Event

Crown Jaguar F-Type Client Event at Dali Museum St Petersburg Florida Photography

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Guests arrive to pose in front of the new Jaguar F-Type at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg event photography - Nikon D300 tripod mounted with cable release Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/100th - Strobist: SB-800 & SB-600 both in brolly

The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg was host to an event put on by Crown Jaguar for guests to come and see some of its cars, including the stunning new Jaguar F-Type Coupe (see above).   This was my second time working for Crown, as I photographed the Audi A3 premiere event back in April too.  This time they hired me to photograph all the guests as they arrived in front of a F-Type.  This was my first time doing this kind of arrival portrait photography actually.  The shooting began just before sunset so early arriving guests got a colorful background like in the above portrait.  Soon night came and the background became just a few distant lights.

My setup for making guest arrival portraits a speedlight in each broody and my camera tripod mounted so I got the exact same framing and background for each shot - photo made by iPhone 6

This was my setup for all the portraits.  My camera was on a tripod so every shot was in the same framing.  I advised people to stand in front of the front wheel of the Jaguar F-Type Coupe to further insure similar photo results.  I had two speedlights each in a brolly and kept the one to frame left constant, but as night fell moved the one to frame right to also light the car more.  Unfortunately, the provided lighting for the car was not very bright at all.  I compensated for that by moving one speedlight and tweaking a few camera settings.  I ended up pleased with the results of night portraits using just two speedlights with a large background object (the car).  

Some guests at the Crown Jaguar F-Type Dali Museum event arrived in costume - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 400 1/60th - tripod mounted with cable release - Strobist: SB-800 & SB-600 both in brolly

Some guests wore costumes as Halloween was just three days away.  It was interesting to look up and see who might appear before my lense each shot.  Many people joked asking if this photo was their opportunity to win the car or something like that.  I only ever replied simply, "umm, no."  

From dusk to night shooting guests arriving in front of the Jaguar F-Type at the Dali Museum St. Petersburg Event Photography - Nikon D300 tripod mounted with cable release Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/30th - Strobist: SB-800 & SB-600 both in brolly

The Jaguar F-Type Coupe received universal praise for its looks by everyone.  As of the time of shooting, Crown Jaguar did have this particular F-Type for sale!  

The Jaguar F-Type coupe made for a stunning backdrop for portraits at the Crown Jaguar Dali Museum in St. Petersburg - event photography - Nikon D300 tripod mounted with cable release Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 320 1/60th - Strobist: SB-800 & SB-600 both in brolly

It was a fun and challenging evening of photography, my favorite kind, and I got to stare at a beautiful car the whole time too.  Two Crown Jaguar employees helped make sure each guest would receive their print of the photos I made by writing down the photo number as I shot, thank you ladies!

Kool & the Gang perform at Vinoy Resort St Petersburg Florida PARC Sapphire Ball 2014

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Kool & the Gang horn playing at PARC 45th Sapphire Ball St. Petersburg Florida - Nikon D90 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/2.8 ISO 1250 1/200th

Concluding the festivities at the PARC 45th Annual Black Tie Sapphire Ball at the Vinoy Resort St. Petersburg Florida was a performance by Kool & the Gang.  This gave me an opportunity for live concert photography after several hours of general candid event photography.   

Kool & the Gang rocked the small stage at Vinoy Resort St. Petersburg Florida Concert Photography - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/4 ISO 800 1/30th

They played over an hour set of their hits making it seem like it was the 1970s, even asking the crowd, what were you doing in the 70s?  Many in attendance were similar in age to the band so they could very well have been dancing to Kool & the Gang back then at one of their first concerts. 

Kool & the Gang still have dance moves on stage at Vinoy Resort PARC 45th Sapphire Ball St. Petersburg Concert Photography - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/4 ISO 1600 1/100th

Kool & the Gang still had all their trademark dance moves and seemed to hold nothing back jumping in the air, cavorting around the stage and giving a max energy performance for those attending the PARC 45th Annual Black Tie Sapphire Ball.

Kool & the Gang still feeling it during Vinoy Resort performance St. Petersburg Concert Photography - Nikon D90 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/2.8 ISO 1600 1/320th

I used a variety of lenses to get different shots of the members of Kool & the Gang.  It was not really possible to get right in front of the stage due to the crowd and lack of barrier between them and the stage, so I mostly shot from the sides.

Kool & the Gang reflective moment on stage PARC 45th Sapphire Ball St. Petersburg Concert Photography - Nikon D300 Nikkor 50mm @ f/2 ISO 1600 1/500th

There was pretty good lighting during the concert which I tried to use as best as possible to enhance the concert photographs I made.  

Kool & the Gang bathed in sapphire light during PARC 45th Sapphire Ball concert at Vinoy Resort St. Petersburg Florida - Nikon D300 Nikkor 50mm @ f/2 ISO 1600 1/320th

This low sapphire lighting seemed to glow like a fog on stage, a very cool effect.

Kool & the Gang taking it to heart performing at PARC 45th Sapphire Ball St. Petersburg Florida Concert Photography - Nikon D300 Nikkor 50mm @ f/2 ISO 1600 1/200th

I kept wondering where one can get a Kool & the Gang style sequin animal print shirt?  Is there like a 70s rock star store one can go to?  Are they custom made?  Do they travel with hundreds in a case?

The crowd was very into it as Kool & the Gang performed at PARC 45th Sapphire Ball Vinoy Resort St. Petersburg Florida - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ 5.6 ISO 800 1/25th SB-800 speedlight hotshoe mounted

Though many in the crowd matched or surpassed the ages of Kool & the Gang, the dance floor was packed and they were getting down on it, celebrating and keeping it too hot.

PARC 45th Annual Black Tie Sapphire Ball at Vinoy Resort St Petersburg Florida Event Photography

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Welcoming guests at PARC 45th Annual Black Tie Sapphire Ball - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 800 1/60th SB-800 hotshoe mountedPhotography often puts me into places I would otherwise never be.  Such was the case Saturday when I went to the Vinoy Resort in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida to photograph an event -- PARC 45th Annual Black Tie Sapphire Ball.  Somehow the "black tie" part eluded my mind so I was surprised to see everyone that dressed up when I arrived at the Vinoy!

Inside the Vinoy Resort showing why this was the Sapphire Ball for PARC 45th annual black tie event - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 4 sec tripod mounted with cable releasePeople were not the only ones all dressed up, the ballroom in the Vinoy Resort was as well reflecting the Sapphire Ball theme.  The chairs especially stoodout to me with their shape and striking sapphire blue covering including a sparkling diamond circle on the back.  I made this shot when I first arrived before the guests were allowed in.  Since I used a tripod and wanted to focus on the decorations, it was necessary to start with this type of shot first when photographing the event.  For sure the ballroom did not look like this by the time 11pm came around and Kool & the Gang had the place jumping!

Candid event photography before the PARC 45th Annual Black Tie Sapphire Ball - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 800 1/60th SB-800 hotshoe mountedAfter photographing the ballroom and some other outside establishing shots, I put away my tripod and went more mobile photographing the guests mingling out in the lobby.  I walked right into this scene and had my camera ready to catch this amusing reaction shot.

Encouraging high bidders during a charity auction for PARC at Vinoy Resort St. Petersburg Event Photography - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 800 1/60th SB-800 hotshoe mountedWhile dinner was being served, several items were auctioned off from charity ranging from a week vacation at a house on a private island to a custom diamond ring.  Many items went for over $5,000!  

Gayle Guyardo was an electric presence at PARC 45th Annual Black Tie Sapphire Ball event at Vinoy Resort St. Petersburg Florida - Nikon D90 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/4 ISO 800 1/100th SB-600 speedlight hotshoe mountedFor many years I have kind of had a crush on Gayle Guyardo.  It was a very pleasant surprise to find out she would be presenting the winners of the Magnetic Man award at the event.  Seeing her in person only further strengthened the crush!  

Mike Alstott accepts the Magnetic Man award at PARC 45th Annual Black Tie Event - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 800 1/60th SB-800 hotshoe mountedAnother surprise was seeing former Tampa Bay Buccaneers great Mike Alstott.  He still looked like he could step onto the football field and play this Sunday!  He received the first of thirteen Magnetic Man awards.  

Kool & the Gang perform at PARC 45th Annual Black Tie Sapphire Ball St. Petersburg Florida event photography - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/4 ISO 800 1/30th SB-800 hotshoe mountedOnce the awards were handed out and the auctions ended, Kool & the Gang took the stage and played a very enthusiastic set.  I am always impressed when artists can do this and make it seem like it's the biggest show they have ever done.  More shots from their performance to come in another blog post.

Photographing this event for PARC was exciting and a chance to have an evening I definitely would never have experienced otherwise.  Thank you Susan and Kelli!

Cars & Couture 2014 Car Owners Gathering Event at Dimmitt Automotive Group Pinellas Park Florida

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McLaren 650S in black at Dimmitt Automotive Florida during Cars & Couture Car Owners Gathering event - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 200 5-exposure HDR tripod mounted with cable releaseI was invited to an event at Dimmitt Automotive in Pinellas Park, Florida for a special Car Owners Gathering thanks to Dona who organizes many great car events under her Cars & Couture brand.  I brought along eldest friend Terry to help out with some of the photography.  As you can see from the above photograph, Dimmitt is a MacLaren dealership.  There were several Mclaren 650S supercars in the showroom.  It was my first time to see this update to the McLaren MP4-12C in person.  The 650S is a much more striking looking sports car in person than the 12C, mostly thanks to a new front fascia inspired by the McLaren P1 hypercar.

Guests at Cars & Couture Dimmitt Automotive stand next to a MacLaren 650S in black Clearwater Car Photography - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/60th - Strobist: SB-800 in shoot-through-umbrella to frame rightOften there is not much space to photograph cars at such events, but there was a black McLaren 650S kind of off by itself in a separate area of the showroom.  This allowed me to setup two speedlights and shoot through umbrellas and not only photograph the car itself in great detail (subject of an upcoming blog post), but also to invite guests over to be properly photographed next to the supercar.

The new MacLaren 650S supercar in yellow at Dimmitt Automotive during Cars & Couture event - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 200 5-exposure HDRIf you happen to prefer yellow, there was also a McLaren 650S in that color looking right out the front windows inviting you to come in and put a deposit down on her!  We got there early to be able to photograph the cars before there were too many people mingling about..

Yours truly with my friend Terry who assisted with the shots at Cars & Couture Car Owners Gathering 2014 Dimmitt Automotive - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 400 1/60th - Strobist: SB-800 & SB-600 in shoot through umbrellasFor the last shot of the evening, Terry and I stepped out from behind the camera and the lights for a self-portrait with the black McLaren 650S.  It took a little configuring using the self-timer to position myself symmetrically after pressing the shutter, but I am glad we made the effort to get ourselves both in the shot and add another photo to our scrapbook that now spans almost three decades.

Guests wanted to pose with the MacLaren 650S at Cars & Couture Dimmitt Automotive Clearwater Event Photography - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/60th - Strobist: SB-800 in shoot through umbrella to frame rightOne last shot to show how well the McLaren 650S photographs, especially when bookended by willing volunteer models!  Thank you Dona for another great car event and to Terry for assisting in the making of these photographs.

Crowne Plaza Tampa Hotel Event Photography July 2014

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A guest talks with a featured speaker at the Crowne Plaza Performance Series event in Tampa Florida - Nikon D300 Nikkor 50mm @ f/2.8 ISO 200 1/60thVery early I woke up for a 7:30am start time to photograph an event in the south Tampa area at Crowne Plaza hotel.  This was so early that there was not even any traffic yet on I-275 so it was actually a pleasant morning cruise down the highway.  The event itself was very straightforward with a series of speakers all speaking in the same room with only an adjacent room for food breaks needing to be covered.  

Attendees were asked to play a clever game with Xs and Os at Crowne Plaza Tampa event - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 800 1/60th SB-800 hotshoe mountedI was told by the client that this 6.5 presentation had been done in several cities before so tons of photos of the speakers themselves were not necessary and that I should instead focus more on the attendees interacting with the activities called for during the presentations.  Above you can see two people working on an X and O strategy puzzle.  

Having fun while speaking at Crowne Plaza Tampa Performance Series event - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/5.6 ISO 800 1/60th SB-800 hotshoe mounted 

The speakers all did a very good job making it seem like it was the first time they were ever giving their presentations, which to me is the sign of a good speaker.  They mostly spoke about strategies for improving the hotel business, not something I normally read up on, but even I was entertained by how they presented ADR, etc.  I always like learning new inside jargon for a particular industry too.  ADR!

Learning new methods for improving her hotel at Crowne Plaze Performance Series event in Tampa Florida - Nikon D300 Nikkor 50mm @ f/2 ISO 800 1/60thIt was not all just fun and games, there were actual nuts and bolts tutorials on how to better use the mountain of data collected on hotel guests for establishing room rates and more.  

Leading a game of hotel business Jeopardy at Crowne Plaza Performance Series event in Tampa Florida - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/4 ISO 800 1/100th SB-800 hotshoe mountedThey even found a way to make hotel business trivia work for a realistic Jeopardy tournament complete with red buzzers!  I noticed that the front row tables were either stacked or trigger happy as they were the first to buzz in the most.

Getting surprising results during an exercise at Crowne Plaza Performance Series event in Tampa Florida - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/4 ISO 800 1/60th SB-800 hotshoe mountedI enjoyed my time listening to the speakers, learning about the hotel industry and finding creative ways to photograph a group of people who were for the most part, basically just sitting around tables.  

The Shops at Wiregrass Wesley Chapel Car Show Event Photography July 2014

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SLS AMG Mercedes at a car show at the Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 200 5-exposure HDR tripod mounted with cable releaseI was surprised that such a suburban, strip mall kind of place like Wesley Chapel would be the site of something like an outdoor car show.  It seems the Shops at Wiregrass are more than just a place to buy things, but a sort of community event center home to car shows, firework displays and all other manor of outdoor events.  

A good crowd came out to the Shops at Wiregrass to see a car show on a typically hot and humid July in Florida afternoon - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 200 5-exposure HDR tripod mounted with cable releaseIt was unusual though to have a car show only start at 12pm and go to 4pm, the hottest time of the day.  Usually they start at least by 9am, which is important as Florida is not exactly an balmy place in July!  Despite the weather, I made a walk up and down the long rows of cars and stopped to take a few photos.  There were no cars I had not seen before, and the only supercar was the SLS AMG Mercedes in the top photo.  Still, it is always nice to have a local event to attend and be around other car fans.

First Communion Photography at St. Paul Catholic Church Tampa Florida with Juliana

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First communion for Juliana at St. Paul Catholic Church in Tampa Florida - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/7.1 ISO 200 1/125th - Strobist: SB-800 in brolly & SB-600 in shoot-through-umbrellaI first photographed Juliana and her family in 2010 for her 7th birthday party.  This past weekend I photographed her first communion at St. Paul Catholic Church in Tampa, Florida.  I have now photographed her and her family a total of four times.  It is always great to work with past clients, and there is no family I have been with longer than Juliana's.  Thankfully, since day one, Juliana has been a natural in front of the camera!  The above shot will for sure be one of my five favorites of 2014.  I heard that Juliana's mom cried when she saw this photo.

I first photographed Juliana at her 7th birthday party, now her first communion - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/7.1 ISO 200 1/125th - Strobist: SB-800 in brolly & SB-600 in shoot-through-umbrellaI met Juliana about an hour before the first communion ceremony would begin.  The church had a great mosaic pavilion in a quiet garden that we used as a background for several portraits.  No one was around and there was no wind, so I had not trouble setting up two speedlights on light stands for making strobist (off camera flash) portraits.

While I was setting up another shot, I saw Juliana lean back with her feet up & said hold that pose! - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/7.1 ISO 200 1/250th - Strobist: SB-800 in brolly & SB-600 in shoot-through-umbrellaJuliana almost needs no instruction when I photograph her as she just naturally has an ability to be creative.  While I was moving the light stands I noticed her sitting back and putting her feet into the air and I thought that looked great.  I said hold that and it turned out to be one of her family's favorite shots of the morning.  I may never have thought of it on my own, so creativity of the person in front of the lens is also very important.

Just before the ceremony starts in St. Paul Catholic Church Tampa Florida first communion photography - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 1/60th - Strobist: SB-800 in brolly & SB-600 in shoot-through-umbrellaThere was not much time to shoot inside the church itself, so I quickly carried in my lights and tried to frame the best shot I could.  After this solo one of Juliana, a few family members joined her before we got the sign to wrap it up!

Speaking in front of the whole church Juliana was calm and articulate - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/4 ISO 1000 1/100th on monopodDuring the first communion ceremony I was not allowed to use flash or move around at all.  So I sat in a pew on the other side of the church, cranked up the ISO, put my Nikon on a monopod for extra stability (and to absorb the weight during the hour I was sitting) and looked for candid photograph opportunities.  To my surprise the priest asked Juliana to get up in front of the whole church (several hundred people) and give a little talk!  She did not know she would be talking either, but did great.  I was impressed with her answers and articulate responses.

Mother & daughter share a warm embrace after her first communion ceremony in Tampa Florida - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/9 ISO 200 1/250th SB-800 hotshoe mountedAfter the ceremony there was a celebration at a restaurant.  I followed them to the second location where it was time for a few warm embraces and then cake!

Deep in thought on her first communion at St. Paul Catholic Church Tampa Florida - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/7.1 ISO 200 1/125th - Strobist: SB-800 in brolly & SB-600 in shoot-through-umbrellaI always like to make a photograph of someone thinking, especially on important occasions such that 20 years from now when they look at the photo again they may remember what they were thinking, thus giving the photograph extra meaning only to them.