Happy family of 6 laying in the sand together - Huntington Beach State Park

Family portraits at the Huntington Beach State Park with a happy family of 6

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I had a lot of fun taking portraits of this family of 6 at the Atalaya Castle area and beach in the Huntington Beach State Park. Even though it was hot and a little windy, the family was very happy to be taking pictures and had great smiles from the beginning. We have had some very hot weather in Myrtle Beach the last couple of weeks, but near sunset time and by the ocean the heat isn’t too bad. I’m still really happy with my decision to switch away from the Myrtle Beach State Park to the Huntington Beach State …

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Splashing in the ocean - Huntington Beach State Park

Engagement portraits at the Garden City Pier and Atalaya Castle

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These engagement portraits were for a fun couple getting married very soon in August.  I always prefer doing engagement portraits for a couple before I photograph their wedding, that is why I offer a discounted engagement session for wedding clients.  It’s a nice way to get to know each other and make sure that they like my style and I know what they like as well. The Garden City Pier is special to this couple so they wanted to do some of their engagement portraits at the pier. I told them it was going to be crowded and difficult to do …

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Groom leaning back bride for a kiss by the lake - Kingston Plantation Myrtle Beach

Springtime wedding on the lawn at the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort

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The Hilton Resort in Myrtle Beach is always a great place to photograph a wedding. It’s been a little over a year since my last wedding at the Hilton. That previous wedding was on the beach sand instead of the lawn so if you are interested in fun beach pictures at the Hilton check out last year’s wedding. The ceremony for this latest wedding was held on the lawn behind the Hilton Resort next to the gazebo. This is a very pretty area and there is always some nice shade from the hotel towers even a little earlier in the …

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Kiss in the sunset in front of the clubhouse - Pawleys Plantation

Spring wedding at Pawleys Plantation with a fun band and great sunset

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I recently photographed another great wedding at Pawleys Plantation in Pawleys Island. As I’ve mentioned before, this is one of my favorite locations and I usually photograph a number of weddings here each year. The staff always does a great job with the organization, decorations, and catering, and things always go very smoothly. We had great weather for the wedding ceremony on the lawn behind the golf club. The only problem was the strong sun on the bride’s face during the ceremony. Thankfully, the groom was tall enough to give her some shade. I always like to shoot a couple …

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Maternity portraits of man and woman sitting by the dunes - Huntington Beach State Park

Maternity portraits at the Huntington Beach State Park and Atalaya Castle

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I had a lot of fun taking maternity portraits for an expecting mother and father last week at the Atalaya Castle and beach in Huntington Beach State Park. I’m still happy that I made this park in Murrells Inlet my regular location for family pictures vs the park in Myrtle Beach. As the sunset moves to later in the day, the traffic is not that bad driving down to the Murrells Inlet area. This mother was due to have her child in about four weeks, but even though it was a little tricky for her, she did a lot of …

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Brothers laying in the sand - Huntington Beach State Park

Mother with her two sons | Family pictures at Huntington Beach State Park

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This year I’m again encouraging my clients for family pictures to make the trip to the Huntington Beach State Park if possible. Because of a recent hurricane, the dunes are very damaged at the Myrtle Beach State Park and they have roped them off to protect them. Also, in the summer, the Myrtle Beach park is very crowded. Because of the crowds, sometimes the park rangers are unfriendly with us photographers. The Huntington Beach State Park doesn’t have a pier but it has the Atalaya Castle and a beautiful beach with nice dunes. If you are looking to take some …

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I love that bokeh from the sunset through the trees - Mansfield Plantation, Georgetown

Sunset engagement pictures at Mansfield Plantation, Georgetown SC

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My recent couple was looking for a plantation type setting for their engagement pictures with a lot of moss and old oak trees. They got a nice quick response from calling Mansfield Plantation in Georgetown. There was a reasonable $160 charge to do engagement pictures on the plantation grounds so they decided to do the session there. I’ve done many engagement sessions in downtown Georgetown, but I’ve never shot portraits at Mansfield Plantation. I’m always excited to try a new location so I was happy to go, even with the long drive from Myrtle Beach. The location is a bit difficult …

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Sesga River, Colombia

Aerial panoramas from the beautiful country of Colombia

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I recently had the opportunity to travel and spend about a month in the country of Colombia in South America. It was great to get away from the cold weather we have had this winter in Myrtle Beach. I went well prepared but also smart with my camera gear. My professional Nikon cameras and lenses are too large and heavy to travel with comfortably. So in addition to my DJI Mavic drone, I also brought along the new Fuji X-e3 and the excellent 35mm and 24mm Fuji prime lenses. This turned out to be a great combination for out of …

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Sunset kiss by the palm trees - Doubletree Resort by Hilton Myrtle Beach

Winter wedding at the Doubletree Resort in Myrtle Beach

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This was my first time photographing a wedding at the Doubletree Resort by Hilton since it changed owners. They have recently done some remodeling that makes it a much nicer location for weddings then when it was the Springmaid Resort.  The large room where receptions are held still has the look of a conference center with fluorescent type lighting. But with some extra decorations and lighting it looks quite nice, and it’s a very large area with a big dance floor that can fit many guests. There is also a pretty terrace area that overlooks the ocean where the guests can …

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Kiss on a path through the forest - Reserve Harbor Yacht Club

Wedding at the Pawleys Island Chapel with a reception at the Reserve Harbor Yacht Club

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This bride and groom, Mary and Shane, had a beautiful wedding ceremony at the Pawleys Island Chapel with a reception at the Reserve Harbor Yacht Club. They also had their two daughters featured as flower girls in the wedding. I had my assistant head over to take pictures with the groomsmen, and I went to the home where the bride was getting ready on the inlet in Pawleys Island. This home was in a beautiful location with a dock on the water. Because I didn’t have to take pictures with the groomsmen, it gave me an extra few minutes to …

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