Engagement Session At The Lincoln Memorial

Hello all! My wife and I have moved to the DMV and are still getting settled in with everything. During this time I was hired by Joey & Dymon to capture their engagement session in Washington D.C. at the Lincoln Memorial. Because I was very new to the area and had never photographed a session in D.C., I had to do a lot of research. I learned I needed to obtain a paid permit to photograph a session at any of the national parks in D.C. While this unfortunately raises the price of an IMP photo session, it is well worth it in my opinion — especially if you want to capture your incredible moments against the inspiring backdrops at the National Mall.

I prepped for Joey & Dymon’s session for two weeks. My family and I attended the “Capital Fourth” firework celebration and sat on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. While there, I used the “Photo Pills” photography app to tell me exactly when and where the sun would rise in the AM during their photo session. I suggested that we start the session at 6am to get the very best lighting and the least amount of people. I knew we would still encounter people at the sites but it would be minimal and I could photoshop out the people as needed.

When we started the session everything was going as planned……except for the humidity that day. By 6am it was surprisingly very, very humid out and it only got worse as time passed. Joey & Dymon were having so much fun during the session that they didn’t let the humidity bother them though — they continued to work with my team’s coaching to get the best images.

It felt great getting my very first D.C. photography session in the area in just mere weeks of starting up in the DMV. I look forward to this new chapter in my life as a photographer!

I want to thank Joey & Dymon for choosing the newbie photographer in the area hahahaha. Thank you both for giving me a great start.

Here are their images from that day!

Wedding Portrait Session at The Marion Hatcher Center Augusta GA

When Derek reached out to me to inquire about my photography services he informed me that he had an unusual request. He said he had already been married and that his wife’s only regret was that they were not able to get memorable wedding portraits. Derek & Marie were married in October, 2019 at the historic Marion Hatcher Center in Augusta, GA. It unfortunately rained and they couldn’t take any pictures outside. They hired a hybrid videographer who also took photos. Though he was able to create a memorable video for them, his photos that day inside the Marion Hatcher Center disappointed them.

Derek wanted to surprise Marie by hiring a local photographer who could essentially re-do their wedding day portraits. Derek searched and found me; he loved my portfolio and contacted me to see if I would be interested in re-doing their wedding day portraits. When I heard their story I couldn’t say no! Like all weddings I accept, I send a questionnaire and vision board to my clients to better get a sense of their personality and style. This way, I can better understand how I can mesh my talent with their vision. Even though this wasn’t actually going to be a wedding I still needed to go through the same process to deliver what would be the only chance for these two lovely people to get the photos they would enjoy for years to come.

Derek & Marie were able to get in contact with The Marion Hatcher Center and request 2 hrs of their time to lend us the premises to be able to capture their portraits. Marie got her wedding dress out the preservation bag and to a dry cleaner to have it ready. Derek lost a few pounds of love weight to fit into his suit hehehe. Three months later we had our session.

As a wedding photographer, we are constrained to a tight schedule. Fitting the sought after “portrait session” part of the day is usually trivial to say the least. If you are extremely lucky you get an hour, sometimes you’re lucky enough to get 30 minutes with the bride & groom. Other times, this portrait session gets completely discarded due to circumstances beyond yours truly, the wedding photographer. I actually think Derek & Marie benefited from having this portrait session well after their wedding day.

Anyway, without further ado here are some of my favorite images from Derek & Marie’s wedding portrait session at The Marion Hatcher Center in Augusta, GA

Augusta Senior Photo Sessions 2020!

Congratulations to the senior class of 2020! Though the start of 2020 has been rough, I appreciate that I had an opportunity to shed a little light into the lives of these graduating seniors with my photography. I am glad I could capture their achievement and help reveal their enthusiasm for the bright futures ahead of them. This year I had the privilege to commemorate this moment for three seniors from Evans High School, Grovetown High School & Ridgeview High School in Columbia, SC.

I met Gabriel and his mother Atiya at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion for his senior photography session. Atiya had a keen eye for detail and immediately noticed a beautiful rock wall near the headgates that lent itself to some of the best photo backdrops I’ve ever taken there. Gabriel graduated from Evans High School and is on his way to the Marine Corps, following in the footsteps of his mother. Now, not only will Atiya see Gabriel as her son, but also as her brother as he begins to serve with honor, courage, and commitment.

A few years ago, my neighbor Destiny hired me to capture Christmas photos of her children. Since then, she’s tried to set a few dates to capture family photos, but something always comes up. A few weeks into May, she reached out to me to capture graduation photos for her son DJ. For once, everything went as planned, and we did a full senior graduation photo session at the Augusta Riverwalk. I love this location because it has so much to offer including creative landscaping, an amphitheater, and the Savannah River. DJ graduated from Riverside High School and I wish him all the success in the world.

We took Yasmine’s senior graduation photos at the lovely and picturesque Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site. I always recommend this location to clients willing to drive a bit outside of the Augusta area. The extraordinary trees and classical southern architecture make the drive to South Carolina well worth the time. In addition to the standard two-outfit cap and gown and casual senior session, we also captured Yasmine in her prom dress. Unfortunately, the senior students of 2020 missed out on their prom due to COVID-19 restrictions. I hope Yasmine can look back on these photos and always see how stunning she looked in her prom dress. Yasmine graduated from Grovetown High School and is heading to UGA (Go Dawgs!). Seeing the abundance of honor cords she earned, I know she will apply the same strong work ethic she had through high school to everything she does. The sky is the limit for Yasmine.

As much as these seniors enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate their achievements in photos, I may have appreciated the experience more than they did. Being around them gave me a sense of hope amidst these dark times in which we are currently living. Good luck and may God bless the Class of 2020!

Wedding at The Enterprise Mill Augusta GA

Nick & Calen Matos Wedding Day

This was my first Wedding at Enterprise Mill Events & Catering. I arrived early to capture Nick seeing Calen for the first time prior to the ceremony at Enterprise Mill. I absolutely LOVE first looks before a wedding ceremony. It gives me a chance to capture an authentic moment that can be sometimes difficult during a typical ceremony.

After the first look I captured family portraits and photos with Calen’s bridesmaids. I also captured some shots of Nick, his best man and son Aiden channeling his inner Man of Steel!

I was ready for the ceremony at this point of the festivities. Enterprise Mill Events & Catering has a gorgeous outdoor brick gazebo structure that let’s in ample amounts of beautiful natural light, but I had my Profoto B10 flash heads ready in case things got a bit too dark. Luckily, I didn’t need them here. Nick & Calen had written out their own vows, It was very moving. Especially when Calen addressed their son Aiden, completely heart warming moment.

Because it was a chilly February day in Augusta, GA and Calen had braved most of it in her stunning wedding dress we opted to do couples portraits indoors. No problem there, Enterprise Mill has a lot of character inside from artistic brick walls to a beautiful sliding wooden door. I was able to get some great shots from those textures and my Magmod modifiers. I am always practicing different “light recipes” because you never know the limitations you may run up against during a wedding day.

Once our portrait session was over it was time for me to switch gears and get ready for the reception. This is usually my favorite part of a wedding. Everybody by now has eaten appetizers and have had a few drinks. I usually setup my lights in strategic places to capture candid moments from the entrance, first dance, speeches and guests dancing the night away. Enterprise Mill is definitely dark inside so relying on your flash photography is critical here. My favorite picture has to be the father & daughter dance with Calen and her dad. I caught a moment I always strive to capture if ever given the opportunity and it finally happened. It’s why I do what I do…….I love wedding photography!

Nick & Calen started their first dance with “Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls and ended the night with a last dance “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Kina Grannis. My wife Julianna was my assistant during the wedding and we had a blast helping Nick & Calen with their special day. I wish nothing but lasting love & happiness for them and can’t thank them enough for having us be a small part of it all.

Engagement Session at Brick Pond Park!

Summertime in Georgia is hot! Before any engagement shoot I like to go over the many options with my clients including locations, themes, and what they want out of an engagement session. I seek to carry out their vision with my distinctive IMP style as I help tell the story of this new chapter in their lives with photographs.

Ashley & Eugene met in high school and were the best of friends before they fell in love with each other. For location, they choose the nature-filled Brick Pond Park in North Augsta, SC. I photograph many sessions here and I believe my clients fall in love with the sweeping natural vistas that Brick Pond Park offers.

Because it’s June and temperatures hit the high 90s before noon, I recommended we start our session in the morning. I suggested starting at 8am or 9am, but that proved to not be early enough. By 9:30am on the day of our shoot, temperatures had already reached the mid 80s and we felt the unrelenting heat and humidity as it continued to build. This unfortunately cut our engagement shoot short. Even with the short amount of time, I believe I captured the love and passion Ashley and Eugene have for each other. Some couples have trouble warming up to having a camera nearby while staring deep into each others' eyes, but not Ashley & Eugene! From the moment I asked them to pose, they shared a view into their warmth and love for each other as if the camera wasn’t there at all. I may have even had to pry them apart to keep our shoot going --! I love giving my clients the best experience possible and hope they will enjoy their images from a hot but beautiful morning. I look forward to capturing their wedding in November!

Jason & Brittany's Engagement Session At Redcliffe Plantation

I’ve always wanted to have a photo session at Redcliffe Plantation near Beech Island, SC. I always suggest it as a location to any of my clients looking to do an engagement, maternity or family session. Usually, clients decline the opportunity because it is a bit of a drive away from Augusta. However, looking at other photographers in the CSRA sharing their images at the location really interested me in having a shoot there to see what I can do with the scenery. When I first spoke to Brittany when planning her engagement session with her fiancé Jason I had mentioned Redcliffe Plantation and everything it had to offer for a shoot. She didn’t hesitate and almost immediately agreed to have her engagement shoot there and I am very happy she and Jason went with it! Redcliffe Plantation is a BEAUTIFUL location that even in early December is still picturesque as much of the foliage is green and the historic magnolias still have their leaves. I really loved working with Jason & Brittany, they trusted my guidance from the very beginning and were always up for taking creative shots whether they were going to make the final cut or not. We got some very memorable photos that will be the first of many as they plan for their big wedding in Savannah, GA.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the session…….

Laura & Scott's Maternity Session

I met with Laura & Scott at the lovely Savannah Rapids Pavilion Park in Augusta, GA. Laura, who is 9 months pregnant really wanted to capture maternity photos before giving birth to their baby girl. Time was not of the essence so we had the session as quickly as we could on a gorgeous Saturday morning. During our session I learned that Laura is quite the athlete, she’s accomplished several triathlons; she’s even going to attempt another one in September as her personal goal after she gives birth. How awesome is that?

I wish Laura & Scott many blessings to come with the arrival of their newest addition to their family. Here are some of my favorite pictures from our session.

Beau & Jane's Wedding Day

Beau & Jane met at The Partridge Inn in Augusta, GA on July 14th, 2018. Beau is from Atlanta, GA and Jane is from Charleston, SC. It was the perfect in-between location for the both of them and, as fate would have it, it all worked out for the best! Beau & Jane have such a wonderful love story and it’s one that really impressed me. Being able to witness heartfelt, genuine love and hope between the couples I have photographed reinforces why I got into wedding photography. For me, Beau & Jane’s story is about the pursuit of love. In my life, I’ve seen many people close the door on the opportunity of finding long-lasting love and companionship because of past hurts or giving up. Beau & Jane each persisted in their pursuit of love. It was this that led them to each other on July 14, 2018.

Exactly one year later, on July 14th, 2019, Beau & Jane got married at the very location they found each other: the historic Partridge Inn in Augusta. They were surrounded by love and support from family, friends and colleagues. One family portrait happens to be my favorite: Beau & Jane with their grandchildren. The legacy of love and hope in this photo encapsulates the day. As stated in one of my favorite films: “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” I wish Beau & Jane continued love, companionship, and the hope of bright new days for the rest of their lives.