St. Petersburg Wedding Photographer

Holiday Inn Harbourside Indian Rocks Beach Florida Wedding

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Holiday Inn Harbourside Indian Rocks Beach Wedding Portrait - SETUP: f/11 ISO 200 1/250th STROBIST: SB-800 @ 1/2 power to frame right & SB-600 @ 1/2 power to frame left

People often ask me, "how do you get your photography jobs?"  Usually I stumble around with various answers, but from now on I will definitively say that first and foremost bookings are from referrals or the result of in-person networking.  Through joining NPPF (now FCCP), a Meetup.com photography group, I got to know the organizer Jeff Donald.  Marc (pictured above with bride Eileen) is a member of FCCP and was seeking a wedding photographer with short notice.  Jeff referred him to me, I was still available, so voila, a wedding booking!

For the above photo we all braved the mid-day Florida heat to make for me what was my favorite shot of the day.  It is always worth it to make the extra effort to get a particular shot.  While the couple had their wedding lunch I went to scout locations and found this to be the most natural and scenic one on the grounds of the Holiday Inn Harbourside in Indian Rocks Beach.  Even though it was around 1pm and the shot had to be done in direct sunlight, my 2-strobe technique managed to produce surprisingly satisfying portrait results.

Eileen and her new wedding ring - SETUP: f/5.6 ISO 800 1/60th SB-800 @ 1/4 power hotshoe mounted using Nikkor 105mm VR f/2.8G macro lensHaving significant wedding photography experience is key in knowing what shots work, and especially for establishing what I think of as "go-to" shots like the one above.  I first came up with the idea for this shot at Bianca's wedding in summer 2010 (see similar image).  

First Wedding Dance at Holiday Inn Harbourside Indian Rocks Beach - SETUP: f/5.6 ISO 800 1/10th SB-800 @ 1/4 power hotshoe mounted using dragging shutter technique with zoomWhen making the type of "dragging the shutter" type shots like the one above, it is of course good to have lights in the background to enhance the effect of the technique.  The more lights the better, but if you can only include one or two it will still make a big difference.  Marc & Eileen had two kettle drum (?) players at their reception and they mostly played island themed songs which suited the harbor front location well.

Indian Rocks Beach Wedding Photography - SETUP: f/11 ISO 200 1/250th STROBIST: SB-800 @ 1/2 power to frame right & SB-600 @ 1/2 power to frame leftThe "under the veil" shot is another one of my go-to shots (see last photo here), but of course it is used by many wedding photographers.  We were all very hot by this point (me visibly so!), but I wanted to make sure to get this shot before we returned indoors as I hope in twenty years Marc & Eileen will think to themselves, I am really glad we made the effort for that veil shot as they look at a print of it on their wall.

Bilmar Hotel Treasure Island Florida Sunset Beach Wedding

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"The Dip" on Treasure Island - St. Petersburg Beach Wedding Photography - SETUP: f/5.6 ISO 200 1/80th STROBIST: SB-800 @ 1/4 power frame right & SB-600 @ 1/4 power frame left

There are always challenges photographing a wedding, but for me personally this was the most difficult due to the news I got about the oldest member of my family when I first woke up that morning.  I have a strong ability to compartmentalize so I rallied and once I first put the camera up to my eye, no one all the six and a half hours I was on site at the Bilmar Hotel on Treasure Island had any idea what I was really feeling inside.  

Wedding rings hung from a necklace with a cross - SETUP: Nikkor AF-S 104mm VR micro f/2.8G lens @ f/11 ISO 200 1/100th SB-800 @ 1/4 power hotshoe mountedThe wedding rings were with the bride, Jessica,  in her hotel room, which is unusual as the groom tends to keep them on hand.  Looking for a good place to photograph the rings, I recalled what I did for a Christmas wedding last year, which was to hang the rings from a string type object.  The bride took off a necklace she was wearing an assisted me in getting this shot.  The cross was already on the necklace.  

The view from the 7th floor of the Bilmar Hotel - SETUP: f/8 ISO 200 1/60th STROBIST: SB-800 @1/4 power to frame right & SB-600 @ 1/4 power to frame left both handheld by volunteers!The bride had a very loyal wedding dress assistant her continued her job the entire afternoon and evening.  For the above shot I had two volunteer assistants hold my speedlights as there was not much space at all to setup a pair of light stands.  The weather looks great outside right?  Well, to the east clouds were rolling in fast and within 20-minutes it was raining right at what was to be the start of the ceremony.  There was only a 30-minute delay which was actually welcome, allowing the bride more time to get ready and the guests to cool off in the reception area.

The groom is pointing at you - SETUP: f/5.6 ISO 400 1/60th SB-800 @ 1/4 power hotshoe mounted & a room lamp providing backlightI learned a new trick for shooting in hotel rooms:  use one of the room lamps as a backlight in tight quarters.  I had the groom, Justin, and the other groomsmen squeeze between two beds causing them to get into a fan-like pose and also allowing the table lamp to backlight them.  This is definitely a type of shot I will be doing again in the future!

Treasure Island Beach calm after the storm - SETUP: f/11 ISO 200 1/200th SB-800 @ 1/4 power hotshoe mounted - B&W processing using Silver Efex ProOnce the rainstorm passed it was kind enough to leave behind all sorts of clouds decorating the sky.  I much prefer clouds to a cloudless beach sky.  Not only are day time photos much better, I think sunset shots with clouds are much more dramatic as well.  

The groom cries upon seeing his bride - SETUP: Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D lens @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/800th using natural lightIt was an emotional moment for the bride and especially the groom once the ceremony began.  For me, it is nice to see as I like to see people express genuine emotion.  It also of course helps the photographs.  

Tall grass sand dunes of Treasure Island - SETUP: f/11 ISO 200 1/160th STROBIST: SB-800 @ 1/4 power to frame left & SB-600 @ 1/4 power to frame rightThe bride in a quiet moment faces the Sun and the Sea.  This type of shot, where the subject is not looking into the lens but rather off into the distance is my favorite type of portrait.  For me, I wonder what the subject is thinking about.  I hope that some years down the line when the bride looks at this image, she, herself, will also wonder what she was thinking of at that moment.

A vivid sunset falls on Treasure Island St. Petersburg - SETUP: NIKKOR AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D lens @ f/8 ISO 200 1/100th STROBIST: SB-800 @ 1/4 power to frame right & SB-600 @ 1/4 power to frame leftAfter I took the final photograph of Jessica & Justin at sunset time, I had a few moments alone as I packed up my strobist gear and they started to walk back to the hotel for the reception.  This gave me a few seconds to send my own thoughts out to the horizon, as I do every day, but even more so that time.

Testimonials Raves & Reviews for St. Petersburg Tampa Wedding Photographer

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Carie & Jeff - Wedding Date:  December 26, 2010

"Jason did an amazing job. He completely captured the moment, not to mention gave us pictures I still love to look at! I loved the creativity as well. He came up with great shots that worked so well and really reflexed my husband's and my personalities!!!"

 

 

 

Renata & Enrique - Wedding Date:  October 15, 2010

"Jason made my dream wedding pictures come true, I could not choose a better service."

 

 

 

 

Don & Rosa - Wedding Date:  July 13, 2010

During the ceremony Jason did great. We did not notice him while taking pictures. There wasn't any disruption. He did contact us before the wedding to ask what us what we had in mind and even though we only had him for 1 hour, we had some awesome shots!"

 
"We are a very camera shy couple that do everything to avoid pictures. I was very nervous to pose for Jason at first but once we got started, I quickly became comfortable around him. He instructed us step by step how to pose and he was very very patient with us. His friendly personality made us feel confident."

 
"There were so many to chose from and hard to pick just one favorite. There was one picture w/ my veil blowing in the wind that was breath taking, we could not believe it was me! It look like it came from a magazine."

 

 

Linda & David - Wedding Date:  June 20, 2010

"Jason took amazing pictures. I was so pleased. I didn't know what to expect and I keep getting compliments from family/friends on the photos. He was very creative with photo positions and bringing out romance to our pics. We didn't just stand there and get our picture taken.   We were impressed at the various poses that Jason used for the photos. He was able to make our photo session fun and illustrate our emotions of the day.  He captured the whole wedding as if it's a story. And, I love some of the candid shots he took. I could see how my husband was looking at me and how I was looking at him in the photos. And, the sky was beautiful that night. Jason got the rainbows and the sky in all of the pictures."

"I had several favorites. But, I was surprised by the photos that I liked the best. Jason did an awesome job capturing the two of us looking at each other and how we look when we were looking at each other. He also captured the amazing sky behind us. My favorites include: the two of us kneeling on the beach, the two of us in front of the rainbows in the sky, and my husband lifting me up into the air."

"My husband and I were thrilled with how we looked.   We are extremely pleased. Finally, Jason was fabulous with follow up - answering questions in a very timely manner. Thank you so much!" 

 

 

Bianca & Derrick - Wedding Date:  June 19, 2010

"Jason is easy to work with, I love his creativity and work ethic, my wedding photos look like something out of a magazine or postcard. I encourage anyone to let Jason have free reign with his talent, he's easy going and professional. you wont be disappointed."