Awards Ceremony at The Ocean Course

Kiawah Island is such an amazing paradise! Whenever I have an assignment out there, I can feel my blood pressure dropping as I drive the scenic road out to the island. Then once I’m on the island, I love slowing down and looking for alligators, egrets, and osprey, which hang out in the many ponds and marshes.

A few weeks ago I had a fantastic time photographing a very special awards banquet at The Ocean Course. Cocktails took place on the back porch, overlooking the historic 18th hole where so many Ryder Cup and PGA moments have taken place. As the beautiful sunset faded into blue hour, everyone moved inside for dinner. Heartfelt speeches were made about each incredibly deserving award recipient. The room was truly filled with warmth and appreciation for their dedication and service!

For smaller events like this, I choose to wield my Nikon D5 + 24-70 f2.8, Nikon D500 + 105 f2.8, and Nikon SB-5000 Speedlights.  Of course the DJI Mavic Pro 2 comes in handy for those hard-to-reach angles!

McMillan Pazden Smith Architects

McMillan Pazdan Smith is a regional, studio-based architecture, planning, and interior design firm whose mission is to help clients create environments that embody their vision, enrich their brand, and enhance the quality of their communities: https://mcmillanpazdansmith.com/.

I previously had the pleasure of photographing headshots and team portraits for the Charleston office, which you can find here:  https://chrisandcami.com/environmental-portraits-for-mcmillan-pazden-smith-architecture/.  A couple weeks ago, I was honored to be asked to also photograph the team in their Columbia office!

Many thanks to Kathryn and Abbie for all their hard work coordinating schedules and working out the details for this photo shoot. It was an absolute BLAST and I really enjoyed getting to know this incredible group of human beings!

Kempton Senior Living Facility for Trident Construction

It was a pleasure photographing the Kempton Senior Living Facility for Trident Construction last week!

This was a massive project, right in the middle of a very busy intersection along the cross-town. So I was VERY impressed with how they were able to accomplish the task and make it such a beautiful oasis in the heart of downtown Charleston.

Many thanks to Elizabeth and Nic for all their hard work coordinating schedules and organizing everything for the shoot!

US Grains Council 19th International Marketing Conference – Day 3

The 3rd and final day of the 19th International Marketing Conference and 62nd Annual Membership Meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Greenville was a time to celebrate!

All the Advisory Team Leaders shared the progress reports and final results from their intense break-out meetings. Recognition Awards for exemplary service were handed out to deserving recipients. And final words of inspiration were shared before the conference was finally adjourned.

It was an absolute pleasure being back in person, photographing another fabulous event for the US Grains Council!

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.