Tillman Branch Photography

Carrie & Brad {married}

2010-09-10T09:56:00.004-04:00

Carrie and Brad Franko's wedding.... Wow. What a whirlwind of awesomeness that day was... :-)

Even though the Colemans are from South Carolina and the Frankos are from Ohio you would think that these two families have known each other their whole lives. The whole day was filled with laughter and an easiness that rivals even the best vacation.
The carefree air that surrounded these two all day was an awesome sight to see!

But don't take my word for it....

See for yourself!!

Wedding Location: St. Matthews Church Charleston, SC

Reception Location: Daniel Island Club on Daniel Island, SC

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Megan & Matt {engagement session}

2010-09-08T18:01:00.002-04:00

Megan and Matthew...

Awesome has a new meaning.

Definition is below.

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Jenna & Allen {anniversary session}

2010-09-08T14:24:00.008-04:00

Jenna & Allen.

How cool they are.

Last year, Chip and I shot their wedding celebration at the Wickliffe House and had a BLAST doing it! These guys are SUPER awesome and totally down to earth.

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Brittany and Dan's rehearsal dinner.

2010-08-02T20:50:00.005-04:00

Recently I flew up to Lima, Ohio to cover Brittany and Dan's wedding. (Lima isn't pronounced LEE-ma but actually LYE-ma... like the bean!)

I had SOOOooo much fun with this family and being that I grew up on a farm (still kinda live on one) I knew I was going to fit Riiight in!

The Begg house!

Brittany's aunt sportin a brand spankin new eos Canon 7d! Totally enjoyed talking shop with her!

So I said "hey guys! gimme a silly face!" The little one on the left wasn't exactly in the "silly face" mood... So her sister helped her out! haha!!

Mr. Jay * Begg! Father of the bride!

And then a few in the Begg corn field... The corn is about knee high!

The whole Bridal party!

Afterwards we settled into a slideshow of Britt and Dan before it got too dark to shoot...

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Brittney's Bridal session

2010-07-30T21:28:00.003-04:00

I would be lying if I said that I wasn't chomping at the bit to release this on the blog.....

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Brittney & Brian West

2010-07-30T18:46:00.003-04:00

Introducing... Brittney and Brian West!!

Our day started out at Doubletree Hotel downtown Charleston.

Meeting us there and doing Brittney's makeup was Pam Lesch.

She it really neat to work with and does wonderful work!

You can also find her linked on my website under >info >need help?

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Jennifer's Magnolia Plantation bridal session

2010-07-26T18:48:00.003-04:00

I have been stowing this session in the vault and due to being so busy this is the first chance I have had to blog it!

There is much more stuff to blog!!

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Jenn & Jason's Pepper plantation wedding

2010-07-26T14:31:00.004-04:00

Jenn and Jason... I really can't say enough cool things about this couple. I just LOVED how AMAZINGLY deep in love with each other they are.... I'd be willing to bet that in 60 years He will still be opening doors for her and she will still blush when she sees him.

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Ok. I admit it.

2010-05-20T05:16:00.004-04:00

I am a packrat.
I have been working on a new website, and all the cool stuff that comes along with it and wanted it to explode with brand new images. and so I have been kinda "hording" them away...

After threatening emails demanding a post or "I'd go swimming with the fishies", I figgered the best thing for me to do (because I can't hold my breath very long underwater...) is post a small sample of what the heck has been keeping me busy.

Ok.. enough goofing off for me....

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Sean & Mindy's Downtown Charleston, SC Engagement session

2010-03-28T22:42:00.003-04:00

I met Mindy and Sean at our bridal show back in February I knew AUTOMATICLY that we would be a perfect match to work together.

Why?
All three of us are one step from being committed in the loony bin.

Except Sean... He is a little closer than both Mindy and I.
Words cannot describe the fun I had with these guys, We started out at having lunch at the Kicking Chikin in Mt. Pleasant and then we rolled out to downtown and finished up on Sullivans Island.

Take a look!

They'd be pretty screwed if the water came on right now...

I have used this shot several times... I just LOVE the location...

No comment.

Really.
:-)

They wanted to take some "save the date" shots....

The image on the left was a quick one... I don't remember if Mindy jumped in Sean's Arms or if it was the other way around... Either way it still turned out pretty darn cool....

Ok.. enough goofing off.

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Chris & Eddrina's engagement session

2010-03-18T20:42:00.004-04:00

Met with Chris and Eddrina at waterfront park in Mt. pleasant for their engagement session...

I'm telling you now... These guys laugh ALL THE TIME!!

I had fun guys!!

Rebecca & Dustin

2010-03-11T21:41:00.002-05:00

I did allot of "firsts" at Rebecca and Dustin's wedding.

One, I had to shoot at ISO 1600 through the whole night!
Two, I didn't even know that Andrew Pickney Inn even existed, and I got to shoot there!
Three, I shot a formal session in the middle of the market!

The ceremony was held in Charleston Chapel.

After the ceremony we took a few images around market street...

and then ate dinner at the amazing Tristan's Restaurant.

The Maintenance Man and The Thief

2010-03-05T10:17:00.002-05:00

14 years ago a little girl was born a thief. She stole her Daddy's heart and really didn't know it....
7 days later, this little girl who had her father's firy red hair and mother's sweet spirit was fighting for her life because her partially underdeveloped heart had major problems that prevented proper blood flow to the lower half of her body.

24 hours later she laid on an operating table with the skilled pediatric heart doctor, Dr. Bradley hovered over her working tirelessly on bad valves and replacing arteries that were no bigger than a no. 2 pencil lead.
After the surgery was over the small Thief's father and mother looked at her as she was sleeping on the recovery bed in Pediatric ICU with what seemed like hundreds of wires and tubes coming out of her body.

The Maintenance man and his dear wife watched as the little girl was laying on the bed and breathing with the help of a breathing machine.
He wanted nothing more than to pick her up and hold her tight and play with her beautiful red hair as she slept on his chest, but he knew it would be quite some time before that would happen.

The young thief was a strong little thing though...
When she finally opened her beautiful, blue eyes a wave of relief came over the long haired maintenance man and his sweet wife.
They felt like they had weathered a hurricane in the middle of the Atlantic ocean in a small John boat and beat the odds and came out alive.

But sweet victory would come with a price...

The next few years of the Thief's life would prove to be like walking on egg shells while toting an elephant.
Special diets, restrictive exercises and frequent trips to the heart specialist who gave her back her life were just parts of the daily routine that was "normal" for them.

Several years later, a trip to visit Dr. Bradley would not come with good news.

The echo machine had found several growths and other issues with the valves. So again, the thief was under the care of the skillful Dr. Bradley and his caring nurses.

And AGAIN the thief came out of the surgery with the fighting spirit her mother gave her.
That was roughly 10 years ago...
The Small thief has grown up to be a beautiful young lady that still causes the maintenance man to lose his breath.

Happy Birthday Gracie.
I love you with all my heart.

The Maintenance Man and his wife.

Update...

2010-02-09T20:53:00.004-05:00

Well hello there!

Most of you who are pretty close to us know that Rachel and I have been busy getting the new year planned out (as much as can be planned!) we have had TONS of fun meeting with new clients and hanging out with existing friends and clients.

I try to find the time to update here as much as possible but sometimes it's just easier to update my facebook page.

Here is just a snippit of what we have been up to.

Shannon called to get some pictures of Little Billy...

Whatta cute little fella...

and then Brittney called to get pictures of little Oliver

Baby bubbles are SO dang cute!!

and a few engagement sessions....

First up... Ivey and David. When I was a wee lad, (not that I am a big strapping dude now...) David used to live down the road from each other...

Jackie and Blane... I love this couple... VERY down to earth, fun loving guys! I can hardly wait untill their wedding!! wOOt wOOt!!

Lastly and certainly not least!! Melissa and Jason!!

I really can't sit here and tell you enough cool things about these guys!!
I love em both!!

(my first time EVER shooting on a railroad track!!)

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Lowndes Grove Bridal shoot

2010-01-11T12:47:00.004-05:00

Well... I'm blushing... and humbled beyond belief!
It seems that a few months ago we were featured on Patrick Properties blog and I didn't know about it...

ch-ch-check it out!

here is the original post on our blog!

2009 Charleston Weddings. A year in retrospect- LOOOOOng post!

2010-01-02T10:52:00.004-05:00

I honestly sat here at my computer laughed & cried while looking through some of the weddings and engagements we shot this past year.
I have met SOOooo many REALLY cool people who trusted me to capture the most important day in their life, (except maybe a birth!) many of whom have become really close friends that will be around forever.

The following images are some (DEFINITELY not all) of my favorites from 2009... Some are very artistic, some are funny moments captured but they are all special memories both to me and some of my clients.
Feel free to enjoy!

The one thing I love about receptions is that after people have a few drinks in their system they will do things they normally wouldn't do!
I might be wrong but I think that the following image was captured right before the garter toss at Travis and Suzanne's wedding at Santee Canal State park. I think Burt (one of my closest friends and my most fav DJ in the world) put on Def Lepards "pour some sugar on me"...
I'd say they were into the song pretty hardcore!

I am TOTALLY in love with this image captured by Rachel.

Jay and Nikki caught the devil getting their unity candle lit....

The AC was broke in the limo... It was HOT. But Nikki was Cool as a cucumber!

I would LOVE to say that this is an original idea... But it actually originated from an idea of another friend of mine.

Gary and Kirsten.... This couple won our 2008 "free wedding" giveaway. They think THEY won.
HA!!
Actually WE won because we got the opportunity to photograph their wedding!

While I was shooting Michael and Kristen's wedding in Boone Hall the mosquitos were HORRIBLE!!
Michael saw I was struggling with them so he came over and graciously applied mosquito repellent to my head...

When Gary came back from Iraq I was fortunate enough to capture the return. Very seldom do I actually "cry" behind the camera, I mean, I may tear up and a tear or two might fall, but this was one of those times I was bawling and almost unable to hit the shutter button.

This little girl was worth her triple her weight in gold. Cute as the day is long.

Jenna and Her Dad waits for the "go" signal to walk down the isle @ the Wickliffe house.

She gave me a quick glance back as they were about to walk out the door.

Some couples smile some of the time... Some smile ALL the time.

Take Matt and heather for instance...

This little fella has that "disney movie cuteness" written all over his face. I had to beg him with a piece of candy to be in the photo with Ashley.

I've had alot of fun capturing REALLY cool images of couples for engagements and Bridals.

Jess and Trey are two of the COOLEST couples you will meet in your life.
Jessica is a VERY uplifting person to talk to when you have had a bad day. She should charge people to talk to them.
Yes, she is THAT cool.

Lacey, Paul and "Bug" up front. No... His real name is not Bug. It's Colby :-)

Happy new year everyone!!

Chris & Katie

2009-11-13T13:50:00.004-05:00

Chris and Katie are 2 very interesting people!
When we met several months ago we immediately hit it off. Katie and I both hold a DEEP addiction to "THE BEAN"
And Chris and I share a love for technology.
Chris owns his own Computer repair/retail business called "CAROLINA HOME COMPUTING"

Anyway, without rambling too much, here is their story and their engagement session at the Coastal Carolina Fair!

Katie: Chris and I met in Vegas - thats Las Vegas! Well almost...my sister and his aunt work together for the company that runs the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas, they have a program that lets family members work at the show (aka a free trip to VEGAS BABY!!).

Chris and I actually met at the training day in Virginia. Aunt Cindy introduced me to Chris and I talked his ear off during breaks and such, which if you know me is totally true! I remember thinking to myself that he was really cute, and how much it sucked that he lived so far away.

Chris: Although we technically first met in a conference room in Washington D.C., we didn’t truly meet until the time we spent together in Vegas. The deal was to go to Washington D.C. for a day to get trained for the job, then hop on a plane a month later and spend a paid week working the days as a directional guide for the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas. But it was those Vegas nights where we really hit it off.

Out of the group of directionals for the show, we were the only two close in age, so I took a chance, worked up the courage and asked this outgoing & attractive girl out for a night in the city. After roaming sin city together that night, we knew that we would be spending our remaining nights together as well. I suppose it was the alluring combination of the flashing lights, the entertaining bars and a few great Vegas shows that brought us that much closer to one-another.

Katie: Fast forward a month to the Vegas trip, Megan (my sister) was busy with working, and Chris and I were the only ones our ages, so we hung out all week. I was actually confused because he really seemed to want to hang out with me. We ate lunches together most days and went to see Blue Man Group (best show EVER!). We really seemed to click, and we had fun with each other (and he’s a total babe).

Well after the trip, we kept in touch through the year with facebook and phones and then went again the next year. That year, we kept in touch much better and did the long distance thing. I got sick of that and decided to make the big move (much to my family’s surprise) from Pennsylvania to South Carolina, so we could actually be together. It was the best decision that I have ever made!

Chris: But those long nights just weren’t long enough and too soon had our stay come to an end. We remained in contact over our time apart as we both lead our normal lives. However, we both vowed to return the next year and do it all over again. And again we did it, and it was even more fabulous than the first. I don’t know when it hit, but we knew that those days we would spend apart after the show would be from then-out, spent together for the rest of our lives.

Mike: This is Chris and I getting off the helicopter...

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Amber's Downtown Charleston High School Senior session

2009-11-03T21:54:00.011-05:00

Wordage coming later!
Check out the pics!

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Michael and Kristen's Cotton Dock wedding at Boone Hall

2009-10-23T09:18:00.003-04:00

The day started out at Lowndes Grove where I photographed Kristen's bridal session.
You honestly couldn't have asked for a better day! It wasn't too hot and wasn't too cold... It was... Just right!

Last but DEF not least... a special thanks to Chi (pronounced like "shy") for second shooting with me for this one!
You rock sista! :-)

Mike

Kristen's Bridal session at Lowndes Grove, Charleston, SC

2009-10-21T21:23:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago I did Kristen's Bridal session at Lowndes grove located minutes from Downtown Charleston.

The Location was spectacular as was Kirsten when she stepped out of the room in her dress...
But don't take my word for it... See for yourself!

As soon as you pass through the huge heavy door that leads to the front hall you are faced with a exquisite round staircase that is perfect!

Three stories up the round staircase inside one of the guest rooms is this round window where the light coming in is fantastic for portraits....

Outside of the house is just as awesome as the inside...

Coming up tomorrow is Kristen and Michael's wedding!

Lacey + Paul = RED hawt

2009-09-20T11:49:00.003-04:00

Here's just a sneak peak of a few of our faves!

::Jenna + Allen = Married!

2009-09-19T12:32:00.002-04:00

Location:: Wickliffe house
Flowers:: Charleston Florist
Classical Music Trio:: Classical Charleston
Jenna's BEAUTIFUL dress:: A Joyous Occasion

Jenna and Allen were a blast to work with a the bridal party kept us on our toe the whole time!!

Congrats you guys!

Don't trust your photographer... Reason #134

2009-09-17T21:14:00.003-04:00

I just HAD to post these...
Jennifer, James and I went to Folly beach for some shots on the beach...
We got more than we bargained for.
When we got there the wind was kickin, the waves were ROLLIN in and the surfers were everywhere.

I lined up for the following shot and said "You guys may get a little wet..."
They said

"We don't mind..."
Famous last words right?

They were SOAKED! We were laughing so hard I couldn't get another shot off for several minutes!
But being the super troopers that they are we moved on and got some more terrific stuff!!

Leave some love people!

Shameless plug...

2009-09-17T15:02:00.002-04:00

BTW... just so ya know...
Here is a LINK to our FACEBOOK PAGE

Become a fan! ...all the REALLY cool people are!

;-D

A morsel...

2009-09-17T14:35:00.002-04:00

ok... I know...
I have been EXTREEMLY busy editing, building and shooting LOOOTS of bridals.
Unfortunately, I can't post them yet... ::sigh::
Believe me I wish I could!!!
So first up on the block is a few from a few engagement sessions I shot the past couple of weeks...

Kinda looks like the were trying to bite each other but they were not...

We laughed our way through the WHOLE dang session! Everytime I'd say, "ok... I need a straight face..." That would last about 3 seconds and then one of us would snicker and then everyone would follow suite...

The next set was from a mini session I did with Chris and Liz in Downtown Summerville... (both Chris's and my stomping ground!)

OK up next is Jenna's Wedding from the Wickliffe house downtown!!

A quick one for Suzie

2009-08-27T22:23:00.002-04:00

More coming soon!!!
I swear!!!

::grin::

Kristy & Brian

2009-08-02T14:26:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I met with Kristy and Brian at their house on Easy Ashley Ave on Folly beach...
Their house is fabulous! regretfully I didn't take any pictures of it... :-(
Dangit!

Anyway, we started our session out on the beach and ended on a dock owned by a friend of Brian's overlooking folly river...

Kristy wanted to take a few shots for their "save the date cards"... (I can't WAIT to see them actually on print!)

Leave some love!! (that means YOU Katie!!!!) :-)

Kristen and Michael's Downtown Charleston Engagement session

2009-07-29T12:55:00.003-04:00

Have you ever come across people that you knew were going to change your life?

Thats how I felt when I walked away from Kristen and Michael's Engagement session yesterday...
These two are NUTZ!!!!

And while we were in the middle of our session (Kristen and Michael were changing clothes) I look down East Bay street and low and behold what do I see?

At first it looked like 100 females carrying cameras... Dont get me wrong... I LOVE talking shop with other photogs, but the person up front had a Nikon...
(Then the cold chills came and I have visions of Her stopping in her tracks, staring me down and in a tribal voice yelling out "Nikonians!! GET THAT CANONITE!!!"
And me running down East Bay like a schreeking little girl running from a spider....

But seriously, I knew one of them, an extreemly uber cool talented photographer from Ft Mitchell, Alabama Lisette Price

But it was VERY nice to meet all of you guys!!!

Peace and hair grease people.
Leave some love!

Pam & Jon

2009-07-18T16:49:00.004-04:00

Whew..
Words cannot describe the fun I had at this wedding...

The following image is a REALLY tight crop of the last one showing how dedicated the guys were at catching the garter...

No comment... Really..

Rebecca's Trash the dress... Asheville, NC

2009-07-08T19:12:00.002-04:00

Well... Where do I start?
Most of you who follow me on Twitter and Facebook know that a week or so ago we went to Asheville,NC to shoot Rebecca's TTD...

The last image is exactly what you see...
You see ladies and Gentlemen, Mikey has the awesome ability to find 4 leaf clovers!
God's honest truth!! I watched him pick SEVEN of them out of HUNDREDS of three leaf clovers!!!

Ashley's Bridal

2009-06-24T20:31:00.006-04:00

Well.. Here is Ashley!! She is probably one of the most Kicked back country girls you will ever meet in your LIFE!!
After we had to cancel her bridal 3 times (at the least it was 2 times!) due to Charleston's liquid sunshine, she was like *shrug* oh well... I'm sure we will get it done...

... I mean... I was like pulling my hair OUT because of the bad luck with the weather!!! (well.. actually, if I had hair I would have!) :-)
The last time they came down (2 hour drive) and we got rained out, I decided to move the shoot up there. I asked if there was any place up there that was a neat place...

This is the only thing we could come up with... *sigh* I guess it'll have to do...
:-)

That place was SERIOUSLY stunning!!
Heck as I was driving up the brick driveway looking at manicured grass, trimmed trees and the HUGE, HUGE house at the end of the drive, I was shreeking like a little girl!
Seriously... wow.

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You will wish you would have.
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Peace, love and hair grease people!

Leave us some love .

Kristen + Dave= fun on the farm!!

2009-06-22T14:55:00.002-04:00

Kristen, Dave and I met out on our farm for a few pics...

Here are just a few of my favorites!

We started out by the sawmill...

We pretty much "moseyed" (is that even a word? LOL) all over the farm and ended up in the garden with the beans and the corn...
(with a few ringshots thrown in everynow and then too!)

Lindsay & Keith...

2009-05-25T20:58:00.002-04:00

umm... Really... Words can't describe how AWESOME this couple is in front of the camera...

They came down here on their one year anniversary and booked a TTD session before they came...

Check it out!

Gary & Kirsten

2009-05-24T17:16:00.002-04:00

Some of you long time blog stalkers may know these two people...
Just in case you are new, HERE is the link to there engagement session.

Soo... a few months ago Gary got back from Iraq, and I got to photograph it!!
I really though I was going to hold up and not cry, but lemme tell ya... By the time that Gary was in sight and Kirsten let out that squeel of joy, roughly 15 seconds later she was in his arms and was a blubbering fool holding a camera...
Crying.
like.
a.
BABY!!

Any-who-
Enjoy!
Their wedding is getting posted tomorrow!!

*insert* it was roughly here that I was reduced to a sobbing little bald guy... just so ya know**

Michael & Rebecca's Wedding

2009-05-17T17:35:00.004-04:00

Rebecca and Michael came down from Asheville NC to have their wedding on our beautiful beaches...

And a quick little meeting before the wedding to take some photos!

Yes... There are TWO pair of sunglasses on my head... Becca's and Michaels...

Then we walked down the the pier for a few shots down their before the wedding...

Then was the ceremony...
*side note* Being an "80's child", I LOVED Rebecca's brother's shirt!
I almost fell OUT laughing when I saw it!!

After the ceremony and the guests were on their way back to the reception site, We all hung around the beach to take some more photos on the beach!

We goofed and laughed, and ragged on each other the WHOLE night!!

Then we did something I had never heard of before... a TTB... otherwise known as a "Trash the bouquet"!!!

This be us!!
It's not quite as easy to focus on something while you are on the wrong side of the camera... :-)

ON TO THE RECEPTION!!

This is probably the funniest picture I have EVER taken...
The three different looks on their faces cracks me UP!
How about a caption contest on this one?!

Later Peeps... Leave some love,
Stay tuned for 2 TTD sessions, (one is Rebecca's in Asheville, NC!!) and a few more weddings!

Photogs... Remember.. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

Rebecca's Bridal

2009-05-12T21:29:00.002-04:00

Here are just a few from Rebecca's bridal session.. Stay tuned for her wedding!!

Paul + Lacey = Sunburn

2009-05-07T22:29:00.004-04:00

Yep.. I sunburned the mug while shooting Paul and Lacey! It was totally worth it too!!
What do you think?

:-P

Jay + Nikki=FUN!!!

2009-05-07T21:29:00.003-04:00

Yes... I haven't updated in over a month...We are slack and I know that, so it's all good right?
At least I'm not in denial! :-D
To be honest, we were NOT prepared for the tidal wave of inquiries, bookings, e-sessions, weddings, bridals editing, album building and all the other stuff that comes along with a new year!

So anyway!! Meet Jay and Nikki!
These guys have ALWAYS been a blast to hang out with! Everytime we meet up somewhere, I walk away with a grin on my face because these two will keep you in stitches!!!

Brittany's Bridal session

2009-03-18T18:47:00.002-04:00

Brittany's Bridal session was planned after the wedding because it was just so DANG cold in December!

Here are just a few of our faves!!

We had a BLAST hanging with Brittany and her Mom!
Leave some love people!! **grin**

Nicole's Bridal

2009-03-15T18:26:00.002-04:00

I've been jonesin' to put up some of Nicole's Bridals we took a few weeks back.. And now that they got married last night...
Well.. Here ya go!

look us up on Facebook!

Steph & Ryan

2009-03-15T16:52:00.004-04:00

Well... Steph wanted something different for their engagements.
They both are into hard rock and wanted more of the "grungy Rock Star" look...

With a few tweeks here and there, We gave em what they wanted!

Enjoy!!

Stay tuned boys and girls...
Coming up next... Bryan & Megan's Wedding, Jenni and Bob's Wedding, Nicole and Burt's wedding, Jay and Nikki's E-session, and Megan and Michael's E-session!

Robert and Sara Bobo

2009-03-05T16:36:00.002-05:00

Like I said yesterday, We shot Rob and Sara's wedding a few weeks ago...
Here are a few images from the wedding!

Here are a few of our favs from the Reception...

Rob and some of his buddies singing together...

Our DJ, and a close friend of ours, Burt... (you will see his wedding on here in a few weeks... hehe)

Rob and Sara, We had a BLAST!!

What We've been up to...

2009-03-04T22:55:00.002-05:00

In the past few months I have know ALOT of people who have gotten sick! It seems like this season there have been a heckuvalot more people sick than last season... That includes us!

So where do I start?
Well... We last updated in December of 2008 From Cameron and Ben's gorgeous Christmas themed wedding...
A few days after that We packed our Bags and went to Easley SC with the intention of staying through the new year with Rick and Sandy. But it didn't quite work out as planned.
You see, Little Jack and Amanda was already sick and I wasn't going to let that stop us from going up there! No- sir!
So we took off...
Amanda screamed...
the...

whole...

Way...

up...

there...

Oh.
My.
gosh.

Never in my life have I ever contemplated suicide, but let me tell you...

This day... I wanted to pull off the road, get out of the car, and stand in front of a Semi, and let Sweet Jesus take me home.

But we made it.
With a Lesson learned.
I, Michael Bradley Mizzell, do hereby solemnly swear that I will will never-ever-never-ever-never-ever (God willing) take a trip unless ALL my children are in tip-top shape.

Thing is... Rachel warned me. did I listen?
uh... no. Just like always. :-)

OK..
So anyway, We get up to Rick and Sandy's place in Easly and I'm looking forwart to 2 weeks of Chillin with Rick and hooking up with some local Photographers in the area and talking shop.
But...
God obviously saw other things for me.
On Saturday night, I got sick.
You know... the whole fever, coughing, stopped up crud that just about everyone in Charleston has? Yea. It was My fault that it migrated down here.
Sorry guys.
I have YET to stop coughing! wowser.

Any way here is a few images taken by Rick and I during our trip.
Sandy and Lauren in the Kitchen...

Me, Amanda and our Friend Barney. (Who we unsuccessfully tried to lose)

Downtown Greenville

Ladies and Gentlemen.... Ricky.

A day before we went downtown, Rick and I traveled over to Peltzer, SC to an old abandoned factory...

Rick standing in the doorway.

A stack of pallets...

Our trip got cut a week and a half short because I got sick....

*sigh*

And who... SOOOoooo
A few weeks ago Chip and I shot Rob and Sara's wedding at 28 Bridgeside in Mt Pleasant...
BUT... You will have to come back tomorrow to see those!

Ben & Cameron

2008-12-30T11:51:00.002-05:00

Well... For us, 2008 is officially finished, and Ben and Cameron help us round out an awesome year!
Thanks guys!!

Here are a few teasers from their wedding!

Leave some love yall!

See ya soon!

Matt & Brittney

2008-12-28T13:54:00.002-05:00

Chip and I made the trek up to Bishopville SC a few weeks back to photograph Matthew and Brittney's wedding...
No... We didn't get lost (thanks to Chips's mad navigating skills)
and no...
I didn't get pulled over... (untill AFTER the wedding) :-)

The wedding ceremony was at Bishopville First Baptist Church.

somebody didn't want to walk down the isle....

The reception was held at the newly renovated "opera house" located on main street...

While we were getting set up for this shot, I handed Matt my camera and asked him to hold it for me...

This is what I pulled off the hard drive later that night...

Matt and Brittney gave us a few min after the reception to get some "un" formal pictures!

Matt & Heather

2008-12-11T22:53:00.005-05:00

Meet Matt and Heather...

I immediately felt a connection to these two the moment we met... Their story is lengthy together, having dated for 10 years, but you wouldn't know it by hanging out with them for a few Minutes... These two are SOOoo into each other it's not even funny....

So here is their story and a few images from their engagement session!

In June of 1998 we met at the party of a mutual friend and co worker. We all worked at the same place, but Matthew and I had not officially met until the party. I told our friend MJ (the guy throwing the party) when I found out that Matt was coming to the party that I wanted to meet Matt.

After I met Matt, I told MJ that I would be getting to know Matt a little better. I asked Matt for his phone number and called him the next day. Our first date was within a week of our first meeting and the rest is history.

Fast forward…... Matt and I moved in together in October of 2007 and if it was even possible we fell even more in love.

Fast forward again…

On October 4, 2008 Matthew took a detour on our way to a quick cheap dinner and made me close my eyes. After arriving at the surprise location, Matthew led me out of the car and into a building with my eyes still closed. Once inside, Matthew asked me to uncover my eyes and look around. Matthew then took my hand and led me to the empty living room of an empty home. He looked at me and told me that we were standing in our NEW HOME.

...I began crying, of course. Matthew said to me that he had been waiting for a long time for things to be perfect and that this was the perfect time. He then reached into his pocket, pulled out a small box, told me that this is the perfect moment of all and asked me if I would marry him.
Of course I said YES.
Matthew had keeping our new home a secret for about 2 - 3 months. Some of our friends and family knew about the home, but no one other than my Dad knew about his proposal and no one knew when it was coming...

Matthew was 20 and I was 19 when we met. We have together through some of the best, worst, saddest, and most triumphant times of our lives. We feel like we have grown up together. We are so in love and that love grows every day that we are together.

Gary+Kirsten

2008-12-05T19:17:00.007-05:00

Gary is in the Army and is currently deployed in Iraq...
Their eyes stayed locked on each other the whole time we shot!!

Here's a snippit straight out of an email on how they met...

Gary and I met while we were both stationed in Korea, June 2006. We met at a bar downtown, and while I thought he was quite the charming southern gentleman, I wasn’t really interested. For 6 months, he called every couple weeks to see if I wanted to meet up, or emailed just to see what I’d been up to, and finally in January 2007, we met in person again; this time sparks flew!

Since I'm Navy and he's Army, we weren't ever stationed in the same place, and whether it was in Korea or Virginia, we always had to travel a couple hours to see each other. Gary popped the question during a carriage ride through Central Park during Veteran's Day weekend last year.

He's now in Iraq and it's been hard, even though we're used to being apart so much. In the end, he's the one that makes me laugh, and I certainly do enough silly things to keep him entertained as well (he likens me to Jessica Simpson). This year is making us stronger and when he comes home, I know there's no one I'd rather have drive me bonkers for the rest of my life than him.
~Kirsten

Now isn't that the stuff straight out of a fairy tail book?!?

Ashley and Josh...

2008-11-28T14:37:00.005-05:00

Mike and I got to photograph Ashley and Josh's wedding last week in Charleston. I met Ashley while she was an intern at my church and knew from the word 'go' that their wedding was going to be a blast.

Ashley's dress was absolutely gorgeous!

This wedding was really emotional for Ashley's father..

Thanks so much for allowing us into your lives! We look forward to seeing you guys when you get back!

April and Brandon

2008-11-18T21:16:00.002-05:00

Saturday I photographed April & Brandon's intimate wedding on Folly Beach under the pier.
The weather forecast for the day was rain. that is not good.

BUT obviously God was hookin us up because 2 hours before the wedding the sun started peeking out and by the time the wedding started, it was in full bloom! WAHOO!!

So here are a few from the wedding.

As you can see by the last image, by the time we finished with the ceremony, formals and "un"formals the clouds rolled right back in.

As a matter of fact, as I was pulling out of my parking spot, the rain started!
Talk about lucky!!!

I'm bloggin like a madman trying to get caught up!!

Blog love gladly accepted!!

Rob and Sara

2008-11-18T15:43:00.003-05:00

We got to hang out with Sara and Rob out at Old Village in Mt. P this past weekend also!

It was a COLD shoot, especially after the sun went down!
Here a just a few out of their session...

Blog Love GLADLY accepted!! (That means YOU Jen!!! hehe)

Ben and Cameron

2008-11-17T20:45:00.002-05:00

I met with Ben & Cameron downtown at the Battery this afternoon and wanted to get a few of my favs up on the blog.
Ben Works for Mt Pleasant Police dept, and Cameron Works for Johnson & Johnson.

These two are as nutty as they come!

After sundown we had a chance to get some "sunset shots"...

You never know...

2008-11-12T12:53:00.004-05:00

Who you may run into...

A few months ago while we were out shooting an engagement session, We get set up for a shot and I notice this photographer hanging out in the area.
Being we live in the 2nd highest place in the nation for destination weddings, I really am used to seeing other photographers out and about with their clients, so I continued on with our shoot.
To make a long story short, It ended up being a Photographer named Melody that I know (and look up to) from Chattanooga, Tenn!
I was like HOLY COW!!! It was at that point that my blood pressure went sky high, my hands started shaking uncontrollably, and I kept stumbling all over my words!!
It was like I was being evaluated by my teacher or something!

Anyway, she ended up taking a few shots of me while I was "working"...

It seems Melody was here shooting an engagement session and a Bridal the following day.

She needed to know how to get to Folly beach so I drew her a map...
hehe...

Em and Cody Bragg... 7 months later....

2008-11-09T20:59:00.002-05:00

Well... We all know em, we all love em...

Mr. and Mrs. Cody Bragg!

Em, Cody, Chip and I keep up with each other via text message and facebook 3-4 times a week.

They have become more like Family than friends!

Anyway... Em and Cody came down from Pa and wanted to shoot "lite" version of "trash the dress"

This is our second time pulling this shot off... The first time was across the street, We wanted one with a Bride and a Groom and they were prime candidates for the job!

Em and Cody, We'll see you guys next weekend!!

Who Are You...

2008-11-09T15:16:00.003-05:00

We get over 100 blog hits a day but we do not know who it is that is looking so....Those of you that visit please leave a comment to this post saying who you are. Whether you are a potential client, current client, fellow photographer, or just plain curious we want to know who is stopping by.

Thanks for looking!

Mistaken for a Bartender Part II...

2008-11-08T11:29:00.004-05:00

Mike and I photographed a great wedding yesterday at Alhambra Hall in Mount Pleasant. While at the reception I was approached by a guest and asked if I was the bartender from last night. This is two weddings in a row now! I am just going to reserve myself to the fact that at the next wedding I am going to position myself at the bar, put my camera down and start serving people. Mind you ...I have no idea how to mix any drinks or what goes in a Long Island Ice Tea but I am going to give it a whirl. Maybe I missed my calling and do not know it...

2008-11-07T13:54:00.002-05:00

Well after several defunct blog post tries, I'm finally getting this one up!

SOooo Monique, Julius and little JJ wanted to get some Maternity shots at the beach...

hope ya enjoyed looking!

Mistaken for a Bartender...

2008-11-04T13:38:00.003-05:00

So Mike and I photographed a wedding on Sunday that was a total blast.
Everything went well and everyone was great to work with!
Now at the reception I took a moment to sneak over to where the drinks were to pour myself a nice cup of Diet Coke. As I poured my drink a guest pushes three cups towards me and asks me to please fill her cups with ice.

I know I had a confused look on my face, which was unintentional, but I obliged and found the ice for her.
Something funny like that seems to happen at every wedding we go to.

Sorta like the time Mike got pulled over...

Angela and Carlos...

2008-10-28T13:08:00.004-04:00

We got to photograph a great couple on the 18th downtown at the Fourth Baptist Church. We had a great time meeting their family and friends..everyone was awesome to be around!

The Reservoir Dogs Walk

Angela in her amazing dress

Their beautiful rings

The wedding party came down the aisle in a very unique way. The ladies danced their was around the guys until they lined up. It was really cool!

Angela coming down the aisle. I caught a flash off of one of the guests' cameras.
*He seems to get one at every wedding!!
Personally, I think he's cheating somehow. I'll keep my eyes peeled for a radio trigger on a flash this weekend!* [Mike]

The church was really beautiful inside!

Signing the marriage certificate

Carlos and Angela

There was plenty of great music and dancing

The final shot at the end of the reception

Thanks for letting us be a part of your wedding! Best of luck to you two!

Mike and Chip

2008-10-20T17:52:00.004-04:00

Like I said, we had some extra time before Saturday's wedding to get a few shots of each other. Enjoy!

Mike showing his best side here..

More of a GQ shot on this one..

Mike thinks I look like I stepped out of the movie The Omen here

I think this is my favorite one..

I look forward to Mike adding his comments to these shots very soon...check back!

Chuck + Bonnie

2008-10-20T06:24:00.009-04:00

A few months ago I got the pleasure to meet Chuck and Bonnie and my life has been deeply impacted due to our friendship that has developed with them.

I guess I will start out by giving props to SC State troopers!

The following image was taken with my phone so it's kinda grainy...

Here's the lowdown. Chip and I had JUST got of I-26 headed into Orangeburg and as we crested the hill low and behold whats at the bottom of it?!
Yep...
"The Man".

I KNEW I was busted and he confirmed that I was speeding by cutting his lights on before I even got to him.
So.. I wanted to make his job easy so I pulled over not far from where he was parked. He barely had to pull out on the road to get behind us.
Needless to say, I was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs....

When he came up to the car, he asked where we were headed, and I spoke up (Chip was frozen with fear) (for the record I was not scared---Chip) and told him I was not paying any attention to my speed because we (Chip and I) were discussing Chuck and Bonnie's wedding, and I have ZERO excuses for speeding.
He asked where the wedding was and I told him Buckridge Plantation, I was not surprised when he said he knew where it was.
I was REALLY hoping that because he knew where we were headed he would have mercy on this poor innocent vehicle operator!
You know... Hook a brotha up!
well...He took my license and registration anyway, and said he would have us back on the road in a few min.
While he was gone, (Chip was laughing his BUTT off the entire time!) 100,000,000 things were running through my mind! The main one was Rachel kicking my butt for being STUPID!!
It seemed like he was in his car for hours...
and hours...
...and hours...
But when he came back, he handed me a Warning ticket and told me to slow it down a bit and be careful. Needless to say I wanted to kiss him in the mouth. That man just saved my life! (Rachel would have strung my up in an oak tree and flogged me for days!)

Moral(S) of the story...
1) When the State troopers association calls, Give them money.
2) Be HONEST with them!

So anyway...
Chuck + Bonnie...
Chuck is deeply dedicated to his new bride, and it shows in every way!
Here are a few images from their beautiful wedding at Buckridge Plantation.

I still can't get over her smile here!

The Reception was in Buckridge's ballroom...

Before Yesterday's Wedding...

2008-10-19T20:23:00.003-04:00

Mike and I had some time before yesterday's wedding to get a few shots of us. This rarely happens but I think we got some pretty good stuff. I'll post some more later but here is one of Mike on the church steps...looking pretty sexy (at least that is what he said).

Christmas Cards Discounted...

2008-10-18T12:55:00.003-04:00

For those of you who still need to get your Christmas cards ordered we are taking 25% off our normal prices! If you have not had a family session we will do a 20 minute mini session which is included in the price. All cards are printed on high quality, glossy paper. Other options are available. Prices below are for 25 cards:

4x5.5 Folded $60.00

5x7 Folded $67.00 (pictured bottom)

4x5.5 Flat $55.00 (pictured top)

5x7 Flat $65.00

5x5 Tri Fold $80.00

4x5.5 Accordian $90.00

5x7 Folded Wide $95.00

Contact me at chip@tillmanbranch.com for more information and to see the other designs we carry.

Breathe Soy Candles...

2008-10-16T12:33:00.002-04:00

A friend of mine started a candle company a couple of months back and asked me to take some pictures for her website. I can not tell you how amazing these candles are! She hand pours all of her candles using 100% essential oils and soy wax. Her scents are spectacular with my favorites being Lemongrass Vanilla and Charleston Sweetgrass.

Not only are these great for your home but for weddings, receptions, favors for guests, etc...She told me that she is also working on pillars and other wedding ideas now. Head over to
www.breathesoycandles.com to order yours now.

Running behind...

2008-10-09T20:48:00.004-04:00

Well... We are running behind still... hehe (story of my life!)
With in the past few weeks We have been busy. Those of you who know us on a more "personal" level Chip and I thank you for your prayers.
Well.. Unfortunatly, I can't post the Bridal sessions because I know for a FACT that Jay is a blog stalker... (Hey Bro!)
SOOooo I'll show you what kind of respect I got...

Here are a few from Anna's Senior session...

Then We hung out with Kim and Brian...

I have been known to climb on things to get a shot... *more on that later* *wink*

Then we went back to the beach a few days later and Hung out with Even, Hugh and Caroline...

Stay tuned for Bonnie and Chuck's Wedding... and Laurie and Jason's wedding shortly after that!

Nick and Christy

2008-10-08T15:23:00.001-04:00

I've known Nick for a few years now, and when he asked Me to shoot him and Christy I KNEW it was going to be a BLAST!!!!

While we were down at Folly, Nick takes off hoping on the pilons and then hopped back and strikes a pose...
Thats really original Nick.... *sigh*

One of the things that Nick and I have in common (besides having a bad habit of speaking our minds) is we both like Georgia Bulldogs. GO DAWGS!!!!
Well... Christy is a USC fan.
I wanted to throw her in the water... Nick wouldn't let me...

Nick never suprises me by doing something silly...

Love ya man!!

Sam + Christa = Devotion

2008-10-01T21:13:00.006-04:00

We started our day on IOP... (That's "Isle Of Palms" for you non-sandlappers)

Umm... I'm not quite sure I need to comment on this one. I just thought it was goofy!

The sky was absatively, posalutely AWESOME! (I had to take a picture of it while in the back seat on the way to the church!)

We had a few seconds before the ceremony started to put the veil on...

The ceremony had a worship service complete with music and Holy Sprit!
You couldn't help but sing along! It was a VERY moving experience.

The whole gang!

The members of the bridal party each had their own "unique" way to make their own "grand entrance"... We were in stitches the whole time!

Sam... Christa... I hope you guys are having a BLAST in your new home in Hawaii!!

PS... I know I have a WHOLE lot more bloggin I gotta do... I hang my head in shame...
hehe.. I'll get more up this weekend...

Another busy weekend...

2008-09-19T05:27:00.003-04:00

I'm really sorry I haven't been blogging like I should....
(Thanks for the kick in the butt Sara!!)

Anywho...
Between getting rained on, Used like a chew toy by a dog, and almost having a heart attack because we thought we were getting locked up on Sunday, It's been a fairly uneventful weekend,

We started out with Jillian on a soaking wet Friday afternoon...

Saturday we met with Jamie... We started out on Folly Beach...

It was at this point in the evening that I thought we were going to either,

1) get arrested...

2) get ganked by a thug...

On Sunday, Laurie and Jason kidnapped me and took me to Kiawah Island...

Thanks for the laughs all weekend you guys, I had a blast!!!!

Brian and Megan Part II

2008-09-10T22:30:00.002-04:00

I met With Brian and Megan to finish up the session that got Rained out a few weeks ago..

Here are a few of my favs....

I'm... Um.. Not exactly quite sure what Brian is saying in Megans ear here...
I've got a feeling it's probably not something I would let my Grandmother hear! ;-)

These guys sure did know how to turn up the fun up a notch or two...
I'm telling you, I was in stitches most of the time!!

Sure was fun you guys!! Can't wait for the Bridal!

Jess's Senior Session

2008-09-01T19:14:00.002-04:00

Jess is our Summerville High School Senior Rep!!
We shot out at Dorchester Park, and had a BLAST too!!

After we got finished with the standard stuff, we played with lights a little bit...

Quick update...

2008-08-30T11:20:00.003-04:00

Well... It seems like forever since I've updated...
Last Saturday We shot Danielle and Harold's wonderful wedding at Summerville First Baptist...
A BIG shout out to Jen Harder-Finley for helping Chip with the reception, while I booked it over to Jake's Bar Mitzvah... WE LOVE YA JEN!!!!! (even if ya do shoot Nikon... hehe)

Sunday, we traveled up to Orangeburg to Chuck and Bonnie's absolutely STUNNING wedding at Buckridge Plantation...

But.. I promise, I'll post more on that later this week...

Here are a few shots from Jake's Bar Mitzvah!

While at the Bar Mitzvah, Josh was asking quite a few questions about photography and I decided to put him to work! I gave him my back up camera body and a flash, put on a lens and turned him loose!

The whole lot of them!!

Bonnie's Bridal

2008-08-18T22:00:00.005-04:00

Well... We got up REALLY, REALLY, REALLY early to get to Orangeburg for Bonnie's Bridal session.
Even after 1 cup of coffee, a red bull, and one of those mini 5 hour energy drinks, I was still groggy, but when I saw how exquisite Bonnie looked in her dress, I IMMEDIATELY woke up! Bonnie is both beautiful inside and out, and not only that, She has one of the most soothing voices I've ever heard!

We started out @ Edisto state park, and ended up in the downtown part of Orangeburg...

Bonnie spent her first 11 years of life in Africa because her parents were missionaries. She calls herself an "African Princess"! You just can't deny that fact she positively looks like a queen in her dress!

While we were getting set up for a shot I asked her to speak some african, and much to my surprise, it sounded flawless! But then again... Wouldn't you expect that from her?

Stay tuned... I'll get her Engagement session up later today! **HOPEfully**

Blessed...

2008-08-17T14:09:00.001-04:00

I was just looking over our calender for the rest of the year and noticed we are slam packed booked solid. This is a good thing and I feel very blessed to be part of very important event in people's lives. We have some of the very best clients anywhere!

I also feel blessed to have a wife that supports me being away on weekends when I could be home with her and our two boys. Without her I would not be able to pursue this passion.

Finally I want to thank Mike and Rachel for allowing me to join the crew. It is great working with such good friends!

Chip

Alter Ego...

2008-08-06T12:39:00.002-04:00

We get alot of calls asking for Mr. Branch or Mr. Tillman.. Alot of times I can't help but snicker and correct them... And more often than that, we meet with people and they ask "How did you guys come up with that name?"
Well... It's not as complicated as people might think!
You see, I grew up on a farm not far from Carnes Crossroads where 176 and 17-a intersect. And if you can get your hands on really old maps of the area I live in, the whole surrounding area was called "Tillman's Branch" wAAAAAAay back 50 years ago. Also, there are several little streams or "branches" flowing through the area, and one of the main ones (according to the map) is named "Tillman's branch"
Back in `89 when hurricane Hugo hit, due to the power being out for weeks we actually took baths in "The Branch". (the water is surprisingly clear!) You wanna talk about COLD? HOLY COW that was cold!!
So anyway, That's the deal with the name.

Peagler Family

2008-08-03T19:21:00.002-04:00

We met out @ Folly Beach on Saturday for a Family session...

This is a WILD and crazy bunch!!
Here are a few shots of the day!

Brian & Megan (part 1)

2008-07-19T10:31:00.004-04:00

Well... It was a very wet week here in Charleston...

Megan, Brian and I played phone tag for a few days and after canceling out our session Tuesday, we decided to give it a whirl on Thursday...

We still ended up getting rained out though. not once but TWICE!! Oh well... We 're gonna give it a go for part 2 next weekend!!
Stay tuned...

Winner of Our Contest...

2008-07-19T00:13:00.002-04:00

I wanted to post a snippet of the winning post from last month's contest. Kirsten wrote in on how she and her fiance, Gary, met while serving our country! Congrats again you two...we look forward to your May Wedding!!

Gary and I met while we were both stationed in Korea, June 2006. He was based at Camp Casey, a 2-hour train ride from where I was stationed in Seoul. We met at a bar downtown, and while I thought he was quite the charming southern gentleman, I wasn’t really interested. For 6 months, he called every couple weeks to see if I wanted to meet up, or emailed just to see what I’d been up to, and finally in January 2007, we met in person again. This time, sparks flew! The night of our first date, I knew in my heart that he was the man I was supposed to marry. Since Gary is Army, he had to spend weeks at a time in the field, so on days when he’d be back at Camp Casey for a few hours, I would make the 2-hour trip up there just to bring him brownies and eat lunch with him before making the 2-hour trip back.

Maurice & Coreaco

2008-07-05T10:16:00.002-04:00

Maurice and Coreaco were Married in Cypress Gardens...
I couldn't say enough nice things about these guys...
I'll just let the images do the talking!

Gotta give it to chip... wow.. Nicely done bro! *thumbs up*

Catching up...

2008-07-04T19:19:00.002-04:00

First a few of Jack...

And a few of Maria and Robert... We met at Old Village in Mt. Pleasant for their E-session...

This one is these two acting crazy! Rob kept me in Stitches ALL night!!

Long time no see!!

2008-06-28T12:13:00.002-04:00

It has been a wild ride here lately!!
I have MUCH to blog about! Engagement sessions, Weddings, meetings, and just news in general!

The contest we just held was a pretty good hit! I was surprised how may people got in contact with us! There were SOOOooo many stories that Chip and I enjoyed reading. There were stories that sounded like they had stepped straight out of a fairy tale book. I was pushed to tears a few times there! We had such a hard time picking the best one... I wish we could shoot all of them! There were stories of chance meetings that are turning into life time commitments, stories of long distance relationships that are making it happen against the odds that the world has set against them.

Rachel and my anniversary was on Thursday... Normally, I remember at the last min or TOTALLY forget, (hey.. I'm a man...) but this year, I planned something special... (yea... I actually put thought into my anniversary!!) But more on that later!

oh.. Our workflow has been COMPLETELY turned upside down... Rachel's Laptop took a nose dive 2 weeks ago, and it had ALL our tax stuff on it. It's been my experience that when a hard drive crashed, it will give you signs or symptoms. but not this time!! It went down hard! So we have been looking into converting all my editing over to Mac anyway so we bit the bullet and bought a Mac and she got my laptop.
This conversion has caused me a little bit of grief because I had NO software for a Mac, so I had to get all new editing software. Now that Photoshop CS3 and Lightroom is loaded on the mac, I'm getting the new workflow down a little more and getting faster due to Lightroom!

Little Jack is getting SOOO big now! I'll post up some shots that Chip took of him in a bit.
Anyway, We are still here, we haven't died *yet*...

And the Winner is......

2008-06-25T11:46:00.003-04:00

Gary and Kirsten! We want to thank everyone who entered as we enjoyed reading about your engagements and first dates!

Once I get the Ok we will post a snippet of their winning entry along with a little background info.

Congratulations you guys! We look forward to working with you!

Mike & Chip

Whispers On Wentworth

2008-06-10T21:36:00.002-04:00

I've known Lynn for almost a year now, so when she asked if I would shoot her and the girls (and Oliver) I jumped at the Idea!

A few things you need to know before you go to Whispers....
1)They were voted "Charlestons Best" hair salon... by Charleston City Paper!
2) If you are looking for one of those stuffy "run-of-the-mill" hair salons, You had better look somewhere else!! These guys know what the heck they are doing and they have fun while they are doing it!

Linster & Shelly

2008-05-27T21:31:00.006-04:00

Linster and Shelly are two of the neatest people I have ever met!!
Linster reminds me of Denzel Washington.. And He is TWICE as cool as him!

We started out at Francis Marion Hotel...

Linster and the boys were @ the Holiday Inn across the street

The Ceremony was in Mother Emmanuel AME church on Calhoun St downtown...

I just love the smile on Shelly's face here!

Afterwards we took a ride on a horse drawn carriage!
This was my first time on one... So the only bit of advice I have is NEVER get on during spoleto!!

As we rode the carriage around downtown, People would tell her how pretty she looked and congratulations!

For the reception, we headed back over to Francis Marion Hotel for some fun!

You guys have fun in Hawaii!!

Free Wedding Photography Contest...

2008-05-27T08:03:00.008-04:00

We want to give back to the men and women who serve, protect and educate our country on a daily basis. So during the month of June, Tillman Branch Photography will be giving away free wedding photography for one lucky couple in the Lowcountry. To be eligible the bride or groom must serve in the military or the public service fields of police, fire, EMS or teacher and live in Lowcountry of South Carolina. The wedding must also be held in the Lowcountry to be considered. If you or someone you know fit into this category write us a short essay on why they should be chosen and email it to chip@tillmanbranch.com

The lucky winner will receive 8 hours of wedding coverage and a high resolution DVD of their images. You can go to our web site at www.tillmanbranch.com and visit our blog for more information and updates to the contest. Entries will be accepted from May 27, 2008 until June 22, 2008.

The winner has the option to buy any other services we provide such as an album or bridal shoot but no pressure will be given! We just want to express our thanks to all the hard working men and women out there!

Matt & Brittany

2008-05-17T21:06:00.003-04:00

I've known Matt for several years, and when he said that he was getting married, the first thing I asked was how much he was paying her to put with him...
Well, After I met Britt, I knew it was nothing like that at all!

Here are a few of the images from their E-session today!

Uh oh... I ain't seen NOTHIN!!

Brittney took this one!

2008-05-16T09:23:00.002-04:00

Careaco aka "Tweety Bird"...

We worked well into the night!!

>

And one silly one...

Careaco, It was a blast to hang out with you and Angel!!

J.R. + Danielle = PARTY!!

2008-05-11T16:11:00.004-04:00

J.R. and Danielle had a small intimate wedding on IOP...

These guys were a WHOOT to hang out with!!

And now for a few goofy shots of the day...

In the photographers world, there is an act called "chimping"...
What is "chimping"? you might ask.. Well..
Chimping is a verb. It's when a person is looking at the back of a digital camera (SLR or P&S) and making noises that simulate a chimp or a monkey. "Öhh, ohh!" "look at that shot!!"
When you see a person looking at the back of a camera, now you know what thats called!
Chimping!

Normally, I catch Chip or Mike (the other Mike...) "chimping".
Not this time... We busted on of our wedding guests chimping!!

While we were on our way out to the beach to take a few shots with the guys Mario was MIA...
But not for long.... Introducing, Mario!

I'm not chimping... I'm adjusting my flash... really...

Here's a shot of our impending doom...

Adam & Amanda

2008-05-06T22:30:00.004-04:00

We started out in my favorite coffee shop off East Bay st.

At Sunset we found ourselves watching the dolphins playing in the water...

I wish I had time to post more, we had a REALLY good time hanging out!!

Their wedding will be in 2 weeks at Cypress Gardens! It should be a blast!

Sneak peek...

2008-04-29T20:53:00.003-04:00

I got to hang out with Hugh Roles again today!
What a great baby!! He has no kisses left for his dad though.. I took `em all while Carolyn wasn't lookin!! ;-)

Cody+Emerald=FUN!!

2008-04-20T16:42:00.003-04:00

Words can't describe how much in love these two are.

We started out at the Mark Clark hall with Emerald and the girls...

Chip caught up with the Cody and the boyz at the chapel...

Cody can say he wasn't nervous... but I know better... :-)

All eyes were on the back door waiting on Emerald to walk in...

And when she did...

When we made it outside they were doing PT drills running around the circle of the campus...

I wonder as I look at this image, is Cody having flashbacks of being a "Nob"?

Most of the guys had some sort of dramatic entrance! Head banging, floor sliding or Funky dancing!! It was WAY cool!!

We also had a few seconds to go outside to get some shots of the newly married couple...

The Throws!

Chips SMOKIN ring shots!

Guys... It was a blast! Have fun in Cabo! Say hey to the Red Rocker for me!!

Suger and Spice...

2008-04-17T20:33:00.003-04:00

So.. I'm sitting in the office minding my own beezwax like my momma told me to, editing more of Ashleigh's wedding and Lauren walks in and jumps up on the co-pilot seat and watches me patiently for a few min...

.:her:. "Daddy?"
.:me:. "Yes Biddle" (thats my nickname for her... 'Biddle')
.:her:. "is her a Princess?" (She was referring to Ashleigh in her wedding dress...)
.:me:. (not really giving her much attention...) "yes mame! I'm sure she is her Daddy's Princess"
**Pause**
.:her:. Well daddy.. I'm your Princess right? Can you picture me too?"

*this is where the ton of bricks fell on my head*

.:me:. (in between my sobs...) "Sure Biddle... Anything for my princess..."

I love my Biddle... :-)

Baby Jack...

2008-04-11T20:06:00.002-04:00

Well... He's 2 weeks late... and HUGE!!
9 lbs 14 oz!!!!! 22 and a half inches long!! WOWZER!!

Here are a few of his first pictures...

Amanda and Lauren are really worried about what is happening to Jack!

17 inch shoulders!!

22 and a half inches long!!!

Gulp... 9 lbs... 14 oz!

Amanda and I CRASHED out!!

Happy Birthday Baby Jack!!

Jesse & Ashleigh... Irmo, SC's finest!!

2008-04-07T08:11:00.002-04:00

Our day started off at Vegas hair in Irmo SC...

Meanwhile... Across town...

Back at AShleigh's Mothers house... The girls are still getting goofy...

"the Mitt"...

Wow!

On our way to the church...

Father and Daughter...
T Mac (Ashleigh's dad) held it together pretty darn well!!

Jesse wrote "Love you" on his ring finger and Ashleigh didn't know about it untill she was sliding the ring on his finger...

More Rain at the reception!!

You guys have fun on the honeymoon!

Franco & Amanda

2008-03-30T15:50:00.006-04:00

Magnolia Plantation...
Words cannot describe the fun I had at this wedding!
A beautiful Bride... A handsome Groom...

The whole Gang!

The best man had me cracking up ALL night!

When it came time for him to give his speech during the toast, someone said "oh no"... He replied with a " you know you have done your job right when they say that!!"

This is Franco's Sister otherwise known as "Chicken"... Not sure if I want to comment on that one here... hehe!

Amanda's Mother gave a very emotion filled speech... I really don't think there was a dry eye in the house... I know that there wasn't one behind the camera!

More Dancing!!

This is Mike & Laura... I photographed them at the USMC ball last year... I'll be shooting his wedding in June also!

A few outside shots...

Franco was trying to remember how to do the "thriller" dance...

The guys...

Mike... Dancing...

A shot in the limo...

well... Here ya go...

2008-03-30T14:23:00.003-04:00

Just a few personal things..

Chip and I had a shoot a few weeks ago @ National Karate Studio in Summerville...
We took ALOT of shots here is one of Chipper hard at work!

A few weeks ago, I came home to the most darndest thing... A diaper cake...
Rachel makes these things for friends of her that are about to give birth.

umm... Sorry...

2008-03-19T13:43:00.004-04:00

I know that I have been behind on my blogging, there has been SOO much stuff going on here.
As most of you know Rachel is in the last stages of pregnancy with Jack, so getting ready for the birth, and getting the new site up and runnning has taken alot of our time.
To answer alot of questions we are having a home birth. (The birthing tub got delivered last week) Our midwife, Nicole is probably as wacky as I am, is going to scoot over so I catch can Jack!! Click HERE for more info on water births

So to clients, and friends alike, please pray for us as we go through this!

Gary + Lori

2008-03-09T14:25:00.005-04:00

Gary and Lori were wed at Cypress Hall... Here's a few of our favs...

ok.. Boys and girls... Can you guess who this is?

One for the wee one...

2008-03-03T21:26:00.003-05:00

Here ya go Ragan! You and Mommy!

Beauty defined....

2008-03-02T17:21:00.004-05:00

Lori... Words cannot describe the fun I had!!
Here are a few of my favs!!

Gary and Lori

2008-02-25T17:36:00.004-05:00

And now... A few goofy shots...

Gary got pelted with acorns... Yep he started it!

Charles and Deidrea (plus one!)

2008-02-10T20:20:00.000-05:00

We met with Charles and Deidra on their horse farm....