Chugach Peaks Photography

Hanging and Flying Around Charleston, SC

Joe Connolly — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:00:02 +0000

Coming down to Charleston was a real treat this past week – got to see former Chugach Peaks’er and good friend Philip (P-Diddy) Casey, shoot a few weddings, and do some flying. Also managed to squeeze in 4 Jimmy John’s sandwiches. Check the blog below for some of the wedding images. Today we did about 4.5 hours of flying – taking off near Charleston at Mt. Pleasant Regional Airport and doing a stop in Hilton Head, before continuing down to St. Simons, Georgia, a small island near the Florida border. Philip is currently a student pilot and working on his private pilot’s license, and with about 20 hours of time right now he is really coming along and becoming a good pilot. He wanted to work on some radio communications and navigation so I offered to go up and fly the plane while he practiced his radio calls, bouncing from controller to controller through 6 different areas. It was a lot of fun and a good learning experience! When we got to St. Simons, we were extremely hot and sweaty (air temperature was 90 degrees.. Density Altitude was 2000ft even though we were at sea level!), so we hopped in a cab that had just dropped some other pilots off, and got dropped off at a Southern BBQ restaurant right by the beach. Then we changed into our swimsuits and dropped our bags with a nice couple who watched our stuff while we swam. After cooling off and getting very refreshed, they offered to drive us back to the plane. Very nice people! We stopped in Reidsville, GA to fuel up for the return trip and noticed a big commotion in the parking area.. Lots of people standing around. After some investigation we found out a 16 year old named Chance was about to do his first solo! He had just turned 16 a few weeks prior and is now on his way to becoming a private pilot. It was a lot of fun to be part of that, after just randomly stopping in at this small-town-America airport, one of hundreds just like it scattered around the country. General Aviation really is a big part of this country and most people don’t realize how important it is for local economies and average hard-working folks that keep them relevant. General Aviation is not just fancy Gulf Streams and jet-set execs flying around the world.. This kid is the local Sheriff’s son and has a passion for aviation and a supporting family. Beautiful to see! What a good day..

Anchorage Wedding: Meagan & Matt at the Hilltop Ski Chalet

Josh Martinez — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 07:45:20 +0000

On Saturday, Josh was at the Hilltop Ski Chalet in Anchorage for Meagan and Matt’s wedding. Josh will be adding some text very soon, but in the meantime… here are some photos!

Destination Wedding: Stacy & Dustin in Isle of Palms, South Carolina

Joe Connolly — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 04:26:26 +0000

On Saturday I had the privilege of shooting with Mr. Philip Casey of Studio1250. For those of you who don’t know, Philip used to shoot for the Peak’s before moving to Charleston, SC. It was fun to be the second shooter tonight and get to play behind the scenes a little and not be responsible for all the “required” shots – like family formals and things of that nature. Stacy & Dustin were married at the Wild Dunes Resort, a really nice place that was right on the beach. The day started off at about 90 degrees, but being on the ocean with a light breeze was very pleasant. They had a good crew of wedding party and family in attendance and were truly appreciative of the work Philip and I did – something we don’t always hear but makes the job very rewarding when we do hear it. Here’s the goods..!

Destination Wedding: Emily & Jared in Charleston, South Carolina

Joe Connolly — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 07:43:04 +0000

On Friday I was down in Charleston, South Carolina for Emily & Jared’s wedding at the beautiful Legare Waring House. Visiting the south in April is awesome because the weather is so nice and the flowers are blooming and everything is so alive. Former Chugach Peaks’er Philip Casey setup shop down in Charleston as Studio1250 and booked me the wedding. Emily and Jared were married under the Avenue of Oaks, which is probably the coolest grove of trees I’ve ever photographed. Everything went perfect, we got to explore some beautiful spots, and the sunset was amazing. Their band rocked the house and kept everyone on the dance floor all night. It was a ton of fun and great experience. I could go on and on but I like to let the photos do the explaining, so check it out…

Glen Alps Engagement Sessions

Joe Connolly — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 07:44:22 +0000

Last week we had a few days of nasty weather, and coincidentally, a few engagement sessions all scheduled during that bad weather. No one likes getting their picture taken when it’s blowing 60mph and snowing sideways with no visibility, so all the shoots were postponed. Fortunately, we had a beautiful and warm week that followed, and we managed to get everyone’s shoot in during the good weather window. Glen Alps is obviously one of our favorite places to shoot, and I am always amazed at how many different things you can do there. Every shoot I am able to find new angles and new ideas to keep things looking different and fresh. Also, different colors and personalities allow for a wide variety of images which is what makes what we do so fun! Here’s a select few images from the past 3 shoots we did..

Anchorage Wedding: Holly & Brandon at Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church and Kincaid Park

Joe Connolly — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:37:53 +0000

On Saturday Graham and I were at Christ Our Savior Lutheran church followed by a reception at the Kincaid Park Chalet in Anchorage for Holly and Brandon’s wedding. Holly and her Bridesmaids are all nurses, so they brought their stethoscopes for a few pictures. It was a beautiful sunny day and we were able to take a lot of photos outside without freezing. At the end of the day, Holly and Brandon departed the reception site on a sled. I don’t know if anyone saw them after that though, because they kept going towards the inlet. Hopefully everything worked out okay for those guys..

Girdwood Wedding: Renee & Jesse at Raven Glacier Lodge

Joe Connolly — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 07:42:14 +0000

On Friday I was in Girdwood for Renee & Jesse’s beautiful winter wedding at Raven Glacier Lodge. There was a beautiful light snowfall throughout the ceremony and during our outdoor photos, which was really cool because it added a nice winter touch. Renee and Jesse had their closest family and friends in attendance, which kept it really intimate and small. Cathy did a great job (as always) of preparing a feast for all the guests, and their first dance was held in front of a warm fire.

Girdwood Wedding: Jamie & Patrick at Our Lady of the Snows and Alyeska Resort

Joe Connolly — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 07:19:54 +0000

On Saturday I was at Our Lady of the Snows Chapel and the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood for Jamie and Patrick’s wedding. These guys were all smiles, all day, so it made it pretty easy to capture good moments and fun times. Before the ceremony I hung out with the bridesmaids and groomsmen while they got ready, then we did a trip to the top of the mountain and had some great blue skies to work with. It was a bit of de-ja-vu for me – exactly 5 years to the day, March 17 2007, I was at Alyeska for Katie and Clint’s wedding and the weather was exactly the same; Relatively warm, and bluebird.. After the top of the mountain session we headed to the Chapel for the ceremony and family pics, then back to the hotel for the reception. It was a great day and we got a lot of fun photos!

Glen Alps Engagement: Becky & Russel

Josh Martinez — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 07:21:58 +0000

Here is an engagement shoot Josh did at Glen Alps for Becky & Russel… I don’t know much about it, but Josh will fill us in soon with some text!

Anchorage Wedding: Stephanie & Edward at the Anchorage Hilton

Chris Beck — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 07:22:29 +0000

A winter wedding in Alaska can be a magical time. Sometimes we forgetwhat an incredible sunset can cast amazing colors over a snow filled canvas of white. For Stephanie and Edwards wedding there was one shot she wanted more then anything. Weeks before the event she told me she wants a shot of her and her husband with the sunset in the background. Nothing else mattered to the bride except this shot. Alright, I told Stephanie, you make a great sunset, and I will take a great picture. They had a beautiful ceremony at the Top of the World in the Hilton, with a wonderful group of family and friends. Congrats Stephanie and Edward, you brought the beautiful sunset, and as promised, here are the pictures!