Photographing from the Sky

Since becoming FAA Certified for commercial drone photography, I haven’t had as many opportunities to go flying as I used to.  I can accomplish most of my aerial photography requests with the drone. But last week I had an assignment for Trident Construction that was going to require flying above 400 ft, and flying too near the Charleston International Airport…both of which were beyond the legal limits of commercial drone flight.

So I reached out to Hayden and Kris at Holy City Helicopters. Hayden is not only a great chopper pilot, but also an avid photographer. So he “got it” when it came to waiting for the right weather and the right light. Finally, a beautiful blue-sky day opened up to us! Kris was my pilot that morning.  He did a fantastic job of getting me good angles of the projects I needed to photograph.

It was a pleasure flying and photographing with these fine gentlemen. I highly recommend calling Hayden if you’re interested in photographing from the sky!

Marcella & Steve’s Cape Cod Wedding

Several years ago, I had the joy of photographing Roxann & Michael’s destination wedding on a beautiful beach in Charleston: https://chrisandcami.com/roxann-michael-on-sullivans-island/. I had so much fun capturing their special day, and getting to know their amazing children! Thus, you can imagine my excitement when their daughter, Marcella, asked us to be HER photographer too!!!

Marcella & Steve’s destination wedding was in Cape Cod, at the incredible Wynchmere Beach Club. Cami and I had flown up several days early to celebrate our own anniversary, and to scout out the area. When we saw the venue, we knew immediately why Marcella & Steve had fallen in love with the place! Marcella had always wanted to get married on the beach. And Steve had always wanted to get married in Cape Cod. This picturesque spot fit BOTH their dreams perfectly!!!

The day of the wedding was absolutely gorgeous with the sun warming our faces, and the love between Marcella & Steve warming our hearts.  Marcella was absolutely STUNNING in her elegant gown and long flowing train.  Steve was looking pretty suave himself, with the classy-but-casual “no-tie” look.  The two lovebirds shared a touching “First Look” before the ceremony, which was the first time I teared up. There were a lot of funny moments during the ceremony, like when they both did shots under the arbor. But the second time I teared up was when they exchanged their hand-written wedding vows. The third time was when Michael gave his heart-felt speach, honoring Marcella’s father who had passed away 4 years prior, and re-affirmed his love for his amazing new daughter.

With excitement and energy bursting throughout the venue, the reception carried on late into the night. Cami and I had so much fun capturing every moment of this wonderful wedding celebration! Many thanks to Brooke and all the other incredible vendors that helped this dream wedding come together so perfectly. And a HUGE thank you to Marcella & Steve for welcoming us in and making us feel like part of their family once again.

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

CONGRATULATIONS Marcella & Steve!!! We love you guys and wish you all the happiness in the world as you begin your new journey together…

Indigo Square for Seamon Whiteside

As Hurricane Dorian crawled up the coast to Charleston, I was a little worried I wouldn’t be able to get this assignment completed for Seamon Whiteside.

Their amazing team of engineers and designers created the layout of the new Indigo Square multi-use complex in Mt. Pleasant, for which they’d won several awards. I had been tasked with capturing all the key features and amenities of the project for an upcoming presentation.

Luckily, the “calm before the storm” turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous day! I was able to complete the assignment just before the weather turned ugly.  🙂

The Big Island of Hawai’i

I finally had a chance to finish editing the rest of my photos from The Big Island of Hawai’i. It’s an absolutely beautiful paradise. I was there on a wonderful assignment the first week, staying several extra days to explore on my own. It was a magical experience for me…a “Bucket List” trip for sure! I hope I was able to do it justice. ENJOY!!!

USGC Board of Delegates Meeting – Day 3

Day 3 of the 2019 US Grains Council Board of Delegates Meeting was full of excitement and anticipation for the year ahead!

The morning started off with the Board of Delegates Meeting, which included excellent presentations from the various team leaders, voting in new officers, and of course the changing of the guard as Darren Armstrong from North Carolina accepted the reigns from Jim Stitzlein as the new Chairman of the Board. Afterwards I had the pleasure of photographing the new Board of Directors, as well as new headshots for everyone. That afternoon we had an excellent tour of the facilities and operations of Consolidated Grain and Barge Co. Once we were back at the Hyatt Regency, I had just enough time to run down to Smale Riverfront Park and get some aerial drone photos of the Ohio River, the historic John A Roebling bridge, the Great American Ballpark, and the Cincinnati skyline.

Another successful US Grains Council conference is in the books! As usual, I had so much fun working with their amazing staff, and capturing all the exciting moments of this annual event!!!

USGC Board of Delegates Meeting – Day 2

Day 2 of the 2019 US Grains Council Board of Delegates Meeting was absolutely fabulous!

We kicked off with working breakfasts as each Sector met for meetings and discussions. The various sectors of the organization include Agribusiness, Barley, Corn, General Farm, and Sorghum. Next we had some exceptional presentations by keynote speakers Scott Sindelar, Kurt Shultz, Mike Dwyer, and Brian Healy during the General Session. During lunch we saw several distinguished Awards of Service presented, including one for 50 years of service! We also managed to wrangle a group photo with no fewer than 13 past chairmen…a record number! We had two breakout sessions after lunch, led by Bill Bryant and Andrea Durkin, respectively. And for the big off-site dinner event, we took in a Cincinnati Reds baseball game! The restaurant overlooking 3rd bass had been reserved exclussively for our group to mingle, network, and of course enjoy the game.

It was a long but super fun day of shooting!!!

USGC Board of Delegates Meeting – Day 1

Day 1 of the 2019 US Grains Council Board of Delegates Meeting was a huge success!

The day started off with a welcome from the new president and CEO, Ryan LeGrand…continued with keynote presentations from Ron Dulin and Ken Smithmier…then broke out into special Advisory Team meetings…and finally wrapped up with a fabulous Welcome Reception.

Taking place at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Cincinnati, this annual conference is off to a great start! I am truly honored to be photographing it again!!!

Jennifer & Adrian at the Hilton Head Westin

It was such a beautiful afternoon when I arrived at the Westin on Hilton Head Island for Jennifer & Adrian’s AMAZING wedding last week!

Adrian and his gang of guys were relaxed and having a blast, while Jennifer and the girls were getting all dolled up while jamming to some great tunes. The atmosphere was one of fun and excitement!

After everyone was ready, Adrian and Jennifer met each other for a private First Look in the quiet courtyard by the coi pond. It was such a special moment! The way Adrian’s eyes lit up when he turned around and saw Jennifer in her wedding gown for the first time made my heart melt.

Their ceremony was held on the picturesque terrace overlooking the beautiful beach. I loved all the artistic details and special touches Jennifer thought of. The explosion of applause that erupted as they sealed their vows with a kiss was truly magnificent!!!

After a fun beach shoot with the newlyweds, Jennifer and Adrian entered the reception to more exciting applause. A grand party ensued, complete with cake cutting, fabulous toasts, and crazy dancing.

To see more of their photos, visit https://chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/jenniferandadrian.

CONGRATULATIONS Jennifer & Adrian! We wish you all the happiness in the world as you begin your new journey together!!!

Mary Beth & Bryant’s Darlington Wedding

Mary Beth & Bryant are SUCH an amazing couple!!! I owe my good friend and amazing photographer, Steve, a huge “Thank You” for recommending me to these two!

I’ve had so much fun getting to know Mary Beth & Bryant in the months leading up to their special day. A few months back, they even made a special trip to Charleston, where we had a BLAST capturing some killer engagement photos for them. You can check those out at: https://chrisandcami.com/mary-beth-bryant-at-brittlebank-park/.

Last weekend the Big Day finally made it! Arriving at their house where Bryant and the guys were getting ready, everyone was laughing and joking and having a great time.  That’s the way a wedding day SHOULD be, right?  I then met up with Mary Beth and the girls at Norman Cosmetics where they were getting ready. The excitement and energy in the salon was fabulous. I could tell we were in for quite a celebration!

Mary Beth looked absolutely STUNNING in her gorgeous wedding gown! I must say, Bryant looked quite dashing, himself. The two of them enjoyed a fun First Look underneath the huge arches of the Darlington Courthouse. We also went on a creative little mini-shoot around the town square, eventually meeting up with the rest of the wedding party for some group shots. After a grand-finale in front of the famous mural, everyone headed over to the church for the main event!

Mary Beth and Bryant had chosen St. Matthews Episcopal Church to exchange their wedding vows. I absolutely love the church’s amazing stained glass windows and rich wooden interior. The wedding was simply beautiful!

Following the ceremony, everyone headed over to South of Pearl for the real celebration!!! South of Pearl is an excellent reception venue in town, a remodeled old historic home with lots of amazing architecture, and a beautifully manicured lawn in the back. There was eating, dancing, cake, cookies…you name it!  Everyone had an AMAZING time! And the dark threatening clouds even parted ways just in time for some dramatic portraits of this sweet couple at sunset.  🙂

To check out all the photos from their Big Day, visit https://chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/p522914086.

CONGRATULATIONS Mary Beth & Bryant!!! We wish you all the best as you begin this beautiful new journey together…

Hanna & Kenny at Waterfront Park

I had the pleasure of photographing Kenny’s brother’s wedding several years ago. We love their family to pieces!!! So you can imagine my excitement when Kenny and Hanna asked me to photograph their wedding too! 🙂

A couple nights ago, on a beautiful summer evening, I met up with these two amazing people at Waterfront Park. We had a lovely time walking all over the French Quarter, Rainbow Row, and along the Charleston Harbor. It was fun chatting and catching up on their lives, capturing beautiful images of their relationship and their love for each other as we went!

Visit https://chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/hannaandkenny to see the rest of their engagement photos.

CONGRATULATIONS Hanna and Kenny! I can’t wait to be there for you both on your wedding day!!! 🙂