beach

Little boy laughing at family behind the Atalaya Castle - Huntington Beach State Park

Winter family pictures at the Atalaya Castle

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I thought I would make a quick post about one of my family portraits sessions over the Thanksgiving weekend. With the clients featured below, we didn’t pay to go inside the Atalaya Castle at all, but there are still a lot of nice exterior areas for pictures. The front lawn with the castle in the background is very pretty as well as the patio area in the back. I normally really like the walkway in front of the castle and some other spots, but because of the mosquitoes we had to leave that area quickly. Perhaps it’s something to do …

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Favorite spot on the beach walkway - Grande Dunes Ocean Club

Wedding day photography on a windy day at the remodeled Ocean Club in Myrtle Beach

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This is my first time photographing a wedding at the remodeled Grande Dunes Ocean Club in Myrtle Beach. It always looked nice, but they did make some changes that give a lot more space inside the ballroom and dining area. They completely removed the fireplace which really opens up the area for a larger number of guests and more tables. They also painted everything, put down new carpets, lights and other things.  One of the changes I especially noticed, because I do a lot of pictures there, is the new doors at the front. The glass doors really do make a …

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Fun with sparklers and steel wool - Springmaid Beach

Having fun with long exposure, flash, steel wool and getting started with the Myrtle Beach season

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With the beautiful spring weather in Myrtle Beach, it’s the time of the year my photography business starts really picking up. Of course that also means lots of pollen and traffic at the beach, but you have to take the good with the bad. I thought I would do a quick blog post highlighting my first spring engagement session and some long exposure light painting fun I had this winter. My photography friend Hannah Ruth and I wanted to experiment with some long exposure light painting shots using wedding sparklers. Painting with the light from sparklers can be as simple as putting your camera …

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First kiss - Grande Dunes Ocean Club - Myrtle Beach

Windy wedding day with a beautiful bride on the Veranda of the Grande Dunes Ocean Club in Myrtle Beach

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I’m in my really slow time of the year now, so I thought I would go back to one of my fall weddings I didn’t have time to post yet on my blog. This wedding was at one of my most frequented locations, the Grande Dunes Ocean Club in Myrtle Beach. This couple was extremely easygoing, happy, and having fun all day. I think it helped that it was a small bridal party which always makes things a little less stressful. I loved the bride’s dress. It had a lot of unique detailing up top, I don’t think I’ve seen …

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Senior portrait closeup of face - Atalaya Castle

Senior portraits at the Atalaya Castle in Huntington Beach State Park

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In the last couple of weeks, I shot two senior portrait sessions at the Atalaya Castle in Huntington State Park Murrells Inlet that I think turned out really well. Both of these clients are really into sports. The first senior girl below is actually being coached to go to the Olympics for the hammer toss, and the second is a softball player. I think both of them would much rather be playing sports than posing for pictures, but I think we got along well and had fun with the pictures. To do senior portraits really well, you have to be …

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Couple about to kiss leaning against the pier at state park

Engagement pictures at the Myrtle Beach State Park after the flooding

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I’m sure everyone has heard about the severe flooding we had in SC about a month ago. Myrtle Beach wasn’t hit as hard as some areas, but we still had flooding in many locations. You might have heard me complain that in Myrtle Beach state park, they are incredibly particular about photographers getting anywhere near the dunes. They don’t have to worry about it anymore because many of the dunes’ front slopes are completely gone. The dunes are now just cliffs with the roots of sea oats sticking out of the sides. The water must have been so high that …

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Bridal party opening a champagne bottle together on the beach

Outdoor wedding at the Barefoot Resort Dye Club with a wild cake cutting and sparkler exit

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It’s been several years since I’ve photographed a wedding at the Dye Club in Barefoot Resort. I’m glad to be back there for a wedding. It’s a beautiful area. The Dye Club has a traditionally elegant dining room with enough tables for a large group. I lit some of the candles to get lovely details shots earlier in the day while no one was inside. There is also a large dance floor area and a separate area with the bar where the buffet line was set up. Below I put a picture of the dress hanging from a chandelier. That hallway …

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Guy getting a really big hug after surprise proposal - Myrtle Beach State Park

Surprise engagement proposal with the whole family at the Myrtle Beach State Park

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I’ve been doing a lot of surprise marriage proposals recently. I think it’s because I’ve blogged about it several times, and clients must be seeing my posts. Whatever the reason, I always enjoy doing these, so I hope I keep getting more. I believe this engagement proposal was a real surprise. She was under the impression we were doing portraits of the whole family. I took pictures of the five different couples, including parents and grandparents, up by the oak trees and then by the dunes. When it was the about-to-be-engaged couple’s turn for pictures, he picked up the ring box the family had …

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Family of 4 in front of a beautiful sunset by the sea oats

Taking family pictures to the next level with all prime lenses like the Nikon 85mm f1.4G

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I’ve used my Nikon 85mm f1.4 prime lens for several years, primarily for weddings and engagement pictures. My other workhorse lens was the Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 lens. This is considered an excellent lens and should be as much as it costs. It focuses very quickly and gives a fantastic range for family pictures. I could shoot the whole group and still get excellent close-up portraits of individuals and kids. The longer I do photography, the pickier I get about wanting a specific look to the pictures. I like that soft Bokeh or out-of-focus background, and there is something special about the …

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Beautiful sky behind couple on walkway over the dunes with some photoshop enhancements

Small destination wedding at North Beach Plantation

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This is my first time photographing a wedding at North Beach Plantation in North Myrtle Beach. Built in 2009, this is one of the newest large hotels in this area, and I think it’s one of the best looking. North Beach Plantation has two large towers joined by a couple of archways, and I got some nice wide-angle shots with both towers in the background. This couple had a small destination wedding with their family and close friends. They said they would have a big reception when they returned home. I thought it was cool that even though this was …

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