Sailor Scores First Mate | A Charleston Wedding

•April 12, 2010 • 1 Comment

What a magnificent day. And I was just the photographer! The beautiful couple, their gracious families, their closest friends and the idyllic spring weather all combined for a picture-perfect Southern wedding.

One Proud Papa


High Drama at High Noon


Lacing Up for the Aisle


Butterflies?


One Sailor In, Two Sailors Out


Newgrass Promenade to Reception


Azaleas. Golf cart. The Masters. Of ceremony.


How Sweet It Is


Crafted by a Talented Friend


Courtyard Abuzz with Energy and Festive Frocks


Sister and Her Boys


Birthday Serenade for Three


Embracing the Nuttiness


Gaggle of Gal Pals


A tisket, a tasket, lights in a basket.


Adorned


A Sparkly Departure

A Writer, A Consultant… She’s Supermom!

•March 24, 2010 • 3 Comments

Late yesterday afternoon, Christy and I headed downtown to snap some photographs for her new web site (link forthcoming!). We had such fun soaking up the day’s last rays by the harbor. I have so many great shots to sift through and process, but here are a few of my talented and photogenic friend.

_And_ She Can Dance Like Edyta


Laughter in the Park


If Only She Had a Guitar


Streetwise


Consultant at Giverny

Baby Contest: Everyone’s a Winner!

•March 8, 2010 • Leave a Comment

What a week of heated competition! Thank you so much to the families and friends of the ten adorable kids in the baby contest! Not surprisingly, all voters have been very passionate about their fave baby face.

I will be offering a free cake smash session to the top two, Maguire and Cotes, since they both received more than 60 votes! Maguire now lives in Greenville, but I know his family is eager to return to Charleston for a visit. Cotes is more of a local boy — he lives in my neighborhood, so we may arrange his session a little sooner.

Late Entry Maguire Makes Major Comeback!

I’d also like to offer 50% off my session fee to the families of the other eight contestants. I hope some of you will take advantage because I would love to get my lens on your kids and families, too. The discount is good for either a regular family/children session or a cake smash session for the baby.

Thank you again to each of you who tirelessly campaigned and made my first giveaway a huge success! Stay tuned for pics of your fave babies… and kids, and brides, and scenic spots.

No Dimpled Chads, Just Dimples! | Carolina Photosmith

•March 1, 2010 • 1 Comment

Your vote counts! Parents submitted these fun shots of their fave babies in hopes of winning a free cake smash session to celebrate the child’s first birthday. Like my fave character in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” these tots are Truly Scrumptious!

Join the fun by becoming a fan on my Facebook page. Then vote for your favorites by leaving a comment beneath the faces you think will look the cutest smothered in frosting. Votes accepted through March 7; winner to be announced Monday, March 8.

Let Them Eat Cake

Take a Picture, It’ll Last Longer | Carolina Photosmith

•February 21, 2010 • Leave a Comment

Chirping birds, glorious blue skies and warmer temps all came together today to inspire my first island bike tour in months. Blissful. Lots of folks have spring fever, and we took our first antidote yesterday, when, just seven days after playing in a rare Charleston snow, we celebrated Alden’s third birthday with a backyard jump castle extravaganza.

The rain is forecasted to roll in tomorrow, so this was the perfect way to round out the weekend with more outdoor fun. As I pedaled along, grateful to be living near the sea, I shamelessly admit I became slightly annoyed by a few things.

Love the One You're With (even if it's just the iPhone cam)

The first was the tempting aromas pouring out of island eateries. I could almost taste the pimento cheese burger and fries at Poe’s, the pulled pork sandwich across the street at Home Team BBQ and scent of grilled fish and grits wafting over Breach Inlet. That’s okay, I can indulge another time. But then came the aggressive gulls trying to move in on my granola bar as I enjoyed a few minutes of beach yoga. And finally, the Sunday drivers, putting along in the middle of the street, ogling the beachfront pads, oblivious that they might take out a jogger, a wagon-toting family or a cyclist. Eyes front, por favor.

Anyway, none of those petty grievances could encroach on my joy for long. Perhaps the only real bummer of biking along on such a fantastic day is that I witnessed some great would-be photos and I was camera-free. First, I glimpsed two adorable stringy-haired girls – one blonde, one brunette – hanging out in their soccer duds. Two giggly pals parked in the grass with their pink soccer ball next to a red fire hydrant. Carefree girliness personified.

Next, I almost ran over a group of birds by Fort Moultrie. I’ve had no success sneaking up on these long-beaked birds on the beach or in a boat, and here they were marching across the street from Stella Maris as if they’d realized a communion wafer was no substitute for a Sunday lunch. Make way for oystercatchers!

And finally, a vision that the men would surely appreciate. Seems I wasn’t the only one with spring fever. A group of superfit bikini-clad women was playing volleyball on a sand court in an Isle of Palms sideyard. My bare legs were frozen after pedaling into the chilly headwind, and these gals were just rockin’ their fit summer Olympian frames in a vision that screamed July.

Hmmm, there’s an idea. July. Bring it on!

So what photo-worthy visions have you seen lately? Please share your comments by clicking the link above by the title of this post.

Lucky Babe to Win Free Photo Session | Carolina Photosmith

•February 19, 2010 • Leave a Comment

Forget Waldo. I’m looking for the world’s cutest baby!

Okay, each bundle o’ joy is The Most Precious to a bunch of people, so I’ll leave the choice to you. If you know someone whose child will be celebrating his or her first birthday between April and July, encourage the parent to e-mail a snapshot to me with the child’s name and birthday.

I’ll be accepting submissions until the end of February, then I’ll post them to my Facebook business page. You, your friends and your family members vote by making a comment on your favorite baby face. Anyone who “becomes a fan” of my Facebook business page is eligible to vote. Easy, peasy!

The winner will receive a free cake smash session valued at $100, plus a free cake to enjoy as a snack or use as body paint or shampoo. If we schedule the Charleston session a few weeks prior to the birthday, the winner can order invitations, stamps or thank-you notes with the photo. (Rest assured, there’s no obligation — I’m just eager to fill a b-day babe gap in my portfolio.)

Red rover, red rover, send those gorgeous babes on over! For questions or comments, click the handy “Leave a Comment” link above (by the title of this post).

Baby, Be Mine | Carolina Photosmith | Wedding

•February 5, 2010 • Leave a Comment

So it’s the month of love. And the groundhog sentenced us to another six weeks of gloom. So what’s a girl to do? Pick up a colorful bundle of tulips and a few bottles of bubbly and call a few gal pals. Tell them to dust off their wedding albums, dig up their VHS tapes and come ready to gush about their Big Day. Never mind it was ten years ago. (That’s the point!) Hilarity will ensue.

Swept Off Her Feet

If you try this at home (which is encouraged), it’s pretty amusing to limit your one-time-bride friends to those whose weddings you didn’t attend. You can learn so much about a gal’s Aisle Style! (That clever phrase is credited to the current Charleston Museum exhibit of the same name.)

We laughed lots and learned plenty. One friend has a hubby whose middle name is an homage to his mom’s fave “Gone With the Wind” character. Another pal broke out a portrait of her dog sporting a bow tie. And a few 90′s veterans of wedded bliss kept us in stitches with their big hair and bigger crinolines. And with the Vancouver Olympics just a week away, the mothers of brides’ spangly gowns provided a timely reminder of the costumes we’ll see during the heated battle for the Ice Dancing gold.

Trust me, this themed gathering will have you giggling until spring finally appears. And remember, friends who don any portion of their bridal attire earn bonus chocolate-dipped berries!

Berry, berry good stuff

Sweet Cid Donned Her Gown for the Fun

Heart-y Laughs Were Plentiful

Care to comment? Share a funny wedding moment? Happy February!

Listen to Mr. Ed: Visit My New Site!

•January 28, 2010 • Leave a Comment

So maybe the photo isn’t the best choice for this little note, but the only recent photo subjects have been my little crazies and unused furnishings I’m posting on Craigslist. (Surely THIS will be the year to declutter!)

New Friend at Middleton Plantation

Sorry my blog hasn’t been updated in a while. The Christmas season was so busy with sessions and card creation, and I couldn’t really give sneak peeks since I didn’t want to ruin anyone’s card surprise. Then with vacation and teacher workdays and sniffly season, I’ve been working on getting the new site going while minding the munchkins.

Anyway, please visit CarolinaPhotosmith.com and let me know what you think! I still have some tweaks to make and images to add (I can think of a few that are being held hostage on my old PC — just need to get to courage to wrestle that machine), but it’s ready for the most part.

And I’m eager to get out and about and start shooting fun-loving families and any signs of an early spring. I’ll have no problem bidding farewell to this frigid month!

A Sense of Place

•November 30, 2009 • 1 Comment

Thankful for family, traditions, togetherness and those who came before us.

Welcome to Woodford


If Walls Could Talk


Leaves, Legacy, Light


Weathered


Wavy Glass, Cedar Shakes, Stately Columns


SmithShadow


Monogram

Guitar Hero

•November 19, 2009 • Leave a Comment

While Sis was practicing her Nutcracker routine, I took my fave little guy to the end of the street for a walk and a test of my new lens. The overcast afternoon was perfect for meandering along a sliver of lawn and remains of a bridge that once took beachgoers via trolley to Sullivans Island.

The Toddler Name Game


Pensive

Run, Forrest, Run!


I Heart My Tubble


Speed Racer


Wonderful. As in full of wonder :-)


Mesmerized by Hairplane!


End of the Line

 
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