Maisha & Danny’s Folly Beach Wedding

Maisha and Danny were married last week on a beautiful afternoon, in front of a gorgeous beach house, on the delightful island of Folly Beach!

Because Danny is the Executive Chef at a country club in Atlanta, and normally works on weekends, they decided to have their wedding on a Wednesday. Smart! He’s been in enough of his friend’s weddings on the weekend, that he told all of them: “Guess what! I had to take off work for YOUR weddings. Now you get to take off work for mine!”  🙂

Maisha is one of the Atlanta Rollergirls. Let me tell you, these ladies are TOUGH!!! She was telling me about their workouts, and all the injuries they’ve sustained…pretty impressive stuff! But not only is she a powerful young lady…she’s also beautiful! And I mean beautiful both inside and out.

Maisha and Danny, along with their fun and fabulous wedding party, met up with me in downtown Charleston for some cool shots before the ceremony. We started at Waterfront Park, strolled around the French Quarter, and even made it up to Rainbow Row. We had a BLAST!!!  To see the rest of their photos, head over to:  http://chrisandcami.zenfolio.com/maishaanddanny

Eventually, we headed over to Folly Beach, where the fabulous Rachel of www.eleventsandco.com had everything beautifully decorated. I had to give Rachel a HUGE hug for recommending us to Maisha and Danny. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect couple to work with!

The ceremony was led by Rev. Barbara of One Gal and A Wedding. And the beautiful music was performed by Corinne Gooden.

CONGRATULATIONS Maisha & Danny! We wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together!!!

Rogers Family at Hampton Park

It’s been 5 years since I last had the honor of photographing the Rogers Family. My oh my have Lucas & Tessa grown!!!

We met up for a fun family session at Hampton Park. It was a beautiful afternoon with gorgeous light and perfect temperatures. We had SO MUCH FUN!!!

I’m thrilled to be able to share some of my favorite shots from my time this adorable family. 🙂

Jaime & Brian’s Hampton Park Engagement Session

Earlier this summer I got this really sweet email from Jaime:

“Hey Chris! I recently just got engaged and wanted to talk to you. You did my best friends wedding a few years ago and the pictures were so beautiful…”

I’ve had so much fun getting to know Jaime over the past few months. Finally, I got to meet this very special couple over the weekend when they came to Charleston for their engagement session. Jaime is the sweetest, kindest, most beautiful person you could ever meet! Plus, Brian and I hit it off immediately because we share the same quirky sense of humor. We all had a BLAST exploring the picturesque Hampton Park, capturing their excitement and energy along the way.

I’d like to send a HUGE BEAR HUG to Melissa & Kevin, who’s gorgeous wedding I photographed at Middleton Place, for re-connecting Jaime and I after all these years. 🙂  I can’t wait to photograph Jaime & Brian’s amazing celebration in Woodstock, GA next year!!!

Elizabeth & Jamie’s Rock Hill Wedding

Five years ago, I had the priviledge of photographing a beautiful wedding in Rock Hill. Elizabeth was a bridesmaid in that wedding! When Elizabeth got engaged to her boyfriend Jamie last year, she reached out to her friend to get my name. I can’t thank Ashley & Brit enough for their kind referral!!!  🙂

Elizabeth loves working with young people and is a youth minister at a church in Pawley’s Island. Jamie works for US Food, keeping restaurants stocked with the best products. They met at Super Bowl Party last year, and started dating soon after.  A few months later, Jamie asked Elizabeth to be his bride. Isn’t that awesome?!?

Fast forward to LAST weekend, when it was Elizabeth & Jamie’s turn to finally tie the knot! Father Pat drove all the way up from Elizabeth & Jamie’s church in Pawley’s Island to joined Father Fabio at St. Anne Catholic Church, where they joined these two lovebirds in holy matrimony. Elizabeth grew up at St. Anne’s, where her mom has worked for 30 years. It was a very special place for them to exchange their wedding vows!

Many thanks to Steve, my good friend and amazing photographer, for helping capture all the special moments of this wonderful celebration!

After the ceremony, a joyful reception followed at the Rock Hill Country Club. Delicious food, heart-felt toasts, and lively music kept the party rocking all night long! Alas, eventually the beautiful couple was given an enthusiastic send-off with cheers and farewells echoing into the night.

CONGRATULATIONS Elizabeth & Jamie! May God bless you as you embark on your new adventure together!!!

Ally & Matt’s Surprise Proposal at Magnolia Plantation

I woke up this morning before the alarm…butterflies in my stomach…excitement in my veins. It wasn’t for me. The anticipation of being a part of Matt’s Surprise Proposal to his beautiful girlfriend, Ally, had my adrenaline pumping before my feet hit the floor. It’s hard to believe that 9 years of dating had finally led these two soulmates to this perfect moment!

Matt and I have been secretly corresponding for weeks…planning out every detail of this AMAZING day! We selected a gorgeous avenue of oaks at the picturesque Magnolia Plantation & Gardens. Arriving early, I got all set up and settled into my hiding spot. A small group of tourists walked by and, hesitant at first, asked me why I was hiding in the bushes. After I explained my situation, the men wandered off slightly bemused, while the ladies burst into smiles and giggles, chattering among themselves as they strolled on: “isn’t that the sweetest thing you’ve ever heard of?!?”

Matt and Ally arrived right on cue! The first shot of them walking towards “the spot” cracks me up. You can see Matt’s brain is on high alert as he scans the brush to get a bead on my location. But more importantly, I LOVE ALLY’S REACTION when Matt dropped to his knee and asked her to be his wife!!! 🙂

After she said “Yes”, the three of us enjoyed a wonderful stroll around the plantation, stopping to photograph authentic Engagement Photos along the way. It was a beautiful morning with perfect fall temperatures and gorgeous southern light.  We had a BLAST!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Ally & Matt! You guys are a very special couple. I am truly honored to be forever linked to this beautiful day in your lives!!!

Summerville Cuties

Last night I had the pleasure of photographing portraits for my good friend, and amazing photographer, Frank!

We created a natureal portrait studio in his back yard with the beautiful woods as the backdrop and an elegant earth-tone chair for posing. I used the Nikon D5 with the Nikkor 70-200 f2.8 on a Manfrotto Carbon Fiber tripod. For lighting, one SB-5000 was fired through a 24″ Lastolite EZY Box on camera left, and a bare SB-5000 with 1/2 CTO gel on it was fired from behind the chair to camera right. Since it was such an overcast day, this gave a little character and warmth to mimic a setting sun. Both were triggered with the new Nikon AWL system using the WR-10 transmitter.

Thanks for a great evening, Frank!

Rebekah at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens

It was a real pleasure photographing Rebekah at the picturesque Magnolia Plantation & Gardens yesterday! She’s a beautiful model with a sweet disposition, a generous heart, and an enthusiastic spirit. We had a BLAST exploring the grounds and creating some wonderful images together! Thanks, Rebekah!!!

Portrait Studio on a Motorcycle

“How do you fit all your gear on THAT?!?”  This is a question I get a lot.

Most of my friends know that I’ve been riding motorcycles since I was about 15 years old. Aside from being a joy to ride, there are many practical reasons for using a motorcycle as a means of transportation. Not the least of these is the fact that my current bike, a Honda CB500X, gets 60-70 miles per gallon. That’s THREE TIMES what I get out of my SUV!!!

According to Honda: “Our objective when developing the engine for the CB500 series was to produce a global, kind-to-the-environment parallel twin-cylinder engine that looks ahead to the next generation and, by being both sporty and easy to handle, transcends regions to appeal equally to those in both developed and emerging countries.”  In other words, this bike produces plenty of power, while putting out very low emissions into the environment.

It feels good to know that I’m doing my part to save the planet.  🙂

Aside from being fun, economical and environmentally friendly, motorcycles are more maneuverable in tight traffic. While driving to photo shoots downtown with its narrow streets, it’s not uncommon to have a delivery truck stopped in the middle of the road blocking most of the traffic. Plus parking spaces are hard to find and tight to get into. Such issues are more easily managed when on a small vehicle like my CB500X, which has been affectionately named Trinity.

As an adventure-style motorcycle, Trinity has been accessorized with Givi locking panniers and top boxes made out of aircraft grade aluminum. I use ThinkTank camera bags, with excellent padding, and professional grade material, that slip perfectly into each box. This allows me to carry my valuable equipment securely and safely.

Adjusting my luggage system into any number of configurations according to the job requirements is literally a snap!  The Italian-made boxes clip on or clip off with the turn of a key.  Sometimes I just need a top box with a single camera bag that holds 2 bodies, 4 lenses, and a couple of flashes. Switching to two panniers works better if I need a little more lighting gear. For really complex assignments, I can mount all three boxes.

In this assignment at the Center for Birds of Prey, I was photographing head-shots of the staff using the natural wooded environment of their beautiful facility in Awendaw. For the first day of photography, I took my SUV. For the follow-up date, I took Trinity (see picture below). One pannier carried a Nikon D5, Nikon D500, Nikkor 24-70 f2.8, Nikkor 70-200 VRII, Nikkor 300mm PF, and 2 SB-500 flashes. The other pannier held 2 SB-800 flashes, a MeFoto carbon fiber tripod, a 24″ softbox, 2 sand bags, and various other accessories. A 48″ softbox and 2 9-ft Manfrotto light-stands were strapped to the top plate where the top box would normally be.

I didn’t use all the gear I brought, of course. But I like to be over-repared! I ended up using the Nikon D5, the 70-200, and both SB-5000 flashes. One flash was fired through the 48″ softbox on a light-stand to my right. The other was given a 1/2 CTO gel and placed on a stand behind the subject to my left as a warm rim light or kicker light.

I truly love working with the Center for Birds of Prey! They are a wonderful organization, staffed by people of integrity, who are doing good work for our planet and the beautiful creatures we share it with! I HIGHLY recommend visiting their world class facility just 30 minutes from Charleston. It’s a great place to take a date, bring the family, or enjoy a peaceful outing on your own. Learn something new on the walking tour, be fascinated by the huge variety of species on display, marvel at the aerial acrobatics during the flight demonstration, and enjoy the great outdoors. You won’t regret it!!!

Hadden Family on Sullivan’s Island

Yesterday was another WONDERFUL family photo shoot with my favorite clients, Lisa & Clay! I met up with them and their adorable daughter on the picturesque Sullivan’s Island for a fun sunset beach portrait session. Emma is almost a year old now. Isn’t she adorable?  It’s hard to believe how time flies!!!

Laurie & Allen’s Charleston Elopement

Laurie & Allen are the sweetest couple in the world. Being a part of their elopement to Charleston last week was a real joy!!!

I met up with them at the Meeting Street Inn where they were staying. After a few photos, a horse-drawn carriage arrived to whisk them away to White Point Garden. Laurie & Allen were married on the bandstand gazebo in the middle of the park on a gorgeous afternoon. It was such a beautiful celebration of love and commitment!

After the ceremony, the three of us enjoyed a fun walk around some of the old historic streets near The Battery, stopping for gorgeous photos along the way. Getting to know these two, and capturing these special memories for them along the way, was a real pleasure!

CONGRATULATIONS Laurie & Allen! We wish you all the best for a beautiful new journey together!!!

Student Transportation Inc

It was an honor and a pleasure to work with Student Transportation Inc (STI) on their Annual Report again this year!

Real Estate Agent Head-shots

We are always so honored when clients keep coming back to us again and again!

I got to know Kristin many years ago when I photographed her head-shots for the company she worked for at the time. Today, she’s spreading her wings and striking out on her own as a real-estate agent. Needing new headshots for her website, business cards, and social media channels…I was thrilled when she reached out to us!

Kristin and I met this morning for a fun little photo shoot at Gadsdenboro Park. We had a BLAST and came away with some beautiful shots that capture her fun personality! Here are a few favorites from our session.

If you’re a real-estate agent, entreprenuer, or business leader in need of professional photographs, give us a call!!!