Engagement signature books

I wanted to share just a few spreads from a recent engagement album I finished. They are so easy to design because there is alot of white negative space that is intentionaly left that way so guests can sign and comment. Gone are the days of unpersonalized boring white traditional guests books with full of empty lines!

Engagement books make a great keepsake and I think it is something couples will enjoy over and over again for years to come. I include these in most of my packages, but if there is a couple who would like a book but had someone else take their engagement photos, I'd be more than happy to design and provide this book to you! Please email me for more info. I love these books so much! ;)

Tips in shooting your first wedding

"Help! I've booked my first wedding! Please help me with any photography tips!"

We have all been there and have asked this question. It is both exciting and nerve wrecking at the same time. Even photographers who have been shooting wedding for years still may feel a little nervous before arriving to the ceremony and start the day. A million thoughts goes through ones head. How's the lighting in the church? The reception? Make sure you get all the formals. Make sure you take pictures of the details. What poses should I ask the bride and groom to do next? And so on and so forth......

Tip #1 - Know how to use your camera in different lighting conditions

The lighting conditions change in a wedding like you wouldn't believe.

Example: The bride and groom walking up the aisle in a church after the ceremony and then the church doors open, exposing them to brighter light as they exit. This is what I mean about a dramatic change in light. You were most likely using a high ISO, wider aperture, and lower shutter speeds to capture available light inside the church as they exit. Then the doors open. You know that they would be severely over-exposed if you left your settings the same. You only have a split second to think about changing your settings as the bride and groom are approaching you to exit.

The first thing I would do is increase my shutter speed, then change my aperture. It is alot easier for me to manipulate my shutter speed first. Since they are now exposed to brighter light, increase your shutter speed. You do not have to shoot wide open in bright light, so change your aperture as well and increase it. My final step is changing the ISO. When shooting outdoors, I usually keep my ISO in one setting, between 100 and 200, and just worry about my shutter speeds and f-stops.

Tip #2 - Have a shot list handy

I ask all my brides to fill out a form that lists the formal shots in order of importance. That way, in case we run out of time during formals, I at least have all the important shots. If I missed the bride and flower girl alone due to time constraints, I can always get that shot during the reception. It is alot harder to try to get the bride and groom's family together later in the day, so it is best to start out the formals with this type of shot and work your way down.

Make note of the important details the bride lists she wants shots of. This may include: Her something old, something new, something blue, and something borrowed. As you shoot more weddings, looking for these details to photograph will come naturally, so you may not need to have a details shot list handy with you all the time.

Tip #3 - Scout out the locations

If I know I will be shooting at a ceremony or reception location that I've never shot at before, I love to arrive a little early and scout out the locations. This makes me feel more prepared and I make mental notes as to which spots I would like to shoot at that location.

Tip #4 - Wear two hats

If the couple decided not to hire a wedding coordinator, be prepared to play a part of this roll. The bride and groom will be looking to you to tell them what to do next. This is especially true during the family formals. You will have to coordinate the groups and direct where you want everyone to be. If the bride is running late getting ready, you will have to politely step up and remind her that her Limo is waiting outside. You'll have to constantly keep track of the time to make sure things run smoothly and that you have snapped all the important details of the day.

Tip #5 - Be prepared

Make sure you have back up equipment and extra's of everything. Have an umbrella with you if you know the forecast predicts rain. You may need to step outside while shooting and you don't want your gear to get soaked and shut down on you. Be sure to get an itinerary or wedding agenda from the bride and groom so you know what's happening next. Have your route planned out if you are traveling from the ceremony to the reception. Have fresh batteries in your flashes before the reception. Have batteries and memory cards handy in case you run out during the first dances. You don't want to leave your gear on the other side of the room and have to run over to get what you need during the dances. Some photographers choose not to use tripods. But if you are in a really dark area that restricts the use of flash, and you lack a steady hand, that tripod is going to be your best friend.

There are so many more things to keep in mind but I can't list them all here. Feel free to contribute to this post. Most importantly, remember to have fun, smile and be confident :)

Fresh salt ocean air

toes digging into the soft, moist sand...there is something about spending time at the beach during the warm evening hours. The temperature is perfect in every way.

This week, I caught a little cold. It's in the beginning stages so I'm really trying to fight it, but just looking through all the beautiful photos from Sunday's beach session makes me feel so much better :)

We are headed to Tallahasee this weekend for a wedding and from what I hear, it is going to be Freeeeezing! Not complaining though, I love the cold weather and I'll be sure to bundle up in my oh so fabulous winter coat that I bought on sale at JC Penny's, and stylin with cute scarves! ;)

Happy Friday!

New Smyrna Beach engagement, Part 2

Paula & Jonathan engagement Part 2...a little sneak preview from today.

It was nice to experience some warmth and sunshine after a streak of cooler days. This photo makes me happy :)

Love

Love is about the little things in one's relationship.

It's not all about the kissing, the make outs, the sex. (ok so a little about the sex ;)

It's the little things that make it whole. The inside jokes, the looks between the both of you that only you two can understand, the late night conversations, the quirkiness in each other and sillyness, sharing philosofical conversations about life and about absolutely randomness that have no importance what so ever lol, little love notes to each other that are collected and treasured in shoe boxes.

Every now and then, there are songs that just get to me and make me smile, and even make me cry a little, because it makes me feel so happy and in love even more with my husband.

I discovered Joshua Radin and Skyler Fisk (up and coming artist) 4 years ago. I love their style of music. It's down to earth, soothing, and romantic. I love this song with all my heart because it perfectly describes love, and it always makes me cry a little, because I think we all deserve this type of love in our lives, and it makes me feel so thankful.

I love her so much!!! Be sure to check out her link that I included. It is to her myspace page. The best of her songs are there. One of my other favorites is called: The Good Stuff :)

My newest addition...

to my never ending collection of accessories! I love this headband with all my heart. I bought it from a very talented seller at Etsy.com You can find all things vintage and handmade there. It is the greatest site for custom items and unique things that ever existed!

I am a huge, HUGE fan of peacocks. It is such an exotic bird and I love all the brilliant and bold colors. I especially love the patterns on it's feathers. I would never buy the real feathers for beauty's sake because I love animals too much and I think it's wrong to kill an animal for clothing or accessories. But now a days, they make imitation quite good.

I was actually thinking of having a custom logo made that incorporates peacock elements. How cool would that be! and it would fit my personality perfectly :) I have a lot of ideas for that and creating a brand out of a peacocks color palette. It may sound really weird reading this but I've got all these ideas floating in my head that make perfect sense to me, so please bear with that.

Here is my newest addition:

Photo directly from Etsy seller:

and the headband being used on a model of Fossil Magazine. I think it's a better picture because you can really see how big it is :)

Winter Park engagement session: Paula & Jonathan

Such a fun and sweet couple Paula & Jonathan are! I really had so much fun taking their engagement photos. Paula's mom, sister, and friend decided to joined us for the fun and they were having a blast taking pictures of each other with their own camera's! It was rainy and cloudy but I told Paula & Jon that the best lighting is when it is cloudy outside because it's nature's own big beautiful soft box, therefore creating nice, soft, even light.

Before we headed to Winter Park for the photos, I met with Paula at her home to capture getting her hair and makeup done for the shoot. Those were alot of fun and I can't wait to share them at a later post! Here are a few of my favorites from their engagement session. I can't wait for their wedding this March. It is going to be spectacular! :)