Black & White

The last few wedding's I've photographed have included the presence of strong colors that caught my attention. At Lindsey & Brannon's wedding, I found myself drawn to some really strong Black & White images! Sure, there were TONS of beautiful colors with flowers everywhere and stained glass windows glowing in the warm colors of the setting sun. You're welcome to see all of those in their Online Gallery. But I thoroughly enjoy the simplicity and strength of a good Black & White. So I thought I'd share some of my favorites with you from their wedding. Black & White images hold their strength in lines, textures, emotions, and contrasts. I think these qualities come through in each of these moments. If you just pause for a second at each image, you'll see that you will truly find yourself "in the moment" because each one tells it's own story.

Linsey & Brannon, I am SO EXCITED for you guys. You two are PERFECT for each other! :-) Thank you for allowing me to be there for you and for giving me the opportunity to capture each precious moment. God Bless...

French Open

I've enjoyed watching the French Open this week and following some of the exciting stories. I was sad to see Roger Federer miss another opportunity to win the "Federer Slam". But at the same time I'm always impressed with how tenacious Rafael Nadal is on clay. The Women's Final wasn't all that great a match. But it was between two of my favorite players on the women's tour! I've always been a huge fan of Justine Henin because her style is built around an all-court game that includes power, precision, and finesse. After having photographed Anna Ivanovic at both the Bausch & Lomb Championships and at the Family Circle Cup, I knew she was "rising star" in the making. And her strong run to the finals at the French Open proves that she has what it takes. I think we'll see a lot more of this young lady in the years to come...

Trash-the-Dress

After I recovered from the sugar-overload I got at Leslie & Zac's wedding, we met the following morning for a Trash-the-Dress session. Trashing the dress is ALL THE RAGE with brides and grooms out on the west coast. It hasn't quite caught on in our quietly conservative state. But it's coming. :-) And I was EXCITED that Leslie & Zac were up for it.

Trashing the dress may at first appear to go against reason. But in actuality, it's the ultimate gesture of love and commitment. In essence, the bride is saying "you are my FOREVER love...and I will never need this dress again". We had an AWESOME time together that morning. And I was able to capture some beautiful images that will preserve this moment for them forever.

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

Pink & Green

There was so much "eye-candy" at Zac & Leslie's wedding this weekend, I felt like I was on a sugar-high the whole night! (OK, maybe SOME of that had to do with all the delightful sugary treats on the candy buffet...shhh!) Regardless, these two put together a wedding that was so full of color and character that they truly made the day their own! Leslie had pink & green shoes and stockings, all the bridesmaids were in pink & green dresses, the bouquets were pink & green, Zac's shoes were black & green, the isle runner was lined with pink & green flower pedals...heck...even the candy in the buffet was pink & green! All this color made for some truly unique images.

When I arrived at the Embassy Suites Downtown where the girls were getting ready, I noticed this huge green double-decker buss parked outside. Now WHAT are the chances of THAT!?! So of course we got a bunch of cool shots with Leslie and her bridesmaids in front of it.

The wedding and reception were held at the South Carolina Aquarium. The ceremony was outside on the terrace overlooking scenic Charleston Bay. As the evening light faded, the reception ramped up inside. Jay Maxwell kept the party going full steam and even let Zac and the guys do a little Bohemian Rhapsody serenade to the delight of everyone on the floor.

You guys were a TON of FUN! Congratulations to you both!!!
See the rest of the photos in their Online Gallery...

Sensory Overload

Not too long ago, my buddy Gary had a birthday. (I won't tell you WHICH one - HA!) So to celebrate, he and I and a couple other friends drove to Columbia to see the famous Blue Man Group perform. WOW! Talk about sensory overload! If you ever get the chance, DO NOT pass up an opportunity to see this performance! Gary brought his Nikon D200 and took this shot from our seat in the second row...about 10 feet from the stage. :-) Happy Birthday my friend!

Ginn Tribute Hosted by Annika

Covering the Senior Championships last weekend and then being able to photograph the Ginn Tribute Hosted by Annika (arguably the best player of the decade) this weekend has been a real treat for me. Now don't shoot me for saying so, but these LPGA ladies were a lot easier to look at than those "old guys"! :-) It was a dreary, windy, and wet weekend. But I think the adverse conditions just goes to show how good these world-class athletes are. Besides, the rain adds that much more interest to the images. I know you can't see all the details because of the resolution of the video...but seeing the raindrops zipping past the players in mid-swing, bouncing off their umbrellas, and dripping off the brims of their hats is SO COOL!!! Anyway, enjoy the show...

Ashley & Seth

There were SO MANY cool images from Ashley & Seth's wedding last weekend! I had the hardest time picking a few to put on the blog. :-) When I photographed Ashley's Bridal Session several weeks ago, She was so much fun I just KNEW we were going to have a ball on her wedding day. Sure enough, it was a real joy hanging out with her and Seth this past weekend!

The wedding was held at Folly Beach outside the beach house they'd rented for the occasion. They both work at Roper Hospital. So their Chapman performed the ceremony and many of their friends and co-workers were there in support. Seth's handsome chocolate lab was in the wedding. Being a dog-lover, I couldn't help but include this shot of Dax daydreaming about chasing seagulls while the nuptials were being performed!

The reception was held at the famous South Carolina Aquarium. Holly, the Special Events Manager at the Aquarium, was there to make sure everything went smoothly. I grabbed this dramatic shot of Ashley & Seth on the terrace with the famous new bridge looming behind them just as the last rays of twilight slipped from the sky. Later, after a humorous (but not-too-damaging) cake cutting, I made this photo in front of the large main fish tank. How unique! CONGRATULATIONS, Seth & Ashley. May your marriage be as interesting, exciting, and as full of joy as your wedding day was!

Check out the rest of their photos here...