Alvarez & Marsal Healthcare Conference at Kiawah Island

Alvarez & Marsal is the consulting firm known for asking tough questions, listening well, digging in and getting their hands dirty. They are fact-driven and action-oriented. A&M uncovers and implement the right solution, at the right time, in the right way. They provides global leadership, problem solving and value creation for companies across industries and around the world.

This week I had the pleasure of photographing their annual conference at Kiawah Island Resort. All the meetings and social functions took place at The Sanctuary, one of the most amazing event spaces in town. One of my favorite keynote speakers was David Feherty, who enjoyed a successful professional golfing career, earning 10 victories, and competed in the 1991 Ryder Cup.

In addition to all the meetings and networking, the event included a few fun activities. The golf outing at the famed Ocean Course was a huge highlight! With Hurricane Michael bearing down on us, a beautiful window of sunlight opened up just long enough for everyone to complete their rounds on these historic greens.

Many thanks to Michelle and Shanna for including me in this amazing event. It truly was an honor to work with their incredible team!

Lindsey & Brian’s Rehearsal Dinner

This weekend has been filled with exuberant laughter, heartfelt tears of joy, and love beyond measure!

Lindsey & Brian’s Wedding Rehearsal at the Historic Rice Mill was so much fun. Everyone was in high spirits in anticipation for the day to come. And the ensuing Rehearsal Dinner Party at High Cotton was the perfect cap to a beautiful day together. There was a palpable buzz of excitement in the air, as everyone celebrated this truly amazing couple!

With dreams of the big day ahead, here are a few favorite images from Lindsey & Brian’s Rehearsal Dinner. I can’t wait to share their amazing wedding photos soon!!!   🙂

CrossFit Charleston

Last weekend I had an awesome invitation to photograph the popular CrossFit Charleston box in Mt. Pleasant. New owners, Holly and Clint, have done an INCREDIBLE job with the place!

The workouts are tough, but scalable to anyone’s level of fitness. They have every bit of technology and equipment one needs for peak performance. But the best part is the comradery among all the participants. Everyone was so encouraging of one another…helping to motivate each other…and partnering together for extra teamwork on certain exercises.

CONGRATULATIONS Holly & Clint! You are changing lives and making Mt. Pleasant a healthier place to live!!!

Horizons Unlimited North Carolina Event

Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending and photographing the Horizons Unlimited traveler’s meeting at Iron Horse Lodge near Robbinsville, North Carolina. This is an event that I look forward to with great anticipation every year!

I packed my trusty Honda CB500X with my camping kit, camera kit, and a few day’s supplies. On the ride up, I made a detour to Givi USA in Charlotte to have replacement engine guards installed when my originals developed a defective hairline crack. I stayed with my friend Jenn and her awesome family for the night.  Jenn is a fellow TASOK student from our days growing up in Zaire. On the second leg of the trip, I took the scenic route down the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Iron Horse Lodge.

Horizons Unlimited was founded in the 80s by Susan and Grant Johnson during their RTW, or “Round The World” adventure. It’s a wonderful resource for overland travelers, especially those tackling grand trips on their motorcycles. But more importantly, it’s a fantastic gathering of kind, creative, and like-minded individuals who are full of life and passionate about this great planet we live on and the amazing people we share it with!  Horizons Unlimited has gatherings all over the world.  This particular one in North Carolina, hosted by Mike Kilpatrick, was celebrating it’s 15th Anniversary this year!

In addition to photographing the event, I also led a couple photography presentations.  I always enjoy sharing my love for photography with others!  Check out more details about the event at: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/events/north-carolina-2018. And check out the events page to see if there’s a meetup near you. Hopefully I’ll see you at one soon!!!

As always, it was a wonderful weekend. And I look forward to coming back next year. 🙂

Waterfront Home for Solaris

Since receiving our FAA Certification for Commercial Drone Photography last year, we’ve been loving all the requests for amazing aerial images!

This shoot for Solaris was one of my favorite interior/architecture assignments to date. The freedom allowed by the DJI Mavic Pro to capture epic images from impossible angles was fantastic! This quad-copter is a real work horse, combining excellent quality with a streamlines size that allows it to fly in higher wind gusts than previous models.

In addition to the benefits of the drone, this was also the first time I had used the incredible Nikon D850 on such an assignment. The detail and resolution provided by this new high-performance camera is INCREDIBLE!!! The sensor in this camera is the first ever to receive a “Perfect 100” score from the independent testing agency DXO Optics. I’ve been very pleased to add this camera to our arsenal.

Between the DJI Mavic Pro and the Nikon D850, I’m wondering if we’ve hit upon the best one-two combination for architecture photography ever?!?

Many thanks to Julie at Solaris for all her help on this project!

The Calm Before the Storm

Before Hurricane Florence hits Charleston, I had a chance to go downtown and photograph a few images of the calm before the storm. The place was a ghost town!!!

Paul’s Secret Proposal to Amber at White Point Garden

When Amber & Paul were trying to figure out if they wanted to move to Charleston, one of the places they fell in love with was the picturesque Waterfront Park.

It was the PERFECT spot for Paul to ask Amber to be his wife!!! So he and I hatched a sneaky plan to entice Amber to the dock at the southern tip of the park, where he would pop the big question, and I would capture the amazing moment! 🙂

Arriving at the spot early, I was delighted that the dock was empty, and the lighting was perfect! Spotting Paul as he and Amber walked hand-in-hand down the path towards me, my palms got sweaty and my heart quickened. Would she follow him to our planned spot? Would she spot me sitting there, pretending to read a map? Would a stray tourist walk in front of me and block “the shot”?

All my fears for for naught. Paul expertly guided her to our designated location. Everything worked out beautifully. And Amber said “YES”!!! 🙂

CONGRATULATIONS Amber & Paul! You two are such an AMAZING couple! It was such an honor for me to be a part of this special day with you!!!

To see more of their images, visit:  https://chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/amberandpaul

P.S. Funny side story…my friends and amazing photographers, Valerie & Ed, showed up shortly after the proposal. They had just photographed another couple getting engaged on the other end of the park. Love is in the air! CONGRATULATIONS to their couple as well!!!

Impromptu Modeling Session at Circle M Farm

Last weekend, my good friends Kim and Randy invited a few of their photography friends up to their farm in Manning for a cookout and a night of shooting the Milky Way.

Always looking for an excuse to combine my profession with my passion for motorcycle adventures, I elected to ride my Honda CB500X and camp there for the night.

The ride up there was absolutely beautiful. But nearing night-fall, the skies opened up and we were trapped in the barn under a deluge of POURING rain! As we waited with crossed fingers for the dark clouds to pass, I explored the barn, admiring all the old equipment and aging tools.

Some of the guests had brought their spouses and kids.  Not wanting to waste time, or waste these awesome backdrops, I asked if anyone wanted to pose for an impromptu modeling session!  Luckily I had pulled my bike into the barn, giving me access to all my gear.

Tori and some of the other kids had been running around in the rain, because that’s what you do for entertainment on a farm when you’re a teenager and have nothing else to do!  🙂  She had done some modeling when she was younger, and was delighted to be our muse. I placed a Nikon SB-5000 behind her with a full CTO gel and the diffusion dome in place. It was hanging from a dangling piece of equipment, aimed directly at her back. With the WR-R10 transmitter attached to my Nikon D850, I selected a power output of 1/16. The camera was set to ISO 1000, f2.8, and 1/40th of a second. Mounted on my tripod to prevent camera shake, the slow shutter speed and high ISO was selected to allow the dingy overhead sodium-vapor unit to be my main light. The flash acted as a dramatic background/rim light, making her “pop” off the backdrop. One click confirmed my settings and we were off to the races, waltzing through a variety of poses. Many thanks to Kim for snapping the photo of my excited response when I confirmed that the settings were spot on!

Eventually the rain dissipated and we all headed back out to the lake to set up for a fun evening of night-photography. I headed home the following day…but not before grabbing a drone shot of my AWESOME camp site! Thanks for a great weekend, Kim & Randy!!!

US Grains Council at the Denver Zoo

Last week I had the pleasure of photographing the 58th Annual Board of Delegates Meeting for the US Grains Council in Denver. To celebrate a successful and productive meeting, we had a wonderful and entertaining gala at the Denver Zoo!!!

ABC of the Carolinas

It was out pleasure to welcome and photograph the Associated Builders & Contractors of the Carolinas in Charleston this week!

ABC of the Carolinas held their annual convention and marketing conference here under sunny skies and gorgeous weather. On the first day, my friend and amazing photographer, Gary Coleman, helped me cover the fishing tournament, Redfin Charters. Meanwhile, I covered the golf tournament at the Wild Dunes Harbor Course. On the second day, I photographed the conference, keynote speakers, and convention at the beautiful and picturesque Francis Marion Hotel.

Many thanks to Meredith for the kind referral, and to Pamela for all her hard work organizing the event. It was a pleasure serving this wonderful community of talented and hard-working men and women!

Maui 25th Anniversary Celebration

While exploring the famed Red Sand Beach in Hana on the island of Maui, we met this wonderful couple that was there celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary! So we did a fun impromptu photo shoot for them and their beautiful family. 🙂