My passion for photography began when my camera-shy husband gave me my first SLR for my birthday over 20 years ago. I loved taking great photos of my children, family and friends with my new camera. I always had a creative vein in me, and photography gave me the outlet I needed to express that creativity. I quickly discovered that I had a "photographer's eye," and after a few months I decided to get serious about "taking pictures" and become a photographer. I enrolled as a student at the New York Institute of Photography to learn the skills I would need to turn my hobby into a career.
One of my goals with my portrait photography is to provide beautiful photos to my clients at an affordable price. Also, by keeping my prices low, I get to do more of what I love -- take pictures.
For weddings, I use a combination of traditional and photo journalistic style of photography. In other words, capturing the moments as they happen. Whenever possible I like to move around the wedding party getting great candid shots of the ceremony. This gives the bride a groom a well-balanced collection of memories of their special day. I take pride in my ability to document the subtle moments of your day while allowing you the freedom to celebrate with family and friends.
For portraits, I prefer photographing outdoors using natural lighting, but I also offer full studio services. As in my wedding photography, I like to take a combination of posed shots and those priceless candid shots. My goal is to create a portrait collection that expresses the special uniqueness of each client. Ask about our in-home services which can be especially beneficial for newborn sessions. We will bring the studio to you!
Another service I offer is portraits for groups such as schools, fraternities, churches, sports teams and other organizations. In addition to special portrait packages, I can create a composite with everyone's individual photo and name, or in the case of large organizations such as churches, I would develop a directory book that includes all individuals/families photographed. These services can even be used as a fundraiser for your group or organization.
When I'm not busy with portrait sessions morning and evenings, it's hard to resist chasing sunrises and sunsets. I recently added the SC Coastal area as my second home, so I've found myself yearning for a return to my first love: nature photography. South Carolina is so photographic, and it's been fun rediscovering my photographic origins. Be sure to browse through my many landscape and wildlife photographs, all of which are available for purchase in a variety of fine art print sizes, framed or unframed, in a variety of mediums. For use in advertising, please contact me directly using the "Contact Us" button below.
Not long ago I started back doing art. As a young child, I learned to do ceramics with my daddy and then helped him in the many shops my parents ran during my childhood. I taught myself how to knit, crochet, and other types of needle work. When tee shirt decorating became popular, I had to have every color of paint and other supplies and painted and sole many shirts. I even tried my hand at cake decorating and baked and decorated many for friends and family. I even did a few wedding cakes. Then in 2000, I changed careers and became a court reporter, and everything changed. It is a all-consuming profession and tends to leave little time for anything but the job. In 2016 I'd had enough and retired from full-time work and now do freelance court reporting work. Suddenly I time to get back to creating and am loving all the new mediums I'm exploring. Be sure to check out my art work in the store section of this site and follow me on Instagram @reneesartanddesign and @reneetollison and @photography_by_renee.
I hope you enjoy browsing through some of my favorite photos on my web site and will include me in your wedding or event plans or call me to book a portrait session. When you're ready, use the Contact form to request more information and/or pricing.
