Wedding

A Twilight Wedding on Sunset Beach Treasure Island Florida

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Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 @ f/8 ISO 400 1/80th Strobist: Nikon SB-800 Speedlight @ 1/2 power on light stand to frame leftI wonder if any wedding dress makers offer dresses made particularly for (hot) Florida beach weddings?  Many of the brides I photograph do a great job of getting around on loose sand in long flowing dresses, but I am sure glad to be wearing ultralight wicking materials rather than a highly non-breathable wedding dress.  Callie, as you will see, was still quite nimble despite the longish train of her wedding dress.

Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 @ f/5.6 ISO 400 1/60th Nikon SB-800 Speedlight hotshoe mountedMost of the time for beach weddings I do not see the bride and groom until they are standing on the beach just before the ceremony.  They often come from out of state and do not hire me for any photography before the ceremony.  However, for Callie and Joey's wedding I got on the scene even before Callie donned her wedding dress so the above photograph shows the moment all the finishes touches to attire, hair and makeup were completed.  This also allowed me to get to know Callie a little before her wedding, which is a big plus for me as a photographer.  

Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 @ f/5.6 ISO 400 1/60th Strobist: Nikon SB-800 Speedlight @ 1/2 power on light stand to frame leftNot only did Callie and Joey reserve photography time for before the beach wedding ceremony, but also for a time after sunset too.  No other beach bride from this summer has a portrait like the one above because no others reserved after sunset time for photography.  After the sun goes down, often the sky turns purple with hues of orange.  Add to that that Callie, shoeless, was willing to scramble up some jetties, all this enabled me to make basically the exact shot I pre-visioned.  

Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 @ f/5 ISO 200 1/30th Strobist: Nikon SB-800 Speedlight @ 1/2 power on light stand to frame leftWe even had time for a few well after sunset portraits with Callie and her bridesmaids.  Again, this kind of photograph was a first for me this summer.  It was also a very fun series of shots to end the night on.  After the shot above, Callie and her friends put on their "silly faces" I believe they called them.  I will keep those shots offline though . . . thanks Callie and Joey for a very fun and creative evening of beach wedding photography.

Urban Wedding Engagement Portraits in downtown St. Petersburg

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Improvising using the one-way sign - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/5.6 ISO 400 1/100th Strobist: Nikon SB-800 Speedlight with diffuser cap 1/2 power on light stand above and to frame left Nikon SB-600 Speedlight 1/4 power with diffuser cap on tripod eye level to frame right

Back in May I had an engagement shoot with Mary and Jason at the often used University of Tampa campus.  They were wanting to add a few unique, urban shots to their engagement package so I had them meet me in downtown St. Petersburg one evening.  I had a few spots in mind to use, but as often happens, my favorite shot of the day came via improvisation and just happening upon something.  We were finished with one location and walking toward a corner and I thought a lone one-way sign could be a great prop.  I set up my two strobes and shared my vision with Jason and Mary.  After several tries they both performed their roles just as I had envisioned and the result was one of my favorite shots of the summer.

Improvising using the one-way sign - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/5.6 ISO 400 1/100th Strobist: Nikon SB-800 Speedlight with diffuser cap 1/2 power on light stand above and to frame left Nikon SB-600 Speedlight 1/4 power with diffuser cap on tripod behind and belowThe experimentation continued with adding more urban elements into the shot like a fire hydrant and traffic light.  I further pushed things by using a filter in Topaz Adjust 3 to achieve the vivid, painted look.  This was also one of the first times to use one strobe for backlighting/hair lighting (seen in the glowing edge around Mary).  This is a technique I will definitely be repeating.  

Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D @ f/3.5 ISO 200 1/100th Strobist: Nikon SB-800 Speedlight with diffuser cap 1/2 power on light stand above and to frame left Nikon SB-600 Speedlight 1/4 power with diffuser cap on tripod eye level to frame rightThe engagement shoot was a very fun and creative experience for me and I got to know Mary and Jason a little bit better before their upcoming September wedding.  I am looking forward to photographing their big day!

Tranquil Florida Wedding on Sunset Beach Treasure Island

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I hope they do not mind the guest in their Sunset Beach wedding portrait!After many stormy evenings out on Pinellas County's Gulf of Mexico beaches, Maria and Michael's wedding night weather was tranquil, as was everything about their wedding.  On a week day evening Sunset Beach on Treasure Island is largely empty, save for shore birds and a passing dolphin or two.  

The bride before her wedding, photo helped out by a timely wind gust

All this was a relief to me not having to worry about having the wedding ceremony and time for photography cut short by an imposing thunderstorm.  The nearly empty beach also allowed me to choose backgrounds at will.  I could concentrate more on the lighting and composition.  I even had time to wait for the wind to catch Maria's dress.

Maria continued my perfect streak of having nothing but utterly pleasant brides to photograph and work withI really like to have negative space in portraits when shooting them in either landscape or portrait orientation, especially when there are two people in the portrait.  Filling the frame is great for portraits as well, but when shooting on location at the beach, I think in a vast majority of the shots showing the beach as the background is best.  I could crop in on the above shot to create perhaps a more personal image, but then who would know they were at the beach?

An increasingly requested shot -- couple facing the sea with backs to the camera

Having the portrait subject not looking into the lens directly, or having the subject's face not visible at all is a shot I like to include in any portrait session to help create in the future a sense of wonder.  Not wonder in like Wizard of Oz wonder, but rather in making the subject wonder what they were thinking as they looked upon the vast sea, holding her/his wedded partner's hand for the first time.  If they can remember, how does it compare to the present?  

Thanks to Maria and Michael for a calm, creative evening of photography.

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!