sunset

Couple about to kiss leaning against the pier at state park

Engagement pictures at the Myrtle Beach State Park after the flooding

by

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 …

View post

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

Small destination wedding at North Beach Plantation

by

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 …

View post

Beautiful sunset portrait of bride and groom on the Wacammaw River

Beautiful afternoon wedding at Wachesaw Plantation with a horse drawn carriage

by

I always love going to Wachesaw Plantation for a wedding. The oak trees on the Waccamaw River make an excellent backdrop for pictures, especially at sunset. It’s been a long time since I’ve photographed a wedding with a horse and carriage, and it always makes for some great pictures. I guess riding in on a carriage is the type of thing you have to be at a plantation or garden-style location like Wachesaw for it to work. I got the business card of the carriage company, so I’ll add it to my favorite vendors page. Maybe it will give some brides an idea …

View post

Winter wedding at Wildberry Farm in Marion, SC

by

This was my first time photographing a wedding at Wildberry Farm in Marion. It’s similar to another old farm location I loved from a previous wedding. Wildberry Farm is a beautiful area with a small wedding chapel, a house for the bride to get ready, and a huge reception area. They have a couple of old barns that also make for some good photo spots. It’s unusual for me to have a wedding in the middle of January. I’m glad the weather turned out so lovely, even if it was a little cold in the evening. The pictures in this blog post are picked …

View post

Bride looking at group with beautiful bokeh

Heritage Plantation wedding photography at the Clubhouse and the new Nikon D810

by

A few weeks ago, I photographed another beautiful wedding at the Heritage Plantation clubhouse in Pawleys Island, SC.  It’s been a few years since I’ve been there, it’s a great location, so hopefully, I can get on their vendor list and get some more weddings at the club. The Clemson Tiger mascot came in as a surprise to the groom at the reception. Whoever wore the outfit was fun and livened up the evening. They also had a live band which did a great job. The groom had a twin brother as his best man. I had some trouble trying …

View post

Dipping bride back for a kiss in front of the ocean

Busy weekend with weddings at the Grande Dunes Ocean Club

by

I often go to the Grande Dunes Ocean Club in Myrtle Beach for wedding photography. It is my most visited location. The weekend of this wedding, I had three other weddings at the Ocean Club and one the following week. The nice thing is I know all the staff and all the good picture spots, as I mentioned in one of my earlier blog posts. During this ceremony, I also set up a camera on the upstairs balcony to shoot pictures during the entire ceremony. This time I set the camera to take a shot every 5 seconds instead of every 10 seconds …

View post

Bride and father walking towards ceremony on the Ocean Club terrace

Wedding on the Terrace at the Grande Dunes Ocean Club in Myrtle Beach

by

The Ocean Club at the Grande Dunes is one of my most frequented wedding locations. I appreciate that they have me on their vendor list because I often have clients contact me after seeing the list. The Grande Dunes preferred vendor list is a pretty good one. They seem to list some of the outstanding photographers and vendors in the area. I heard years ago they made vendors pay to be included on this list, but it hasn’t been that way in a long time. You can never trust a paid vendor list, so I’m glad they don’t do that anymore. I’ve …

View post

Black and white of couple kissing with sunlight reflecting on the beach grass - Holden Beach

Beach house wedding at Holden Beach, one of my favorite beach locations.

by

This is the second time I’ve been to this beach house in Holden Beach, NC, for a wedding. Because of my earlier wedding there, I was told I came highly recommended, which is always nice. I’ve been to many different beach locations for weddings, and this one is pretty unique. Almost anywhere you go around this area, the houses are built right up next to the ocean, and in some spots at high tide, there is hardly any beach even left. In this area, the beach houses were built far back from the ocean. A long walk down to the beach through …

View post

First dance at Wachesaw Plantation

Beautiful Afternoon wedding at Wachesaw Plantation

by

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Wachesaw Plantation for a wedding. It’s a beautiful wedding site on the Waccamaw River, especially lovely at sunset as the light filters through the many trees. The bride and groom at this wedding wanted to do a first look so they could get most of the wedding pictures done before the ceremony. That is an excellent way to do things because the couple can start having fun after the ceremony. This also means that most of the pictures would be done earlier in the day when the sunlight is much harsher. Thankfully at Wachesaw, …

View post

Couple kissing on the fallen tree

Pawleys Plantation wedding with a Beauty and the Beast themed reception

by

I always love going to Pawleys Plantation Golf Club for a wedding. It’s a beautiful area, and the staff there is very friendly. I loved the bride’s dress at this wedding. She had a Beauty and the Beast Disney theme for the dress and wedding reception. You can see some pictures of the ballroom decorations below. I recently got a new 14mm prime lens, so I enjoyed playing around with some wide-angle shots of the reception decorations. Looking through the lens, it was so wide that I realized I was almost sticking my camera in the cake. It’s not the …

View post