Studio Blu Images

My new blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:32:00 +0000

Please mosey on over there to see what I'm up to. I've been hard at work on this and am so excited to share!!!

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Susan and Dillon's Wedding Teaser

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:58:00 +0000

I just wanted to share an image from Susan and Dillon's lovely wedding in Gainesville, Florida, a few weeks back. I have many more images to share but I'll leave you with this as I finish my toning.

I have several more shoots to share including another wedding, a surprise engagement, and a newborn shoot. I am also hard at work at launching my new blog so bear with me on that!

Thanks!

Jenny and Reid's Wedding Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Sun, 31 May 2009 13:52:00 +0000

We had such a blast with Jenny and Reid's portraits! Jenny sent me a few ideas she had for nontraditional portraits for her bridal party and I was happy to oblige. Jenny looked oh so stunning and Reid looked very handsome. Cute couples make cute portraits!

The reception was another fabulous event. It was also held at The Renaissance Vinoy and was totally stunning. It was a pleasure to work again with Chuck Lewis from Hearts Video and Doug Decker from Grant Hemond and Associates. I have had such a great experience working with those folks time and time again.

On to the images!

These portraits were so much fun. Thanks for coming up with these ideas Jenny!

Some Details!

Can you tell what Reid likes to do in his offtime?

Party time!

This was a first for me to see at a wedding!

Thanks!

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:49:00 +0000

We now interrupt this regularly scheduled blog to share a big project I've been working on. I'm involved in a project called Soul of Athens which is basically a multimedia project on Athens, Ohio. I spent many hours collecting students work to put this piece together. It was definitely a joy!

Enjoy!

Thanks and I have more images to share soon. Check back!

Jenny and Reid's Wedding Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:27:00 +0000

Jenny and Reid had a fabulous day! The weather was nice and the decor and scenery at The Renaissance Vinoy were just spectacular. Stephanie Petitta, the event coordinator there is just fabulous to work with. Jenny lives out west so her lovely mother Jane (and my gym buddy) helped plan a lot of the details. She picked great vendors including Laurie Vodnoy-Wright to perform at the ceremony. The flowers were provided by The Flower Centre. The ladies from Cloud Nine Salon did a wonderful job with makeup. I loved watching what Rob Godfrey from Salon Volo did with everyone's hair.

The scenery at the Vinoy is just gorgeous!

Married!

I'll be posting the second half next week. I'm shooting another gorgeous wedding tomorrow so the wedding season is in full bloom!

Jenny's Wedding Teaser

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Sat, 09 May 2009 01:42:00 +0000

Jenny and Reid's wedding at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort was truly spectacular. Every detail was just gorgeous and Jenny looked beautiful. I'll be sharing my favorite images soon. Meanwhile, we had a blast shooting some images of Jenny's gorgeous dress, which she was lucky enough to find at one of my favorite bridal shops, Malindy Elene.

I'll be sharing more images soon so check back. I am slammed processing several weddings, album designs, and working on designing a new blog. Yup. I'm a bada$$. I'm coding the blog myself :) Hopefully it'll be up early this summer.

Thanks!

Amy and Josh's Wedding Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Sat, 02 May 2009 17:28:00 +0000

The scenery at Amy and Josh's wedding was simply stunning. I'm completely crazy about the tree's on the property at the house by the river. After Amy and Josh's ceremony, we took some time to take some gorgeous portraits. Hope you like them as much as I do :)

When we were finished up, we headed over to the clubhouse at Juliette Falls, an exclusive golf course in Dunnellon. It was a spectacular venue! Thanks to Suzanne Neely and all of her staff for their great hospitality! The wedding was dj'd by Raymond Minor, who did a great job! He played tons of favorite oldies that got folks dancing.

Here's just a few of my favorites...

Love this light :)

Aren't they so cute?

Josh and his mom. So sweet!

Thanks! Next up I'll be posting images from Jenny and Reid's wedding. Check back cause they're gorgeous!!!

Amy and Josh's Wedding Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 17:44:00 +0000

The special thing about Amy and Josh's wedding was they had their ceremony on a dock on the Rainbow River in Dunnellon, Florida. The dock is on the property of Amy's grandfather, who passed away a few years ago. Therefore, this wedding was extremely personal and special. I felt so honored to be there to witness and record this special time.

Josh looks so dapper!

I love the simplicity of Amy's gorgeous dress.

Amy looked so beautiful!

Nici of La Chanson D'Amour set such a beautiful mood.

Can we say gorgeous?

I'll be posting the second half this week. Check back!

Thanks!

Amy's Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:03:00 +0000

When my friends have asked me how this wedding went, I have been telling them that it's the closest I'll have ever gotten to shooting a wedding out of the movie Steel Magnolias. It was so beautiful and sweet.

I have plenty more images to share, but I wanted to start out with this beautiful, simple image of Amy.

Thanks and check back. I'll be posting more soon!

Stacey and Michael's Wedding Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:59:00 +0000

Yay! I'm ready to share the second half of Stacey and Michael's wedding.

Their fun reception took place at the Waterfront room at Jackson's Bistro on Harbour Island. The light in that room was tasty! Stacey and Michael had a great dj, James King from Grant Hemond! He kept the party going! Stacey and Michael's friend, Kelly, did their cupcake (cake). It looked yummy! Check out her other work at Cakes by Kelly.

Finally, the party wouldn't have been so great without the guidance and support of Beth from Flawless Occasions. I'm lucky to have to have had the pleasure to get to work with Beth. I hope to do so again!

Something about this photo makes me smile. It's one of my favorite of Stacey and Michael.

Michael was a fun groom for me. He was open to just about anything :)

After our bridal party portraits, we took a little "photo walk" through Old Hyde Park and we found this cool telephone booth!

The inspiration for the centerpieces comes from "Better Together," by Jack Johnson. There's a line in the song about shoe boxes of photographs of sepia-toned loving. I loooved this detail!

Let the party begin!

Stacey was glowing, simply glowing!

Stacey's mom did the Hora!!! Love this photo :)

I love this photo. Michael's mom was so cute!

Oh no he didn't!

A beautiful ending to a beautiful night!

I'll be sharing some images from Amy and Josh's lovely riverside wedding soon. Check back!

Stacey and Michael's Wedding Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:09:00 +0000

I feel so honored to photograph weddings for such wonderful people. To me, it's so special to be there when a couple takes such an important vow to their relationship and their love. Stacey and Michael's wedding was no different. I remember meeting with Stacey last summer and her describing the wedding. Every description she used was right on. Her day was perfect! Sunshine and happiness all around.

First off was getting ready at the Westin on Harbour Island. It's a lovely hotel that I've been to before for Gasparilla. Love it!

Stacey and Michael's ceremony took place at the lovely Kate Jackson Community Center in Hyde Park. The room they used was so bright and beautiful with yellow walls. The perfect place for a wedding :) Steven G. Shutter, a longtime family friend of Michael's, and a judge from Broward County, was the officiant. He did a wonderful job. I think it's so cool when somebody special to you does the ceremony. It makes it all the more personal.

All of the bridesmaids I have photographed recently have worn light blue. It's fabulous! These ladies looked gorgeous. I love this photo of them all trying to get their sashes right.

I love this moment between Stacey and her maid-of-honor, Kelly.

Stacey and Michael opted for one of my favorite things, a First Look!!! They met under a gazebo and were able to spend some alone time on their wedding day! It was nice to see them actually be able to enjoy each other on such a special day. We were also able to do all of their portraits before the wedding, which made the day run so much smoother.

I really liked the colors the groomsmen wore. Very spring-like!

Doesn't Stacey look so great?

I couldn't resist these two moments.

Husband and wife!

Michael's parents looked so proud!

I have many more images to share from their portrait session and the reception. I'll be posting them here soon. I also have Amy and Josh's wedding to share. Check back!

As always, thanks to Joanna, who is the most uberfabulous friend and assistant that a girl could want. Her positive energy and spirit just makes my day great!

Thanks!

Stacey and Michael's Wedding, a teaser

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:18:00 +0000

I have a beautiful wedding to share coming up here soon! I just wanted to leave you with one of my favorite portraits of Stacey taken in her hotel room at the Westin on Harbour Island in Tampa. I also wanted to mention that I had the pleasure of working with Beth from Flawless Occasions. No matter how much work you want to be involved with during your wedding, hiring a wedding coordinator is some of the best money spent, besides your photographer :) They help the day run smoother!

I love the elegance of Stacey's look in this image!

Check back because I'll be posting more soon!

Barbra and Gino's Wedding Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:47:00 +0000

Here's the second half of rocking photos from Barbra and Gino's great wedding! Their ceremony and reception took place at The Rusty Pelican, which is always a great place to work. I was so excited that they've done some renovating and have opened up the glass wall. You can see so much more of Tampa Bay that way!

I also have to give a shout out to Doug Shaw from Shaw Sound Productions. He did a great job!

Anyway, on to some fun images!

Barbra's dad, Dave, gave such a sweet speech. I love this moment!

The happy couple rode off in Gino's cool car!

I'm trying to catch up on blogging as fast as I can! Check back next week because I'll be sharing images from Stacey and Michael's wonderful wedding!

Thanks!

Barbra and Gino's Wedding Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:50:00 +0000

I think we'd all be so lucky to have such a relaxed and fun day as Barbra and Gino had on their wedding day! Their wedding was so lovely. I even had a great time with my lovely assistant Joanna. Barbra and Gino are two beautiful people with beautiful spirits and a great group of friends and family who surround them. Their wedding was a sweet ceremony next to the water at The Rusty Pelican in Tampa.

Check out her gorgeous updo!

Gino's so handsome!

He was soo relaxed!

Hello Gorgeous!

This has such a "Going to the chapel and I'm gonna get married feel to it"

Some details!

What a cute flower girl!

Did I mention that Barbra's signature colors were blue and white! A girl after my own heart :)

Gino will definitely make a great father some day.

Barbra's parents were soo happy!

This little flower girl wasn't having a great day. But she sure was cute!

I'll be doing a second posting from this wedding soon! I have to get ready for tomorrow's wedding with Stacey and Michael but check back!

Thanks!

An image from Barbra and Gino's wedding!

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:35:00 +0000

Wow, it took me a little longer to blog this photo. Reason being, with my new 5d Mark II, I didn't realize that the raw files are not supported in Photoshop. Well, I learned my lesson and I got it taken care of. Turns out it was just a little plug-in. Bleck. I'm so not computer savvy, and this is a good reminder :)

Anyway, well here's an image from Barbra and Gino's beautiful wedding at The Rusty Pelican this past weekend. I had the ultra fabulous Joanna to help me out and I'm telling you, with Joanna along, a girl can't go wrong :)

Barbra and Gino are still on their honeymoon in Hawaii. Can't wait to hear all about the trip. Ahh, Hawaii. Luckyyyyyyyyyyyyy them :)

I have a ton more photos to share but I need to get back to editing and toning so I'll just leave you with this beautiful image. Check back soon for more!

Thanks!

Albums!

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:57:00 +0000

In anticipation of this weekend's wedding in Tampa, I thought I'd share a few albums I recently received back from my album company. Anya requested traditional matted albums for her parent albums, and I was more than happy to oblige. Anya's personal album is going to be a more modern coffee table flush mounted album. I can't wait to show off that album when it comes in!

How it works for albums is the couple and their family receives their proofs and they use these for guidance to what images they want in their album. I try to guide them in telling the story of the day but I try to let the families decide all of their favorite images.
The sky's really the limit with albums. There are so many different styles, cover options, and mounting options. It's so much fun to pick out your album!

Anyway, on to the albums. Here ya go!

I love the touch of using the invitation mounted in the front.

Gotta show off some Studio Blu love :)

Don't forget to check back next week for this weekend's lovely wedding!

Thanks!

Laura and Bobby's Wedding Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:27:00 +0000

So this little post, ok, big post is from the second half of Laura and Bobby's wedding. After the ceremony we took the limo around and took some great portraits in their favorite parts of the city. I applaud Laura and Bobby and all of their wedding party really cause it was freezing! They were real troopers in letting me take so many photos. Then we were on to the reception at Soldiers and Sailors Hall. The reception was amazing. Soo beautifully decorated. And being such a lover of the color blue, I was amazed to find out that Laura and her family did most of the decorating themselves. One of the nicest touches that I'm happy Laura went through with was she hired a professional lighting company to do the lighting. This is always a treat because it just makes the reception oh so much better, especially for pictures!

Now on to some tasty images, great details, and special moments!

Isn't this little guy too cute?

I have to include a picture of Hank's friend Adam.

This was a fun spot that Laura insisted she wanted a portrait from. I love the Terrible Towel!

Birdcages rule!

Isn't this just soo pretty?

Awww, Adam.

I just love the light and the tenderness of this moment.

Thanks!

Laura and Bobby's Wedding Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:49:00 +0000

Warning****Huge post coming!

I'm finally blogging images from Laura and Bobby's beautiful wedding two weekends ago. The ceremony took place at the lovely St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh. The girls got ready at a nearby hotel, while the guys got ready downtown. Laura was a gorgeous bride. All the details were perfect, and she just smiled all day long. Her hair was one of the best styles I've seen in a long time. It was truly a pleasure to photograph this wedding.

Now, on with some pictures!

This is Hank's friend Adam, and Laura's big brother. My how big brothers are all the same :)

Beautiful, eh?

Can I say that Laura is a bride who's after my own heart with her love of blue in her wedding? I'm a blue sucker and can't get enough blue details into any wedding :) Of course, any color works, but blue holds a special place :)

I love this sweet moment!

The Happy Couple!

I love the brick. So sweet.

I'll be posting the portraits and reception images soon. So many details to come :) Check back!

Thanks!

Laura and Bobby's Wedding in Pittsburgh

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:13:00 +0000

I just wanted to post a lovely image from this weekend's past wedding in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Hank and I went up there on Friday and had a blast wandering around and eating yummy food.

I have tons of photos to share but I have to finish editing and toning first!

Anyway, here's a little tease :) Birdcages are the absolute best!

Thanks!

Treats for Clients!

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 03:25:00 +0000

Hi all,

I'm in Pittsburgh about to shoot a gorgeous wedding tomorrow and I just can't wait to share the images. I also have tons more to share including several albums I've created recently. I'm on an album kick. I've discovered some great album companies and having so much fun creating so many beautiful creations for my clients.

For the time being, I thought I'd share these. I came across these adorable frames recently and had these prints framed for some of my clients from last fall. I'm really trying to treat my brides who have hired my services this year and last. One thing is for certain, I aim to please for my brides and grooms!

Check these out!

Is this not the cutest?

Thanks and be sure to check back for some tasty images from tomorrow!

Emma Hartman and Clayton's photo shoot!

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 13:32:00 +0000

We had a great shoot with little Emma Hartman and her little brother Clayton right before Christmas at Aldridge Gardens in Birmingham. It was a little rainy, but we had a great time nonetheless. Here's some of my favorite photos of these two adorable kids!

This was one of my favorites because of the whimsical feel of it.

Emma Hartman is truly going to be the actor of the family.

Grandparents :)

Thanks!

Christina and Matt's Wedding Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:07:00 +0000

Christina and Matt had a beautiful reception at the Countryside Country Club in Clearwater. When we arrived, we spent some fun time on the golf course taking some beautiful images. Golf courses are the perfect place for portraits. The manicured lawns are just great. My father-in-law practically lives on a golf course and I now know why :)

Somebody let Christina and Matt loose in the golf cart! Maybe I should be happy I had a driver from the club? hehe.

Rings + Candy Table = Fun!

I had no idea that Christina was such a great singer! Girl has a voice :)

Up next I have a few family portrait shoots to share. And a gorgeous wedding! Check back!

Thanks!

Christina and Matt's Wedding Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 17:22:00 +0000

Christina and Matt had a lovely wedding at Our Lady Of Lourdes Catholic Church in Dunedin. It was a lovely mass with Christina and Matt surrounded by all of their loved ones. As you can see Christina pays special attention to details and everything about her wedding was lovely! I'll be putting up a second post of the reception photos at the uber fabulous Countryside Country Club in Clearwater. Thanks again to my great assistant, Joanna, for all of her hard work. She rocks!!!

I've got some pretty special weddings coming up in Pittsburgh, Nashville, and all over Florida. It's going to be a great 2009! Happy year everybody :)

are they not adorable?

portraity goodness!

Thanks!

Ways to make your Wedding Images better

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:35:00 +0000

This is a great list I came across and I wanted to share it with you all out there in blogger world. It lists some things to consider while planning your wedding and thinking about the level of photography you would like.

Plan in time for a "photo walk". Its that 30 minutes or so after your formals, but before your reception starts. We need this alone time with you and your new husband to create some of those relaxed romantic portraits that everyone loves. Its from this session that 90% of our enlargements are made. Its where your thank you card shot will come from...this is the number one way to ensure great images. Give us the time to take them. So, please, plan it out in your schedule.

Consider including a "first glance" session. While tradition often insists that the bride and groom don't see each other prior to the ceremony on their wedding day, "first glance" sessions are becoming increasingly popular. These sessions are a short, private meeting between the bride and groom before the ceremony. It gives the groom the chance to truly enjoy how beautiful his bride looks in her wedding attire and often results in even the toughest guys tearing up a bit. The session also frequently result in some of the most emotional and meaningful images of the day. During a typical "first glance" session the photographer will be on hand for the initial meeting, then stay a bit longer, finally departing to give the couple a few special moments alone.

Schedule an engagement portrait session. You're probably wondering what this has to do with wedding day images. Truth be told, an engagement session not only results in some great images that you might want to use to build a custom guest sign-in book, it also allows you to get comfortable in front of the camera. It also gives both you and the photographer a chance to learn how to work together. When the big day comes around you'll be more at ease while having your photos made.

Allow a realistic time frame for getting hair and make-up done. When you factor in all the bridesmaids and the moms, along with yourself, hair and make-up can be a huge time killer. If you run late leaving the salon, you'll be running behind and playing catch-up the entire day. Nothing causes more stress at a wedding than being off schedule. Depending on the coverage you've selected you may want your photographer on hand for at least part of the hair and make-up session. If not at the salon, you'll definitely want them on hand early enough to capture some of the hair and make-up touch-ups prior to the ceremony. Getting ready shots really help with the storytelling aspect of your wedding album.

Don't get carried away with your make-up. Your photos will look best if you have a fairly clean, fresh, and natural appearance. This is especially true for ladies that don't normally wear make-up. You probably want to avoid suntanning the day before your wedding as well. And most importantly, be careful if you use a spray-on-tan. It can make you look orange in your photos and is virtually impossible to "fix" in photoshop without making everyone else look like pastie-white ghouls.

Try to be on time. When weddings get far off schedule stress levels climb. Very few weddings run exactly on time, but they can be pretty close. A little pre-planning is all it takes. However, if things do run a little slow don't get too stressed out about it. Everything will work out fine.

Plan sufficient time for group portraits. Weddings are one of those special times when entire families come together. Not surprisingly, everyone wants to take advantage of the opportunity to make some family portraits. So, you need to plan accordingly. If you're not careful, these sessions can eat up way too much time and put you off schedule. As a general rule rule, plan on about five minutes for each grouping that you would like photographed. Keep in mind that the photographer has no idea who everyone is. Be sure to put someone who knows all, or at least most of the primary people, in charge of getting the groups together. That way the photographer can concentrate on what they do best, making great images and arranging the groups, rather than trying to gather everyone together for the portraits.

Drink in moderation. You don't want to get so drunk that you can't remember your day, or, even worse, you look drunk in your photos. Have fun and enjoy a few drinks if you want, but be sure to eat throughout the day to help keep up your energy levels and because it will help you "hold" your alcohol.

Relax and have fun. It's your day. It's your party. Don't obsess over seeing every guest at your reception to the point of missing it all yourself. Also, don't be afraid to delegate tasks throughout the day. After all, that's what bridesmaids are for. It's their job to "attend" to the bride. After all, that's what bridesmaids are for. It's their job to "attend" to the bride. The less you have to worry about and the more you relax and enjoy the day, the better your photos will look.

During your first dance LOOK AT ONE ANOTHER! This is the moment you've been waiting for. Relax and enjoy each other. Forget about the photographer, the videographer, the guests. The same idea of applies to other special dances...father/daughter...mother/son. These are special moments too. Don't hesitate to look at Mom or Dad.

Coordinate key events with the photographer and Master of Ceremony. If you're planning any special events such as a bouquet toss, cake cutting, garter toss, etc., make sure your photographer gets a "heads-up" in advance. They'll need to be sure they have a fresh memory card before the event or want to put in some fresh batteries. Also give the photographer a chance to provide some input about positioning and timing. You want these images to be great. Timing and position is everything for these photographs.

Plan an exit strategy. It allows you to bring your special event to a nice, emotional close. This will allow you to leave in a timely fashion and let your guests know they're no longer obligated to stay. Best of all, it will make for some stellar images and add to the storytelling potential of your album!

Happy Planning!

Sharon's Venture!

noreply@blogger.com (Studio Blu Images) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:39:00 +0000

Here's a portrait shoot I did while in Tampa last month. I'll be in Tampa several times in March and April so let me know if you'd like to set up a shoot. Sharon is working on a series of essays to be published on her new website she's starting. I can't share the site now, but check back and I'll let you know when it launches. We wandered around the University of Tampa to take these beautiful portraits. Doesn't her haircut just look adorable? She had it long for years and finally had it cut.

I love Sharon's smile in this one!

I have to share a fab photo of my lovely assistant Joanna!!! She's the best :)

Thanks!