Baby, Be Mine | Carolina Photosmith | Wedding

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!

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

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

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

Big Fun in Former Cabbage Capital

Wendi’s chomping at the bit to see some shots from Saturday’s session, and who am I to disappoint?! We had a big time in the tiny town of Meggett, one-time top-producer of cabbages. What a glorious day to drive to the country. My trusty sunroof was wide open for taking in Lowcountry aromas of creek mud and horse farms en route to a perfect playground and charming main street. Their gal has grown so much since May and was accompanied by her handsome cousin.

Joggling Cousins

All the Whos in Whoville Can't Stop This Gal

Special Delivery!

Tandem Sliding

A Nook for a One-Year-Old

Incoming!

Play Action

Hangin' Out

Spectacular Sunset

. . . W O W . . .

Gorgeous Greetings

Just assembled a few more samples of my custom card offerings! Richly textured and printed on pearl or recycled card stock. Click on thumbnail for larger view. Available in groups of 25 cards with envelopes.

It’s not too late to book! Weekend sessions are almost full, but weekday afternoons are an option.

Calm and Bright

Beach Music

Wrapped in Ribbon

Sleigh Ride

Cards, Canvases and Keepsakes Galore

Yes, I can help you with Christmas cards! I offer press-printed cards on recycled card stock or a luminous pearl-finished art paper. Samples are in the works, so stay tuned.

For displaying your session images, there are plenty of options. Your lasting memories will be printed on Kodak Professional Endura paper with a lustre finish. Another choice is a storyboard, which includes a collage of several images from your session. Standard storyboard sizes are 10×20 or 12×12. They are printed with a linen finish and mounted to a 2mm piece of styrene for added stability (and a shelf life similar to Twinkies). You can display storyboards on a shelf or easel, or pop them into standard store-bought frames.

Surf Board

Family Foursome

Thinking big? Consider a gallery-wrapped canvas! A large canvas makes a great statement over a mantel, sofa or piece of furniture. A semi-gloss coating gives it just enough pop and protects your art from UV rays and scratches. Groupings of smaller canvases can be crafted as well. The sky’s the limit!

It's a wrap: image wraps around edges

Check Mate

Before we went on a family field trip to Botany Bay Plantation Saturday, I ambled down the street to photograph some sweet neighbors in their perfectly manicured backyard. He’s three, and she’s almost one, and Mom had them perfectly styled in these checked outfits. I love the red Keds!

Moment of Sweetness

Bear and Sis

At the Neighbor's Koi Pond

Doll Baby

Sailing in the Garden

Bear Hug

Cool, Green Garden Scene

Fresh Catch

This gorgeous five-year-old and her little brother had a big time as the sun set behind Sullivans Island. I first met their parents when I worked at the aquarium — their dad is a fisherman who heads way offshore on weeklong trips to bring back vermilion snapper, grouper and other deep-sea bounty to sell to Charleston’s best restaurants. In fact, we were glad to have him along as assistant child-wrangler since he was heading out to sea at 4am the next day! The cute siblings are so at ease on the sandy shore. They did a great job working with me in their portrait ensembles knowing their mama had bathing suits for them to slip into after the photo session.

Summer Breeze

Mama's Boy

Sandy Siblings

Big Sis Rules the Roost

Kids Being Kids

Dancing in a Dream

Her Mom was eager to schedule a portrait session before her daughter lost her first tooth. It was pretty loose — maybe the tooth fairy has visited already! I still have several shots I’m editing, but this one takes my breath away in both color and black-and-white, so I’m sharing two versions.

Simply Happy

Oh, and break out the Kleenex. I dug through the archives to find one I snapped in ‘06 when I took some family pics to accompany a magazine article. Not that moms need any reminder of how time flies, but I loved this shot then, and it’s pretty touching to see how she’s grown up so far!

Long Before Loose Teeth and Kindergarten

Once we completed our session and the kids were splashing around, I headed to meet friends and hubby to celebrate a birthday. But I made one last stop before the restaurant since the sunset was shaping up to be a stunner!

Hurricane Bill kicked up the surf, magnifying the danger on this point