Love him or hate him, U.S. Rep. Mark Sanford is a conversation starter, and that’s exactly what Mount Pleasant Magazine looks for in a cover subject. As the representative for South Carolina’s first district, Rep. Sanford is a significant player in local politics, and, as journalists, we felt an obligation to bring our readers more information about the former governor’s plans for East Cooper.
Managing Editor Denise K. James wanted to show just how down-home and local Rep. Sanford can get, and what better way to do that than picture him on Shem Creek? After meeting with our photographer, Kate McKinley, at the location – a dock behind an Anna Knapp Blvd. apartment building where Denise used to live – the two decided to add some casual accents like an old, dirty cooler and a fishing pole to the photo shoot.
The look was finished with a tomato sandwich, a simple, classic Southern snack the people of East Cooper can identify with. It was the pièce de résistance for Denise and we must admit, she got a little bit obsessed: she spent the morning searching Mount Pleasant for the perfect local tomato for Rep. Sanford to sink his teeth into.
Finally, the day of the shoot arrived. What had started as a gloomy morning full of daunting rain clouds turned into clear skies just in time and transformed into the beautiful evening pictured in our sunset cover photo. We provided Rep. Sanford with all of the fixin’s for his sandwich and as he began slicing that succulent tomato, McKinley began snapping photos from across the dock, and I began snapping photos from behind her.
Take a look at the extra photos, including the behind-the-scenes pictures of what it looks like at a photo shoot in-the-moment. Enjoy!
-Taylor Griffith
Editorial Assistant
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