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!

Senior Portraits at The Citadel

It was an absolute pleasure meeting and photographing Josh for his Senior Portraits at The Citadel. We even got a few shots with his mom, one of his advisors, and his best friend!

Josh chose to attend The Citadel because he received a partial tennis scholarship. He has remained on the tennis team all 4 years. Joshua earned gold stars all 4 years, serves on the honor council, and is the academic officer for 1st Battalion. He is in the Baker School of Business. In the fall, Joshua will begin working on his MBA at University of Tennessee.

CONGRATULATIONS Josh!!! We wish you all the best on achieving all your dreams.

The Citadel First Salute Ceremony

One thing I love about my job is that every day is different!

Yesterday I got to photograph the First Salute Ceremony at The Citadel. I was commissioned by Christian’s parents to capture the event for them. He chose his dad, who was a Gunnery Sergeant in the Marines, to give him his First Salute. It truly was a touching moment in this young man’s life. The emotions shared by father and son were palpable, as Christian’s dad told him how proud he was of him.

It was an absolute honor being a part of this special ceremony for this amazing family. I’ll never forget it!

Headshots for Fifth Third Bank

It was a pleasure photographing headshots for the group at the Fifth Third Bank yesterday!

Max Bluestein’s Bar Mitzvah at Emanu-El Synagogue

As a professional photographer, it is always such a pleasure to capture important moments in people’s lives. Last weekend, I had the honor of photographing Max Bluestein’s Bar Mitzvah at the Emanu-El Synagogue, as well as the ensuing reception at Founder’s Hall in Charlestowne Landing. I must say that it was an experience I will never forget!

The Emanu-El Synagogue is a stunning location.  I was truly impressed by the beauty and the feeling of reverence of the place. The architecture, the lighting, and the ambiance of the synagogue were simply amazing. I was thrilled to have such a lovely location to capture these special moments for Max and his family. The décor was elegant and tasteful, with traditional elements that added to the spiritual significance of the event. You could tell that Rabbi Ravski had a special connection with the young man. It was heartwarming to see Max and his family come together to celebrate this special occasion!

After the Bar Mitzvah ceremony, the reception at Founder’s Hall was a joyous occasion. The hall was beautifully decorated by Sha Sha and her amazing team at Loluma. The food and drinks were exceptional. The fun activities and fantastic dancing went on all night long.  DJ Ede and Naquan kept everyone on their toes!  I loved seeing all the guests having such a wonderful time!

Many thanks to Rabbi Ravski at Emanu-El, Sha Sha and her team at Loluma, Michelle Metzler at Founder’s Hall, DJ Ede Moran and Naquan, Jenna at Cru Catering, Getem Twisted photo booths, Alpha Lit letters, Eventworcks, and everyone else who helped make this day a huge success! Also, a HUGE shout-out to Ryan, Sharyn, and Abby for loving and supporting Max through this special time in his life!!!

Capturing such special moments and memories for Max and his family was a great privilege for me. The beauty of the synagogue, the fun family portraits afterwards, and the exciting reception all made for such a memorable event. I felt truly blessed to have been a part of such a momentous occasion. CONGRATULATIONS, Max!!!

Morgan & Ryan’s Wedding at The Citadel Beach Club

What a GORGEOUS day for a wedding!!!

I got to know Morgan & Ryan, and their adorable son, Wyatt, at their fabulous engagement shoot last year:  https://chrisandcami.com/morgan-ryans-engagement-session-at-hampton-park/.  So I was super excited to be covering their amazing wedding at The Citadel Beach Club!

With blue skies, puffy white clouds, a gentle ocean breeze, and perfect temperatures, you couldn’t have asked for a nicer day.  Surrounded by close family and friends, they tied the knot on the grand lawn with pelicans soaring overhead, and the southing sounds of the ocean in the distance.  A lively reception with great food, friendly fellowship, and crazy dancing followed inside the ballroom.  Bruce even sang a surprise solo to his beautiful daughter during the toasts!  But my favorite part was when Morgan, Ryan, and I snuck out to the beach for some sunset photos with a bottle of bubbly!  😉

Many thanks to Keri of Keri Seay Events for all her help keeping everything on track.  And a huge shout out to all the other vendors for making Morgan & Ryan’s day so special!

CONGRATULATIONS Morgan & Ryan!!!  We wish you all the best as you begin this new journey together…

John & Shelby’s Surprise Proposal at White Point Garden

Pinch me!!!

In case you missed it, Cami and I had the UNBELIEVABLE HONOR of photographing Shelby Rogers’ beautiful surprise proposal by her incredible boyfriend, John. I can’t begin to explain how touching it was to be there and capture this special moment for these two amazing humans!!!

Please help me in CONGRATULATING them, and wishing them all the happiness in the world as they begin this new journey together…

The Citadel Foundation at The Gaillard Auditorium

It was an honor photographing portraits for The Citadel Foundations Annual Sponsor Donor Dinner at The Gaillard Auditorium. With almost 600 cadets and their sponsors in attendants, it was a fantastic event!

* Shot with Nikon D5, Nikkor 24-70 f2.8, Sony XQD cards, Lenovo laptop, Darkroom software, DNP printer, Flashpoint transmitter and speedlights, Westcott umbrellas, Manfrotto stands, Savage backdrop *

Brianna & Evan’s Wedding at Historic Rice Mill

I got to know Evan & Brianna last year when he contacted me to secretly photograph his surprise proposal to the love of his life!!! It was AMAZING: https://chrisandcami.com/evan-surprises-brianna-with-his-proposal/.   So when they called to ask if I would also capture their wedding, I was elated!

Although rain threatened us for a minute, it actually ended up being the perfect weather…not too cold, not too hot, with a little bit of cloud cover.  The guys started out at Haberdash…hanging out and having fun while they got ready.  Evan was looking pretty dashing by the time they got done with him!  Then it was over to The Cottages at the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina.  Brianna’s “reveal” to the girls was a highlight!  She was an absolutely STUNNING bride in her elegant gown!!!  🙂  Finally we all headed back over the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge to The Historic Rice Mill for the main event!

The lively and humor-filled ceremony was led by Brianna’s half-brother, Seth.  At one point I think I saw a tear in Evan’s eye…which was so touching.  Then it was on to wedding party photos while guests enjoyed cocktails with views of the sailboats bobbing in the Ashley River.  I was worried that the low-lying blanket of clouds was going to ruin our plans for some gorgeous sunset photos of Brianna & Evan.  But just 15 minutes before sunset, a sliver of sky opened up on the horizon to reveal the most amazing sunset for us to work with!!!

A warm welcome by Brianna’s dad, and a delicious meal awaited everyone at the reception.  Lively chatter and fun festivities carried on throughout the night.  Cake cutting, signing the marriage license, and touching toasts also ensued.  Eventually, The Vistas band started jamming and the party kicked into high gear!  Everyone was dancing and singing and having a BLAST!!!  But finally it was time to bid Brianna & Evan a fond farewell.  We closed the night out with a big group photo featuring the entire band…before this amazing couple headed off into the night!

Many thanks to Alyssa and her team at www.stunningandbrilliantevents.com for making sure everything went off perfectly.  And a huge shout out to all the vendors who made this special day possible.

CONGRATULATIONS Brianna & Evan!!!  Having been there from the “I Will” to the “I Do”, it was an absolute honor to capture all the beautiful memories of this special day for you.  We wish you all the best as you begin this new journey together.

Berkadia Conference at Hotel Bennett

It was an absolute pleasure photographing the Berkadia Leadership Conference at the Hotel Bennett last week!

“Berkadia is a leader in the commercial real estate industry, offering a robust suite of services to our multifamily and commercial property clients. Powered by deep relationships and industry-changing technology, our people sell, finance, and service commercial real estate, providing support for the entire life cycle of our clients’ assets. Our unique ownership structure allows us to put our clients’ interests first and create a marketplace that delivers a superior experience.”

From cultural presentations by Gullah historian, Corey Austin Sweetgrass…to interviews with the CEO of Salamander Hotels, Sheila Johnson…to networking opportunities with Berkadia CEO, Justin Wheeler…the entire event was jam packed with access to knowledge and information you couldn’t get anywhere else in the industry!

Many thanks to Jenna at KLH Group and Meredith at Berkadia for bringing us on board, and making sure everything ran perfectly!

Palmetto ADV Rally 2023

We started our riding season off right with a trip to Ridgeveville, South Carolina, for the 2nd annual Palmetto ADV Rally!!!

This year the rally will be held at Black Water on the Ashley Campgrounds, which was a beautiful island in the middle of a lake. The property is a 120 acre wetlands preserve that offers camping, fishing, live music, and good times. Most campsites were located right on the water for the most relaxing views and scenery. We felt like we were alone in the wilderness…yet within easy access of restaurants and stores just a few minutes away in the town of Summerville.

This year’s event included new routes, guided tours, along with daily excursions for exploring, keeping our riding skills sharp, and improving our technique while out on the trails. The South Carolina Adventure Route (SCAR) is less than a mile away away from this new location! So jumping on some fantastic off-road trails was easy.

The Palmetto ADV Rally offers 4 days days of riding and exploring & 3 nights of camping. Free continental breakfast, coffee stations, and a massive home-cooked dinner each night is all included in the rally experience. Tons of live music, presentations, bonfires, raffles, good times, riding buddies (new and old), and tall tails were also to be had!

The Palmetto ADV Rally Guest Speakers list included:
– Kris Coxs (Founder of the SCAR)
– Ben Myburgh (ADV World Traveler and Instructor)
– Mark Wing (MSF / ADV Instructor and Founder of SOAC ADV Practice Park)
– Angelo Vleck (4-time finisher at the Dakar Rally)

Famous YouTubers such as Moto Photo Adventures, The Bearded Grump, and One Old Man Riding were also there to answer questions and capture the experience on camera!

It was an AMAZING weekend and we’re already looking forward to 2024!!!

Johnson Family at Azalea Park

Photographing Sarah & Cody’s maternity shoot last year was so much fun! So imagine my excitement when they called to ask if I could photograph family portraits with their beautiful new daughter, Emory?!?

To make it even more special, they also brought Sarah’s dad, Billy, for a 3-gerneration photo. And to top it all off, her dad brought his beautiful 14-year old dog, Fred!!! We had a wonderful time capturing a nice variety of lovely portraits in Summerville’s picturesque Azalea Park.

I owe a HUGE Thank You to our mutual friend, Andrea, for recommending us to Sarah & Cody. It’s been such a pleasure getting to know them. And I can’t wait to watch their amazing family grow!  🙂