Monthly Archives: April 2012
“JOEY” Senior Portraits – Orlando Florida Portrait Photographer
I was contacted by Joey’s parents to take his Senior portraits after they were disappointed by the proofs they got back from the high school’s studio photographers. We talked about Joey’s style and how he was a drummer in a band. It was important to him and his family that his portraits reflect his hobbies and interests and I loved that Joey wanted to incorporate his drum set into his portraits. We decided on a location that would provide us with a variety of backgrounds and options to make his portraits really pop. I was so pleased that Joey also brought along his long board and several clothing options as well, so I could help him suggest the clothes that worked best in the various settings.
Throughout the portrait session, I got to know Joey and his family and fell in love with their sense of humor. No doubt about it, Joey is one cool senior and I was honored to be able to take his portraits and help him remember his senior year.
Congratulations on your upcoming graduation, Joey!
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“You get what you pay for” – The real cost of not hiring a true wedding professional.
You get what you pay for…so the saying goes, but these days everybody is on a budget. When planning a wedding or event, a budget is key to making your dream become a reality, but having a good idea of how to measure cost -vs.-quality when dealing with vendors is very important for couples to understand. Being thrifty and working on a budget to plan your wedding is a good thing, but knowing where not to cut corners is also essential in planning a good celebration. When planning your wedding hiring true professionals, with experience may cost you more in the end, but you can’t measure their worth, as I have seen what happens when brides and grooms try to cut corners to save cost by hiring vendors that are not invested in their businesses full-time. Not hiring an experienced professional will cost you a lot more than money in the end…
Here are some of the many examples I have been witness to, in my years of working weddings.
At one wedding the cake was late (2 hours) and when it arrived, it had been finished in marshmallow fluff, not fondant or buttercream and in just a few minutes, I noticed it was sloping. I quickly grabbed up the bride and groom and we were able to get a few cake shots before the entire top slid right off the table, onto the floor, while the bride and groom watched in horror!
Last summer, I worked a wedding in which the flowers for the reception and the wedding party didn’t show at all! The bride was in a panic, as the groom drove to the actual florists store, only to find they were closed and nobody was answering calls! They had already made the final payment for the flowers and were out all that money. Meanwhile, the groom had to go on a mad dash to find another florist locally who could pull something together for their event in just a few hours! The bride and groom lost a lot of money, and it caused a lot of drama for the poor bride and groom.
One bride hired what she thought was a professional DJ. Throughout the night, I was shocked and amazed as this “DJ” not only played horrible, dated music and had to ask the bride and groom for their song list right before the reception, but I caught him repeatedly sneaking off to take shots of Jagermeister from the open bar. After about 2 hours of drinking, he began ranting over the microphone, reminiscent of a scene from the “Wedding Singer”, telling the guests, “They only paid me to be here for 10 more minutes, but because I love all of you so much, and I’m having such a great time, I’m gonna stay and play ONE MORE SONG…!” He promised, “ONE MORE SONG” for another hour and a half, to my shock and horror!
I have seen the result time and time again of hiring a friend or family member to do your wedding portraits…blurry, low-quality images, that can’t be repaired. I often am told by brides that they love my work, but they found another “professional” photographer who was willing to shoot an 8 hour wedding and give them a CD for $700, not understanding that anyone who will do a wedding for that price, is NOT a professional, and will NOT offer professional products, or magazine-quality editing.
You only get one shot at making sure your day is perfect! Why not hire trusted professionals, who know what it takes to get the job done the right way? Can you place a value on the peace of mind you will have knowing that your wedding day will be stress-free, because the vendors you hired are experienced and professional, and are there with the one goal of making our dream day a reality. I found another blog website that really has some great feedback on how you get what you pay for when you hire a professional. It’s worth the read. http://everylastdetailblog.com/2010/08/19/thursday-tips-you-get-what-you-pay-for/
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Newborn Portrait Session, Orlando, FL Photographer – Welcome Baby “Q”
Every time I am invited into a home to photograph the first images of a new family I feel honored. No matter how many newborns I photograph, I get excited when the door to the home opens and I am presented with a tiny life to marvel at for a moment. Ahhh, baby love. Is there anything better? I have to admit, it is pretty great to spend a few hours getting to know a family as they bond together and fall more in love. It always takes me back to those precious moments my husband and I shared with our three boys.
One of my favorite images happened when dad picked up the baby and gave him a simple, but powerful kiss on his forehead. Ahhh, baby love…It doesn’t get any better for me than “Q” and his adorable family!
During my time spent with baby “Q” and his family, I watched them interact and saw such love and admiration for one another. Some of my favorite moments happen when you snuggle that baby right in-between mom and dad and let the magic happen. I watched the way his parents smiled at each other, then looked at that precious baby boy they had created, stroked his soft skin or kissed each other, and without a word being spoken, we all felt all the love in that room!
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Posted in Newborn Portraits
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Senior Portraits – TOP 5 Reasons to Step Away From Studio-Style Senior Portraits!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from parents of Seniors and other folk my age who say, “Where were you when we had our Senior portraits done, back in the day”? Everyone I know who is my age or older HATES their Senior portrait from high school. I am also one of those unfortunate few who also missed out on the opportunity to be photographed in a way that would represent the person I really was way back in 1992, when I was graduating. My portraits were done by the same team that still works in the high-schools today, setting up their studio and pushing out cookie-cutter, traditional poses and parents continue to buy them, because they don’t know about the alternatives.
I am subjecting myself to embarrassment by posting my very own photo for you to compare. My Senior portraits were so sad! I look at that curly-haired girl and see what the studio wanted me to see, but if I had the chance to express myself in portraits like I offer today to Seniors, I would have certainly brought along some fun clothes, some fun props and made sure that my session took place at a spot that had sentimental or special meaning for me during those high-school years.
This photo is wrong on so many levels…the shirt…the metal grate in the background…the HAIR…the afro! Oh my! But, what did I expect? This was the best option I had back in the day, unless I went to Glamour Shots!
But today, we live in the land of digital overload, and we have so many options available to make our lives better…and help us avoid having to re-live the embarrassment of Senior portraits like mine, in the future. I have put together a list of some of the “Top 5 Reasons Seniors Should Avoid Studio Portraits.”
Top 5 Reasons to Step Away From Traditional Studio Sr. Portraits:
#1. IT’S ALL ABOUT CHOICE – YOU get to choose your photographer! Every photographer has their own artistic eye, and having the choice to choose WHO does your picture ensures your images will be more like you envisioned. Select a photographer who you connect with, and who you trust to capture the essence of YOU!
#2. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION – On-location photographers know the best spots and locations and can recommend locations that will give you a variety of looks and go well with your style. Want Urban-chic, Edgy, Rustic and outdoor? Do you play football and want to be photographed on your High School football field? Do you surf and want beach portraits? These are YOUR portraits, so you can have the best of location options to enhance your portraits.
#3. RELAX – Your poses will be natural and should look like you would naturally look, not posed and stiff! A good photographer will assist with helping you look relaxed, or capturing you as you are, naturally.
#4. TIME – A portrait session with an on-location photographer, allows you ample time to be photographed in a variety of settings, with a variety of different looks and clothing.
#5. LOOK YOUR BEST – A good photographer will make sure each and every image is perfect before they are presented to their client. This means, you don’t have to worry if you have a blemish, or a hair is out of place. With professional retouching, the images will be magazine-quality and perfect every time!
The most important thing on the list is CHOICE! You have the choice to decide how you are remembered! After all, it’s your story…how do you want to tell it?
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Posted in Senior Portraits
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