AIG Awards Banquet at The Westin Savannah

I love it when the weather forecasters are completely wrong…in my favor! 🙂

Last night I had the pleasure of photographing a fantastic reception and awards banquet for AIG Insurance at The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa. Earlier that day, I spoke with Erika, the amazing event planner from Destination South. It looked like the cocktail hour on the Harbor Lawn was going to be completely rained out. Luckily, the wet weather went around us…and we had a lovely evening with gentle breezes flowing across the Savannah River.

AIG is the American International Group, a leading global insurance organization providing a wide range of property casualty insurance and other financial services. They offer world-class products and expertise to businesses and individuals in approximately 70 countries and jurisdictions. The organization is committed to using their insights and leadership to not only manage risks, but to make real positive differences in every community they serve.

This reception marked the conclusion of the final full day of informative meetings and insightful presentations. It was fun to see everyone relax and enjoy the company of the new connections and lasting friendships they had made throughout the week!

* DJI Mavic 2 Pro, Nikon Z9 (x2), Nikkor Z 70-200 f2.8, Nikkor Z 24-70 f2.8, Nikkor Z 14-30 f4, Flashpoint flashes (x6), Manfrotto supports, ThinkTank bags, and Sony XQD cards *

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!

Dorchester County Council

I’ve never been to a “swearing in” ceremony before. So when Michelle asked me to stay a few minutes at the end of our photo shoot to capture a few action shots of new Council Members taking their oath of office, I was absolutely delighted!

We had just wrapped up photographing a variety of drone shots, group photos, and headshots for various departments at the Dorchester County office building in Summerville. We had also photographed headshots, group photos, and some interior marketing shots of the Council Chambers. So to be able to stick around and see the government in action was pretty neat!

Many thanks to PIO Michelle for her hard work organizing and scheduling these photo shoots. I always enjoy working with her, and appreciate all the fun challenges she throws at me!

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!!!

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.

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!

Barkley Warehouse for Trident Construction

It was a pleasure photographing the massive new Barkley Warehouse in Ladson for Trident Construction.

Located within the Palmetto Commerce Park, which is one of Charleston’s highest performing industrial hubs, the new facility will offer a Class A industrial environment within close proximity to major economic drivers and a robust surrounding workforce.

It was truly awe-inspiring to be inside the MASSIVE structure before it gets filled with tons (literally) of goods, destined for distribution to all parts of the country!

Berkeley County Promo Pics

I have really enjoyed working with Jenna at Berkeley County to capture a wide variety of promotional pictures for their marketing team. Today was another fun day in pursuing that goal!!!

Dorchester County Promotional Photos

Did you know that Dorchester County is named for its first settlement area, which was established by Congregationalists in 1696? These settlers applied the name “Dorchester” to the area, in honor of their last residence in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Officially, Dorchester was not established as a separate county of South Carolina until 1897.

I’ve had the pleasure of working on some new promotional photos this year with the amazing Michelle Mills from the Dorchester County Government. Here are a few shots from the most recent shoot, featuring the EMS Headquarters, Sheriff’s Office, Dorchester County Detention Center, Davis-Bailey Park, and Texas Community Park.

(Nikon Z9, Nikkor 24-120 f4 S, Nikon SB-5000 Speedlights, DJI Mini 3 Pro)