Disco came back, just for a night and just to help one of the best groups ever raise some money and three service teams graduated.
PAALS, Palmetto Animal Assistant Life Services, held a fundraiser and used disco as a backdrop to help to celebrate recent graduates and also raise a little bit of money.
Gallery 701 was awash in polyester and platform shoes, lava lamps and folks eager to help out a great group. If you didn't get to make it to the event, you can visit their website, www.paals.org.and read more about them and donate or volunteer.
Mo turned 15 years old. That's 105 to you and me and my friend Pat decided that Mo should have a party. I mean how many labs do you know that are 105?
So, Mo and Pat, invited a few of their friends (with both two legs and four) and added some beer, tennis balls and well, lots of butt sniffing and it was quite the party.
The dogs had doggie cake and ice cream and the people had some amazing homemade oreo cupcakes. Honestly these things were fantastic.
I hope that I get an invite to Mo's 16th party, that dog stole three of his party guest's cake slices and managed to get just as many ice creams from his friends. He's pretty quick for an old guy.
This Saturday I was happy to find myself surrounded by dozens of dogs. Big dogs, little dogs, dressed up dogs you name it dogs were everywhere. It was Poochapalooza, an annual event that includes a 5k run, doggie poker walk, costume contest and mini clinics to help with your dog training.
It was a fantastic event that raised money for both PAALS an amazing organization that helps to train dogs for children and adults with physcial disabilities and social needs and the Heartworm project that provides medical care for shelter animals in need.
Here are a few of my favorites and more will be posted for download at www.poochapalooza.net.
The Haile Gold Mine in Kerhsaw, South Carolina hopes to begin mining gold in the next year or so. The town of Kershaw could not be more delighted.
Kershaw is a fantastic little town. I'm totally in love with the old drug store, wouldn't that be fun to restore and run and if you are looking for some great pizza you have to check out Gus's Pizza.
If you would like to read about the mine and the town, go to http://www.thedaily.com/page/2011/10/23/102311-news-gold-mine-1-5/ and you can read all about it.
Recently i had the opportunity to do some lifestyle photos for Eat More T's, a great place to get wonderful t-shirts. They have a new fun, girly line of shirts and needed some fun flirty photos. I have to say that I also really love their USC t-shirts, some of the best slogans and graphics!!!
If you want to see all their shirts, you can check them out at www.eatmorets.com or on Facebook. You can also visit them at their store on the corner of Assembly and Rosewood Drive, right across from the fairgrounds.
Shannon and Phil are a wonderful couple. Before their big day we took some time to do some portraits around Washington D.C. They are the perfect city couple and are right at home in the nation's capital.
Here are a few of my favorites.
I really love Lake Murray.
You can boat, fish, swim, kayak, canoe, well you get the idea, you can do just about anything on Lake Murray. It covers 78 square miles with 620 or so miles of shoreline. It supplies electric power and is the major source of drinking water for Columbia. It's a fun place to visit and don't forget about Dreher Island State Park, a great place to camp.
As the economy slowly creeps along and tries to get better, lots of agencies in the country have had to made huge cuts. Layoffs, furloughs anything to help cut the bills. For Charleston it was the elimination of their mounted patrol.
Since the 70's, police on horseback was not an uncommon site in Charleston. Through the years the force has grown smaller and this year the horses were adopted, the officers will go back to patroling in cars and on foot and all the tack and saddles will be sold at auction.
Barn manager for ten years, Laura King, couldn't stop crying as she watched the horses leave, "This was the best job," she said. She is now working in animal control.
Over the weekend I had the chance to photograph the New Year's Jam at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. A day long competition for dance and cheer teams.
One of the teams that I photographed was the Gaston/Swansea area special needs team. This was their first big competition and they were so excited. All the team members received medals for their performance. Most of the kids on the team all go to Swansea High School and they were great.
Here are some of my favorites from the event.
Diana and Jimmy were married at the Gassaway Mansion in Greenville, SC. Diana looked amazing and Jimmy couldn't have looked happier. It was a terrific day.
Here's a quick peek and I promise more later.
Mike and Kathleen will be getting married next year, so it was time to do some engagement photos. I'll post more next week, but their session was fantastic. We went all over Columbia, including Wiliams-Brice Stadium. What a really cool and wonderful couple. I don't know that I've laughed more, I can't wait for the wedding. Here's a sneak peek......
PAALS (Palmetto Animal Assisted Life Services) is a wonderful organization and one that I get to, from time to time, help out by updating their photography.
Last week I met Tate and his Yellow Lab, Grace. While Grace is still training, she and Tate will graduate soon. She can open and close doors, turn on and off light switches, retreive practically anything and distinguish between a cell phone and a cordless phone and the list really does go on and on. She will help Tate, who suffered an aneurism that left him paralyzed on his left side. I also met Jeff and his Labradoodle, Ginger. She takes comands from Jeff, who uses a computer to speak.
Below are some photos of their most recent training, including some portraits of Tate and Jeff with their moms and dogs. If you'd like to learn more about PAALS or how to volunteer or donate, please go to www.paals.org.
Scott and Kristi are getting married next year. They couldn't be a sweeter couple.
Scott is orginally from Lexington and his soon to be bride Kristi is from Milwaukee. Both are educators in the music field and are planning a wedding in Wisconsin.
I've photographed a lot of couples and there is no doubt that Scott and Kristi are going to be very happy together. They were so calm and relaxed and just had a great time being around each other.
I know, I know I really get to see some great stuff.
This is a handmade silver globe clock, the detail is amazing and when you realize it was made in the thirties by hand, no machine stamping. It is quite simply mindblowing. You can also see some of the tools used to make it.
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More dogs, I know but I really can't help it.
A little while ago my friend and fantastic massage therapist Pat McGovern, and I were sharing a cool drink on her patio and I couldn't help but make a few photos of her friends. That would include Faith the wonder dog and her older companion Moe, yes thats Faith giving Moe a little kiss when Moe got a little tuckered out, and her neighbor Sophie. It was a great afternoon hanging out and catching up.
If your looking for a good massage, and lets face it these days who isn't!!!! You need to check out Forest Acres Massage Therapy, give Pat a call at (803) 738-0098.
