I met this extended family from my home state of Maryland last week for a fun session around the southern peninsula of Charleston. They were actually staying on the Isle of Palms in a beach house, but being from a coastal state themselves and having two young ones in the group, we determined that the flexibility of Historic Downtown was the best option for everyone. Downtown Charleston is perfect for families of all sizes, and you can really have all the charm of the greenery and historical architecture in one spot. Because of the ample amount of shade available (unlike the beach) it also allows for a more flexible time frame of morning or evening light. We still aim to take advantage of that "golden hour" but at least this way the adults don't have to wake up before the crack of dawn and the kids don't have to struggle to stay awake until sunset. 

White Point Garden along the Charleston Battery is my favorite place to start sessions with larger families. We have lots of green space to work with, and it shows off that southern charm with the iconic trees and thick canopy for great shade. This section has the old lamp posts, a white gazebo, and views of the Battery wall and ocean. It also has about a thousand different ways to shoot so even if the part is buzzing with other photographers or even a wedding (there are lots of those there) it's an easy spot to park, get in, and keep walking. 

Usually from this point we'll head up Meeting or Church Streets in the South of Broad section. This is all residential parts of Charleston so it's always exciting to show off everyone's secret gardens and well manicured houses and window boxes. Another part of that Charleston charm are the iron gates, and the peeling texture contrasts of concrete, brick and greenery. 

Let's face it, kids don't have much of an attention span, especially not for portraits and posing. I'm one of those people who is really good at reading the room (or the street) and sometimes it's best just to go with the flow and let kids, be KIDS! They want to jump and run and play. And while this is part of the reason for choosing the less busy avenues of downtown, it makes them get their wish. Like in front of this gate for example, we were planning to do just couples in a super romantic pose but the kids liked it too much to move... So what did we do? We made it all about them! And what did we get? Super cute shots of them just having a blast and being a part of the moment!

Another part of shooting downtown is being adaptable. This corner is usually a hot spot for photographers and it just so happened that there was a bridal shoot going on around the corner. So instead of shooting the whole family I just decided to get a quick shot of the kids since I know the lighting here and textures are perfect for what they're wearing. But we got the shot and we move on, so we don't step on any toes, or dresses!

This is one part of downtown you'll see in my work often. It's my favorite nook of South of Broad and the lighting here never disappoints. This is actually a spot I will wait for or hover if someone else is there, but lucky for me, no one ever stays as long as I do. I mean, I might as well make friends with the homeowners and sweep their sidewalks for how often I'm there. This is where I'll usually finish up the session and kind of recap all the poses we did in the beginning portion of the session again. We aim to get the kids done first so they can relax and then focus on shots of couples, different family groupings, special requests, etc. 

I truly enjoyed meeting and working with this family. They were so sweet, so fun, and it was so good to connect with someone from my home state visiting my new home state. Charleston is a really special place and I love to share it with those who come to visit!