mdp blog » MD

We are ‘the Daniels’

MD — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:31:43 +0000

If you’re a parent, you understand the mix of emotions that comes with watching your child grow. We have been so sad to watch Lucy Hayes come out of her newborn phase a little more each day. We want so badly to hold onto her innocence and that sweet sleepiness. But all at the same time, we couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come! We’re excited to watch her grow. We can’t wait to have her smile at us and see how she interacts with Eli. Watching our children grow comes with growing pains, yet each new phase is just so darn exciting! For Jenna, it always brings out the “happy cry.” That’s where we find ourselves today with our business. Doing the “happy cry.”

For the past few years we’ve been “matt daniel photography”. Through MDP we could tell you story after story of the amazing folks we’ve met and the fun adventures we’ve had. But throughout the past year or more, we’ve felt a shift coming … a shift away from MDP and towards something different, something more us. As we started the journey of redefining who we are as photographers, we noticed that our clients were naturally doing the same thing. After all, we put so much into what we do; we put ourselves.

We’re a family. We’re photographers. We are the Daniels.

So today is somewhat bittersweet. Today is the day we transition from MDP to the Daniels and we’re so excited to start this journey as well as have you come along with us!

Come visit us at LovetheDaniels.com!

M + J

She’s here!

MD — Fri, 27 May 2011 18:01:48 +0000

This morning at 2:13 AM, our little girl arrived!

More details and more great stuff later, but know everything went perfectly! So let me introduce…

Dada, work.

MD — Tue, 17 May 2011 02:06:35 +0000

A few weeks ago we bought an iPad2 and have loved it! There have been so many things that we’ve enjoyed about it; so many unexpected things!

There are quite a few days that Eli runs into our office, jumps in my lap, and says “Dada, work.” I often wonder if that’s a statement – him telling me or Jenna that I’m working. Or if it’s a question – asking me if he can help work. Regardless, I always want him there and would love for him to sit with me, but after he smashes the keyboard one time too many, he has to get down. However, we might have found a solution!

I was working tonight when Eli came running in. I had just added Toy Story to the iPad and asked him if he wanted to watch it. We sat there until his bed time … me working, and E watching his movie. Made my night! :)

Much love to my beautiful wife for snapping these shots of her boys!

Strawberry Picking

MD — Sat, 14 May 2011 19:44:03 +0000

Well, as you may have guessed, no baby yet. Her due date was yesterday, but she’s hanging in there! Both of us expected her to be here by now, but we’re finding the unanticipated downtime and family time to be so special and so peaceful. Yesterday was Jenna’s birthday and Eli and I spent the day spoiling her and just had a blast being a family. Today, we went strawberry picking at Ambrose Family Farms with some good friends and had a blast! So while we’re so excited for her to come, we’re taking advantage of every last minute we have as a family of three!

We brought home about 6 pounds of strawberries today and they taste phenomenal! Eli was more interested in playing in the dirt, but it was fine … it made for some fun pictures! :)

Counting down!

MD — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 11:26:17 +0000

Well, we’re just about at the two week mark before our little girl is due. And as Eli says, we’re ‘cited!

We’ve been a little quiet on the blog recently – we’re working hard to get some things done before our girl gets here. But stay tuned, as we have some amazing events to share soon!

It’s going to be an exciting next few weeks. We’re looking forward to sharing!

M + J

PS – This shot of Eli was taken last weekend. He’s growing up so fast and is going to be an awesome big brother!

Dan & Erin [Charleston Maternity]

MD — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:20:20 +0000

Dan and Erin are adventurers who love to be outside, run races, rock climb, and more! In a couple of months, they starting a whole new adventure – loving on and raising a little girl!

We had so much fun enjoying the sunset at Folly Beach and capturing this time in their lives. There are several photos of them on the rocks that I think perfectly reflect who they are and where they’re headed. I’m looking forward to seeing future photos of the three of them and seeing what new adventures they go on!

LoveGave | Paint

MD — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:13:09 +0000

Last December I was blessed to be a part of LoveGave | Bikes! We raised almost 400 bikes to give to kids for Christmas – it was awesome! And now, the LoveGave movement is at it again with LoveGave | Paint …

During the week of April 15 – April 23, we’re entering into Mary Ford Elementary School during their spring break and giving it a face lift by putting a fresh coat of paint on the walls. It’s going to be an unbelievable week! I’m pumped to help the school, see how this rallies the community, and all the other opportunities that I cannot even begin to imagine. Help us! It’s going to be awesome!

Chuck + Brittany Lee [Charleston Engagement]

MD — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:55:55 +0000

My time with Chuck and Brittany Lee was awesome! I loved it! By the end of the night we had covered all sorts of territory, including the Tokyo Crepes street side cafe (cafe?) on Folly! That was probably the highlight of the night! I’ve always passed it on my way to/from Folly but have never stopped. When Chuck and Brittany Lee said they were up for trying it, I was pumped!

Chuck and Brittany Lee, thanks for goofing off with me and for being so fun! JD and I are excited for August!!

To My Boots…

MD — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 09:33:05 +0000

[ Preface: This might seem a little strange, but this post is a little tribute to the amazing REI boots that have been everywhere with me! And in our house, whenever we get sentimental about something we know we can't keep, we take pictures to capture the memory! ]

I bought these boots a long, long time ago from REI – one of my favorite stores growing up! And these boots were awesome - super comfortable, weather and water proof, and able to endure any kind of beating I threw at them. They traveled all around Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, spent an extended period of time in Colorado, went on countless adventures around Clemson, and even hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro. And through it all, they rocked! I have so many fun memories and have had some crazy adventures with these boots. But, while in Colorado a couple of weeks ago, they finally had had enough. It was sad, but I’d say that if I wore them until the soles came off, then they lived a good life.

Breckenridge, Coloardo

MD — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 10:18:09 +0000

Colorado has always held a special place in my heart. The mountains, the sense of adventure, the humble feeling you get when standing on top of a mountain, the general activeness of the people … I love it! And a couple weeks ago I spent several days in Breckenridge, Colorado with my old roommates from Clemson. The weather was perfect, the skiing was a blast, and we couldn’t have had more fun!

Kevin, Lex, and Gill … it’s always an adventure! Love you guys more than you know!