Nexton Development for Seimon Whiteside

Seimon Whiteside is a leader of environmentally conscious, low-impact advancements in engineering and site design. They blend civil engineering and landscape architecture to create holistic environments. They were the creative team behind the new Nexton Development near Charleston.

It was our privilege to be called in to photograph this project for their portfolio. We covered the assignment with a combination of high-resolution still images using the venerable Nikon D850, as well as aerial drone images with the incredible DJI Mavic Pro quadcopter.

Here are just a few of the results…

Portraits of the Sevier Boys

It’s been a real joy for Cami and I to know Kevin and Nikki Sevier since they were just a young newlywed couple. Watching their relationship blossom, and their family grow, has been very special for us. All grown up now, I had the distinct honor of photographing their two handsome young men at their grandparent’s beautiful home overlooking the Stono River last evening.  Even though boys don’t exactly love having their portrait made, these guys did great and we had a blast!  🙂

Natalie’s Senior Portraits

Natalie is a bright, beautiful, and bubbly young lady!

It’s hard to believe that Scott & Sheri’s little girl is all grown up. Where does the time go!?! But we had a BLAST this weekend, photographing some wonderful Senior Portraits for this amazing girl with a big heart and a bright personality!

CONGRATULATIONS Natalie! We wish you all the joy in the world as you complete your senior year of high-school, and embark on whatever wonderful journey lies ahead!!!

Lee & Associates at The Gaillard

Precariously positioned on the top step of a rickety old aluminum ladder, awkwardly balancing $5000 in camera gear in one hand, I had to ask myself “how did I get here?”.

I love photographing the annual holiday photo for Lee & Associates! This year they had selected the grand staircase at The Gaillard as the location for their photo shoot.  I owe a special thanks to April Curci for all her help gaining permission from the venue and coordinating with everyone’s schedules. Also thank you to Emily Valentine for snapping the shots of me in action.

Arriving early, I had everything set up before the team arrived. Since it was a rainy overcast day, there wasn’t much natural light coming through the windows as we’d hoped. To augment the lighting, I mounted 3 SB-800 flashes on a Manfrotto light stand, bouncing into a 60″ Westcott umbrella. These were set to Group A on camera right. I mounted 3 more on a second stand as Group B on camera left. All flashes were controlled by an SB-5000 Master Flash on the camera, and set to 1/8 power using RadioPopper wireless transmitters.

Because of the tight quarters I was working in, I mounted the Nikkor 14-24 f2.8 to my Nikon D850. The high resolution of the D850 was perfect for the task of clearly capturing every face in this large group with excellent detail. Settings were ISO 400 at f5.6 and 1/30th second. By standing high on that wobbly ladder, I was able to shift the plane of focus to be more inline with the slope of the stairs, thus only needing a mid-range aperture to get enough depth of field. And even though I was hand-holding the camera at a relatively low shutter speed, the pop of the flashes and the use of a wide angle lens prevented any motion blur.

By tethering the camera to my laptop, the client was able to review the photos right there on site before the team dispersed. Everyone loved it!

Center for Birds of Prey Annual Gala

Last week I was thrilled to photograph a fundraising gala for an important cause! Aloft at the Cedar Room was this year’s annual celebration of the Center for Birds of Prey, the amazing team that works there, and the incredible work they do for our planet and the wonderful creatures we share it with!

Kara Bale from the Center for Birds of Prey writes: “What a wonderful night! Aloft at the Cedar Room was a fantastic event. The Cedar Room is a beautiful space which allowed guests to enjoy and celebrate the beauty, mystery, and wonder of wild birds while contributing to their conservation and our own future. The energy in the room was amazing! Here’s a quick snapshot of our evening for those of you who could not attend. We would like to extend another special thanks to our top sponsors including Coastal Expeditions, Benefitfirst, and The Boeing Company and to the many others that made this event possible. More photos to come from the very fabulous Chris Smith!!!”

It was an honor and a pleasure to be a part of this great evening again. I can’t wait for next year!!!

Audrey & WD at The Island House

Audrey is one of the fabulous members of the Education Team at the Center for Birds of Prey. I’ve had the privilege of working with her many times at various events over the years. She’s super smart, crazy fun, loves the outdoors, has a big heart, and plays soccer. I love her to pieces and was absolutely honored when she asked me to be her wedding photographer!

I met William (or “WD” as his friends call him) for the first time at the wedding rehearsal. It was like bumping into an old friend. He is so laid back, easy going, accepts you for who you are, and loves to laugh. WD shares so many things in common with Audrey…he’s passionate about fishing, being outdoors (especially if it’s on the water), and oh yeah…he plays soccer! These two are a perfect match made in heaven!!!

Their beautiful wedding and reception were held at The Island House, a picturesque venue overlooking the Stono River. Everything was delightfully decorated with a bohemian fall theme. Even the weather cooperated with temperatures dropping pleasantly into the high 60s, down from the oppressive heat of the high 80s it had been in weeks prior.

Audrey was just stunning in her gorgeous gown with its intricate lace backing.  WD was quite dashing in his gray suite and bow tie. One thing I absolutely LOVED (and that you’ll notice in the progression of photos) is how the low lying layer of clouds lifted RIGHT AT THE END of the ceremony as these two beautiful souls exchanged their vows! It was truly magical how the sun popped out, shining on their smiling faces, right at that moment. Like I said, these two are a match made in heaven!!! 🙂

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

I also loved how they incorporated Audrey’s Scottish heritage into their celebration. From the bagpipe processional, to special family members flying over all the way from Scotland to be here for their special day, it was really neat to have that international touch.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped make Audrey & WD’s wedding so special!

Lynn at The Island House
www.islandhouseevents.com

Jayme at Brand Bars & Events Wedding Planner
www.brandbars.com

Keith at Café Catering
www.cafetogochs.com

Sierra at BevSafe
www.bevsafe.com

Mary & Kit at Lotus Flowers
www.lotusflowercharleston.com

Nick at Lowcountry Entertainment
www.lowcountryentertaimentsc.com

Ashley at ABCD Cakes
www.abcdcakes.com

Eden at Snyder Rentals
www.snydereventrentals.com

Shauna at Moxie Salon
www.facebook.com/Moxiesalonmtp

Lowcountry Valet
www.lowcountryvalet.com

Jim Saint John
Family friend and Officiant

CONGRATULATIONS Audrey & WD! We wish you all the best as you begin your amazing new journey together!!!

“A thousand welcomes to you with your marriage kerchief,
May you be healthy all your days.
May you be blessed with long life and peace,
May you grow old with goodness, and with riches.”

~ Gaelic Wedding Blessing

CB500X Acropovic Knockoff Upgrade

Trinity has a new pipe!

This morning Trinity and I rode over to my friend Mike’s place. He helped me swap out the old OEM exhaust for a smaller, lighter, and throatier aftermarket slip-on I had ordered. The new exhaust is basically a knockoff of a popular product by Akrapovic. Click Here for a link to the item.

The retailer is out of Kentucky. So the exhaust arrived in just a couple days. Installation was a breeze, except for the fact that the Givi pannier rack I had previously installed made fitting the final bolt into place REALLY tight!  Since I carry a lot of heavy camera gear in the panniers on my way to photo shoots, I was advised to find ways to reduce the weight of Trinity’s *ahem* rear end.  One of the biggest weight savings was replacing the OEM battery with a new lithium ion one last year.  The new carbon fiber exhaust saves at least half as much in weight over the old factory steel can. So the weight is much more balanced now.  Plus the new pipe sounds great. I’m very pleased with the addition!!!

After the install, Mike, Stacy, and I went out for a celebratory brunch at Madra Rua Irish Pub. Then it was off to a beautiful Sunday afternoon ride… 🙂

Fundraiser for St. Andrews Family Fitness

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing a fun fundraising event for St. Andrew’s Family Fitness Center. Their longtime director, Kevin Walsh, had suffered a heart attack while at meetings out west. It was so neat to see everyone coming together and rallying to help his family with medical costs and help speed him towards recovery!

Jamie & Brian’s Fendley Farmstead Wedding

One day, about 8 years ago, Jamie was at work processing client invoices when the phone rang. A nice man on the other end of the line had called to pay his bill. But by the end of the phone call, they’d had such a nice conversation that Brian, the man on the other end of the line, told Jamie she sounded so nice on the phone that he’d love to get her number and call again! She agreed. And the rest, as they say, is history.  🙂

About 7 years ago, Jamie was the Maid of Honor in Melissa & Kevin’s beautiful wedding, which I was honored to photograph at Middleton Place Plantation. Jamie & Meilissa have been best friends since forever! As the girls continued to hang out, Brian and Kevin soon developed a lasting friendship as well. Thus I thought it was so fitting that Brian eventually asked Kevin to be his Best Man!

Jamie & Brian’s beautiful fall wedding was held at Fendley Farmstead in the foothills of Canton, GA. The cool fall weather made for such a cozy experience, as family and friends gathered to celebrate the lives of these two AMAZING people, and the love they shared. It was such a joy for Cami and I to be there to capture all the exciting moments of this wonderful day!

CONGRATULATIONS Jamie & Brian! We wish you all the best as you begin this new journey together!!!

Export Exchange 2018

Earlier this week, nearly 200 international buyers and end-users descended upon Minneapolis, Minnesota for the Export Exchange. Over the 3 day conference, attendees were able to meet and build relationships with more than 300 domestic suppliers, while also benefiting from educational sessions and networking opportunities.

The event was co-sponsored by the US Grains Council, the Renewable Fuels Association, and Growth Energy. Notable keynote speakers included:
– Roger Watchorn of Cargill Agriculture Supply Chain North America (CASCNA)
– Dr. Robert Johansson, Chief Economist at the Department of Agriculture (USDA)
– Florentino Lopez, executive director of the United Sorghum Checkoff Program
– Mark Slupek from the Office of Trade Programs (OTP) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
– Dr. Kurt Rosentrater, executive director of the Distillers Grains Technology Council
– Dr. Daniel Whitley from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
– Daniel R. Pearson, principal of Pearson International Trade Services, LLC

It was an honor to be invited back as the official photographer of this amazing conference for the second time in a row!

Lindsey & Brian’s Wedding at The Historic Rice Mill

Last weekend was one of the highlights of my year!

I’ve known Brian’s family for many years, photographing their family portraits when they vacationed in Charleston. Well, he’s all grown up now. Just imagine my elation when he and Lindsey asked me to photograph their wedding celebration!!! It was such an honor and a pleasure to be there for these two beautiful people.

The Big Day started off with the girls getting ready at the picturesque Governor’s House Inn, while the guys hung out at The Hotel Indigo. Somehow, everyone made their way to the ceremony location without Brian & Lindsey peeking at each other…even with a little secret hand-holding from around the wall. 😉

The ceremony was held in front of The Historic Rice Mill on the banks of the Ashley River. It was such a perfect day for a delightful outdoor wedding such as this! There was an electric buzz in the air as everyone took to their seats and enjoyed the main event! With true love in their eyes, Lindsey & Brian exchanged their beautifully written vows.

Following the ceremony, we had a fun time capturing some amazing images of Lindsey & Brian with their families and their wedding party. Perfect timing allowed for a grand-finale with portraits of the two of them in the setting sun before we headed indoors for the party-of-the century!!!

Many thanks to Brian’s mom, Nicole, for all her hard work in coordinating everything. Kudos to my good friend, and amazing photographer, Robbin, for assisting me on such a special occasion. And a big shout out to Jessica at Lowcountry Weddings by Jessica for keeping everything running smoothly all day. There are so many other amazing vendors, each providing their wonderful talent to make this whole day come together. Thank you to each and every one of them:

CONGRATULATIONS Lindsey & Brian!!! We wish you all the best as you take this next step in your beautiful new journey as husband and wife!

Breanna & Logan’s Surprise Proposal on Middle Atlantic Wharf

For over two months now, Logan and I have been secretly planning his surprise proposal to his sweetheart, Breanna!

These two beautiful souls started dating when they were just 15 years old. And when you find your soulmate, you hold onto them, right?!? That’s why Logan decided it was time to ask Breanna to spend the rest of her life with him!

After fretting about the weather all week with Hurricane Michael bearing down on us, the big day finally arrived. And WOW, did we end up with a gorgeous day after all!!! I arrived at our planned location early and hid myself out of sight. Right on cue, Logan expertly guided Breanna to the exact spot, dropped to bended knee, and asked for her hand in marriage. In my dark hiding place, I had to fight back the tears so that I could stay focused on capturing the big event!

In life, we are each given a handful of rare moments that take our breath away and fill our hearts with pure joy. This was one of those moments for me.

CONGRATULATIONS Breanna & Logan! We wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together!!!