Elise & Jordan Wedding - Charleston, SC

I was contacted a while back by a fellow photographer, Dallas Galbreath who had recently moved back to South Carolina looking for a second photographer for a wedding in Charleston. I had worked with her several years ago when I was first dipping my toe into the wedding photography market and the chance to work with an experienced professional was a great opportunity - anyone thinking of getting into the wedding-world should look into this sort of work. 

While I don't shoot as much as a second shooter these days, I jumped at the chance to not only work with her again but to do a classic Charleston wedding (plus it was a good opportunity to see some friends, I mean, comeon, it's Charleston). 

Working as a second shooter is all about getting what the primary photographer can't. As anybody who's worked in this business, you can't be in all places at all times and you only get one chance at 98% of the moments happening at a wedding.

So here's my perspective on a day that casts the best possible light on a classic southern wedding day.

The ceremony was at St. Luke's Chapel and the reception was at the American Theatre. Afterward, we strolled down to the Waterfront Park for a final session. If you can deal with the standard weekend crowds, it is a perfect finish for that Charleston character. You can forget about parking and expect walking/running.

You can view more of this wedding on my website gallery.

Elizabeth & Kyle Engagement

A few weeks ago I was contacted by this very cute couple Elizabeth and Kyle. We discussed their plans and they really wanted to get engagement images soon. Kyle was set on getting some images at the Pendleton Oil Mill, a local institution in my little town. I was excited about this not just because it's only a block from my house but it is a treasure trove of old-south rustic (in some areas a little too rustic) settings. We got started about two hours before sunset to give us plenty of time but also the best light.

The time was so great, I was able to shoot available light a lot more than I am accustomed. Within a small area of the Oil Mill you can get several different looks and if you are careful to stay in certain areas is perfectly safe.

After a few hours of great shooting, Elizabeth and Kyle never complained and seemed to just keep going and going, we were having a great time. (photographer's note, in the south near dark in the summer, bring bug spray for your clients - and yourself). Even after all this time, the shots two hours into it, they were just as fresh and fun as the first frame.

We took a quick wardrobe change and tried to go to Clemson's Walker Golf Course but it was nearly pitch dark. We did manage to get a dramatic shot that I actually liked.

We later moved over to the reflecting pond in front of the Clemson University Library and I used three off-camera flashes bare for this. There were some focusing issues but I was really happy with some of the shots we got.

For the last segment of the session, I wanted to get a studio look. We found a white concrete wall under a set of stairs. I set up two flashes to blast the background for a clean white background and one flash using my Paul C Buff PLM umbrella to light them. I could've shot this all night, and they would've let me they were so fun.

Congratulations to Elizabeth and Kyle. If they can handle a 4+ hour engagement shoot with this much fun and energy, then they will have a happy life together.

Also a big shout-out to the best assistant I ever had, Rhonda. She knows exactly what to do and never complains even after being bitten by every insect known to man (and I think one or two that haven't been identified) and just smiles and even has some awesome suggestions. I'm a better photographer than her but she just knows people and sees things. An extra set of eyes is so valuable.