The US Grains Council’s 62nd Annual Board of Delegates Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento is in the books! It was another fantastic event. I am humbled and honored to be the official photographer for this amazing group. Their destination conferences are always so informative and inspirational!!! Here are a few shots from Day 2…
The US Grains Council’s 62nd Annual Board of Delegates Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento is in the books! It was another fantastic event. I am humbled and honored to be the official photographer for this amazing group. Their destination conferences are always so informative and inspirational!!! Here are a few shots from Day 1…
I love photographing all weddings. But it’s always EXTRA special to photograph a close friend’s wedding. Last week I had the pleasure of capturing the amazing wedding celebration of our long-time friend and neighbor, Frank, and his beautiful fiancé, Lea!
I met Frank many years ago at a wedding where he was the videographer and I was the photographer. His background in the TV industry has made him an incredible story-teller. Our shared passion for capturing the love between two people was the start of a wonderful friendship. Finding out he lived just 4 doors down from Cami and I made it even easier for us to grab coffee, go to lunch, or just stop by for a chat. Frank is an AMAZING guy…and we couldn’t be happier for him and Lea!
Although I haven’t known Lea nearly as long, it’s been such a blessing to watch their relationship grow and blossom. Lea has a kindness and gentleness about her that speaks volumes to her character. The way she treats Frank with love and respect, and the way she “gets” his corny jokes, lets me know know they are a match made in heaven. 🙂 Lea is also an amazing mother to her son Josiah!
Lea & Frank planned an intimate celebration on a gorgeous summer evening aboard The Carolina Girl Yacht. Arriving early, they shared a very special First Look in the picturesque park near the dock. After portraits with family and friends, we boarded the yacht for a fantastic cruise around Charleston Harbor. Close family and friends witnessed a touching ceremony…with a few funny movie quotes thrown in for good humor. The couple then shared their First Dance before sunset portraits on the bow. Afterwards, Frank & Lea joined guests in the main cabin for dinner. The delightful evening continued on the top deck with dancing and mingling as we enjoyed the gentle ocean breezes until the captain brought us back to the dock.
Many thanks to Camille, Sarah Beth, and Captain Trent for going above and beyond. And a special thanks to Captain Bob for making a guest-star appearance to make sure all was ship-shape before our departure!
It was an absolute honor to photograph Lea & Frank’s surprise proposal earlier this year: https://chrisandcami.com/lea-frank-are-engaged/. And it was an even deeper honor to be there for them to capture all these special moments of their wedding day!
Joy and Dr. Tim brought their beautiful family to Kiawah Island in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary! It was a pleasure photographing their family portraits on the amazing grand staircase inside The Sanctuary!!!
Love is patient. Love is kind. Love always perseveres!
What an HONOR it was for Cami and I to photograph Glenda & Larry’s beautiful wedding! Glenda & Cami have been friends for close to 20 years. When Glenda moved away from Charleston for her new job, she had no idea what was in store for her! One day as she arrived for services at Biltmore Church, she met an amazing man named Larry. They soon fell in love. Larry proposed to Glenda in front of all their friends one morning during their small-group gathering before church!
Their wedding was held at Taylor Ranch in Fletcher, NC. It was a picture-perfect day with mild temperatures, and clear blue skies. Glenda was absolutely stunning in her elegant wedding gown, complete with adorable lace-toped tennis shoes. Larry was quite dashing in his embroidered guayaberas Sunday shirt with tan blazer. Led by their good friend Kelvin, the ceremony was heartfelt and spirit-led. A casual reception in the open-air pavilion, overlooking the lake, was the perfect place for everyone to relax and celebrate with the newlyweds!
CONGRATULATIONS Glenda & Larry!!! We wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together…
Michelle at Dorchester County has been an absolute pleasure to work with the last couple of weeks.
We’ve been photographing lots of department photos, team group shots, and various properties around the county for use in their marketing and promotional material. Yesterday we photographed headshots for a number of key staff members, as well as group shots of their board of directors.
Wanting the photos to have a cheerful “outdoorsy” feel, we elected to set up at The Pavilion inside the new Ashley River Park. It’s a GEORGEOUS park with tons to offer. And The Pavilion is definitely an architectural highlight! Everyone was so much fun to work with and we had a great time!
(Nikon D5, Sony XQD Cards, Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 VRII, 3 Speedlights in a Westcott Apollo 50″ softbox for main light, 1 bare bulb Speedlight as a kicker, Manfrotto tripod and stands, BoaBags to hold everything in place during wind gusts.)
It’s been TEN YEARS since Sally & Vincent tied the knot. But at the time, they weren’t able to have a big wedding. So for their 10-year Anniversary, they decided to throw that beautiful “party of the century” wedding celebration they’d always imagined!!! 🙂
Sally & Vincent met and fell in love in Coney Island, NY. Her brother lived in Charleston. So Sally kept coming down to the area for visits. Later on, Sally & Vincent moved to Connecticut. But it wasn’t quite the right fit, and they still hated those cold winters. Eventually they took the plunge and moved to Mt. Pleasant. Along the way, they started a family. Their daughters, Vanessa and Scarlett, are absolutely adorable. You can check out their engagement/family photos here: https://chrisandcami.com/sally-vincent-folly-beach-engagement/). Since moving to Charleston, Sally & Vincent have built their dream home…and have been here ever since!
To pull off this fabulous wedding celebration, these two lovebirds joined with the amazing team at The Carolina Girl Yacht (www.carolinagirlevents.com)! Camille, Jessica, Captain T.J., and the rest of the crew helped them get every detail in place, and made sure everything ran smoothly throughout the event.
When the Big Day arrived, I met up with Sally and her girls at The White Room for their “getting ready” photos. Sally was absolutely STUNNING in her elegant wedding gown! Then it was off to The Carolina Girl to catch up with Vincent and his guys. When the Party Buss arrived with the girls on it, Vincent was waiting in the picturesque park near the dock. Knowing how long Sally & Vincent had waited for this moment, it was all I could do to hold back the tears and keep shooting while this amazing couple enjoyed their emotional First Look. Next, we stepped up the pace with wedding party photos in the park before guests arrived. Then it was off to The Carolina Girl for the rest of the evening! From family and friends enjoying the scenic cruise around Charleston harbor, to their heartfelt vow renewal, to family portraits on the bow, to a delicious dinner, and finally the gleeful laughter reverberating off the water as everyone danced the night away…a FABULOUS time was had by all at Sally & Vincent’s Big Celebration. That, my friends, is exactly how dreams come true!!!
CONGRATULATIONS Sally & Vincent! You two are so perfect for each other. We wish you all the best as you continue to love one another, love your wonderful girls, and live life to the fullest for MANY MORE anniversaries to come…
What an amazing treat it was to be a part of April’s Baby Christening at the beach on Seabrook Island!
April looked angelic in her delicate christening gown. Her parents, brother (Oscar the dog), uncle, and both sets of grandparents were all there to bear witness. Father Karl performed a beautiful ceremony in a peaceful setting, surrounded by nature, with the waves gently lapping at the shore behind us.
It truly was a special moment!!!
Many thanks to Julie & Ryan for allowing me to capture this joyous occasion.
Melody got a new Fuji XE4 and has turned into quite an amazing photo buff. So Tyler thought hiring me to give her one of my private photography mentoring sessions (https://chrisandcami.com/workshops/private-mentoring/) would be the perfect ruse for his proposal. HE WAS RIGHT!!!
It’s been so much fun secretly scheming with Tyler over the last few weeks to come up with the perfect plan to surprise the love of his life. Finally the BIG DAY arrived! I met up with Tyler & Melody at the famous Pineapple Fountain in Waterfront Park. After going over Melody’s camera settings, and practicing a few techniques, we went on a fun walk-about around the picturesque back alleys and colorful walkways of our historic city. Melody and I would stop periodically to shoot photos together. And I would suggest they do a nice portrait in front of whatever backdrop had caught our eyes. Since they are moving into a new house soon, and wanted photos to decorate it with, the “let me get a shot of you guys here for your house” excuse was a natural part of Tyler’s plan.
Now let me back up here for a minute. Believe it or not, Tyler & Melody got together because of the pandemic! Originally from L.A., Melody moved to Dallas, where she enjoys her career as a financial planner. Tyler travels a lot for his work as a medical consultant. Originally from Michigan, he lived in the same apartment complex as Melody. In fact, they were neighbors on the same floor, and kind of knew each other in passing. When the pandemic shuttered a lot of travel, forced everyone to quarantine indoors, and curtailed extra curricular activities, Tyler & Melody began hanging out and became good friends. Then they began hanging out a LOT MORE!!! Until…well…here we are today.
Tyler really wanted to propose with the gorgeous Charleston Harbor behind them. So we had planned to conclude our photo walk down at the dock with the soft glow of twilight. Arriving at our location, it was miraculously void of all tourists and fishermen! Tyler and I had a secret sign arranged so that he would know when to make his move. Right on cue, as we stood on the open dock with the famous Arthur Ravenel Bridge standing as witness, Tyler NAILED IT!!! Melody was so surprised! It was a beautiful moment I’ll never forget.
Some heartfelt words were spoken by Tyler. A GORGEOUS ring was placed on Melody’s finger. And SHE SAID YES!!! Please help me in congratulating this amazing couple! 🙂
It’s been 10 years since I photographed Danielle & Matt’s beautiful wedding at the Grand Dunes Ocean Club in Myrtle Beach: https://chrisandcami.com/danielle-matt-at-the-grande-dunes-ocean-club/. So I was SUPER EXCITED when they called from Ohio to let me know they were returning to Myrtle Beach for a vacation, and asked if I would help them commemorate the occasion with a family portrait session? How could I say not to THAT?!?
Before their wedding, I had photographed Danielle & Matt’s engagement session at the historic Atalaya Castle ruins inside Huntington Beach State Park: https://chrisandcami.com/danielle-matts-engagement-session-at-atalaya-castle-ruins/. So we decided to bring things full circle by re-visiting this gorgeous park for their family session.
The threatening weather from earlier in the day made us nervous, but passed out of the area in time to leave us a delightful evening of soft warm light to work with. I had so much fun meeting and playing with their two adorable children! Both sets of proud “grand-parents” joined us as well, which made it even more special. But the best part was catching up with Danielle and Matt! They hadn’t changed a bit since their wedding day. It was like no time had past. It felt like we had just seen each other a week ago!
Congratulations on your beautiful family, Danielle & Matt! You guys were one of my FAVORITE couples to photograph!!! And now I can say you’re one of my favorite “families” as well. I can’t wait to see what amazing humans Charlie and William grow up to be. 🙂
