The Journal

The $40 Gamble It started with a text from my brother-in-law. He’s the manager of a local Lowcountry thrift store for disabled individuals. He found a Minolta Maxxum 7000 with a kit zoom and a 24mm prime lens. $40. I’m a Nikon kid through and through, but for the price of a decent lunch, I […]

In 20 years of public safety, I’ve learned one universal truth: Everyone is a pro until the day goes to hell. In the world of EMS, it’s the difference between a bystander who knows CPR and a Paramedic who can manage a multi-casualty incident without breaking a sweat. In the wedding world, the stakes are […]

The industry wants you to believe that your wedding is a 12-hour commercial for a life you don’t actually live. In Charleston, we are surrounded by a very specific brand of “perfection.” It’s bright, it’s washed out, and it’s usually staged on the grounds of places that have a history we’d all rather forget. We […]

Digital photography is a miracle of clarity. It captures every petal, every stray hair, and every clinical detail of a wedding day. But sometimes, that clarity is the enemy of the feeling. Alison and Austen’s story is modern to the core—they met on Bumble (a digital handshake in a digital world). On their first date, […]

It’s not every day that a bride gets to walk down the aisle in her own grandmother’s backyard. Long before 108 W Main was the stunning venue it is today, it was the private residence of the Spann family. When the 108 W Main Moncks Corner Wedding of the Eanes took place here, it was […]

They tell you that being a professional photographer is about “capturing memories” and “finding the light.” What they don’t tell you is the part where you’re sitting in a dark room at 2:00 AM fighting a server that won’t stay online, or the part where you’ve spent $600 on a vendor showcase just to be […]

There is a certain stillness to a Buffalo Lake Pavilion wedding that makes time feel like it’s slowing down. Located just outside the heart of Summerville, this venue offers a rustic, open-air charm that perfectly complemented the Smiths’ vision for a relaxed but elegant celebration. Beyond the beautiful lakeside views, what truly defined the Smith […]

There’s something about industrial history that just calls for film. As a documentary photographer based in Moncks Corner, I spend a lot of time looking for venues that have ‘soul’—places where the walls tell as much of the story as the couple. I’ve been studying The Glass Factory in Jacksonville, and it’s a masterclass in […]

Photography is often treated like a checklist. Get the house, get the rings, get the smile, move on. For a long time, I edited for “perfection”—clean whites, recovered highlights, and digital clarity. But looking back at Matt and Mei’s wedding, I realized that “perfect” isn’t the same thing as “honest”. I went back into the […]

“There is a specific kind of magic in a Charleston sunrise elopement, especially when you have the Waterfront Park all to yourself. This downtown Charleston elopement at the iconic Pineapple Fountain was a masterclass in what truly matters. As a photographer based in Moncks Corner, I’m often asked for the best ‘hidden gems’ in the […]