travel
One of the things I love most about my job is that I get to experience new cities, states, and venues almost every weekend. Sometimes I end up at places I’ve worked before (especially in southeastern NC), but every year I have the incredible thrill of adding new and exciting locations to this list.
I *love* to travel, and to shoot in a place I’ve never been before. It’s a challenge, and it keeps me on my toes. The PPA Magazine article about me this past March was pretty much ALL about how I like to be caught off-guard, tossed into the unknown, learning as I go.
But lately I’ve come to really respect the comfort and security of shooting in the familiar locations. I just got back from another wedding at Daufuskie Island, SC. It’s about 5 hours from me, and a definite destination wedding location, but I end up shooting one wedding a year there, practically guaranteed. And while the first year it was exciting and scary, this last wedding was more like a homecoming – I knew all the secret locations for great photos, I knew the order of events like the back of my hand, I knew the ferry schedule, the nearest Starbucks off the island, the luggage handling situation… it was comfy and thrilling, but no longer exotic.
I’ll never give up on trying to book strange locations, places I’ve never been, venues who don’t know me from Adam. At the same time, I’ve really started enjoying shooting at the “same old venues” I’ve been shooting at for years. I think I’ve reached a Good Place. I love my job. A bunch.
To spare you from any further editorial, I’m going to list the different locations I’ve been to for weddings and B’nai Mitzvah. Eventually I hope to have enough time to create a small gallery for each location, but that’s not gonna happen until *after* wedding season. I know I’ll be forgetting some locations, but I’m sure I’ll figure that out when I go back to create the cool little galleries… someday. (edited May 2008: I’m starting to make my way back through this list and add some links … on some caffeine high in the future I’m sure I’ll finish this!!!)
I’ll start with the locations furthest from NC, and work my way back home…
Yakima, WA (coming up!)
Boston, Massachusetts
Brooklyn, New York
Frederick, Maryland
Jekyll Island, Georgia
Louisville, Kentucky
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Daufuskie Island, South Carolina
Lynchburg, Virginia
Charleston, South Carolina
Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Debordieu Plantation / Pawley’s Island
Blowing Rock / Boone, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Maggie Valley, North Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Greensboro / High Point, North Carolina
Winston-Salem / Kernersville, North Carolina
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Fayetteville / Pinehurst, North Carolina
Greenville / Clinton, North Carolina
Wilmington / Wrightsville Beach / Carolina Beach, North Carolina
Bald Head Island, North Carolina
Sunset Beach / Southport / Oak Island / Ocean Isle Beach / etc, North Carolina
Emerald Isle / Topsail Beach / Morehead City, North Carolina
I was going to try to list all of the venues I’ve worked in, but for the life of me I can’t find the time to look them all up and remember every place I’ve worked. But if your wedding is in southeastern North Carolina, chances are I’ve shot at your venue!