bokeh

Portraits of the bride and groom surrounded by the flowers - Tanglewood Plantation

Southern wedding at the historic Tanglewood Plantation

by

This wedding was the first I’ve photographed at Tanglewood Plantation in Lynchburg, SC. This historic venue is about 1 1/2 hours inland from my home in Myrtle Beach. This two-story plantation house was built in the 1830s and centered on 25 acres of land surrounded by mossy live oaks and other ancient trees. The large columns and porches make an excellent photo backdrop. The house has a lovely upstairs area for the bride to get ready in and a separate cottage for the groom that used to be an old schoolhouse.  Wedding ceremony under the trees in front of Tanglewood …

View post

Throwing petals after the ceremony - Pawleys Island Beach House

Wedding at Pawleys Plantation with a ceremony on the beach in Pawleys Island

by

This time of the year, I love to look back at some beautiful weddings I didn’t have time to post on my blog. Elizabeth and Tyler were married last summer on May 29th. Their wedding was a little unusual for Pawleys Plantation. Instead of having the ceremony on the golf course, they wanted a wedding on the beach. So they rented a home on the beach in Pawleys Island and had a trolly take everyone back and forth from the beach. They even had their dog as the ring bearer during the ceremony, which I think is one reason they …

View post

Touching noses - Oak Allee - Night of a Thousand Candles - Brookgreen Gardens

Brookgreen Gardens wedding on the Night of a Thousand Candles

by

I always love photographing weddings at Brookgreen Gardens. However, I’ve never had the opportunity to shoot a wedding during the Night of a Thousand Candles. During these special evenings in December, thousands of lights hang from the trees, and hand-lit candles light the paths and pools around the gardens. It’s a beautiful time to be in Brookgreen. We were fortunate enough to have a private moment after the wedding ceremony to capture some breathtaking photos of Riley and Hunter, the bride and groom, under the lights before the gardens opened to the public. Getting ready pictures in the Holliday Cottage …

View post

Big smiles under the mossy oaks - Safe Harbor Reserve Harbor Yacht Club

Wedding under the moss covered oaks at the Reserve Harbor Marina Clubhouse

by

It’s been a couple of years since I’ve photographed a wedding at what used to be called the Reserve Harbor Yacht Club in Pawleys Island. It seems like they have changed their name. It’s now the Safe Harbor Reserve Harbor Marina Clubhouse. This location highlights the beauty of the Pawleys Island area, with the ancient oak trees covered in moss and a boardwalk through the forest that goes out onto the Waccamaw River. I love these Pawleys Island scenic spots where you can get that warm glow of the sunset filtering through the mossy trees in the background. Hurricane Ian …

View post

Beautiful location for the wedding ceremony under the oak trees - Caledonia Golf & Fish Club

Summer wedding under the oaks at Caledonia Golf and Fish Club

by

June was such a busy month this year with weddings and family pictures. Even when I don’t have time to post to my blog, you can always see my latest pictures on Facebook or Instagram. I wanted to share this recent wedding from Caledonia Golf and Fish Club because it’s such a beautiful and unique location. Featured Vendors:Eventworks – The Blushing Bride – Emerald Empire Band – Coastal Charm Weddings – Debra G Catering Wedding Preparations When I arrived, I met with Erin in the bride’s room upstairs in the clubhouse. She had a few simple details she wanted pictures …

View post

Beautiful ceremony by the river - Kimbels at Wachesaw Plantation

Spring wedding at Wachesaw Plantation with a large bridal party, fun dancing, and sparkler exit

by

Annika and Ronnie were one of the many couples in Myrtle Beach that had to move their wedding from its original date because of Covid-19. They even had to change from their original venue to Wachesaw Plantation. Wachesaw Plantation is located a little south of Myrtle Beach in the Murrells Inlet area. This venue change ended up being for the best. The Kimbels in Wachesaw Plantation is one of the best venues in Myrtle Beach for photography. Sunlight filtering through the moss on the bank of the Waccamaw River is one of my favorite backgrounds for pictures. I started out …

View post

Bride touching groom's face in black and white - Grande Dunes - Myrtle Beach

Rainy wedding day at the Grand Dunes Resort Golf Club in Myrtle Beach

by

Like many recent couples, Mary and Inman had to make some last minute changes to their wedding plans because of Covid-19. The were originally supposed to have a big ceremony back in the bride’s home country of Venezuela. This ended up not being possible, with all the current travel restrictions. In just a few weeks time, they planned a whole new wedding in Myrtle Beach! They contacted me just a couple of weeks before the wedding date. Since their date was a Friday in February, I was available and happy to do it. Wedding at the Ocean Drive Church in …

View post

Portrait of bride and groom looking into each other eyes - Litchfield Country Club

Rainy wedding day at Litchfield Country Club with a beautiful sunset

by

During the summertime in Myrtle Beach, we have very frequent afternoon thunderstorms. The day can look like it’s going to be great, then suddenly, we will get a downpour. We also have the opposite happen, where the weather forecast shows rain all day, then the sky will clear up at sunset, and it will be beautiful. When I have a client scheduled for sunset pictures, I always tell them not to get discouraged and just wait as long as possible before canceling. Of course, at a wedding, we have to make the best of things, rain or shine. For this …

View post

Tamron 35mm f1.4 Side View -

Wedding review of the new Tamron SP 35mm F/1.4 Di USD Nikon Lens

by

First of all, this isn’t a detailed technical review of the new Tamron SP 35mm f/1.4 lens. There are plenty of those out there already. This is my real-world experience with the lens, shooting a couple of weddings, bridal portraits and some family pictures. Since I’m stuck inside with the COVID-19 stay at home orders, I decided it was a good time to post my thoughts on this new lens. I will update this post if anything changes in my option after “hopefully” shooting many more weddings later this year. Some background on my use of prime lenses for weddings …

View post

Bride with veil flowing behind her Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club

Bridal portraits at Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club

by

I was just completing the wedding album for Sarah and Jeff, the bride and groom from a beautiful wedding this past October 27th. I remembered that I never posted pictures from Sarah’s bridal portrait session from about a month before the wedding. These bridal portraits were taken at Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club, the same location as their wedding. Pawleys Plantation is one of my favorite venues for photography, you can read more about this location in my featured blog category here. I started out taking pictures of the bride in front of the clubhouse. I always love the …

View post