Rebecca and Steve were really nice to me and I really enjoyed working with them. Sadly there was a little rain and it was damp. Clouds were a bit gray so I had to pop the blue's out in the photos if needed.
We started with the photo session and did it outside the church and then moved to the Golf Course and Vinnoy Park in St. Petersburg, FL. Soon after, headed back to the church for the ceremony, did some getting ready shots, and off to the Hilton for the after party. My legs were crying between all the squatting I was doing between the Church and Photo session! I felt like I did 5000 lunges! I managed to regroup some energy with some tasty shrimps, meatballs, pasta, and mushrooms which I had to inhale to get back to the photos... (Thanks Carlos for doing the carving). The only thing I wished there was more of at this wedding was dancing (I guess because I love to dance).
As always with every wedding, there are things I wish I had done differently or shots that I wish I've gotten, but once a moment is gone...its gone and cant really be re-enacted the same way. For example, we missed a lot of sitting poses because of the weather and the wetness. Still to this day I have yet to convince a bride to sit or lay on green grass, shucks! Cause green pops out soooo well ! (just a tip for those of you still planning your location for pictures choose a green area or a Golf Course).
Incase any future brides were curious about picture totals, the total photo count was around 380 for 6 hours of coverage. Every photo was custom edited... yep every one...and I managed to knock out all the editing in less than 3 days. I think thats a record for me (normally 2-3 weeks).
Thanks Rebecca and Steve - and CONGRATS! Hope you enjoyed your cruise...!
Anyways here are some more captures that are usually NOT in the portfolio section. Enjoy
Although I worked on Mary's modeling comp cards and headshots nearly a month ago, I just haven't gotten around to posting the blog regarding the session. We started mid morning at the train tracks, which was really cool. I love working at the tracks since it creates some really unique linear angles. The only down side is its tough to sometimes find tracks in a good part of town so there were some shady people there as well...
After wards we went downtown and did another mini outfit change however that segment did not last so long. Check the portfolio for the shots.
On August 20th, 2008 - I had a great time capturing some moments at Nancy and Martin's wedding. They flew in from Germany to capture the beauty of the Sunshine State of Florida. Sadly Tropical Storm Fay was rolling through and the photo capture moments were hard to get, but never the less I made it up in the post-processing.
Nancy and Martin were great though ! They were very easy going, relaxed, and laid back couple. By the end of the session I felt they were my good friends. I hope the rest of their Florida trip is a fun and enjoyable one. Thanks and Congratulations.
The other day I did some senior portraits with Raquel & Casey. I snapped away at some family photos during the session as well, but Raquel and Casey were the stars of the session.
The day started off a little breezy with hair flying all over the place, so it seemed that there was a little tension at first (As there is with any photo session, but once the clicks start going, the jokes start flying, and people start having the rest is a piece of cake). In the end I really thought the breeze helped us knock out some more natural looks allowing the hair to sway and do its thing.
Between the tree climbing, bird catching, and balancing on the pillars it was a fun and exciting session. I hope you guys (Raquel & Casey had a good time as well and enjoy your photos).
For everyone else, take a look at some of the pictures below that aren't featured in the portfolio section.
Surprisingly I even managed to get in on a picture as well! Thats actually rare for me to have pictures of myself considering that im behind the camera most times. (I'm in the middle in the first black and white shot below.)
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.
