Nature has ways of making the most beautiful, effortless art. I’ve never quite seen anything like the contrasting swirls and textures of snow and sand created by the wind. The wind was powerful enough to stir up sand from below on the cliffside and deposit it, artfully, atop nearly 2 feet of snow.

Arcadia Scenic Overlook Sand Dunes and the beautiful colors and textures of a Michigan winter

Pictures with my Canon 5D mkiii and Sigma 35mm Art 1.4

My family has owned a property in northern Michigan, in a small town called Bear Lake, for as long as I have been around. My dad has come here since he was a kid. Yet, we’ve never been up during the winter. I narrowly survived a side to side fish tail in my 1990 RWD BMW 325is on the drive up here, to be greeted by the beauty of a frozen lake and 12 inches of snow. If you’ve never met an Australian Shepherd before, they hate the heat and thrive in the cold. Upon exiting the car, he immediately immersed himself in 2 feet of snow, piled up from the plows. Wanting to feed his childlike amusement, I drove down to Pierport beech at Lake Michigan to let him romp around in the snow. Being the unbelievably beautiful dog that he is (he gets way more compliments than me), I brought along my camera. He hates having his picture taken, btw. 

Oliver in the snow…

He also hates selfies. 

I’ve been to Huspa Plantation in Charleston, SC twice now and I still didn’t have enough time to capture all the beautiful places to photograph. I had a few spots in mind that I wanted to capture: vintage barns, vast fields, grain silos, to name a few. I wanted to utilize more rooms and light in that beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright style house. It has so many interesting and unique rooms and navigates like a maze of beautiful light and architecture. The rooms were great for capturing the intimate moments of a bride in her gown. 

I used a gorgeous Carolina Herrera Fern gown from Betty Bridal Atelier for this set of styled bridal portraits. I love setting up these shoots because it gives me time to connect with and truly explore a venue, and exercise my creativity and a vision that I had. I have been increasingly enamored with film lately and knew I had to have a dress with a veil. Veils provide such beautiful, soft light to the face and really aid the creation of that classic, soft film portraiture look. I absolutely adore it. I could shoot film portraits all day. More than that, film has grain. Film has grit. I use that grain and the beautiful, soft tonality of film to achieve a fine art look that conveys feeling above all else. I shot some of these on my favorite film stocks: kodak portra 400 and tri-x 400, through my Mamiya RZ67 pro ii camera. It’s a portrait lovers dream. 

The dress was paired with a beautiful, bohemian bouquet from Charleston Florist. The greens pair well with the lush greens of the venue, while the yellow and blue flowers provide a soft yet strong accent. I couldn’t get enough of this bouquet. It is truly a work of art!

If you are thinking of getting married at huspa plantation, I know that venue inside and out. If you are getting married elsewhere in Charleston, give me a call and let me tell you just what I can do for you to capture your beautiful day. You can browse more of my work on this blog, or head over to my website to check out my portfolio!

3E8 Photography - http://3e8photography.com - brian@3e8photography.com - 937.689.8742

Thanks to all the wonderful vendors, and the beautiful Kaylie Beech!

Venue: https://www.huspaplantation.com/ -  huspaplantation@gmail.com -  (843) 844-2330 - Ask for Christina!

Dress: Betty Bridal Atelier - http://www.bettybridalatelier.com/ - 843-642-8220 - Rachel is the best. Her store and her gowns are high class all the way and the most beautiful in all of Charleston.

Flowers: Charleston Florist -  https://www.facebook.com/CharlestonFlorist/ - charlestonfloristwed@gmail.com - (843) 577-5691

The Cedar Room at the Cigar Factory in downtown Charleston is a dream location for me. It’s rustic, it’s classic, and it’s in one of the cool up and coming areas of downtown. The venue features gorgeous red and white exposed brick walls with plaster and paint remnants dating the scene, in a timeless and beautiful way that only Charleston can. Sight lines are broken only by beautiful, vintage wooden beam supports stretching from floor to ceiling in this vast space.  I wanted to photograph the venue and showcase it’s beautiful natural light and the expanse of the room. It really is a dream location for a wedding reception. The window light is unparalleled in Charleston venues. 

I chose a gorgeous Carolina Herrera Fern gown from Betty Bridal and a green, bohemian bouquet accented with yellows and blues. The dress is a classic white, with modern white stripes running horizontally around the dress. It’s a unique and gorgeous piece, straight from one of the best designers in New York. The veil on that dress was an absolute dream!  I love veils and think every bride should use one…if only for a little bit on your big day! I know they are often seen as traditional, but the veil creates such a beautiful soft glow for portraits and conveys a sense of intimacy and mystery in the images. 

I photographed this shoot using a mix of film and digital. Film is such an excellent choice for a venue like this, because of the prevalence of window light and its ability to beautifully expose the skin while retaining details in the areas where that light is pouring in. There is also a magical, soft quality to film portraiture that I can’t get enough of. Can you tell which shots were exposed on film??

Thank you so much to all of the wonderful vendors who helped make this possible, and to my excellent model - Kaylie Beech!

I am booking now for 2018. Please give me a call or send me an email to discuss what I can do to capture your beautiful wedding day. 

Photography: 3E8 Photography - http://3e8photography.com - brian@3e8photography.com - 937.689.8742

Model: The wonderful Kaylie Beech

Venue: The Cedar Room at the Cigar Factory - http://thecedarroom.com/ -  gervin@theindigoroad.com - 843.793.4103 - Graham is excellent and she will take great care of you!

Dress: Betty Bridal Atelier - http://www.bettybridalatelier.com/ - 843-642-8220 - Rachel is the best. Her store and her gowns are high class all the way and the most beautiful in all of Charleston. 

Flowers: Charleston Florist -  https://www.facebook.com/CharlestonFlorist/ - charlestonfloristwed@gmail.com - (843) 577-5691

The drone is finally back from repairs and I am in my happy place. I set off to capture the fall colors of Northern Michigan. When I went to edit the photos, I found myself more draw to the textures and leading lines than I was to the colors. I decided to convert to black and white and the mood was striking. I can’t wait to find more amazing spots from the skies. - Arcadia Sand Dunes, Michigan

Downtown Charleston is full of charm, and it’s historic Bay Street is no exception. From the historic Rainbow Row, to the beautiful Battery Park, Bay street represents the pinnacle of old Charleston class. Charleston is also the wedding capital of the world, and for good reason. Nothing compliments the traditions of a timeless wedding like the elegant backdrop of one of this Country’s most historic, charming cities. I wanted to showcase this charm with a minimalist styled bridal shoot, using a simple and complimentary color palette. 

I reached out to Betty Bridal on Upper King street in downtown Charleston about collaborating on the shoot.  Rachel brought her love of wedding gowns and high fashion from Chicago down to Charleston and opened up what is surely Charleston’s most beautiful, high end, designer gown boutique. From the rustic walls of exposed brick, to the beautiful, runway-esque hallway draped with designer gowns, the entire dress shopping experience seems perfectly tailored for Charleston’s brides. Above all of that, Rachel is a wonderful person, and instantly found us the most beautiful dress to complement our model!

Eric, from Three Sheets to The Wind, pulled together a beautiful location for the shoot. 313 East Bay Street is a beautifully restored, traditional Charleston home. The exposed red brick walls provided an earthy warmth to the home, while the large windows filled the rooms with soft natural light…any photographer’s dream! 

The images were shot on both digital and film. Time and time again, the results from my grandfather’s old Zeiss Ikoflex TLR continue to amaze me. The beautiful shadow gradations and bokeh from medium format film really shine in the beautiful soft light of the home. The film shots were far and away my favorite and were reason enough to organize the shoot. 

Perhaps most importantly, the experience itself was one to remember. It was casual, it was fun, there was champagne, music and laughter. I have to offer a huge, and sincere thanks to everyone involved. 

First of all, thank you Brittany!  She was our wonderful model and absolutely killed it!  Seriously, I can’t even begin to express my gratitude for how easy and pleasant she was to work with. She posed like a pro, and brought enough laughter and good vibes to share. 

Venue: 313 East Bay - https://www.facebook.com/313eastbay/

Dress: Betty Bridal Atelier - http://www.bettybridalatelier.com/ -  (843) 642-8220 - https://www.facebook.com/Betty-Bridal-Atelier-Charleston-144391925960925/

Flowers: Keepsakes Florist - http://www.keepsakesflorals.com/ - (843) 766-7807 - https://www.facebook.com/KeepsakesFlorist/

Video: A1 Drone Pro - https://www.facebook.com/A1DronePro/ - (978) 806-6777

Video/Coordination: Three Sheets to The Wind - https://www.facebook.com/444sheetstothewind/ - (808) 780-3158

Photography: 3E8 Photography - http://3e8photography.com - (937) 689-8742 - https://www.facebook.com/3e8photography/

How do you turn an event full of dancing in movement into something boring and stale? It’s quite simple. Stick a flash on your camera, point it bare at the subject and freeze them in time. Sometimes it works. Sometimes the expression on your subject is so strong, or a reaction in the background is so expressive that the photograph still conveys emotion. With the right flash equipment, you can completely isolate the subject from the background of a dance floor and truly capture the emotion on someone’s face. Often, though, you manage to strip the motion out of a picture and completely sterilize it. 

When I photograph dancing, I always drag the shutter when I can. Dragging the shutter refers to setting a relatively slow shutter speed so that the camera receives enough natural light to expose some of the background (not illuminated by flash). This slow shutter speed also creates blur for the portion of the image exposed by the ambient. If the ambient light is too strong, the technique doesn’t work and will result in too much blur of the background, or even the subject of the photograph. If the ambient light is low enough to allow the technique you end up with a subject that is frozen in time by your camera’s flash (on or off) and a background that communicates motion. 

EQUIPMENT: Canon 5D mkiii, Sigma Art 35mm, Canon 600 EX-RT, Magmod Modifiers

SETTINGS: This is pretty easy. I set my iso around 1000 or so (depends on lighting condition), but just enough to allow my flash to fire at less than full power for quicker recharge times. I set the aperture to 3.5 or so to allow a little bit of error in focus. The shutter is then set between 1/15 and 1/30s. Most of the time when I am using this technique I am using my flash on camera with a diffuser. This way I can assure that center framing my subject will consistently freeze their motion. FLASH: I always use my Magmod Magsphere when using on camera flash. It spreads the light, creating an even, more naturally lit subject. If i need reduce flash spill I throw on a Maggrid as well. 

If executed correctly, you end up with one of two things: A photo that beautifully communicates the natural motion of the event, or the photographer’s artistically induced motion. Here is what I mean: 

The latter technique is shown here. When the ambient light is really low, you can create motion by moving the camera immediately after the shutter button is pressed, creating blur in only the bright lights of the venue, with all focus still retained on the wedding couple. 

Now, I’ll demonstrate the typical shutter drag technique with the lovely girls of College of Charleston’s Alpha Delta Pi Sorority. Most importantly, remember to always do things differently. Create feelings in photographs. Feelings trump technical perfection every time. 

And now the less exciting, but equally important group shots :D

I reached out to Huspa Plantation after discovering them on instagram a few months back. Huspa is a beautiful plantation farm just outside of Beaufort South Carolina. Originally a private family property, the plantation is now opening its doors to the Charleston wedding market and promises to be one of the up and coming destinations for Charleston’s brides. I originally planned to make the short trip from Charleston to take some photographs of the property and tour the facility and meet with its owners/coordinators. Last minute hustle and brainstorming, led to an audible. A styled bridal shoot was born. The result, was pure magic. 

I’d like to thank Huspa Plantation, first and foremost, for their amazing hospitality. Me and my companions at Three Sheets to the Wind and A1DronePro made the trip with a business mindset to capture bridal portraits and some behind the scenes video of the plantation and our work process. Instead, the trip evolved into a warm display of southern hospitality and we were treated to food, drinks, wonderful conversation and welcomed to the facility as if we were family. It was truly a wonderful experience. 

I arrived early at the plantation to capture some stills of the landscape. The oak trees and spanish moss draped over a long dirt road, providing a southern greeting and leading me to the airplane hangers toward the back of the property. Huspa consists of a beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright styled house (I LOVED THIS), two airplane hangers, a pool, marsh views, a long grass runway, horses, sprawling grass fields, and a vintage, rustic horse barn. Let’s not forget the Charleston charm, everyone’s picture of what a southern wedding landscape should be - the oak trees. I cannot say enough about the oaks at Huspa Plantation. They made the trip for me. The long row of oaks is like nature’s processional as you enter the property. Two in particular, however, stole my heart. The oak tree near the entrance to the property is the most beautiful oak I have ever seen. The Spanish moss hung from it’s branches, filtering the sunset rays, like beautiful linens draped out to dry in the fresh Charleston breeze. It created a ethereal dance of golden light around the beautiful bride, and provided a scene that photographers dream of. The second oak was short and wide, with long branches forming an arch before beautifully resting on the ground. It created a cage, if you will, isolating us in nature’s beauty. It was calm, it was peaceful. It was dark and moody, yet graceful and bright with the sunset’s light piercing through its powerful limbs. 

The images we captured were beyond what I could have imaged. As always, I won’t speak much to the images, but prefer to let the images speak for themselves. For, as much as I try in words, only the images can capture the beauty of the landscape, the bride, and all the little pieces that come together to make the perfect composition. 

I’d like to truly thank everyone that helped make this shoot possible. All the little pieces came together, and everyone that I worked with was so amazingly helpful, and trusted me with their brand to create something beautiful.

Also, check out this AMAZING behind the scenes video from A1 Drone Pro of our shoot! https://youtu.be/SaaviakWViA

THANKS:

First, and maybe most importantly, I would like to thank our wonderful model Kaylie Beech. Every time I work with her is a treat. I barely have to say a word to her, I barely have to pose her, she just executes and always looks gorgeous. She is a true professional, incredibly beautiful and a kind soul. FB: https://www.facebook.com/kaylie.beech  Insta: instagram.com/kaylie.beech

Venue: Huspa Plantation - https://www.huspaplantation.com/ - (843) 844-2330 - https://www.facebook.com/HuspaPlantation/

Dress: Modern Trousseau Charleston - https://www.moderntrousseau.com/charleston/ - (843) 722-6300 - https://www.facebook.com/charlestonbridalgowns/

Flowers: Keepsakes Florist - http://www.keepsakesflorals.com/ - (843) 766-7807 - https://www.facebook.com/KeepsakesFlorist/

Video: A1 Drone Pro - https://www.facebook.com/A1DronePro/ - (978) 806-6777

Video/Coordination: Three Sheets to The Wind - https://www.facebook.com/444sheetstothewind/ - (808) 780-3158

Photography: 3E8 Photography - http://3e8photography.com - (937) 689-8742 - https://www.facebook.com/3e8photography/

If I ask you to picture Charleston in your head, I’d imagine you think of bright sandy beaches, colorful pastel palettes, and plantations. I, 3E8 Photography, along with Three Sheets Inc. and A1 Drone Pro sought out one of the most remote beach fronts in Charleston to capture a different vibe. We had a vision for a moody beach swimwear shoot to showcase the beautiful lines of Kaylie’s swimsuit from Dolce Vita. The light faded quick on us that night. We started around 7PM. I was so consumed in the last few shots of Kaylie, beautifully backlit by the warm sand, that I didn’t notice the light fading rapidly. It was so dark my camera could barely focus. I turned and looked up to notice an ominous wall of clouds and lightning pouring in. We quickly gathered gear, fired up the boat, and dodged buoys and sandbars, speeding back to the folly beach boat ramp. It was a monsoon of rain when we got back as we gathered ourselves, our gear, and stepped inside a house to dry off. 

You ever go back and look at the results after a frantic shoot, and know you just nailed it?  This is that shoot.  #WhereYouAreIsHere

Model: Kaylie Beech  Swimsuit: Dolce Vita  Location: Kiawah Island Charleston, SC

Erik from Three Sheets Inc., Alex from A1DronePro and I (brian from 3E8 Photography) came up with an idea. It’s a company whose livelihood depends on your livelihood. It’s an idea for a one stop shop to grow your brand. We promote through imagery.  We create marketing art. We provide the artistic consultation and the resources to turn that artistic vision into images that reflect and project your brand. The content will be created as a targeted marketing campaign for your business and the image/products you are trying to sell. An affiliate marketing campaign is established from that content and promoted using our resources. The idea is this - Imagine a campaign in its infancy, where the images sell your brand, but as it grows, where we go becomes where you go. We market on the go. We post content on the go. The company’s presence at events, different states, different countries, represents an opportunity for affiliation and brand awareness to new audiences. 

Stay tuned for more. Below is part 1 of our recent swimwear demo at a remote end of beautiful Kiawah Island in Charleston, SC. We quickly assembled resources, hopped on a boat, and went to one of the most remote beach fronts in Charleston. Shout out to Kaylie Beech and her beautiful friends for modeling and making the images come to life. The shots below are the calm before the storm. We quickly got rained out by a monstrous storm, but the moody light it provided was worth every ounce of effort. Check out the content below and Imagine your swimwear, your products, and our combined vision selling your brand. 

Stay tuned, and contact us at contact@whereyouareishere.com

My name is Brian Smith and I always have a camera on me. I recently left my engineering career to pursue what truly moves me, and to live a life where what I do for fun and what I do for work are one and the same. I started 3E8 Photography with the dream of photographing love all over the world and sharing my joy of travel, adventure, and imagery with others. I’ve photographed weddings. I’ve traveled (just recently got back from tokyo: https://3e8photography.tumblr.com/post/163198477898/tokyo-on-film-and-fuji-xt2). I have yet to marry the two. So, I am offering free photography services for an adventure elopement. All that I ask is that you cover my travel and living expenses, for however long you plan the adventure. What I’ll then provide to you is a candid documentary of your experience, uniquely crafted to showcase who you truly are without the glamour of a traditional wedding. 

Want to elope on a mountain top in Asheville?  Want to fly to paris and elope beneath the Eiffel tower?  Want to get married in a weird bar in Tokyo? (bonus points for tokyo). I want to be there to capture that one of a kind experience

How does it work?  It’s pretty simple…

- I’ll travel with you and create a photo documentary up until you elope. Then, some portraits, and i’ll leave you to be alone in your new union (or I can stick around and we can photograph whatever other travel adventures you want. Its your story!  I’m the storyteller). I’m down for just about anything.

-The elopement must occur prior to October 22nd 2017 (sorry, leaving for Stockholm and Iceland!) 

-MUST include some travel. MUST be chill people. MUST love spontaneity and have a sense of adventure. HELPS if you love coffee and craft beer. 

So, send me an email to brian@3e8photography.com and include a brief bio about the two of you, what your adventure elopement plan is, and what you are looking for in a photographer. Include the KEYPHRASE at the bottom of the blog post. That’s it!  I’ll then sift through the entries and inform the winner. I’ll update the blog post when the contest is closed. 

Why am I doing this?  It’s all about pursuing what I want to do with my life and attracting the type of clients I want to work with and photograph. It’s an entryway into adventure elopement photography. Most of all…it’s just gonna be a good time. I love to travel, so why not travel with others and photograph it along the way?

KEYPHRASE = matt damon

– Brian

http://.3e8photography.com

March of 2017 was the first month of the rest of my life. I quit my job, downsized my belongings, and spent my 29th birthday in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo was tops on my travel list. It’s the birthplace of all of the camera industry’s power players. It’s busy and crowded, but functions like a clock. It’s the denim capital of the world and has one of the most influential fashion cultures in the world. To me it’s the most advanced, progressive society, that is in the most stark contrast to our own. People are polite, shockingly so. It’s quiet. People live in close quarters and treat eachother with respect. It’s beautiful to witness. 

I fell in love, as soon as my friend and I got to the city from the airport. We got in after sunset and walked an hour to our hostel through tiny alleyways lit with neon signs. We stopped at a 7-11 for green tea pancakes and a can of hot coffee. It was all so unique. From getting lost in the fish market at 4 in the morning, to watching the clouds break over mt fuji in an outdoor Onsen, to ringing in my birthday singing karaoke with some friendly Brits, it was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life. Truthfully, I never wanted to leave. I wanted to sip sake in hostels and get lost in the city lights with my camera forever. 

This was my first time shooting primarily film on a trip. I brought along my Canon F1N and shot 2 rolls of Cinestill 800, 2 rolls of fuji superia 800, and 1 roll of Ilford HP5. The black and white roll, alone, made me fall in love with film. Because I don’t edit the film shots, it seems to represent the moment in a more satisfying way. I also brought along my new Fuji xt2, which was an absolute dream for street photography. It was the perfect complement to my film camera. I could write about Tokyo and why i loved it, endlessly, but I’d prefer to let the images speak to you the way the moments spoke to me. If you have the opportunity to go, please do yourself a favor and go. The first half of the images are film. The second half are digital.

10 days in tokyo, 1 Backpack, 2 Cameras, 5 Rolls of film, 1 trusty pair of boots. 

A red scooter, freed from the dust and cobwebs in the corner of our Bear Lake, Michigan cottage garage.  This is the second post from my short-lived adventures with my 1980s honda spree. The first shoot was a spontaneous product of a joyous drive. I was riding around, just prior to sundown, and I noticed the beautiful red doors from these apple orchard barns. The colors were so rich, the vibes even richer. I knew I needed a model to really accentuate the scooter’s vintage style and charm. In stepped my friend Alyson Fink, of Alyson Fink Photography (mad props to her for the PERFECTLY accenting yellow dress. It made the shoot, TBH). I wanted moody. I wanted vintage. I wanted the style that not everyone can appreciate, but to those that do, they feel it. 

This is the first personal project I have done in a really long time. It was quick to set up, quick to shoot, but man was it fun. I connected so much with that scooter. I connect so much to Bear Lake Michigan. I am so glad Alyson was down to kick it with me and the strange things that make me tick. Onward and upward to all of you out there that feel like you don’t quite belong, that are always searching for a home, that are inspired by what’s unique and different, and couldn’t possibly care less what the man in the big diesel truck thinks of your tiny red scooter. 

Last but not least…the man behind the camera - in my element. 

A red scooter, collecting dust and cobwebs in the corner of our michigan cottage garage. I’ve never seen it ridden. It’s 15 years past registration. I had the spontaneous decision to tackle getting her running - mostly out of an afternoon of boredom. I rebuilt the carburetor, cleaned the fuel lines, the petcock valve, and changed the spark gap. 5 minutes from giving in and she fired up, with a sweat and frustration fueled kickstart.  I’ve ridden motorcycles before. I know the sense of two wheeled freedom, the dichotomy between a warm seat and the cool breeze. I cannot explain the connection I felt to this machine: part resurrection, part vintage swagger, and a lot of right time in my life. I hopped on and cruised around a few of northern Michigan’s finest backroads and I lost myself. I experience a sense of peace up here that I don’t find anywhere else. I’d never been more connected to the feeling than on that first ride. It’s hard to explain a connection to something inanimate. I’ve once tried, and once failed. So, I won’t attempt to. I’ll use the only way that i feel i know how to communicate sometimes - in pictures. A product shoot fit for a product of labor and love. 

I had the privilege of photographing a fellow OSU engineering grad’s wedding at the beautiful Hilton Head Omni Resort Hotel in Hilton Head Island, SC.  I met Justin working out in Maryland during an internship at an army base. I was elated to be able to reconnect and meet his beautiful wife to be, Sarah. True love was in the air at this beautiful destination beach wedding.