Photo of the Month | Joseph Sanders - Palmetto Bella Magazine

Photo of the Month: Joseph Sanders

My journey in portrait photography came in stages that were out of order from what one would typically think. Most of the time, someone will start with taking photos of family and friends, slowly learn the mechanics of the camera, and eventually master the editing techniques needed to produce professional looking headshots. For me, it was quite the opposite.

Starting my freshman year at Williston-Elko High School, I began to explore the world of Adobe Photoshop in my computer graphics class. I liked it so much that I took that same class twice over my four years there just for fun. Once I moved to my new home at the University of South Carolina, I took a photography class on a whim and quickly became enthralled in the mechanics of DSLR photography. After many times of going out and taking pictures of bugs, leaves, water, and other natural environments, I realized what was missing for me was human interaction. I began seeking out friends, family, and models to take pictures of, and I instantly fell in love with the art of portraits.

Fast forward to last fall. I had come home to visit my family one weekend and heard that my little brother, Tre’ Sanders, had missed his 4th grade school pictures. Obviously he was upset, so in order to cheer him up, I took him out to Lemon Park in Barnwell, South Carolina to make sure his growth that year was well documented. Little did I know he was such a photogenic young man!

Photo of the Month | Joseph Sanders | Palmetto Bella

Brooks Brown | Photo Of The Month

A note from Brooks Brown: My goal in retiring here was to spend my full time dedicated to creating art in and around Aiken, to be with horses either with the Great Oak Theraputic Riding Center or on the sides of the road, and to put my artographs in the Aiken Center for the Arts exhibits. I like being surrounded by horses, equestrian eventing, and polo riders that afford me the opportunity to use my iPhone to capture their beauty wherever I see them. I love being in the moment where it’s me, my iPhone in hand, with a horse, or nature, gardens or flowers or rolling hills on country

Once Upon a Time Book Club

Editor’s Note: The answers to the questions below were written by 11-year-old Liyla without any help from an adult. What is the book this month? The book The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige took me on an adventure like no other. This Book Club is outstanding. It sends you a box with a book and 4 gifts. The gifts go along with the book. The Ravens is a story about sorority girls who are actually witches. Not the green and old warty kind. The girls are divided into 4 groups: water, earth, air, and fire. Vivian and Scarlett are the main characters and are trying to find out

Love Is All That Matters

Our love stories are a testimony to the best part of our lives. My first boyfriend was in my kindergarten class. He came to my house one day and we sat in the garage on a stack of newspapers that were waiting to be recycled. He said, “Let’s kiss on the count of three.” I puckered up and never forgot the thrill of that first kiss. My dad told me that he had kissed 50 women before our mother appeared in his life. I did not really believe that because he was a quiet and reserved man. Even so, I asked dad, “How did you know when you found true

How to Protect Your Energy

Have you found yourself in a bad mood but you can’t pinpoint exactly why you feel that way or where it came from? When that happens, something negative has invaded your energy field or spirit. Let’s talk about some practical ways to protect your energy from negativity. Protect Your Ear Gate What you allow yourself to hear affects your energy. Ever listen to the news and feel fearful afterwards or like the world is coming to an end? Or perhaps you listen to a particular song that triggers certain feelings within you and changes your whole mood? What about listening to salacious gossip? How about hearing the same negativity over