Holly Graciano Photography

Watch me grow!

holly — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 04:02:20 +0000

So, it’s already been 6 months since my little muffin was born… it makes me emotional to even say that out loud. So much has happened since his birth and yet it feels like it was last week. He is such a joy and so completely happy most of the time. His crooked, little smile is infectious, he spends most days squealing at the TOP of his lungs, and he is oh, so ticklish. We have daily fits of hysterical laughter and I LOVE it. Everywhere we go I hear, “Oh, he’s a big boy!” Which is true. He’s also as solid as a rock and strong, I tell ya. I love to daydream about how these physicalities will manifest themselves in his activities and interests as he gets older.

Since life with two kiddos is so much more busy than I ever imagined, I haven’t gotten to tackle Gavin’s photos the way I could with Estella when she was younger. So please forgive me for the amount of photographs in this blog post! Here is my little man over the past six months….

Laura + Matt: Wedding {Columbia SC wedding photographer}

holly — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:21:58 +0000

What do you get when you combine an amazingly creative and stylish bride, a couple who is head over heels in love, and a beautiful venue on New Year’s Eve? You get the wedding of the year! Seriously. I was so blown away by how Robin Cannon (wedding planner extraordinaire) took Laura’s vision and transformed 701 Whaley into the most beautiful and magical space. Talk about a WOW factor!

I have had the pleasure of working with Laura and Matt for the past year and a half as they planned their big day, and during these many months, I have become so very fond of my new friends. They are so warm, sweet, fun, and TOTALLY hilarious (ahem, Randall)… just an incredible couple who radiate love to everyone around them. They always trusted me, which as a photographer, is the greatest gift from your clients and helps me to do my best work.

Laura and Matt, I love you two, and am so honored that you chose me to share your day with. I wish you ALL the best and hope that we always keep in touch! You know you’ve always got a sushi date if you need one.

Ceremony: Whaley Street United Methodist Church

Reception: 701 Whaley

Event Coordinator: Robin Cannon

DJ: Dave Gilbert with Partytime DJ’s

Caterer: Capital City Catering

Florist: American Floral

Lighting and Draping: Ambient Media

Cake: Parties To Go

Bridal gown: Bella Vista Bridal

Bridesmaid dresses: Nordstrom’s

Shoes: Badgley Michska

Chandelier: Gallery 802

Laura: Bridal {Hunting Island & Old Sheldon Church Ruins}

holly — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:21:46 +0000

Working with Laura has been the greatest experience and now that she is finally Mrs. Power, I can share her breathtaking bridal portraits. This session is easily one of my all time favorites! I am in LOVE with the locations we found and her dress.

Reagan: Four Months Old

holly — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:38:09 +0000

Reagan’s momma Laura and I were both pregnant at the same time and our little ones are exactly two weeks apart. I knew I would be smitten with baby Reagan before I even met her. Boy, was I right! She is so beautiful and one of the happiest babies I’ve ever seen. We had her out in the cold (only for a few minutes) and changed her outfits countless times… never once did she fuss or cry. She is such a doll and I consider myself pretty lucky that I get to do two more sessions with her and her sweet family by the time she is one.

I’m also pretty smitten with her pink and cream, oh-so-girlie nursery! You can tell that Laura had a lot of fun designing and decorating it. She even made all of Reagan’s crib bedding, her name plate above the closet, and added sweet little ribbons to all of the picture frames. And the super cute pearl tree is actually a nightlight!

I loved hanging out with y’all and can’t wait to see you again soon!

Lauren + James: Engagement

holly — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 22:15:17 +0000

I loved hanging out with Lauren and James in Chapin for their session. We had such a fun and relaxed time and had the most beautiful light!

Katelyn: Bridal Portrait

holly — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:30:43 +0000

I am so in love with this amazing location! Katelyn and I spent the afternoon at Charles Towne Landing for her portraits, just in time to see the sweetgrass blooming a beautiful shade of pink.

And now we are 4

holly — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 17:50:40 +0000

It is so incredibly important to me to make meaningful photographs. Not pretty ones that show everyone looking perfectly styled… I’m talking about REAL, “this is your life at this moment” photos. Like the ones where you’ve just had a baby, none of your clothes fit, you still feel like your body is not your own kinda real.

That is why I called my friend Jonathan Goley to document my new family, our tribe of four, just three weeks after baby Gavin entered our lives.

The uber-talented Jonathan makes very different art than I do; he focuses on wet-plate collodion processes with a fine art appeal…. For those of you not familiar with that, it is how photographs were made in the 1850′s and requires a portable darkroom and lots of chemicals. For this session, however, he used my camera to capture some of the most beautifully real and intimate moments of my family. I am forever indebted to you, my friend, and will cherish these always. You rock and we love you.

Hostetler Family

holly — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 19:52:12 +0000

Marna and I have several mutual friends, so I was delighted when she asked me to do a family session for them! Little Casey is just the cutest and so full of energy!

Melynda + John: The Wedding

holly — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:09:45 +0000

I really enjoyed getting to know this couple, their families, and friends! Melynda and I met almost a year ago to discuss her plans for their fall wedding. The color palette turned out beautiful, the weather was perfect, the venue was magnificent, and a good time was had by all! The ceremony was held at Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church in Lexington, followed by a reception at the Palmetto Collegiate Institute.

Jacob + Family

holly — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:17:16 +0000

This is the second time in a year that I’ve had the honor of photographing baby Jacob (who has turned one since this session so he’s now a big boy!). I love being able to follow my clients as they grow up- especially this one with his super sweet personality. You can see our first session here, when he was only a month old.