Luckily, it only extended through half the property! So in addition to the still photos, I was able to get a few drone shots from the side that wasn’t in the No Fly Zone! 🙂

Many thanks to Jackie, Michael, and Mitch at Citadel Contractors for organizing all the details for this assignment.

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Stono River Retreat for Allen Design

I’ve known Elizabeth at Allen Design for many years. It’s been such a joy to watch her creativity grow, expand, and reach its full potential. The homes she is designing these days are absolutely AMAZING!!! And I have to say, this one she created on the banks of the Stono River is one of my favorites.

“Allen Design, Inc. is a full service architecture firm located in Charleston, South Carolina specializing in Custom Home Design and Residential Architecture. Our roots are firmly planted here, and we draw inspiration from the rich architectural tradition of Charleston and the warm landscape of the South Carolina Lowcountry. As a small firm, Allen Design offers its clients a unique experience that begins and ends with personal attention. Each phase of the design from the initial meeting to the project completion is handled professionally with a great attention to detail and a diligent pursuit of design excellence.”

On top of Elizabeth’s amazing plans, her husband Greg is one of the most highly sought after home builders in Charleston. As with this project, they frequently team up together to offer the best of both worlds to their clients. Greg and his team of contractors have been together a really long time. So they click like clockwork, finishing huge projects faster, more efficiently, and with a higher level of quality than most builders!

It was an absolute pleasure photographing this beautiful James Island home for Greg and Elizabeth. I can’t wait to see their next incredible creation!!!

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New Projects for Trident Construction

During this COVID-19 lock-down, Cami and I have been extremely grateful to our clients who have continued to keep us afloat by sending assignments our way.

One such client is Trident Construction! Since they are considered an “essential business” their building projects have continued to move forward in spite of the economic downturn. In fact, one job Superintendent told me her schedule has been even busier than usual since this COVID-19 pandemic started! Everyone at Trident Construction has been so fantastic to work with.

Since the governor has told us we’re allowed to continue providing photographic services as long as we can maintain safe social-distancing, photographing these construction projects has been one of those assignments we can still do safely! I get to photograph these beautiful buildings while they are still fresh, clean, and yet unoccupied. I’m either photographing from across the room with wide-angle lenses, or shooting with a drone from hundreds of feet away.

Here are a couple favorites from the Lowcountry Women’s Specialists project and the Berkeley Medical building that I photographed this week.

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Laura & Terrell at Azalea Drive Church of Christ

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a dark cloud over many couple’s wedding plans. But Laura & Terrell stayed positive and came up with creative ways to still become husband and wife on their selected wedding day!

Instead of the big wedding and reception with 150 guests they had planned, Laura & Terrell were married in a beautiful, intimate ceremony with just a few special family members and friends, where pastor Brown at Azalea Drive Church of Christ led a touching service.   Laura & Terrell also created a live Zoom meeting for other guests to still be able to bear witness to this wonderful celebration. And of course they still had me photograph it so that they could have their special memories of this day, and put together a fun slideshow to share at their reception whenever they are able to have it once social-distancing regulations are relaxed.

After the ceremony, a few of us drove downtown to photograph some beautiful portraits of Laura & Terrell in Waterfront Park and the surrounding old historic French Quarter. We had so much fun! And the best part was, the nearly empty park and city streets gave us plenty of freedom to be creative without fighting mobs of tourists. See…no matter how bad things get, there’s always a silver lining if you look for it!  🙂

To see the rest of their photos, visit: https://chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/lauraandterrell

CONGRATULATIONS Laura & Terrell! What an incredible story you’ll have to tell your grand-kids someday. We wish you all the happiness in the world as you begin your amazing new journey together!!!

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