Posts from the ‘Couples’ Category

Gainesville, Florida

With some people, you just instantly click. Travis and Kristin got married on New Year’s Eve of last year and we helped ring in 2010 with them as they started a new year as husband and wife. We felt an instant friendship with them after meeting them and they must have too because they were sweet enough to bring us gifts of a feathered headband and hot sauce the next time they saw us. (How thoughtful are they?!) So we were so excited to meet back up with them in the town of Gainesville where their relationship started to shoot an Encore session at all of their favorite local spots. They took us all around town to various places that held special significance for them in their relationship from the apartment complex where they first met to the restaurant where they’d cuddle in the corner booth, to the eclectic junk-shop-turned-pizza-parlor with the best pies in town. By the end we felt like we’d gotten an in depth history lesson on Mr. and Mrs. Gerke. :)

I really LOVE getting to see our couples again, post-vows. I feel like, for so many wedding professionals, it’s always about the wedding. And I get it, there’s a lot going on and a lot of planning and a lot of excitement. But for me, as an avid people watcher and lover or digging deeper into my friends’ souls, I adore the chance to see them again after all the hoopla is over. I like seeing them just living it all out. Life. Marriage. Dogs. Moves. School. Jobs. Boring every day life. It’s fun to see their marriage and their new relationship and how their level of comfortability with each other only grows. Maybe we should start offering complimentary 5 year anniversary sessions, just so I can see everyone again. ;)

We had a FANTASTIC time and we can’t wait to see them again next month to shoot them AGAIN in New York City where we are going to trash Kristin’s wedding dress. I’ve heard rumors that tattoos and fountains might be involved! Who’s excited? I’m excited. I’m also excited about these photos. I’ve been using a new editing technique that I’m kind of head over heels for. I love them all…

HAHA. Gotcha.

This is so 1970’s. I just love it.

This crazy contraption was a HUGE art installation/fountain made out of salvaged junk and bits of all kinds. Fantastic!

Not many people could pull off a wall of hubcaps. Just sayin’…

St. Petersburg, FL | Encore “Day After” Session

Want to know a secret? I actually consider interweb browsing part of my daily work day. It’s completely true. But not just photography related places, all different places that inspire me. I actually have a bookmarks tab on my computers called “Inspiring Blogs” and I check it daily. I keep a series of little folders on my desktop with titles like: Business Ideas, House Ideas, Fashion Ideas and Concept Ideas. In that last one, I drop photos or screenshots that inspire me with ideas for future photoshoots. One of our goals for 2010 is to start to have a concept in mind for every single photoshoot that we do. (So if you’re a 2010 client, be ready for some crazy fun ideas!) The items in that folder are all over the board from food items, to architecture, to a lighting style I want to incorporate. The images are from websites like design blogs, retail shops, and even news streams. I’m telling you, it’s literally inspiration from anywhere. But, the great thing about that is that I don’t forget (because inspiration strikes kind of like lightning-never in the same place twice). And when Heather and Cody’s “encore” session was approaching I knew exactly what idea from the folder I wanted to incorporate. It was white, twinkling Christmas lights. I sent Heather the image to give her an idea of what I was thinking and she loved it! Here is their sneak peek with my favorites from our time using the lights…

Encore sessions are our “day after” and “trash the dress” sessions for brides and grooms that want even more dedicated time for gorgeous portraits in their wedding attire without the pressure of wedding day time restraints or having to stay completely clean. ;)

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Do you know what is happening right now? New Moon, the second book in the Twilight Saga, comes out in movie form today. (Or earlier this morning at midnight for all you really dedicated fans.) Nate and I are a little sad that we weren’t able to go see it at the opening with our friends in Orlando but, well, we’re relaxing in San Fran so we can’t really complain. I devoured all the Twilight books when I first heard about them and then got Nate into the storyline and we listened to them all over again on audio book while traveling to and from weddings. I’m not going to lie, I’m a big Edward fan. But I’ve always been a fan of the vampires.

To celebrate the opening of such a movie, I wanted to do a vampire-esque couples shoot. There are so many stories right now inspiring me. There’s the Twilight Saga, True Blood on HBO, and the Vampire Diaries on the CW (and you better believe I watch them all!) My vision for the shoot was to incorporate ideas from the various stories into a shoot that I’ve been lovingly describing as, ‘vampire meets anthropologie’.

I was thrilled to get to work with such a gorgeous couple. KP and Jen worked it out and were so great about running with my vision for the shoot. Jennifer Beverly is a talented Orlando makeup artist and stylist here and I highly recommend her to anyone who wants to get their hair and makeup done before a photoshoot (or wedding) and for anyone who wants help styling their outfits for a shoot. I would have shot with them all night if we hadn’t gotten kicked out of the cemetery at sunset but here’s what we came up with…

A little vervain bouquet keeps everyone safe.

LOVE

These two are my favorites, especially the one on the left.

This one may be my favorite too. I can’t decide… I love them all!

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