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I am doing a lot of second shooting for other Charleston wedding photographers this month. Assistant shooting is a lot of fun.

You’re there to do whatever the main photographer needs you to do, and generally that means you get the honor of being a second pair of eyes; to be able to capture little vignettes going on behind the scenes while the big moments occur.

I am headed out to Daufuskie Island this weekend to assist for McBee Photography, and while I was cleaning out files this morning I found this series from a wedding I shot with her a few months ago at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on King Street. I can literally count on one hand the number of times I’ve been to a Catholic wedding, so I was like a kid in a candy store.

Several of my couples this year have opted for a second photographer in their wedding package as well, and I’m excited to collaborate with other area photographers.  It’s a really great way get more coverage for your wedding day at a very reasonable rate.

I laughed when I got this. It was the first image I took when I walked in the door of the church. I actually don’t know how to make a tiny infant wave to the camera on command, but how awesome would that be?

Here comes the bride!

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Jennifer is a vintage/chabby chic/romantic fusion design wizard.  She fashioned the awesome picnic she and Mike shared during their engagement session.

(I mean, seriously-that burlap pillow? LOVE it.)

I love seeing her wedding vision develop via Pinterest boards. I’m super-excited to shoot their wedding in October.

And great dress!

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May has been dragged out to the soccer field, two seasons a year, since birth. It’s all she’s ever known. She’s a mean dribbler and will try to steal the ball from anyone of any age or size.

She’s talked about the singular unfairness of being forced to be on the sidelines while she watches her siblings play for a year now.

“I wanna play soccah. When is my soccah team?”

Finally, she’s turned 3 years old and can start the James Island Rec Center’s Smart Start Soccer program.

Saturday was her first clinic, and after all the begging and whining, she refused to have anything to do with it. Total bummer. Finally I figured out that she hated the shin guards, so I took them off, and it was Go Time.

Pre-scrimmage pep talks from her “sistuh” and “bwudduh.” She sounds like a mini Joe Pesci.

She brought her cherished ball. I finally had to just take it off the field. It wasn’t the other kids’ fault that they were going for the acid green ball in a sea of plain white rec center issue balls, but it was making her crazy. Gotta work on sharing.

“Take my ball once, shame on you.”

“Take my ball twice, shame on me!”

Us!

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I met this wonderful family out at Mepkin Abbey on Saint Patricks Day. I’d never been, so we brought my whole family out so they could explore the property while I worked.

My husband says they encountered a baby alligator on the path, and had to turn around and walk all the way around the long, meandering garden pond. I asked him why they didn’t just step around the gator and proceed, and I got The Look. What can I say-I’ve always had an unnatural, unwise lack of fear of all types of wildlife. (Except that giant erratically hopping grasshopper in our kitchen the other night that almost landed on my head. That unglued me.)

I love this family. They were lots of fun, and awesome sports.

It started sprinkling the moment we got there, but thankfully the rain was short-lived.

This is one of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken, ever ever.

I always stress to clients how important timing is. Ideally, you want to shoot at sunrise, or about an hour before sunset. However, that’s not always feasible. This whole session took place in fairly harsh lighting, and I actually love the results. We just have to be a little more creative with angles and locations and posing, and wait for clouds to pass over the sun here and there.

This was after the session. I didn’t even see the family praying together. My husband did, and urged me to go snap a pic. I didn’t want to intrude, but I’m glad I caught this anyway.

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I have been woefully remiss in updating my blog.

My wonderful father passed away the Tuesday after Easter. Even though he’d battled leukemia for almost 13 years, it seemed so sudden and entirely too soon.

I photographed some of the indirect activity surrounding his death and funeral, particularly the incredible outpouring of kindness, support and solidarity our family received from my parents’ family and friends.

I thought I’d compile them for publication (not here, but somewhere) at some point, but right now I can’t bear to look at them.

I’ve found comfort in getting back to work and all the never-ending but somehow soothing minutiae that accompanies daily life.

And I understand my wonderful clients’ positions too. You sympathize and pray for me, but fact is you’ve still entrusted me with the honor of capturing some of the most important moments of your life. And I can truly say that I’m more than up to the task. I look forward to it.

Perhaps my feelings are best expressed in Annelle’s quote from Steel Magnolias:

“Miss Truvy, I promise that my personal tragedy will not interfere with my ability to do good hair.”

Much love,

Sally

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I met up with sweet Sloan over Christmas break and took a few portraits of her at her mother’s childhood home. Absolutely adorable child, blessed to be born to a Mom who dresses her in perfect style!

Poor baby was a bit sick and not really in the mood for portraits. This was the signal to take her inside. I love it though. I love a good occasional frown-y picture-I think they’re adorable.

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Ainsley and Trey got married at Citadel chapel, on a wonderfully warm mid-December day.

The great thing about this affair was that it really did have the feel of two weddings in one.  The Post House in Mount Pleasant, where the rehearsal dinner was held, Summerall Chapel, and the Harbour Club were all already decorated for Christmas, so there was a festive, twinkly-lights vibe. But Ainsley and Ali Fisher at Carolina Food Design also used delicate whites and pale pinks that both complemented the weather and the bride’s fresh-faced,  willowy beauty.

For laughs, the fathers of the bride and groom arrived at the packed North-meets-South rehearsal dinner in Confederate and Union uniforms. So awesome.

Ainsley is always looking at Trey adoringly, like this. He does it too! A lot of very sweet head-leaning, with these two.

On to Stuart Laurence salon the next morning for hair.

Hampton Park

These next two are from my second shooter for the day, Bridgit McBee. I love them. Such sweet moments with her grandmother.

A skillet of cornbread! I loved the all the Southern touches on the midday menu.

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Happy Monday!

I am cross-posting today, so I just put a new set of images (my middle child posing for me) onto my Facebook page. Check it out!

http://www.facebook.com/sallywattsphoto

I am so pleased with how my work schedule is coming along for 2012.

I have some wonderful weddings lined up and room for only a few more on the calendar.

Totally looking forward to the Charleston beach portrait season.

Definitely want to shoot more film.

I’ve taken a workshop and watched a few free three-day online classes and I am so excited to implement all that I’ve learned.

And even after all that good news, I still want more.

So why not just put it out there?

1) I want a family to hire me to do a completely candid lifestyle session.  A fly on the wall, on a random Tuesday. I want dogs whining to come in and dinner coming out of the oven (or out of a pizza box-it’s all good!), and a meltdown because we can’t find the blue sippie cup and  clean little freshly bathed toes and bedtime stories and night lights.

All of it.

(I keep talking about wanting to capture real life, but, duh, I’d still shoot in the most attractive direction and make sure I don’t capture clutter in the background of the images.)  :)

2) I want to do a John Hughes movies themed couple or engagement session. Sitting on a table, kissing over a cake, or slouching outside a high school gym, cavorting in a library or walking across a football field with raised fist. Fedora and a clarinet. Sunglasses in the back of a cab. Laying around in the front seat of a convertible Rolls. (Yea, I’m sure I’ll have no problem finding one of those.) Not an absolute re-creation, because Lord, couldn’t that end up cheesy? But inspired by, let’s say.

3) I want a back yard wedding. Your parents’ back yard, yours, a friend’s…wherever. I want to shoot a wedding with a truly homemade feel, not necessarily only in terms of the details (although homemade decor is great too!),  but with regards to the space and vibe.

4) I want to shoot someone in the water. I love those dreamy,  lovely, atmospheric shots where a compelling woman in a  flowy dress wades around in a lake or ocean. (I’m thinking it would have to be a woman. Dude hair is not nearly as pretty/floaty.)

5) I’d love to do some more boudoir. I don’t advertise it on my site, but I do shoot it from time to time, and I do it in a really nice, tasteful, flattering way, if I do say so myself. If you are interested in a boudoir shoot, email me and I’ll send along some (pre-approved by past clients, of course) samples of my work.

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So there you have it.

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Patty and Grant got married on 11/11/11, which was a Friday.

There was something extra festive about shooting a wedding on a weekday.  It felt like playing hookey or something.

Add an adorable puppy, a gang of lively nephews, and fun, very  sweet friends who rocked the portraits and the dance floor, and it was the perfect way to kick off not only a weekend but Patty and Grant’s  lovely life together.

Grant’s father is a florist. He shipped all the flowers for the wedding in and did the arrangements himself. One hard thing about weddings is watching all the food and flowers get tossedat the end of the night.

Someday I’d love to arrange some sort of 11 pm posse that would head downtown every Saturday night at 11 pm and round up all the gorgeous flowers and deliver them to…somewhere. Maybe retirement homes?

My husband, who assisted me with this wedding, and I ended up taking home the majority of the lillies. (With their blessing and at their urging, of course!) The next day we divided them among several neighbors and they stayed fresh and beautiful for days.

I love this. So cute.

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Good afternoon!

First things first, I am so pleased to announce that Karmen and Nazar’s wonderful wedding was featured on The Wedding Row Friday!

Here’s the link:  http://theweddingrow.com/karmen-nazar-the-wentworth-mansion/

I loved their wedding so much. Not only because they were really fun and awesome, and got married at the Wentworth Mansion, which is one of my favorite venues, but because Karmen was a DIY bride who really personalized her wedding and a lot of the details. I feel like her wedding had such an individual flair.

And secondly, it was my son’s birthday yesterday! He’s 9.

This kid is so funny and articulate and smart and quirky and BIG! He was born 9 weeks early, and we thought he might be small, but no. He’s tall. Long. Lanky. Solid. We can wear the same shoes. Last summer we bought him a new pair of Rainbow flip flops and I co-opted them.

He likes that messy, skater-y, floppity, Lowcountry hair. Me, I’m more a fan of tidy, preppy, suburban hair. But I try to meet him in the middle.

C.R. has overcome several health issues over his 9 years, and I really admire his ability to own who he is and keep on keepin’ on.