Wedding

Robin & Ryan Gulfport Casino Florida Wedding

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Nikon D300 Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/5.6 ISO 640 1/60th with Nikon SB-800 Speedlight hotshoe mounted TTL modeMy friend and colleague Pedro contacted me on Friday asking if I could help him out with a sudden wedding he got himself for Saturday.  I already had my own wedding Saturday evening, but as luck would have it Robin and Ryan's ceremony started and finished just in time for me to be able to still comfortably make it to my wedding.  Also, I had already asked Pedro to help me out with a wedding in September for a couple that requested a second shooter for their ceremony.  So it all worked out very neatly.

Nikon D300 Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/8 ISO 200 1/800th Nikon SB-800 Speedlight hotshoe mounted TTL modeBeing the second shooter at a wedding, as long as the main photographer is cool, is one of the cushiest gigs one can get in professional photography.  Pedro is cool, hence I felt cushy and free to really look for peripheral and closeup shots as he was capably handling the main action.  The above shot was made in the middle of a large group shot.  Using my Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D lens I was able to get in close to highlight the bride's ring and bouquet, without interfering in Pedro's wide shot of the group.

Nikon D300 Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/5.6 ISO 640 1/100th Nikon SB-800 Speedlight hotshoe mounted TTL modeWhen working as a second shooter at a wedding, your main job is to stay out of the shots of the primary photographer.  As Robin and Ryan walked down the aisle as newly anointed husband and wife, Pedro was of course in front of the couple.  I was around back making sure that I could not see Pedro in my frame, meaning I would likewise not show up in his.  I used the groom to shield me from view.

Nikon D300 Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/8 ISO 200 1/800th Nikon SB-800 Speedlight hotshoe mounted TTL modeI also love working with my Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D lens, which I pretty much exclusively did as I was only photographing during the ceremony and Pedro was covering the close up shots.  The proud father of the bride seen above was again part of a large group shot.  The 80-200mm allowed me from a distance to get up close and isolate him in a shot without anyone knowing he was actually being flanked by several family members.  Why not crop in even closer?  I really like to use negative space, and I have a style with a propensity for landscape orientation portraits.

Also, when Pedro said the wedding was at the Gulfport Casino, naturally I envisioned some Las Vegas style setting, but in reality it was just a large, historical looking ballroom.

Thanks Pedro, looking forward to reversing roles and working with you in September. 

Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center Night Wedding Portrait

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Textual illumination at Davis Art Center Ft. Myers, Florida - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens @ f/2.8 ISO 800 1/60th Strobist - Nikon SB-600 Speedlight in TTL mode on tripod to frame right triggered by commander mode

If you are looking for a cool place to make portraits at night in the Ft. Myers, Florida area, the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in the downtown area of Ft. Myers is a great place to shoot when it is all lit up.  Cylindrical structures with old names carved into them are lit up from the inside projected said names on all surrounding surfaces.  

While the reception party raged on inside after, Debbie and Matthew and I slipped out to make a few night wedding portraits.  I used off camera flash to light the couple and let my shutter speed stay open long enough to bring out some of the details in the building behind them.

If you have photographed at the art center (day or night), please include a link to your photographs in the comments below. 

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    • Golden Twilight Beach Wedding Photography on Sand Key Florida

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    A rare golden sunset for this beach wedding portrait - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 @ f/8 ISO 400 1/80th Strobist - Nikon SB-600 Speedlight @ 1/2 power on light stand to frame left triggered by Yongnuo radio remotes

    When photographing a beach wedding in Florida, you really never know what kind of sunset, if any, mother nature will provide you with that particular evening.  For Lynn and Stephen's wedding, we were treated to a very rare golden twilight sky.  Stephen wearing white along with his bride Lynn helped them not overpower the golden light, but rather blend into it.  Given such fantastic light conditions, I made sure to do my part to make the best possible wedding photographs for the newlyweds.  

    golden hair and sky - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 @ f/8 ISO 400 1/80th Strobist - Nikon SB-600 Speedlight @ 1/2 power on light stand to frame triggered by Yongnuo radio remotesAnother rarity this time was being able to see the sun make its way all the way down to the horizon itself, unobstructed by clouds.  Once I found the settings that I liked best:  f/8 ISO 400 1/80th manual mode I put a mark in the sand and just moved and had either the couple or just the bride stand on that mark for various shots.  This allows me to maximize the variety of shots I can take while the sun continues its accelerating trip to the southern hemisphere.  

    Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 @ ISO 200 1/100th Strobist - Nikon SB-600 Speedlight @ 1/2 power on light stand to frame rightNow I am not one for gimmick photographs like drawing hearts in sand, etc.  However, the heart in the above photograph was already there in basically in their path so I asked them if they wanted to include it in the shot.  They said yes and we were able to make this shot on the first take.  How do you feel about including things like hearts drawn in the sand?  

    Thanks to mother nature and Stephen and Lynn for making this a unique and colorful wedding photography experience.

    Gateway Church St Petersburg Wedding with Bianca & Derrick

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    Treasure Island Yacht & Tennis Club docks provides the background for this wedding portraitYou may recognize Bianca as I recently featured her in my new Bride Series.  She married Derrick at the Gateway Church in St. Petersburg.  Their reception was at the Treasure Island Yacht & Tennis Club, a place I photographed at twice before (New Year's Eve, Admiral Farragut Graduation 2010).

    Bianca and Derrick take their vows inside Gateway Church in St. Petersburg, Florida

    Bianca and Derrick were about as ideal as wedding clients could get for me.  First and foremost, Bianca wanted non-traditional photographs and trusted my candid style to let me tell the story of her wedding through my own artistic vision.  Also, they are super friendly people and though I had only met them once before their wedding, I already felt like friends with them and that I was not photographing a stranger's wedding, but people I already had some kind of connection with.  Again, this is ideal for me.

    We would all eventually get stuck at a long drawbridge before reaching the reception on Treasure Island!It also really helped that I was very familiar with the Treasure Island Yacht & Tennis Club.  I knew exactly where I wanted to take them for some quick outdoor shots (see top photo) before we all melted in the searing midday Florida sun.  I am really glad we all made the effort because the lead shot above turned out to be Bianca's favorite.  

    Hershey's Kisses cleverly placed amongst diamondsThere was plenty of time to get all the shots I wanted.  I could even use my macro lens some to get the above detail shot of the centerpiece to Derrick and Bianca's table at the reception.  As a child I would very carefully unwrap Hershey's kisses and save the white label for some reason.  

    One of these would soon be in my stomach.Cupcakes have become a huge dessert trend in the U.S. over the past few years.  The above cupcakes were laid out on a multi-tiered tray in the reception ballroom and I eyed them immediately.  Walking past them from three feet away I could still literally smell their sweetness.  As my time photographing their wedding came to a close, I was ecstatic that Bianca said I could take one home with me.  Little did she know I might have photographed her entire wedding for a tray of those cupcakes rather than cash money.  Maybe.

    the flower girl ruled the dance floorThe last thing I photographed was some very lively dancing buy the reception guests.  The DJ knew how to get a lot of people up and moving.  However, everyone made way for this boy and the flower girl and to my surprise he was twirling her and doing complicated dance moves!  I always like the last shot I take while on a job to be a high note, and the kids above made that easy this time.

    I thank Derrick and Bianca again for choosing me as their wedding photographer!

    Bride Series - Bianca

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    Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens @ f/8 ISO 400 1/60th Nikon SB-800 Speedlight off camera held by assistant

    When photographing a wedding, it starts and ends with the bride.  After all, she is the best dressed.  The Bride Series will mostly feature photographs of the bride alone.  As is my style, I like to photograph people, and that goes for brides too, while they are thinking of something other than being photographed.  In the above shot, I did ask Bianca to step close to the mirror for the composition of the shot.  The expression is her own.

    Nikon D300 with Nikkor AF-S 105mm VR micro f/2.8G lens @ f/8 ISO 400 1/60th Nikon SB-800 Speedlight on hotshoe

    The above photo was made in a similar way to the lead photo.  I told Bianca I would like a photo of her ring up near her face.  I helped position her fingers (spreading them out more) and she and the fabulous Nikkor 105mm VR micro lens did the rest.  The viewer is left to guess what is on her mind.  Even I do not know.  My job as the photographer is merely to pose the question.  

    Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens @ f/8 ISO 400 1/60th Nikon SB-800 Speedlight off camera held by assistant

    After Bianca was already, I suggested she plop down on the sofa and relax.  She purposefully wanted me to get her red shoes in the shot.  This church had pretty much the nicest bathroom I had ever seen.  Are all women's bathrooms like this??

    Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 @ f/8 ISO 400 1/60th Nikon SB-800 Speedlight on hotshoeHer father really stood out in his hipster white jacket.  He also had a great smile, so I was drawn to photographing him.  They were not dancing alone on the dance floor.  The challenge is to find an angle that has no distracting background.  Though I was able to frame the shot with no other people in it, the wall itself was somewhat distracting so I chose the antique plate II filter in Silver Efex Pro to put the emphasis on father and daughter, not corners and panels.

    Nikon D300 Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D lens @ f/4 ISO 640 1/125th Nikon SB-800 Speedlight on hotshoeThis photograph is a true candid.  Taken with my faithful Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D lens @ the full 200mm (300mm equivalent) I was not even in Bianca's sightline.  I noticed her through the crowd taking a moment for herself.  

    What do you think was on her mind?

    Stormy Rainbow Sunset Beach Florida Wedding

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    Rainbow on their wedding night! Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 250 1/125th strobist - Nikon SB-800 on light stand

    Storms were surrounding Sunset Beach on Treasure Island, Florida that evening.  They were rolling on from the west, and from the south, most unusual.  However, Lynda and David were to be married under the open sky right on the beach.  Fortunately, the ceremony was not a long one, and all we saw in the distance was a rainbow, not lightning.

    Sand pouring ceremony Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 250 1/125th Nikon SB-800 hotshoe mounted TTL modeLynda and David were a very elegant and polite couple.  Photographing them was a pleasure.  I was glad that David wore a dark blue jacket to contrast nightly with the white of Lynda's dress.  They ended their wedding ceremony by pouring sand into a heart shaped glass keepsake.  

    Lifting the bride! Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 250 1/125th strobist - Nikon SB-800 Speedlight on light standIn a way, I kind of prefer shooting on the beach with stormy skies rather than a pure sunset.  The former make for a dramatic backdrop and adds energy and dynamism to a shot.  Standing on the beach we can feel the surrounding energy too, and the slight element of danger.  Nevertheless, Lynda was willing to show off her quite good vertical leap.  We were able to get the above shot on just the third take.

    westward is peaceful Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 250 1/125th strobist - Nikon SB-800 Speedlight on light standYou may have noticed I used the same settings for all four shots: 

    • aperture - f/8
    • ISO - 250 (I confess this might be a mistake, probably meant ISO 200)
    • shutter speed - 1/125th
    • exposure - manual mode
    • strobe power - 1/2 (manual mode & off camera flash, save for one shot) 

    So if you find yourself shooting on a stormy evening on the beach facing westward, try giving those settings a try and post a link to your shots in the comments below.

    The storm?  Not a drop fell until I was already in my Lexus listening to Common take me home.

    Morning Wedding at Sunset Beach on Treasure Island

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    Lots of setup for this shot - Nikon D300 Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D lens @ f/4 ISO 200 1/500th strobist: SB-600 off camera @ 1/2 powerMost of the weddings I have been photographing lately have been on the beach at sunset.  This one was also on the beach, but in the late morning.  Even in May this mean we would feel the Florida sun's near full wrath.  I was of course clad in synthetic breathable materials, very breathable.  The bride, however, was in a beautiful but no doubt not breathable wedding dress.  So I made sure we made for what shade there was to get shots like the above, that both gave cover from the strong sun rays as well as softer light.  That shot also took a good amount of time to setup, making sure the hand placement was flattering, the strobe was coming in at the best angle, all while I was quite far away shooting with my Nikkor AF ED 80-200mm f/2.8D lens, at the full 200mm.  I wanted a shallow DoF (depth of field) for the shot requiring me to use a large aperture and long focal length.

    Braving the sun - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 @ f/11 ISO 200 1/500th strobist: SB-600 on light stand to left 1/2 powerThe sky was very blue that morning and the sea, BP oil free still, very green.  One is usually always pressed for time when doing the formal shots after the wedding ceremony, all the more so when guests are under threat of melting.  The bride, Cathie, and her maid-of-honor were the only two in full wedding attire.  I tried to work as fast as I could to get the shots they wanted of the two of them together.  We were in direct sunlight for the above shot, no diffuser.  

    Gulf of Mexico backdrop - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 @ f/11 ISO 200 1/640th SB-600 hot shoe mounted in TTL modeIn the end everyone survived, though perhaps a pound or two lighter.  The wedding reception was to be at Ft. Desoto Park, where I am sure Cathie was happy to finally be out of wedding dress!