James Beard Foundation Nominated Cookbook: “Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking”

We are so excited about Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking.  It has won the James Beard Foundation award!!!! It was written By Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart and Photographed by our own Rick McKee. Congratulations Ladies! We could not be more excited for you.

Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking was a labor of love for Nathalie and Cynthia, literally years in the making. It not only embodies the art of southern cooking and highlights the culinary style of the region but it really brings home the essence of a real southern kitchen. Photographed with minimalism, the imagery illustrates technique, finished dishes and brings to life over hundreds of recipes.

It was awesome working with two eccentric, experienced chefs and writers. Everyday Rick was able to learn something new from these ladies. They themselves are masters of their craft. They are one of a kind and only this combination of persons could have taken on and completed the huge undertaking that this book was. Thank you ladies for allowing us to be part of this journey. Congrats again!!!

Rick and Tara

Other titles that Rick has to his name are Magnolias, Cypress, Southern Farmers Market Cookbook, Putting Up, Putting Up More, Grandure Preserved, Southern Biscuits and Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking. For Ricks resume please see our about page.

Nathalie Dupree makes a biscuit from Sea Turtle Production/Rick McKee on Vimeo.

James Beard Foundation Nominated Cookbook: “Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking”

 Well we are so excited to announce that the Southern Bible of cooking that Rick McKee photographed is a James Beard Foundation Nominee. The work is the brain child of Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart.  It has a forward by none other than Pat Conroy! 

You can check out the interview with Nathalie Dupree at the James Beard Foundation.

We will keep you posted but awards come out in May! It’s a great book with beautiful imagery and a must have for any cook.

Rutledge Cab Co. Charleston SC. Robert Carter in white. Brian Lindsay to the left.

Rick had the pleasure of photographing one of the most anticipated restaurants of the year. Robert Carter’s Rutledge Cab Co is located at 1300 Rutledge Ave in Charleston, SC. It has been a longtime coming with the opening date extended.  It is set to open Tuesday January 22, 2013. Robert Carter is excited to open a place that will turn the culinary environment of Charleston on its head. Finally the deliciousness of fine dining and cuisine that only Robert can provide for prices that are pleasing to any budget!

Rutledge Cab Co. sign, Charleston SC

Rutledge Cab Co. Charleston SC Reclaimed lighting

Rutledge Cab Co. Charleston SC interior

Rutledge Cab Co. Charleston SC interior

Charleston City Paper is calling the restaurant unpretentious. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the location is on  out outskirts of town in what some would call “da’ hood.” But the reality is that while it has an uptown address it has an awesome theme. Yes, in a renovated gas station and former Dee’s Liquor Stop the decor is  retro-modern. They have utilized many reclaimed items like barn siding wood panels, vintage farm equipment turned functional, dramatic light fixtures and vintage, americana signage. The layout is designed to take advantage of the beautiful Charleston environment. A large portion of the seating is located under the covered climate controlled patio which is open to the bar. These pass throughs bring the outdoors inn. The decor also features the talents of many local southern artists. Some handcrafted objects include bar stools, light fixtures and bar.

Rutledge Cab Co. Charleston SC. “Welcome Back Carter” coctail

Rutledge Cab Co. Charleston SC. Southern Charcuterie Plate

Rutledge Cab Co. Charleston SC. Beef Tartar

Rutledge Cab Co. Charleston SC. Sweetbreads

Rutledge Cab Co. Charleston SC. French Onion Soup

Executive Chef Brian Lindsay, formally of the Old Village Post House,  works closely with Robert Carter who designed the menu and concept. Dishes include; fried sweetbreads, southern charcuterie plate, beef tartar served with crispy fries and french onion soup. The southern charcuterie plate features non-other than a fried bologna. The beef tartar has the perfect hint of citrus and the classic french onion soup the perfect about of rye crouton. While these dishes are simple classics to a point they have the orgasmic touch that only Robert Carter can give to any plate of food.

Rutledge Cab Co. Charleston SC. -Making flatbread

In full disclosure Robert Carter has been a good friend of ours for years but our little review is not biased. We have been fans of his talents for years prior to our friendship and we are so excited that his second venture (the other Carter’s Kitchen) is finally here.

Want to see more pictures of Bob’s new joint? Check us out on Facebook! Like us while you are there.

Proposing is a personal thing.  Some want to bend a knee in front of a stadium full of strangers, some in a romantic restaurant and others prefer a quiet secluded location.  All are great if done for the right reason, your future bride.  Only you know what she likes and dreams.  Make her dream a reality and then add in a twist to make it special for both of you!

I think it is great when you can make at least some of the proposal a surprise.  I loved how Josh surprised his future bride.  Josh planned a romantic weekend getaway to Charleston right before the Holidays.  He planned romantic dinners.  Romantic activities.  Not what you are thinking… Charleston is filled with picturesque cobble stoned street, historic churches, art galleries, museums,  you get the idea.

Josh also preplanned when and where he would ask his girlfriend to marry.  Knowing the Holidays were just around the corner, he wanted to surprise her all over again in just a couple of weeks, so he called Charleston Photographer to capture the well planned event, capture her expressions and also do it without her knowing…  A tough feat based on the location.  We hatched a plan to explain why a photographer would be at the same location and at the same time.  Simple.  We staged a family portrait photography session!

Out of the corner of my eye I kept watch for the telltale bending of the knee, sneaking a few photos when she wasn’t looking.  Once Josh paused and turned to her, she knew instantly.  I played the happy stranger wanting to congratulate the excited couple and even offered to take a pic with their iPhone as well as my professional camera and even wrote down her email with a promise to send her the photograph.

Our plan worked!  Josh ordered a couple of prints to be framed.  He wrapped them and then placed them under the tree.

Christmas morning Josh’s fiancé opened her long planned surprise!

Well done Josh.

Proposal and engagement photography in Charleston SC, water front park.

Samantha and Todd married on the family farm.  Todd spent his summers and every Holiday working and playing on his Aunt’s Arabian horse farm that has been passed down, from generation to generation. Samantha grew up over the pond in France.  For Samantha, it was love at first sight.  Both for Todd and the farm!

Planning a wedding in the country, 100 mile from home had its challenges but the rewards were great.  Catering, wedding cake tasting, tent rentals, and music all had to be booked.  Countless trips to a small near by town as well as meeting vendors in their home town of Charleston was required in order to check items off the list.  Hotels were blocked off for  out of town guests (nearly everybody), maps were created to ensure the same guests could arrive on time and the photographer was secured.

Samantha really wanted to have her bridal portrait made in beautiful Charleston.  We started in White Point gardens, know to visitors as Battery park, and set up on the band stand.  A light drizzle hampered our timing a little but soon cleared.  Umbrellas and a white sheet helped to protect her stunning dress.

Next on our list was the beach.  Keeping the dress clean is not so easy in sand but the effort is worth it.  Samantha’s dress was ready to go with just a little touch up along the bottom…  Beach bridal portraits are fun, challenging and produce stunning photographs.  I love large panoramic photographs!

Samantha dressed and prepared in the main house while Todd and the groomsmen took over the “little barn”.  Almost on cue the girls popped the champagne corks at the same moment to boys cracked the tops on a round of beer. We started with Todd and his groomsmen. Storytelling images of good ole American guys.  Rough housing around the way only close friends tease.  Fumbling with cuff links and rented tuxedo vests.  Last minute shoe polishes and last minute rounds of pool.  The girls continued with champagne and hairstylists and exploding suitcases and laughter and tears and hugs.

Samantha walked down the aisle with her father in the front lawn of the 100 year old home.  Todd stood next to his father waiting.  Nerves, excitement, anticipation.  Todd’s father was there to give his advice earlier as well.  The small ceremony was perfectly timed.  Samantha and Todd chose to have a receiving line and greeted each and every guest.  Off to take bridal party portraits and family portraits and then the party began.  Under a large tent in the side yard, Samantha and Todd danced their first dance while the DJ’s bubble machine surrounded the dance floor.  The night continued with a special song performed by the groom and then a LOT of karaoke.

We staged a send off photo earlier so the party could go on and on…

Today our Sully turned three months. Time really just does fly by. Soon Sully will be walking and talking. In case you all were wondering, she is not sitting up on her own just yet. She is not a wonder child and even though every parent thinks their  kid is a genius, I think that she is just a regular kid. While she is tall and lean I really like how she looks a little chunky in this particular photo. Also her hair is a mess. Like she has been working in the kitchen. In truth her hair is always this way, she has a giant cowlick on the back of her head and her hair is too short to weight it down.

Baby and newborn photography is so amazing . You can have so much fun in ways that you can’t have with adults. And the innocence just beams through.  Additionally all babies have special qualities even if they are not so symmetrical. As a neonatal ICU nurse I see many babies that are not the most beautiful but they are all cute in one way or another. A great photographer can take these imperfections and make them beautiful to everyone. It is for this reason that we usually donate “Babies first Christmas” photos to those babies that are at MUSC’s Neonatal ICU. As a NICU nurse I recognize every day that life is precious and in some cases too short. It is for this reason that I encourage people to take the extra time and capture fun poses as well as the candid moments.

In an effort to help people feel more comfortable capturing these moments, Rick is offering private classes for parents. Photographs of life are not only a documentation of life but also windows into the heart and sole of the subjects. They don’t always turn out the way the we envision them but they are always real treasured in the end.

Rick charges a reasonable price of $50 dollars an hour per person at this time with a minium of 2 hours. Group rates are available. During this time he teaches parents how to use their specific camera. Because some of these moments are only once in a lifetime, snap shots aren’t just snap shots. ng.

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook by clicking here, so you can receive our Facebook offers!

What does this mean for the small business mother!! Well did you know that according to Facebook that small business people spend a minimum of 6 hours on social media a week. I’m sure that this does not include the addicting boards of Pinterest.

Well as the mother of an 11 year old, 2 year old and a 3 month old I can barely keep up with the demands of society and this new social media. While I am sure that this post says posted by Rick let me assure you it is only because of the automatic login to the blog and it is currently written at yes 0030 in the morning on tuesday. Today Sully has just turned 3 months, she is sitting on the breast while I am typing this one handed because she is having pacifier boobie. If only I had a third hand so that I could sip my glass of wine, that I really bought for cooking but must savor due to my  2 glass limit per week since I am breastfeeding.  Why breastfeeding? Because 1. it is the right thing to do  according to the World Health Organization and 2. while I breastfed the other 2 for a year,  would feel awful if I did not make the best attempt this time. All this while holding down a full-time job as a neonatal intensive care nurse and running this photography business part-time. Keep in mind though all the girly graphics on this site did not come from Rick. He is a boy and while he tries well…he is a boy and ladies you know why we are called the better half.

Social media though also relies on organic internet ranking. What is organic ranking? Let me enlighten you. Organic ranking are those websites that show up under the sponsored ones. These are those that have the right key words and content. Yes content for a blog at this time is at least 400 words with correct grammar then it must have a great picture so that people will want to pin it and share or like it for Facebook. Why must they like it and pin it. Well all these link back to the site and help with the organic ranking that means so much to every business. This is free advertising as apposed to pay per click, which is very expensive and in some cases as a waste of resources since any Joe will click on it costing the business money. Since it is priced per key word it can be pricey even over a few dollars per click. Thus if you appreciate my openness and I mean boob and all please like and pin it! :>) Last please don’t lessen the effect of social media likes. If everyone else likes it so must you!!! This is called online peer pressure-as if we don’t already have enough of face-to-face peer pressure!

No but really these are the things that small businesses face. The small business mother in general. Because while my kids are young and sleeping, I wonder how I made it today after going to bed a 4am. I’m trying to complete our rebranding after the economy has really only produced more small business people who are finding themselves new to social media. In addition telling people to turn their hobby into their business. I’m sure if you go to your Facebook page you will see some ad that says become a something online.  Most likely it will say turn your photography hobby into  a business and attend photography school online while your kids are sleeping at night. Thank God I still know how to shoot film and I recommend everyone to go into a field that is more reliable like well…..nursing. Which reminds me we are still shooting medium format!!! I miss the old days where you were in the darkroom and had to wait for developer to turn your paper into a wonderful image.

Social media though is here to stay… it will change and grow like my kids. And when I am in the house spending 12 hours a week on social media they will be practicing their pyrotechnics.

We are offering this to any senior who likes our Facebook page at

www.facebook.com/charlestonphotographer  a chance to win this contest. They need to post on our wall why they deserve one of the free portrait sessions. Once we reach 500 likes we will give away 2 free sessions. At 800 likes we will give away 4 free portrait sessions and at 1000 likes we will give away 5 free portrait sessions. Once we receive all the likes and requests we will post 10 for people to vote on. We will close this either way by December 17, 2012.

The portrait session will include 90 minutes of professional photographer Rick McKee’s sitting time at multiple locations in the Charleston, SC area. This includes as many outfit changes that the student wants as we charge by time not locations or scene changes. Student is responsible for their own hair and makeup (we suggest that a friend or a parent is available to help with touch ups). Since we charge (and this offer) is based on time we do not count images. Average senior sessions range from 75-100 finished images. In order to ensure that this is truly a  free portrait session we are including full resolution digital files with a copyright release for reprinting. In addition seniors are free to repost them on their social media… we just ask for a credit to our website www.charlestonphotographer.com  Images will also be available for purchase through our professional lab. This is great for family from off.

An offer for everyone available until December 24, 2012

For those of you that do not win we are offering our senior services to everyone at a 50% discount. The normal rate is $350 per portrait seating. This is a 90 min time frame, multiple locations, multiple outfit changes. In addition we are including in this deal a disk of full resolution images with a copyright release for reprinting. This  is a great deal for $175 considering that the average reprint order for senior portraits is over $400. Images will also be available for purchase through our professional lab.

If you have any questions about this we request that you send us an email or contact us through Facebook.

 Thanks so much & Good Luck!

Rick McKee & Tara Lowry

 Don’t forget to go like the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/charlestonphotographer 

Just liking this post is not enough! Thanks Again!

While I am the last to admit it, no person is perfect. I know it is a huge blow to some of us, me included. That being said anyone involved in the planning process is going to have to let go of some control. No one can be everywhere all the time. For some people it is easy, for others…it is a nightmare. Make some lists before you even pick up the phone. Sit down with some close friends and family for help with this one. Make lists of what your planning strengths and weaknesses. Ask your friends what they think about your lists and be prepared to cross some things off and put them on the other list. Don’t concentrate on which one is longer. This process is going to help you decide what you need to delegate for your own bridal sanity.

During the planning process a bride is bound to have friends and family who want to get involved. Some of them will feel entitled especially if they are financially bound to the event. Today there are no rules to a wedding, especially for young couples who are getting help from both sets of parents. I have noticed so many different funding situations that have emotional impact over the years. I have brides that pay for their entire wedding themselves, others who have some parental help from both sides, some have extended family financial funding and more along the more traditional line of the brides family funding the wedding. With financial funding come opinions and lots of suggestions. Suggestions can be a good thing, remember most of these people have been through this before and with experience comes wisdom. Most likely their style is not your style and addressing that in a polite response so not to offend anyone is tough-especially if it is your mother.