The Treehouse

Mel, the editor from Charleston Magazine sent me an email the other day saying: "I do have another house we need to shoot on May 4th. Very Colorful, a little funky. And I'd very much like to shoot it with the bright, open feeling you shot the VanDyke house with. Are you in?????" What a silly question! If the words "colorful" and "funky" fall in the same sentence describing a subject...I'm DEFINITELY IN! :-) The house was totally unique. And Susan Simons, the owner, was such an eloquent, artistic, and well traveled individual. We had a great time working together and talking about the different countries and cultures we'd visited. Just to give you a taste, this shot is the master bedroom. The huge door to the left leads out onto a wrap-around deck that's literally built around the tree trunks that grow up that side of the house. The fresh sea breeze comes from beyond the branches where the view of Sullivan's Island and the ocean beyond that is spectacular. Make sure you pick up the next issue of Charleston Magazine to see the rest of the images!

Popcorn Photography

I know a lot of photographers call this "Popcorn" photography or "Cruise Ship" photography, as if it's of a lesser class than "real" photography. Sure, I agree it may not be the most artistic or creative expression of one's imagination. But you know what, even within those precious few minutes I'm given with each couple, there is always room to provide a BETTER experience for them...and create a portrait that EXCEEDS their expectations! It doesn't matter that the session is over in the blink of an eye. I can find out their names, ask where they're from, and make a little joke to loosen them up. Sometimes, taking that personal interest in them is all it takes to make their experience a positive one. By knowing what I'm doing, paying attention to the details, and anticipating that moment of peek expression, their portrait can turn out better than they ever imagined. This was just one of HUNDREDS of images created at an Awards Banquet I shot at The Sanctuary for all the top General Motors dealerships in Canada. They loved their portraits and were amazed that we had them ready for them that evening!

Lifestyle Series

Britt Gilbert has been steering his company, Commonwealth Financial Group, in the right direction. He's a great guy and a long-time client. He asked me to shoot a whole series of lifestyle images for use in their new ad campaign. He and his daughter enjoy playing soccer together. This was one of my favorites of them...isn't she ADORABLE? Check out several of the other ads created with his principals at http://www.commonwealthfg.com/!

Change of Pace

As much as I enjoy working with people, every now and then the quiet solitude and more meticulous pace of a large architectural assignment can be a welcome change. Having built a reputation for the diversity of subjects we cover, I frequently get calls for architectural and interior photography. I covered the Hilton Garden Inn earlier this year and the Francis Marion Hotel last year. We have numerous other clients who are architects, interior designers, home theater installers, cabinet designers, etc. But this project was particularly personal to me because my old friend, Dan Blumenstock, was now the GM at this hotel! I had done an exterior shot at sunrise of the Hampton Inn & Suites for him when he was the GM over there many years ago. It was great to work with Dan again. And I admire what he's done with this new facility...truly 1st class! Check out tons of other photos from the shoot on their website here.

The Family Circle Cup

What can I say...10 hours a day...10 days straight...10,000 images! I just get such an adrenaline rush out of covering the Family Circle Cup each year. I don't know if it would be as exciting if I wasn't a tennis player. But I relish the opportunity to challenge myself and stretch my photographic capabilities. As the final Tier 1 event played on clay before the French Open, all the top players are there. In like fashion, all the top sports photographers are drawn like bees to a beehive. The media tent is a constant buzz of activity. Photographers and writers are rushing from one match to the next, trying to stay on the edge of the latest developments...an upset of a big star, a rising new talent, an emotional meltdown, a fist-pumping moment of triumph. As the Official Photographer of the tournament, it's my job to provide the most comprehensive coverage possible. On top of all the court action, I get to cover exclusive, behind-the-scenes events that most of the media doesn't even know about...the player's ice-cream social...the baby shower for Jennifer Russell (one of the players who just found out she's pregnant and will be retiring after this tournament)...the Meredith Inspiration Award with Mary Pierce...the Lacoste fashion show with Natalie Dechy and Luke Jensen...the Player's Party at Saks Fifth Avenue where the players trade in their sports clothes for fashion outfits and their competitive spirits for camaraderie and friendship. All in all, it's a CRAZY hectic week, but I love it! You can see more of my photos and purchase your tickets for next year's tournament at www.familycirclecup.com.

Spring Color

I got a call early this month from my friends at Charleston Magazine (http://www.charlestonmag.com/), asking me to photograph the spring color at Middleton Place for an up-coming article about Sidney Frazier, the head gardner. Well, as you know, peak season is almost over by then! And with a full spring schedule already on the books, I was a little worried that we'd miss it. But when I finally got out there about a week later, my worries went away. It was absolutely BEAUTIFUL. Sidney was fantastic to work with. He's from Africa. So we had that in common and were able to discuss some African history and politics. He's also been at Middleton Place (http://www.middletonplace.org/) a very long time and was able to share all kinds of neat information with me about the plantation. If you haven't been, go visit there next spring!

The Charleston Miracle League

I recently had the privaledge of photographing Channing Proctor, champion of The Charleston Miracle League (www.charlestonmiracleleague.org) for a supplemental issue of the Charleston Regional Business Journal. The Charleston Miracle League is an organization whose mission is to offer accessible recreational opportunities for all children with physical and mental challenges so they can participate firsthand, as team members, in an organized baseball league. Their spring season had just kicked off and Channing was very excited about how well things were going. In the article, he was being honored as one of the "40 Under 40", which is a pretty big deal hear in town. It honors the 40 top business men & women under 40 years of age. Each of them was asked to bring to their portrait session something that was representative of an activity, value, or past-time that was important to them. Of course Channing brought an old baseball bat. I also photographed the other 39 winners and really got a kick out of all the props they brought in. I saw everything from rock-climbing shoes to german shephards!