Isle of Palms Family Beach Portrait

The Blalocks are spread out all over the country…Colorado, Georgia, Pennsylvania.  So it was very special for them to be able to come together for a family vacation here in the Charleston area.  I was honored that they contacted us about photographing their family portrait on the beach across from the house they had rented on IOP.  We laughed, got wet, and had a great time creating some fun memories.  J

Julie & Howie’s Wedding at The Citadel Beach House

I can’t believe it’s been EXACTLY one year since Howie & Julie first filled out that contact form inquiring about our photography services for their wedding! A few months later I got to photograph their AMAZING e-session on Seabrook. It feels like this all happened just a few weeks ago! Where does time go?!? 🙂

I originally met Julie & Howie at a Johnson & Wales Alumni Event that I was photographing. We hit it off right away because we have a lot in common…we love dogs, the great outdoors, and hanging out with friends ALMOST as much as they do. Their cool website reads:

“It’s no wonder Julie and Howie fit together so well. They will often take off for a weekend with their dog Riley for mountain biking, hiking or camping on one of the many islands around Charleston. They enjoy taking friends out on the boat to experience the amazing sunsets that only Charleston can offer! And if Howie has any reason at all to fry a turkey, you can rest assured — he will! Truly two kids at heart, these two love to have a good time with good company!”

I had an UNFORGETTABLE time photographing Julie & Howie’s wedding. My favorite parts were Riley’s role as the ring bearer, the dramatic beach shoot, and the surprise fireworks display at the very end. After the slideshow, Click Here to see rest of the wedding photos. CONGRATULATIONS you guys!!!

Photography on IOP Beach is Illegal

Since Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island have passed ordinances making it illegal to have professional photographs taken on their beaches, we’ve had to find alternative locations for our vacationing clients. I know…it’s hard to believe that ANY town would put a ban on creating beautiful family photos that show the bonds of love, and preserve such special times in a family’s history. But that’s EXACTLY what they’re doing. Here’s a link: http://www.iop.net/FAQs.aspx.

Many of these families are made up of multiple generations, all coming from different areas of the country, who rarely see each other all together like this. And when an older matriarch or patriarch is involved, who knows when the NEXT time will happen that they’ll all be together again?!? So a portrait to commemorate the occasion holds a great deal of weight.

Fortunately for the Henley family, the beach house they rented sat on a beautiful property with lots of nice landscaping. So we were able to photograph their session without them leaving. Here’s a fun one of all the grand kids goofing off. 😉 Still, they didn’t get any images on the beach…kind of the whole idea behind renting a beach house! Other families are forced to make the choice to drive all the way to Folly Beach…the nearest town without such a ban on it’s beaches.

Family Vacation

It’s summer time! That means FAMILY VACATION! I enjoy photographing family portraits for folks who are vacationing here in Charleston, Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Folly Beach, and Kiawah Island. These are all popular vacation rental sites. If you’re planning a trip to the area, call ahead as summer bookings get snatched up fast..