Serenity

As most of you know, one of my favorite motto's is "photography is not what I do, it's who I am". A couple days ago I was downtown photographing a portrait for a prominent local business lady. After our session was over and I was walking back to my vehicle, I noticed this tall ship anchored in the harbor. It was probably still hanging around town after the Tall Ships Festival last week. The light level was getting low and it had been a long day. But something inside me just said I COULD NOT pass up the opportunity to photograph this scene of serenity. So I dragged out the tripod and Nikkor 70-200VR lens to capture this image. My dad loves sailing...this photo makes me think of him.

We're Moving

After nine years in our current home, Cami & I have decided to move! With the continued growth in Charleston, our neighborhood is seeing more renters and transient occupants than ever before. Our once quiet neighborhood is seeing more traffic and less pride of ownership. Plus, we've found a house with a unique floor plan that we both absolutely LOVE. So with the help of our friend and AWESOME real estate agent, Nick Maffia, we're moving a couple miles down the road to a new neighborhood called Hunt Club. God willing, our closings will take place on June 27th. Please keep us in your prayers as we spend the next few weeks packing up our lives. We'll update the website with new directions and information as soon as the move is complete. Don't worry, I'll post a photo of our NEW home once we're in it! We're so EXCITED and look forward to having you all come and visit!!!

68th Senior PGA Championships

I had the privilege last week of photographing the 68th Senior PGA Championships for the Charleston Metro Sports Council. Having never photographed professional golf before, starting out by covering one of the BIGGEST events with some of the BEST senior players on the tour was like jumping into the deep end without a safety net. But as those who know me can attest, I relish a good challenge! So I did my research during the weeks prior. And when the time came, everything went smooth as silk. I got some GREAT shots and was able to enjoy the beautiful weather and scenic landscape of the famous Ocean Course. Here's a slide-show of some of my favorite images. Many thanks to Kathleen Cartland for once again believing in me.

Next weekend I'll be following up my debut as a golf photographer by covering the Ginn Tribute Hosted by Annika! Can you tell I LOVE MY JOB!!! :-)

A Gesture of Appreciation

I just love Cami for her big heart! She quietly slips out of the house three times a week to go read to a kind older lady in our church who is home-bound, doesn't have much family in the area, and hardly gets any visitors. Over the years, they've developed a friendship that is special to both of them. On one of her visits last week, Miss Alma gave Cami this BEAUTIFUL potted Amaryllis flower. I think it was her way of saying how much she appreciates their time together...

Fun in the Sun

Cami & I went to visit her parents and her brother for Mother's Day weekend. After a nice brunch, her brother, Scott, took Mojo (his dog), Henry (our dog), Cami, and myself out for a ride in the boat. On the way back, Came grabbed this shot of Mojo, all wet and smelly, trying to get some lovin' from me! Henry was on the seat to my left, all hunkered down to stay out of the wind. I hope he doesn't see this picture of me with another dog and get jealous!!! :-)

A Colorful Affair

I'm such a SUCKER for bright colors! And Jenni & Jeremy's wedding last weekend was so full of bright, cheerful colors that I was like a kid in a CANDY store. OK...enough with the puns about the lollipops in the last image! :-) I also had an extra boost of fun getting to meet and work with Valerie, who was the Matron of Honor and also a photographer with Richard Bell Photography. We had a BLAST bouncing ideas off each other and just sharing in our mutual passion for photography.

Jenni & Jeremy's ceremony took place at Church of the Holy Cross on Sullivan's Island. Since Jenni had grown up going to church in the old sanctuary, I really wanted to incorporate it into some of their photos. Of course I couldn't resist using the beautiful red door to the old building. They turned out AWESOME. How fitting is it that the new sanctuary has this gorgeous red carpet everywhere?!? The folks at the church were a pleasure to work with. I'm so honored to have visually preserved this beautiful service so that these two can look back and remember the joy of this special day.

After the service, a WONDERFUL reception was held at Alhambra Hall. It was clear how important the fellowship of friends and family was to these two. They mingled and hugged and danced with EVERYONE. It brought a smile to my heart to even see their grandparents out there cuttin' the rug! When it was time for the toasts, the heartfelt remarks made it just as clear how important Jenni & Jeremy are to everyone who's lives they have touched.

CONGRATULATIONS Jenni & Jeremy! You guys are truly blessed with an AWESOME support group of family and friends. See ALL their photos in our Online Gallery...

MUSC Hooding Ceremony

The "Hooding Ceremony" for MUSC's College of Health Professions has become an annual event which I thoroughly enjoy photographing! It's so neat to see all these young people achieve their dreams and embark on a new adventure in their lives. After sitting through the ceremony and posing for all the different group photos, I could tell THIS crew was about to BURST! So I encouraged them to let loose...and was rewarded with this image full of energy and excitement!!!

See the rest of the images in their Online Gallery...

Society of Industrial Realtors

Last week, I had the privilege of photographing a very elite group of Realtors in the Charleston area. The Society of Industrial Realtors is THE leading professional commercial and industrial real estate association in the world! With more than 3,100 members in 480 cities in 20 countries, SIOR represents today's most knowledgeable, experienced, and successful commercial real estate brokerage specialists. Apparently, you have to pass an EXTREMELY difficult exam in order to become a member. That's why there are only EIGHT such individuals in Charleston! It was an honor to meet and photograph each of them...

Summerville Charm

Jen & Luke's wedding last week was characterized by the charm of the beautiful little city in which it was held. St. Paul's Episcopal Church is a delightful place to get married, full of history and romance. The tall white columns, red brick walkways, and huge arched windows make for a very picturesque setting. The reception was held at The Summer House...one of my favorite little reception locations. The staff there is always so friendly and fun to work with. One of my favorite DJ's, Eddie L of Pro Wedding Entertainment, was there to keep everyone tapping their toes, clapping their hands, and EVEN performing a little Madonna impersonation during "Vogue"! Girls, you KNOW who you are!!! :-) But I must say, MOST of the charm from this wedding came from experiencing the love and respect this young couple shared for each another.

I truly was blessed to be with you guys on this special day. And I can't thank Chris & Sarah enough (who's wedding I photographed HOW long ago?!?) for recommending me to you. Congratulations Jen & Luke!

See the rest of the photos in their Online Gallery...

An Artist, her Dog, and their Kitchen

Signature Kitchens & Baths is one of our favorite longtime clients. The designs and quality installations Jim and Linda McLain and their staff come up with are truly works of architectural art in themselves! A few days ago, Linda asked me to photograph this kitchen they had totally redone for Mary Whyte to use in their portfolio. Mary is a FAMOUS local artist. So it was a pleasure to meet her and get to work with her on this project. At the end of the shoot, I asked if she would mind posing for an environmental portrait of her with her EXTREMELY well-behaved dog in their new kitchen. :-)

My Big Beautiful Greek Wedding

This weekend I had the distinct PRIVILEGE of photographing Alex & Chris' wedding at the picturesque Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. Actually, the REAL festivities started the night before when I photographed the fantastic Rehearsal Dinner Party at the Carolina Yacht Club. Then the next day after Alex finished getting ready, her dad, Nick, came in to see her. I just LOVE that first shot with her talking to him in the mirror while her mom, Cris, and her sister, Catherine, look on. Father John performed a beautiful service filled with tears and laughter. Isn't the sanctuary BEAUTIFUL?!? I captured this next moment of comic relief at the end of the homily as Chris & Father John drew a wave of laughter from the congregation. The high-energy reception was held at the Country Club of Charleston. And of course, no Greek wedding is complete without some traditional music and dancing! :-) Alex & Chris, you guys were a BLAST to work with. Don't EVER lose your passion and enthusiasm for life...and for each other!

See the rest of the photos in their Online Gallery...

Get Pumped

I've always admired how Dinara Safina plays tennis with such INTENSITY and FOCUS every single time she steps on the court! I took this shot during her defeat of Lourdes Dominguez Lino at the Family Circle Cup earlier this year. I was reminded of her determination during a particularly difficult match that my partner, Shawn, and I faced recently in our tennis league. Neither of us was playing all that well that night. But we knew that if we just dug deep and played HARD, we could still beat these guys. It wasn't pretty, but we ended up winning 6-4, 6-4. With the overall team's victory that day, we solidified our ranking as the number one Men's 4.0 team in Charleston. That means we compete once again at the State Championships in a few weeks. So I'm trying to get myself PUMPED UP for the big event! :-)

Beautiful Book Worm

When our friends, Karen & Carl, called to ask if I'd create portraits of their three children, I was delighted. They have the most ADORABLE children you can imagine! We did the entire session in and around their sprawling property on John's Island. As usual, I arranged to do the shoot during Magic Hour. We photographed the kids together, as well as individually. This was one of my favorites! You can see the warm setting sun just kissing the back of her hair to create that angelic glow.

Kelly & Aaron

Talk about a true Southern Plantation Style wedding! Kelly & Aaron were boyfriend/girlfriend back in the 8th grade. After loosing touch for a while, they got back together several years ago...is that FATE?!? Aaron proposed to Kelly on the new Arthur Ravanel Jr. Bridge. So Kelly and I had a fun time finding a spot to shoot her bridal portrait so that the picturesque bridge was in the background. The wedding was held underneath the majestic oak trees, overlooking the river, at historic Lowndes Grove Plantation. And the reception was held on the grand lawn under the beautiful white tents erected for the occasion. For the wedding, the sun was shining and the temperature was soothing. The energy at the reception was ELECTRIFYING! Kelly & Aaron, you guys REALLY know how to party...southern style. :-) CONGRATULATIONS!!!

The rest of the images will appear in their Online Gallery soon...