US Grains Council 19th International Marketing Conference – Day 2

Day 2 of the 19th International Marketing Conference and 62nd Annual Membership Meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Greenville begin with some fantastic presentations. But the majority of the day was spent in break-out meetings, focusing on different sectors of the market.

That night, everyone got to blow off some steam during an off-site reception at the famous BBQ at Zen!

US Grains Council 19th International Marketing Conference – Day 1

Day 1 of the 19th International Marketing Conference and 62nd Annual Membership Meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Greenville started off with a bang!

A very full schedule included highlight appearances from Mayor Pro Tem of Greenville, Lillian Flemming…Ryan LeGrand, President and CEO of the USGC…Ambassador Katherine Tai…Jason Hafemeister, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs…Sharon Yuan, President of The Asia Group…and many more!

A casual Welcome Reception Welcome Reception was held in Noma Square that evening so everyone could de-compress from the days events.

US Grains Council 19th International Marketing Conference – Day 0

Following two years of cancellations, postponements, virtual, and hybrid meetings, the US Grains Council was finally back to having in-person meetings!

The 19th International Marketing Conference and 62nd Annual Membership Meeting was held at the Hyatt Regency Greenville. The Greenville downtown area has been completely revitalized over the last decade. It’s a beautiful city, with tons to offer. And this year’s conference was held right in the middle of it!

Arriving in town the day before the conference began, I was able to photograph a wonderful reception hosted by the outgoing chairman of the board, Jim Raben. It was a wonderful evening at Jack n’ Diane’s Dualing Piano Bar. Spirits were high as everyone re-connected with one another, and prepared for the 3 days of intense presentations and meetings that lay ahead.

Weeks & Irvine is Expanding

I truly enjoy working with the fabulous team at the Weeks & Irvine Law Firm! Not only do I shoot for them, I use them for my personal real estate transactions. If you’re looking for an excellent firm to handle your closing, look no further than www.weekslawfirm.net.

My relationship with them began over a decade ago when I had the pleasure of photographing Robbie’s wedding. I also photograph a number of events for the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors (CTAR), which are sponsored by Weeks & Irvine. And of course I get to meet and photograph all their attorney’s headshots for the website.

Last week I got to travel to Greenville to photograph their newest office, which is in a really neat restored brick building. Carson was great to work with and we captured a variety of different expressions for him to choose from. Many thanks to Nicole for all her hard work organizing these photo shoots.

Charleston Charm in Infrared

After shooting a small wedding at White Point Garden yesterday, I decided it was too nice an afternoon not to go for a walk around charming downtown Charleston.
We put away the “heavy stuff” and I grabbed my lightweight Coolpix A that I had converted to see infrared light by Kolari Vision. I did a video about this camera and what I had done to it if anyone is interested in converting an old camera to infrared: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FsuIRK90wY&t=21s.

Being the last day of the South Eastern Wildlife Expo, there were a lot of tourists along The Battery. So I threaded my way through Stolls Alley, up to Tradd Street, and down the less-traveled parts of the old historic district.

Magnolia Plantation in Infrared

Work is good. Busy is good. But occasionally when I shoot too many assignments in a row and don’t have enough room to “breathe”, I feel my creativity getting stifled. It’s during those times that taking an afternoon off for a hike around Magnolia Plantation with nothing but my infrared camera can feel like a brilliant breath of fresh air!!!

Headshots for Seamon Whiteside

There’s a little courtyard, between the two main buildings where Seamon Whiteside has their office. Many of the employees use this peaceful, beautifully landscaped area for their coffee or lunch break. I use it to photograph their company headshots!

The light this morning in that courtyard was absolutely GORGEOUS!!! It was soft, yet directional at the same time, with a nice warm glow. It was such a pleasure to work with as I captured all the fun personalities and friendly new faces of this wonderful team.

Many thanks to Lia for organizing everyone. And CONGRATULATIONS to all the new hires!!!

New Pain Specialists Building for Trident Construction

Pain Specialists of Charleston (www.painchas.com) offers the latest, most up-to-date interventional treatments to alleviate and manage back pain and chronic pain. From patients with recent injuries to those who have had multiple surgeries, their board-certified physicians treat a wide variety of painful conditions using innovative, non-surgical treatment approaches.

The incredible team at Trident Construction (www.tridentconstruction.com) recently finished a brand-new state-of-the-art treatment facility for the Pain Specialists of Charleston. Since 1981, Trident Construction has repeatedly earned the trust of our clients, subcontractors, and design professionals. And this project is no exception!

I had the pleasure of photographing the new facility this weekend, as well as a couple shots of their previous building. It was a beautiful day and the light was gorgeous! We had calculated the optimal time for the best lighting, and it paid off. The unique design elements, and attention to every detail in the building process made my job effortless.

Many thanks to Elizabeth for coordinating schedules, and to site supervisor, Bobby, for taking time out of his weekend to open the building for me.

Sheally Insurance – Marketing Photos

Sheally Insurance is all about finding the right coverage for the best rate possible:  www.sheallyinsurance.com

I recently became their new photographer and have really enjoyed getting to know this company and the fantastic team that works there! A couple days ago I had the opportunity to photograph Patrick. No newcomer to the industry, Patrick actually owned the previous agency that worked out of this office. But after retiring, he found he still had things he wanted to accomplish. So he joined the Sheally team on a part-time basis. His experience and expertise will be a welcome addition to this excellent team!!!

Many thanks to Elizabeth for helping orchestrate and provide creative direction for the photo shoot!

Marketing Photos for Commonwealth Financial Group

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Brit and his AMAZING team at Commonwealth Financial for several years. If you need a financial planner, I highly recommend checking them out at www.commonwealthfg.com.

Last week I got to photograph 3 new members to this talented group of advisors. We had a great time, in spite of the chilly temperatures and gusty winds! Many thanks to Heather for helping coordinate everyone’s schedules!!! 🙂

Headshots at The Center for Birds of Prey

I always love shooting at The Center for Birds of Prey. Except that 99% of the time, I’m shooting BIRDS!!! 🙂

This week I had the distinct pleasure of photographing the dedicated staff that tirelessly works behind the scenes to treat injured birds, rehab or feathered friends back to health, and educate us humans (young and old) about the power of nature and how birds are such an important indicator species for our planet. It was so much fun working with this team of amazing humans!!!

Nikon Z6II, FTZ 2 Adapter, 70-200 f2.8 VRII, Flashpoint Group A in 24″ Softbox as main light, Flashpoint Group B with amber gel as hairlight, Manfrotto supports, Sony XQD cards, 1/200 sec, f4, ISO 160.

Evan Surprises Brianna with his Proposal

Brianna & Even met and fell in love at Winthrop University. Now living in Charlotte, he’s a financial advisor, and she’s a flight instructor. This week they came to Charleston to run the city’s half-marathon race, and to celebrate 6 years together. Evan thought this would be the PERFECT time to ask Brianna to be his wife!!! 🙂
 
I was so excited when Evan called a few weeks ago to ask me to photograph this special occasion for the two of them. He told me all about their story and how much he adored Brianna. I was hooked! So we began secretly coming up with the perfect plan on how to pull this off without her finding out.
 
When the big day arrived, I went down to White Point Garden early to scout it out and get set up. We had picked one of the beautiful avenues of oaks as the spot for him to propose. Finding the perfect angle with the best light, I placed a marker so that he knew exactly where to stop and do his magic! Then I settled into “hiding in plain sight”, sitting on the curb, pretending I was a random tourist just resting and checking his map. Later, Brianna said, “You are so sneaky…I never even noticed you sitting there!!!”.
 
Once they arrived, Even led her down a couple paths to keep Brianna guessing. Then he took her into the alley where he dropped to one knee under the majestic cathedral of giant oak limbs towering above them, and asked Brianna for her hand in marriage! It was incredibly MAGICAL!!!
 
But the surprise didn’t end there! Evan had also secretly arranged for Brianna’s twin sister, Marissa, to fly in that afternoon and hide around the corner. After he proposed, he signaled for Marissa to come out from hiding and the look on Brianna’s face was absolutely PRICELESS!!!
 
Before the three of them went off to celebrate, we strolled around the park, and up some of the old historic alleys, capturing some beautiful engagement photos to commemorate this special time in their lives. CONGARULATIONS Evan & Brianna!!! We wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together!