I promised more from this shoot, and here it is! This really has to be one of my favorite photo shoots to date. Thank you, Vanessa and Jimmy, for being so creative, fun, and willing to try anything! (The bugs were fierce that day!) There's just something super fun about taking furniture out in random places. I love it! Being prepared with props and ideas for your shoot really makes all the difference. I can't wait to see all the details Vanessa comes up with for their wedding at Nova 535, which will feature a vintage birdcage theme. (Carried over into their e-session! Check out her awesome birdcage she brought along, seen in several of the photos.) Many thanks again to my assistant, Jori, who always brings a smile to those around her, and makes my job so much easier! Enjoy the slideshow... :)

Yesterday I had two completely different photo sessions, both with wonderful people I'm so happy to have met!  

I started the day off with the beautiful Fishman family.  We headed down to Ballast Point Park in Tampa, and although I thought we might be a little chilly with our morning start time, it quickly warmed up to be a truly perfect day!  I don't know how I get so lucky, meeting all these wonderful people, but I could just tell that this family loves each other so much.  It was a joy just spending time with them and watching them interact and play together. Of course I must mention the main reason for this photo shoot was to celebrate Mr. and Mrs. Fishman's 30th wedding anniversary.  Congratulations!!  Here are a few sneak peeks for you...more to come soon!

 

After I finished up with the Fishman family I repacked and headed out to Seffner to meet up with Jimmy and Vanessa.  I'd been talking with Vanessa for weeks about ideas for their engagement session, and was soooo looking forward to their shoot!  The first time I met Vanessa I felt that instant *click!*  We were both totally on the same page as far as our tastes in photography, clothing, and even guilty pleasure TV.  (She mentioned chandelier earrings, and I immediately thought of Lily's wedding earrings on Gossip Girl.  Vanessa then told me that was her inspiration!  LOVE IT!)  So when Vanessa told me she'd purchased an antique couch just for their photo shoot, I was even more excited.  She also brought along her vintage bird cage (part of her wedding theme), I found an old trunk that belonged to my mom, we added in some velvety pillows, picnic gear, and a few old books, and we had the makings of a truly fabulous e-session!  We set everything up on Jimmy's parents' property.  It was absolutely perfect, tranquil, and picturesque.  (We had a few close calls with insects and biting creatures, but prevailed!)  Here are a few images from our afternoon of fun, but there's much more to come!  I just had to post some because I'm too excited not to!  Thank you so much, Vanessa and Jimmy, for a spectacular and inspiring afternoon.  I can't wait to shoot your wedding next May!!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of traipsing around Orlando with Justin and Suzanne, taking photos to celebrate their engagement.  Suzanne looked fabulous in her colorful dresses and rockin' makeup done at the MAC counter, Justin was lookin' good in his clothing selections (LOVED the shoes!!), and they were both super prepared with props and clothing changes.  My kind of couple!!  I especially loved the balloons they brought...I think they add such a fun pop of color!  We only ran into a little bit of rain, but it only lasted a few minutes, just enough to give us the perfect puddles for reflections.  I had a great time with them, and I know we're going to have a blast on their wedding day next March!  Congrats, Suzanne and Justin!! 

View their slideshow by clicking HERE.

Where has September gone??  I guess I should say, where did it go?  I think I was actually home maybe 5 days out of the month, and the rest was spent traveling.  It was an amazing month, for sure!  I have lots of pix to post from Machu Picchu, Lima, Washington DC, New York City, and Toronto, plus a wedding in Orlando that I shot for Abby Liga somewhere in the middle of all that! 

In a perfect world I'd just blog all of these in order so it makes chronological sense...but it's not and I'm not and there ya have it!  :)

So tonight I've decided to post some images from Lisa and Paul's engagement session in Toronto.  I happily tagged along with Carolina Araujo as she photographed this fantastic couple whose wedding she'll be shooting tomorrow.  (Lucky them!)  We started off in the Distillery District in downtown Toronto, then headed to Kensington Market to wrap up the afternoon.  While the forecast had predicted rain all day, it seemed to clear up just for us during our few hours of shooting, and we had a great time!  (The wind just made it more fun in my opinion!)  Carolina's husband, Alex, was the best support crew anyone could ask for, and he even makes a cameo appearance in on of the photos below...can you spot him??

These are actually the first photos to appear on my blog using my new camera! (The beautiful Canon 5D Mark II...le sigh.)  I'm soooo excited to have this amazing tool to help me realize my artistic vision more fully...yay for technology!  

And now I'll leave you with a few images from the e-session.  Good night for now, and I'll try to post more September goodness soon!  :)

We found this cool old truck in the Distillery District...why don't we have more random trucks sitting around Tampa?

What a gorgeous couple....they both have such pretty eyes!

The wind was COLD, but I love how it adds so much energy to the images!

Who could that be walking in the background?  ;)

The Kensington Market area was so colorful and fun!

A great view of CN Tower from the top of a parking garage ended our e-session.  Thanks for letting me tag along!!

 

Most of my photo sessions take place in the late afternoon and evening to take advantage of the softer light, but with all of the afternoon rains we've been having lately, Tania, Andre and I decided we'd meet up and do a morning session just to be safe.  You'd think it would be cooler in the morning, right?  Not so on this particular Sunday!  It was so hot and humid that we were all sweating the moment we stepped outside the coolness of our air conditioned vehicles!  I think what made it worse was the absolute lack of any breeze whatsoever.  But looking at the images below, would you even guess that this fabulous couple was anything other than perfectly comfortable, content, and enjoying a gorgeous morning together at the stables?  Andre and Tania ROCKED IT! 

As we walked around the stables where both Tania and Andre work, their story unfolded: she had started taking riding lessons there to get her mind off a recent breakup, and he was a riding instructor there.  (He had been a professional competitor and champion while living in Brazil, where he's from...so cool!)  Their romance didn't begin immediately...years went by before they ever went on a date.  But once things heated up for this cool couple, that was it!  They knew they were meant for each other, and now their wedding is only a couple of months away!  Tania also occasionally works at the stables now, helping take care of the horses and offering her pet sitting services to the boarders.  Even more exciting is that they just closed on their first home, right across the street from the stables!  We just had to take a few photos there, and I love how they turned out.

I couldn't be more excited for them....they really are beautiful people inside and out, and I just know their future is a bright one.  Congratulations, Tania and Andre!!  I can't wait to shoot your wedding!  :)

I thought this was so cute!!  Looks like their horses are kissing, too!  Heehee. 

Isn't Florida weather great?  We've been having afternoon/evening storms every day lately (normal here) but a lot of times you can't really tell where exactly they're going to hit.  So even though the forecast called for 60% chance of thunderstorms, I figured it'd be better to take a chance and drive on down to Siesta Key to meet Stefanie and Marty rather than cancel the whole session.

Stefanie and Marty drove down (18hrs!) from New Jersey earlier this week to vacation and relax in one of their favorite states.  (I'm betting they move down here sooner than later!)  Rescheduling wasn't a good option with their limited timeframes, but I was getting REALLY nervous as my assistant, Misty, and I drove into a HUGE thunder storm, only 15 min from our destination!

Miraculously, the skies parted and we made it through the rain and lighting.  We could still hear thunder in the distance as we began shooting, but the rest of the evening was just perfect.  Well, aside from being super hot, but that's normal, too!

Stef and Marty were up for anything, and rocked their session despite the heat, threat of rain, smelly dumpsters, crowded beach, and the mystery bug that sneaked into my car!  Thank you both for being so awesome!

Hope you enjoy the pix! 

 

Not much time to write now, but I just had to post a couple from this morning's sunrise engagement session with Holly and Ryan in Washington, DC. We were supposed to shoot yesterday afternoon, but the rainy weather prompted us to reschedule for today....at sunrise!  I'll admit it was a little painful waking up at 4:15am, but once we got out there, I was soooo excited, I didn't want to stop shooting!  I think our adventure around the city lasted almost four hours.  Whew! Holly and Ryan were absolutely amazing, and I can't wait to get back to Tampa so I can sort through all their photographs and post some more.  :)

After we finished shooting, I spent the afternoon at the National Zoo (pandas!!!), and now I'm super tired and ready for a good dinner.  My good friend Dervon is taking me and another friend, Rich (the Belize crew!) out to Oya.  She says it's pretty amazing, and I can't wait! 

Here are a couple of Holly and Ryan....you guys are amazing!!!  I'll be posting more soon! 

 

And now, ladies and gentlemen, Cecilee and Jason's engagement session slideshow! Again, I had such a great time with you guys. You totally rock! Enjoy the show! :)

***CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW***

Today I had the pleasure of spending a gorgeous Florida afternoon hanging out with Cecilee and Jason, a sweet and fun couple down on vacation from Chicago.  I feel honored they chose me as their photographer for their engagement photos!  We met up at a quaint renovated train depot in Venice, FL, then made our way through historic Venice, and finally down to Caspersen Beach.  The weather couldn't have been more perfect!  I'm super tired, and still have yet to pack for my trip to Las Vegas tomorrow (huge photography convention, WPPI!) but I was so excited about our engagement session today that I had to post just a few previews.  Cecilee aand Jason, you were absolutely FANTASTIC!  I can't wait to get back from my trip so I can get to editing the rest of of your images for you.  I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip in FL before heading back to coooold Chicago!  Brrr.  Enjoy the photos!  :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last week I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with Barbara and Camille, shooting photos to celebrate their engagement. (Well, they're going to be married next month, so there wasn't much time left to get them done and still be called "engagement photos!")

As the story goes (it's a little different depending on who's telling it!) Barbara picked Camille up at a gas station a few years ago. She thought he was cute and started up a conversation. I guess it was a good talk, because they just keep on adding to their story!

We had such a great time walking around the University of Tampa. The campus is absolutely gorgeous, and the architecture stunning. The school used to be a hotel, completed in 1891 by Henry B. Plant. I wish I'd been around then to see the hotel in all of its glory, busy with the comings and goings of the rich and elite at the turn of the century. (Yes, I get a little romantic thinking about the past!) Right, back to the present! Enjoy the slideshow, and congrats, Barbara and Camille!!

 

 

Christen and Clay are such an awesome couple!

We spent a perfect afternoon cruising around their turf in St. Pete where Christen grew up, and they both now live. They actually met while attending school at USF in St. Pete, so of course we had to make a quick stop at the campus. I think my favorite part of the shoot had to be at the end where Christen and Clay took a ride on their scooter! (Although I also thought it was fun chasin' the birds away from their pie....yes, someone was feeding a pie to the birds!) To all their friends and family, this scooter is a part of who they are, and they can be seen scootin' around St. Pete quite a bit on the weekends. So keep an eye out for them! LOL

I also have to give a HUGE thanks to Will Hawkins for comin' out at the last min and assisting me! He was a huge help and totally saved the day! Thank you, Will, you ROCK!! :D

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

***CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW***

Congratulations to Brooke and Tom!  They're getting married on February 7th, 2009, at the Chapel by the Sea in Clearwater.  We had such a great time on their engagement session! 

It's normal for it to take a few minutes for couples to get relaxed in front of the camera...I mean, it's not every day you have someone up in your face, documenting your kissing and cuddling, never mind just being yourself!  When we first met up, Brooke laughingly warned me that it would take some time for her and Tom to relax into the session.  Um...I'd say it took them all of 30 seconds!  I'd swear that they'd done this before!  Brooke worked it like a true super model, and Tom was relaxed, natural, and ready to try anything we suggested. They made it so easy for me!

I'm really happy with the photos, and I can't wait to shoot their wedding!  Like I already told Brooke, if their engagement photos were this hot, then their wedding pictures are going to be on fire! 

***CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW***