Cana Dunlap 9/11/23 Cana Dunlap 9/11/23

Charleston, South Carolina | Engagement Session around Historic Charleston

It’s Grace and Tyler’s Wedding Week!

In honor of my dear clients getting married this week, I wanted to share a few of my favorite images from their Summer Engagement Session in Downtown Charleston, SC.

We started our session on one of my favorite streets in Charleston. We met up on the corner of Church/Chalmers street and then I led them around to a few of my favorite spots that I think are quintessential Charleston - historic, romantic and charming.

We spent the first half of our time together exploring Downtown Charleston and then we headed over to the lovely Hampton Park. I love the way the light sets in this park. I am obsessed with shooting in the glowy, warm, sunset light. Check out those sunset photos! It always makes me giddy when the light shows off like that. Shooting in light like that is my happy place.

Happy Wedding week Grace + Tyler! I cannot wait to celebrate you this weekend and to continue to document this amazing season in your life.

Downtown Charleston, SC Engagement Session

Stay tuned for photos from their upcoming wedding at Cannon Green, coordinated by the incredible Jessica with Cruz Coordination. I am genuinely thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with such an extraordinary group of talented professionals, who also happen to be extraordinary human beings, as part of this remarkable team of wedding vendors. Their expertise, creativity, and dedication to their craft are truly unparalleled, and I am honored to have the chance to work alongside them and see everything come together for Grace + Tyler!

Check out this awesome team below, if you are planning a wedding in Charleston, SC.

Vendor Team:

Baker: Sugar Bakeshop

Ceremony Music/DJ: Bryan Mahanes

Florist: Wilder Blooms

Hair: Slate Hair and Makeup

Make up: Dannon Collard

Officiant: Pastor John Lescow

Transportation: Lowcountry Valet – Vintage Bus Dorothy

Photo Booth: IL Piccolo Bar and Foto Booth

Signage: J.Lily Design

Cana Dunlap 8/29/23 Cana Dunlap 8/29/23

Charleston Fall 2023 Mini Session // Hampton Park in Charleston, SC

Charleston Fall 2023 Mini Sessions are here!

I am so pumped to offcially announce my first Mini Session date of the Fall 2023 season. I will be hosting my first Fall 2023 Mini session at the stunning Hampton Park in Charleston, SC on October 7th 2023. Last year these sessions went so well that I decided to host TWO mini session dates this year. I will ONLY be offering Mini sessions on these two dates, so grab a spot while you can.

November Date release coming soon!

THE INFO //

WHEN: October 7th 2023

WHERE: Hampton Park - Charleston, SC (more detailed location info sent two weeks before session)

HOW MUCH: $250

WHAT IS INCLUDED: 20 minute session, 30+ Images, Online gallery, Digital Download, Printing Release

BOOK HERE!

These sessions are 20 minutes long and include as many photos as we can snap during that time. I work quick, so you will get a minimum of 30 images, but most likely MANY more than that :).

I’ll have a few spots setup with cozy Fall seats/prop options but you can also choose to just use the natural gorgeous backdrop of oak trees/greenery of Hampton Park.

Who are these sessions good for? Literally anyone! Need some updated family photos? Need some rad new headshots for your website/social media/hinge profile? Did you just add a new human or fur baby to your fam? I got you. This is the perfect, quickest way to get some dope new photos with the bomb lighting that will truly capure you in the season you’re thriving in.

CLICK HERE FOR BOOKING INFO!

Cana 8/17/23 Cana 8/17/23

Introducing Lay-Flat Heirloom Wedding Albums

Get excited!! I have been waiting so long to write this post! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Cana Dunlap Photography’s newest featured product, Lay-Flat Wedding Albums! These gorgeous albums are made with iris fabric and come in a variety of sizes and vintage-inspired colors. The featured album seen here was ordered in color IC 02. Made by FLORICOLOR USA, all 40 pages are made of very thick, durable paper (You'd have to actually try to rip them...but don't. They're pretty.), which, turned page-by-page, lay flat. What's even better is that here at Whimsey, we design the layout of each book in studio. No fuss on your end, and you can trust that we will arrange your photos in such a way to tell a true story of your favorite day ever. And wait for it...YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE THESE BABIES. Yep, as you can see in our featured photos below, you have the option to emboss your names on the cover.

Some questions might be running through your head right now, such as, "Why do I even need to order an album? Doesn't everyone see my photos online anyways?", or "Can't I just create one online myself?" Let me explain to you why those are not the best of ideas:

a// NOT EVERYONE SEES THEM ONLINE. What about granny, or those friends who are just over Facebook so they deleted it? (I have several close friends that have done this) Or what about those friends who just don't really check their Facebook? Maybe they just didn't see the photos in their newsfeed that day. Our point is - not everyone that is special to you will see your photos online. At least, not all of them. Make sure they see all of your favorite shots. Don’t let your beautiful images die on a hard drive!

b// SHOW OFF. Think about this - every time you have a guest over, you don't want to have to say, "Hey, would you guys like to see our wedding photos?", followed by "Let me just pull them up online." These fabulous albums are the perfect centerpiece for your coffee table or any other space you feel they would fit - get creative! People will be drawn to them so much that you won't even have to ask them if they'd like to take a gander at those lovely photos you paid so much for to perfectly document your day.

c// YOU WON'T HAVE TIME. As much craziness that goes into the wedding planning process, think about your new life together. Now it's time to change your name, which means you need to go through all your documents and change them as well. Not to mention get settled into a new place if that's the route you have chosen to go, fill your place with all that stuff you got from your bridal shower (or showers), send those thank yous to every person that gave a gift, share those photos from your honeymoon, etc. (but mostly importantly, just enjoy this new season of marriage!). The last thing you'll want to have to think of is the tedious task of organizing a wedding album. Buying an album through CDP ensures that you will have a gorgeous, already-made album at your door just a few months after your wedding.

d// QUALITY. Believe me, you'll notice the difference in quality between ordering a professional album vs. creating one on a website where you can also buy those custom photo calenders. The albums we customize, design in-studio, and order for you online are absolutely gorgeous and of the highest quality, a definite necessity for passing down memories long past your lifetime (which brings us to our next point)...

e// TIMELESS. Prints will eventually fade, canvas eventually rip, and flash drives eventually break (because let's face it, technology doesn't last forever), but with a hard-bound, sturdy book full of memories, your great grandkids will still be taking this off the shelf even after you're gone. I can't tell you how many times I have gone through old books filled with prints of my family over the years, and although it's so incredibly special to venture to another era, I just wish things were in order, weren't cracked and faded, and the binding weren't falling apart. With a customized, lay-flat wedding album, you'll have the peace of mind knowing that it will be enjoyed for years to come.

Also featured are Parents Albums. These are available in an 8x8 size in a variety of color and materials.

Cana 5/22/19 Cana 5/22/19

Lauren + Shane // Cannon Green Wedding // Charleston, SC

I’ve had the honor of shooting at Cannon Green in Charleston, SC multiple times this year and I love it more and more with every wedding that I shoot there! Lauren and Shane got married there this spring and their wedding day was a dream. The weather was bright and breezy and their “First Look” on Chalmers street was absolutely breathtaking. Read more about their story below!

Lauren and Shane met each other in their very first class at SCAD together! Lauren said she could remember it like it was yesterday. They both shared the mutual connection of being two New Yorkers in Georgia for the first time — and were so excited about all that was ahead in their college years in beautiful Savannah. After a year of always bumping into each other and lots of small talk during those run-ins, one of Lauren’s best friends met Shane separately in a film class of his. He invited Shane to hangout with them one night and they ended up becoming really good friends. Lauren was actually dating someone else at the time - that ended, and Shane swooped in shortly after! Apparently they always had a crush on each other but the timing was never right until they both realized it was long overdue to finally give it a shot. January 2019 marks 10 years of us being together and they wouldn't have it any other way!

When I asked what they loved most about each other Lauren said she love’s Shane's passion. Passion for his family, passion for his work, passion for our partnership. She said “He's always pushing me to better myself in every way possible, even though he wholeheartedly accepts and loves me as I am in this moment and as I've been every moment before. We've grown so much together this last decade — we're still growing, and a big reason why is because he challenges me and believes in me. I hope we never stop growing.”

Shane shared with me that “It's the little things I see in Lauren that I love and think about most often. I'm talking about her bright glowing smile, her sweet, kind demeanor towards others. Then there is her world class sense of humor that I can always share a laugh with. On the serious side her sharp intellect always keeps my idiot tendencies in check (I need this). And finally she has a style and beauty that I think is so authentic and reflects her character so well that I think is rare to find.”

These two’s story has been 10 years in the making and I could not be more honored to be document this season of their life! Check out some of my favorite moments from their Cannon Green Wedding.