Nationwide Tour Championships

Yesterday I was truly honored when Mike Saia from the Family Circle Tennis Center asked me to be the exclusive photographer for a press conference announcing the new home of the Nationwide Tour Championships on Daniel Island. There were plenty of TV crews, but I was the only photographer. :-)

A three-year contract running through 2011 has been signed for the season-ending event, which features the top 60 on the Nationwide money list competing in a $1 million, 72-hole, no-cut event. The top 25 money winners after the Nationwide Tour Championship earn their PGA Tour playing privileges for the following season.

James Cramer (VP of Communications at the PGA Tour, Bill Calfee (president of the Nationwide Tour), Matt Sloan (president of the Daniel Island Club), and Mayor Joe Riley were among the dignitaries who spoke.

Third Time's a Charm!

Shelley, Chris, Logan & I had the worst luck with weather while trying to get their beach portraits for Christmas. Yesterday was our third try at it and all I can say is WOW!!! We had the prettiest day and got some really neat images. YAY! :-)

Donny & Jennie at Summerall Chapel

Donny & Jennie had a SWEET wedding day! I had photographed Jennie's sister's wedding, Callie, several years ago. Plus I photographed Jennie's Bridal Shoot a few weeks earlier. So I knew how much fun Jennie and her family were. And Donny and his crew were a BLAST!!! So combining these two camps made for a terrific day for me!

I started off photographing Jennie's preparations at her Aunt's house...which was a beautiful location. Then we zipped down to White Point Gardens at The Battery where she and Donny had their First Glance. I got some really cool shots under and around the Gazebo. Then we headed over to The Citadel where we got family and wedding party photos before the ceremony started. Lee Horst did a great job on the bouquets and floral arrangements. Father Willey led a beautiful service with an exceptional homily. After the wedding, they descended down the steps and through the arched swords for a dramatic exit.

The reception was at The Hibernian...a venue I always enjoy working in. Hamby's Catering did a fabulous job with the food and decorations. Linda from I Bake Cakes made a unique creation for Donny & Jenny to enjoy. Mike and The Mixers, an AMAZING band in town, rocked the place until not a single foot was standing still. It was AWESOME! At one point I was worried that the floor was going to cave in! :-) At the end of the night, Donny & Jenny made their grand escape while being pelted with bird-seed from every direction, then zipping off into the night in their Black Cab. CONGRATULATIONS Donny & Jenny!!!

Keep'n It Fresh

I had an AMAZING time with Corey McNabb and the rest of the photographers who attended the Keep'n It Fresh workshop at T&J Studios in Wichita, Kansas! Not only did we gain a tremendous amount of insight from Corey, but we developed new friendships amongst ourselves and were all able to share ideas and inspiration with each other. It was a really unique experience that I can recommend whole-heartedly to any photographer wanting to take their craft to the next level. Many thanks to Tyffany, Jeff, Brett, and Alex for organizing and planning such a cool experience for us!!!

Keep 'n It Fresh

This morning I flew into Wichita, where I'll be spending the week getting refreshed and renewed at the Keep 'n It Fresh workshop. We're all staying at this really cool hotel in the "Old Town". The program is put on by T&J Studios. Tyfanny & Jeff are really neat folks and I'm so thankful to them for inviting me. ESPECIALLY since Corey McNabb is our guest speaker! Corey is an AMAZING photographer from Asheville. I first heard him speak at the Pictage Partner Conference in L.A. earlier this year. Since he and I have a similar style and use the same camera equipment, I'm really looking forward to learning all kinds of new ideas and fresh concepts from Corey!

Susan & Edward at The Riviera

Every once in a while, a couple comes along that are just very special people! Susan & Edie's

are such a couple. Susan is a friends with my friend Liz Duren, a fellow photog. So it was a real honor when Liz suggested me to Susan. We had a wonderful time meeting together and planning their Big Day. As the wedding date approached, I got to know Susan even more during her Bridal Shoot. We had a BALL together and her portraits are BEAUTIFUL! So it was no surprise when the wedding turned out to be JUST as much fun!!! :-) They got read at Charleston Place Hotel and I was lucky to be able to use the beautiful venue to create some dramatic images. The ceremony was in the Theater at The Riviera, just across the street. What a cool "vintage" location! And the reception was in the ballroom at "The Riv", as the locals call it. Everyone had a GREAT time and I was so honored to be a part of their special day. Click Here to check out the neat slideshow of their day. CONGRATULATIONS Susan & Edie!!!

American Buildings Company on The Yorktown

Last night was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL evening. And there's no better place to enjoy a nice evening than on the deck of The Yorktown. The American Buildings Company was having their annual meeting in Charleston and I got to photograph their big night out. Dinner was catered by The Mills House. God provided the light-show. :-)

Bradford Mortgage Company

Bradford Mortgage Company has been a WONDERFUL client of ours for many years. They're a great group of people and really care about their clients. Yesterday I photographed several new members who have joined the team. Congratulations to Kevin, Linda, and Brenda!

High Dynamic Range

One of the greatest things about photography is there is ALWAYS something to play around with. Lately I've been exploring a technique called HDR (High Dynamic Range). It can be a very useful way to retain detail in an image that has an extreme amount of contrast. Or it can be used to create something a little "edgy". Here's an image I tricked out from a recent shoot I did for Holiday Inn.

Susan Antine at The Riviera

I never get a chance to share Bridal Portraits on the blog because we're always worried that the groom might see the dress before the wedding day. But I particularly liked this elegant portrait of Susan, who was married to Edie last weekend. So I thought I'd share it with everyone. It was done in the lobby of the historic Riviera Theater, with their antique movie projector in the background. I used four SB-800 Speedlights for the dramatic lighting...all triggered by an SB-900 on the D3. Susan had a 20x30 Canvas of this on display at the reception...STUNNING!

Gorilla Protection

My friend Byron, who works for DNR here in Charleston, shared this link with me: http://gorilla.wildlifedirect.org/index.php. This photo by Paul Taggart is of Kabiriza, one of the most impressive Silverback living today! These mountain gorillas are the rarest breed of mamals on earth. And the huge conflicts between military forces in and around Virunga National Park where these gorillas live means that many of these great beasts are being murdered. Check out this video by National Geographic with images by photographer Brent Stirton: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/video/player#/?titleID=1588530850&catID=8. If you'd like to help, go to the website above and you can donate funds to buy boots, tents, medical kits, and other items the rangers need to protect the mountain gorillas.

She said YES!

An AMAZING thing happened at the Selah Concert on Friday! While I was hanging out afterwards waiting for Todd, Allan, and Amy to finish signing autographs, this handsome young man got down on his knee right in front of the band and asked his girlfriend if she would spend the rest of her life with him! It was SO COOL!!! Congratulations Jamie & Amanda!

Selah

These are photos from the Selah Concert in Charleston, SC. The Dove-Award-Winning group was founded by Todd Smith (who I grew up with in Africa) and his friend Allan Hall. Check out their website at www.selahonline.com! When Todd's sister, Nicole, who was the original female vocalist for the group, decided to pursue other musical ventures, Amy joined the team. She's fit in beautifully! We all went out to dinner after the concert. It was AWESOME getting to see Todd again after all these years, and catch up on his family. If you're a fan of Selah, I'm sure you already know about the devastating loss Todd & Angie suffered with the loss of their baby. But if not and you're EVER in need of some hope and inspiration, read Angie's incredibly POWERFUL blog at www.audreycaroline.blogspot.com.

Megan & Kraig at the Circular Congregational Church

Megan is the grand-daughter of Dr. Ted Rains, who Cami and I had the pleasure of working for many years ago. So we've known Megan, her brother Scott, and her parents for some time. I met Kraig while photographing a New Year's Eve bash at the South Carolina Aquarium a few years ago when he and Megan were out celebrating. I was absolutely tickled when the two of them called to say they were engaged and wanted Cami and I to photograph their Big Day!

Their wedding last weekend was an ABSOLUTE BLAST. Kraig is such a great guy and a lot of fun to work with. Megan is...well...Megan...always smiling and happy to be a ham in front of the camera. :-) We started the day off with some PJ-style photos at Stella Nova. Then everyone met at Waterfront Park for portraits. The wedding was held at the Circular Congregational Church downtown...a beautiful and photogenic venue. There was some late afternoon light streaming through the windows that allowed me to get some truly magical images. After Megan & Kraig ran through the gauntlet of bubbles and jumped on to their carriage, everyone met for cocktails and the reception at the Double Tree Hotel. We partied, laughed, danced, and just had a great time the whole day! Click Here to check out the cool slide show of their wedding day.

CONGRATULATIONS, Megan & Kraig...we wish you all the best for a wonderful new life together!

Growing Up Overseas

Our good friend, Kathleen, shared this video with me from RVA (Rift VAlley Academy). This is the school she attended while growing up in Kenya. TASOK (The American School of Kinshasa), the school I attended while growing up in Congo (DRC), is very similar in many ways. I thought I'd share it with you because it's a really well done video about growing up overseas. And it provides wonderful insights into the experiences and memories I have from my childhood.

The Captains Cup

Yesterday was a PERFECT day for golf! Although I don't play, I had a great time photographing the 2nd Annual Captains Cup. The Family Circle Tennis Center, Bauer International’s Island House, the South Carolina Maritime Foundation and the Daniel Island Community Fund sponsor this charity golf tournament at the Daniel Island Club. Proceeds from this event are used to underwrite educational programs for youth of the Cainhoy Peninsula aboard the Spirit of South Carolina. It's a great educational program for well-deserving kids. I'm always grateful to be a part of giving back.

Trina & Wayne

Cami & I used to work with Trina. So we were SUPER excited for her when she called to let us know she was getting married. Unfortunately, we were already booked the day she was going to marry Wayne. :-( So we set up a really cool Day-After Shoot at her parent's house with this AMAZING carriage her Dad had completely restored from the ground up. Check out the fun slideshow from their shoot! :-) After the shoot, her Mom made us stay for dinner...we had so much fun! Congratulations Trina & Wayne!!!

Earth From Above

Photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand has produced a body of images taken from the air that is simply AMAZING! "Aiming to inspire people to think globally about sustainable living, Arthus-Bertrand has been photographing unique views of our planet, seen from the sky, since 1994 - and has produced an exhibit of over 150 4-ft. by 6-ft. prints which will be on display in New York City at the World Financial Center Plaza and along the Battery Park City Esplanade from May 1, 2009 to June 28, 2009. When completed in New York City, the Earth From Above exhibit will also move on to California in 2010. " Check out this selection of images and the accompanying descriptions.

Tasha & Jermaine at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church

Check out this cool slide show of Tasha & Jermaine's Wedding!!!

I first met Jermaine a couple years ago when he was a groomsman in another wedding I was photographing. He was really cool and a lot of fun. So I was TRULY HONORED when he and his fiance, Tasha, asked me to photograph THEIR wedding! :-)

Tasha & Jermaine were married last weekend at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. It was a VERY COOL celebration! Their family and friends were all wonderful and eager to help make the day a huge success. I loved the sand-ceremony they did instead of a unity candle. They even incorporated their beautiful daughter...allowing her to pour in her own sand. It was very touching...I almost cried!

The reception was held at the Elk's Lodge in West Ashley, which was beautifully decorated for the event. As the sun began to set, we went outside for some dramatic images of them in the soft evening light. Then the party kicked in to HIGH GEAR! Congratulations Tasha & Jermaine!!!

Lowcountry Housing Trust

The Lowcountry Housing Trust, one of our favorite corporate clients, has a new Blog featuring some of our images from a recent series of shoots. Check it out: http://lhtblog.wordpress.com:80/

Megan & Brad's Legacy

We also finished Megan & Brad's Legacy Storybook. This is their dust jacket and the cover of their coffee-table book. Don't you just LOVE the whimsical emotion it evokes?!?

Debby & Kevin's Storybook

Cami & I just finished designing Debby & Kevin's Journalist Storybook. It came out AWESOME and I just wanted to share a taste of it with you!

SB-800 Rotation Modification

My friends and fellow photogs Lee Morris and Patrick Hall put together this cool little video on how to modify your Nikon SB-800 so it will rotate backwards past the 90-degree mark. I had previously modified all 6 of my SB-800s using "the other guys" method. :-) But if you want more flexibility in your flashes, check it out!