A few days ago I had an opportunity to work with Denise and Clay. They were a fun, kick-back kind of couple with a good amount of energy throughout the whole evening. It was a border-line go-no-go session because we had rain the last week daily. Fortunately it cleared up and managed to get out there for the night.
There weren't any lists or absolutely necessary poses to go through which is great. We just went with what worked, and what didn't work, was tossed out during the editing process. The whole session was directed more so as a beach portrait or an engagement session since it was small and casual. However, the session still felt intimate since we were on Anna Maria Island. All within a 2 mile radius we managed to go to the church, their vaca-home, and the beach / Sandbar.
Unfortunately Denise & Clay had to go back up north at the end of the week and wanted to get the photos on their way up, so i had to do some mega-rush editing. Nevertheless, some came out incredibly nice. Here are a few shots that possibly aren't in the portfolio.
Last weekend I had a chance to do another pretty cool wedding with Anne and Ed. They had the ceremony on the floating wedding chapel. (It's basically a church thats on a boat). Its pretty unique, however would be a bit tight in space if you have a big wedding party. After the ceremony on the floating chapel, we spent some time on the water to relax, chit-chat, and take some photos.
When we docked, I headed to the Don Cesar and we were going to do some formal poses, however never got around to it due to Anne & Ed's request to just relax before the party. So, I headed to the roof-top and did some candids, met some people, and had a drink. Although I didn't stick around for the meal and the dancing, the time I was there I still had a good time and met some cool people.
You can see a few pictures in the portfolio section, and a few other random samples below.
I haven't had a wedding gig in a while, until March 28, 2008 when I got a chance to photograph Andrea and Chris's wedding. I had the gitters before I got on location probably more than the bride because no one was there! I wasn't sure if that was the exact location since we did not have a meeting before-hand (they were from out of state). Of course, I was early and at the right location.
After a brief phone call, everything started to fall into place. The wedding went really smooth and was pretty easy to deal with since everyone was so nice, there was plenty of light outside, and not a lot of people to photograph.
Congrats ~
I haven't had much time to write lately because I have been quite busy working on a bunch of wedding contracts. - Sorry.... But dates are filling up faster and faster as the summer months are approaching. Some people shop around, others book in a hurry. It really depends, but so far weddings are about the only thing I keep getting requests. So I've been busy consulting and writing the contracts. I haven't done much model portraits, food, or real estate photography - i guess the demand is lacking for that in this economy.
In either case I did manage to grab some cool shots last week in a martial arts test that I helped run. However, some of the pictures I can not post due to model release forms not being signed by the under 18 candidates.
Here is a cool shot that I can post:
From Sarasota/Bradenton to Destin. Wow that was a drive to do a wedding, not to mention it was a tough one. With the strobe lights, the black curtain, black ceiling, and yellowish walls. It was an unbelievably tough situation. I did have the maid of honour help me out through the reception which was a big plus! Thanks again!
The wedding had a nice topaz feel to it which is actually one of my favorite colors. There was enough food for everyone, and quite a bit of dancing. Sadly we did have to end it soon for scheduled church by 5.00 pm.
Never the less the wedding was spectacular, we had a great time, and met some amazing new friends - in hopes for the long term who I can see for years to come. Below are some captures that aren't really shown in the portfolio.
Today was another photo shoot day. I had the pleasure of intermixing a few sessions from a family portrait session and a friends portrait session at the botanical garden. I tried to stand back and not dictate the shoot so much since I had a few friends there that wanted to do their own creative poses. Sometimes its just best to go back and use the long zoom lens :) I think the photos came out remarkable for the way the light hit people. Sometimes it was just to strong and I probably should have used some more fill-flash, but we managed. I really appreciate Julie and Orsolya helping me out with the 2nd camera. I even got in on some pictures, but when I get in front of the camera, I'm lost on what to do AGH! I guess I will just have to continue taking them instead.
Thanks everyone for showing up!
Here are some sample shots from the shoot. Browse the portfolio section to see more.
This week I had a blast working with Latoya and Jacob Hicks on their engagement session. We went to downtown Bradenton near the old Twin Dolphin and played near the boats, hung out in the beautiful scenery, did some karate style fighting, and relaxed and enjoyed the Florida weather. We started with some basic side walk shots, got some water views, low angles, and so on. They were a really great couple to work with because of the kicked back and relaxed attitude which I think helped create some creative shots. I even got some pictures of me taking pictures thanks to my friend Orsolya.
The only downside on the engagement photo shoot was that it was a tad-bit nippy outside. Congratulations and see you on December 29th on your wedding day!
If your new to the Sarasota area and are still trying to find your perfect Sarasota Wedding location to capture some spectacular wedding portraits, or an engagement sessions theres quite a few locations that are under looked. Sarasota is located close to Bradenton, Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, and even Palmetto.
Each area has its own special and unique feeling. One of my favorite locations in this area has to be the beaches from Anna Maria Island down to Siesta Key. Siesta Key beach is known to have some of the most beautiful sand and is rated highly in many magazines and shows.
The Sarasota area is filled with life, however it does tend to die down by 11pm. St. Armands still has life until 1am, but even then it is quite slow because of the nature of this city. Its geared towards a modern family life-style and residential feel. There are also quite a bit of retirees and "snow-birds" as they call them come down for the winter from November till about February or March so traffic can get heavier during the beach at those months.
A few things to watch out when having a Sarasota beach wedding is to make sure you book early ! People from all over the world are booking weddings in the Florida area for a destination wedding especially during those peak May, June, and July months.
Also be prepared to have a backup plan in case of inclement weather. This is why its a good idea to piggy-back with a restaurant such as the Beach House, Sandbar, a Country Club, or a place that has a piece of property on the beach and can also do the catering for you which would save you more headaches in the future.
A few other locations I like for engagement photography sessions and some are great for weddings (not in any order) include:
Having your wedding in Tampa or St. Petersburg area can be a spectacular thing. It's near the beach to give it that relaxed atmosphere, or drive in towards down town and you're in a great party section. Everything is just a few minutes away without paying all the toll fees on the road. If you're looking to getting married in the Tampa Bay area, here are some tips that might help you. I am including some events, locations, and people that might be able to help you out.
Before jumping into any Tampa wedding photography service or person, if you have enough time visit the Florida Signature Bridal Affair by PWG. This is a informative bridal type of affair that is hosted in Tampa, FL at least one a year. Sometimes it's hosted in St. Petersburg, FL which is just 10 minutes away. At this event you can check out all the different Tampa wedding photographers, wedding cake designers, caterers, dj's, and much more in just one stop. The only drawback is that not always every photographer or every cake designer goes. So don't forget to check online and ask for other referrals. They always have tons of cool freebies. I got full off of the delicious strawberries, raspberries, and cake. Sadly they don't serve champagne. The entry fee is usually just $2
Remember though, if you're having your wedding in the mid-day in the Tampa or St. Petersburg area and you're traveling between two locations such as from the ceremony to the reception area during rush hour be careful on taking the main routes as there can be traffic delays quite often. Check the maps ahead of time and find a back up route just in case because there's so many ways to go from one place to another in Tampa.
I will try to work on putting a few good Tampa receptions and ceremony areas in a little bit.
Don't forget to check out the St. Petersburg reception and Ceremony areas as well. St. Petersburg is only a few minutes away. If you don't mind driving about an hour 45 minutes to an hour south then look into Sarasota and Bradenton also because they have some amazing spots and usually are not as booked as Tampa or St. Petersburg (if you’re looking for a venue last minute).
BABY Portraits ! Yeah this was fun. All I did was roll around the floor, crawl, and play with Cia and at the same time take some photos of him. He is so remarkably photogenic. I don't think there was one bad grin on his face during the session. Every second he was smiling, running, crawling, clapping, and so forth. I took some amazing photos during this session. I did mostly black and white conversions to give it that unique authentic look. I just think it makes baby portraits stand out so much more. Thanks Rachel, Cia, and Annalies.
