About MCG: better together

WHO: We are two creatives who met in the darkroom at Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA in 2001. If you like fun puns about ‘things developed or his best light’, just ask James. After eloping to Vegas, we made Charleston, SC our home. Our folks like to think we had a grand plan with Charleston becoming a top wedding destination location. The truth is that we scouted three cities and fell in love with Charleston immediately. The charm, streets, vignettes, food, beaches, people and trees had us at hello. We jumped in with weddings. Gradually our couples nudged us into portraits as they started to have babies. In, 2019, we moved outside of Summerville so our horses could live with us while working in the Charleston, Kiawah, Summerville and IOP areas.

GOAL: Captivating images and enjoyable experiences. We aspire to create beautiful images that convey moments, relationships, time… those things that make each situation unique. Part of crafting awesome imagery is a comfort and ease on both sides of the lens. We strive for photo-positive experiences and excellent customer service rooted in good-natured people skills, clear communication and responsiveness.

STYLE: Simple, authentic photography paired with each clients' sense of style and personality. Some call it a blend of formal and candids, photojournalism and crafted, traditional and in-the-moment. My favorite description is pulled from a Nia term ‘form and freedom’.

Frequently used words by our clients to describe us and our work : Intentional, Kind, Supportive, Fun, Pure Joy, Incredible, Catch to love, Sentimental moments, Honesty, Transpire, Engery of Peacefulness, Personable, Exquisite, Gentle Presence! More referrals and reviews in our Testimonials.

Corrie : Horse-loving, dance-happy, bookish-introvert

FILL ME UP:

Horses...I could go on and on… Arlow, Flirt and Beaumont live with us and I get to see, feed, watch them from my office and sneak in rides between work and weather.
Movement... I grew up in the ballet world and movement it still my medicine. I guided a bare-foot, hippie dance class aka Nia once a week to stay in motion for years. Now the I am more of a front porch dancer. Keeping my feet still at weddings is a feat.
Quiet time...need it, crave it and have to have it. Sometimes it is in the form of a great book, gentle yoga, water or simply hammock time.

NAUGHTY PLEASURES: Fried pickles. Romance novels. Calendar free days.

GRAB ME WORDS: Wellness, connection, energy, kindness, grace, trust, authentic, harmony.

WHY PHOTOGRAPHY: Participating in our client's feeling good in their skin or helping create a relaxed environment for the moments to unfold makes me feel good. Sometimes it is the boost of confidence to the teenager, seeing the beauty in each bride or giving confidence to the couple to play or be themselves. I like to be a gift-giver and know that our images might find their way to your walls. I get to be part of creating, crafting and capturing images that will be treasures and memory keepers. And while editing (aka computer time) is not my favorite part of photography, culling and hunting for the images that tell stories is still pretty cool.

James: Earth-loving artist

FILL ME UP: Learning. Creativity. Sharing. Outdoors.

NAUGHTY PLEASURES: Hooky. Donuts.

GRAB ME WORDS: Passport. Swim trunks. No Wi-Fi.

WHY PHOTOGRAPHY: Photography is life at a fraction of a second. And no two seconds, or sets of eyes, are the same. I think there is much to be said for the beauty around us and within us and those around us. And that can be said by all, in many forms. Some use tools like words, paint brushes or pianos to speak of their surroundings. I 'speak' of my surroundings with photography as my main medium. Photography has stuck with me since childhood days of immersion by magazine images. Images gave me different worlds and ways to see the world. My first experience with a camera was a point and shoot film camera on a trip to Ireland at the age of 12. I wanted to record my experience with this tool. Document the moment as best as my lack of skill, and a cheap camera could expect. And then there were the framed family images of black and white or sepia prints hung about our home since I can remember. Images of elders playing at the beach in their youth. Or standing at the door of a new home. Or formal seated portraits colored by hand... Family history. Memories. Remembrances. Connection.