Lisa DeCoursey Photography

I Heart Faces: Beautiful Eyes

2011-08-14T21:26:00.000-07:00

This week's theme is "beautiful eyes" and immediately, Joanna came to mind! Joanna has the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen. With the sun and the reflection of the fountain water, this shot from her senior session was an easy choice.

Roof-Top Nuptials

2010-10-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

The sun was making it's way west-ward this past Sunday evening as Lisa and Alan prepared to celebrate their love. It was this very lighting that allowed me to take this stunning silhouette of Lisa, captured just moments before their roof-top ceremony began.

The roof-top garden was the setting for this beautiful wedding.

I am often asked what my favorite thing about photographing weddings is... it would have to be that no two are alike. I never know where the next wedding will take me. This wedding was no exception...

From the roof-top ceremony in College Park to Washburn Imports, where the reception was held. Washburn Imports ranked in the Top 5 in Orlando furniture in 2008. Yes, the reception was in a furniture store but this was not a furniture box store... this store looked like it was set up just for patron's to enjoy while sipping a beverage from their full service beer/wine bar. Imports from around the world outfitted this amazing store. The back Imperial Room is where the band "The Red Coats" covered all of those fun 60's songs that make you want to get up and dance!

Groom Alan, who it turns out is quite the guitar player, joined the band for several songs.

Lisa enjoyed watching her groom play.

The atmosphere at this reception was amazing quite simply enjoyable. Congratulations Lisa and Alan! Your ceremony was absolutely touching and will not be soon forgotten by any who had the privilege of attending!

CFL Doc October

2010-10-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

October 2010 Cover - The Community that Paddles.
This shoot took place at the Orlando Rowing Club boathouse on Lake Fairview in Orlando. Because all of the doctors involved in this shoot are surgeons with busy morning schedules, we had to shoot late in the day. The sun was harsh so I thought it would be fun to have them wear their shades. I really liked the look and so did the editor! :)

Do you see what they are standing on? It's a floating dock. I.Was.Not.Amused. ;)

This dedicated team of surgeons specialize in oncology... they are passionate about their patients...

They will be paddling in this year's Orlando International Dragon Boat Festival at WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort held in the epi-center of Downtown Disney® Area.... the event will capitalize on the rapid growth of the sport in Florida and the southern states. Introducing the sport to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, the Festival will soon become a marquee event in North America.

Grils Night Out for a Great Cause

2010-09-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of shooting this very worthy event last Saturday at Stein Mart in Casselberry.... all proceeds went to the Compassionate Hands and Hearts Breast Cancer Outreach

Great food and fantastic music set the mood for the fashion show.

Tracy Squadrito of the Oviedo Chicks and Vanessa Echols of Channel 9. Vanessa is a Breast Cancer Survivor and founder of Compassionate Hands and Hearts.

CFL Doc September

2010-09-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

September 2010 Cover - Running with a Purpose
This shoot was set in the historic downtown district of beautiful Winter Garden. We got to shoot at my favorite time fo day... early morning. Unfortunately, the cover does not do the sunlight justice. Everything was sunkissed and beautiful.

Also got to meet with Dr. Mercado's fellow teammates, his wife and his business associate.

Shannon and Erik.... It's a Small World After All

2010-08-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of photographing Shannon and Erick's beautiful wedding this past weekend. Family from all over attended this wedding. Love is always in the air when a couple becomes man and wife but it was a bit different. The atmosphere was electric!

See the jewels in the roses? I had never seen anything like this before and wasn't sure if any photo would do them justice... but I think I was able to capture that sparkle!

The bridal session in between the ceremony and the reception was so much fun. These two couldn't keep their eyes off of each other. There was no "pre-cermony" reveal so Erick was in awe of his beautiful bride the whole afternoon.

And why is it a "Small World"? It turns out that the bride and her sister are the next door neighbors of a friend of mine. My friend has spoken very highly of this family for years as her children were close to Shanon and her sister. How fun that I got to see the beautiful young women those two sweet girls that I had heard so much about over the past 14 years, had turned in to. It also made me feel a bit old too... ha!

Erick and Shannon... I wish you the very best! Congratulations on your "Once Upon A Time"....

BUMPS for OCC

2010-08-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

The Second Annual Bumps for OCC took place tonight, at the Oviedo Aquatics Center, to raise money for Operation Christmas Child. Regional Director's Scott and Kelli and their daughters host this event to raise money for all of the boxes that will be packed at a box stuffing event that will take place in November. Having travelled to Ecuador and seeing first hand the impact these shoe boxes have on the children that receive them, they are more determined to collect as many boxes as possible this year. Below are photos from the 12 hr event that ran through the night... it was open to young and old alike!

CFL Doc August

2010-08-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

August 2010 Cover - On Top of the World
This shoot was super fast. Due to crazy schedules of all involved, we had a very small window of opportunity. We were confined to the inside of the medical facility courtesy of Central Florida's stormy summer afternoons but we made it work.

Dr. Zarate is an amazing individual. His love of climbing and photography captured my attention from the minute we met. His wall is covered with amazing photos of his travels and the mountains he has climbed. Pictures of clouds from above the clouds... he had a really good eye.

Dr. Zarate had just returned from climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro with his family and a heart patient of his. Talk about motivation for a quick recovery, he took his patient climbing! :)

While not used in this month's publication, I thought I would still include one of my favorite shots. Most of the photos used in his story were photos of his climbs.

CFL Doc June

2010-06-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

June 2010 Cover - Flyin' High
This shoot was definitely different from the rest of the magazine covers I had shot to date. Dr. Masson really wanted it to be about his kids... all his kids.. the whole team! These super stars, the Diamond Jacks, are an award winning travel little league team. The kids AND the doctor were so much fun to work with!!

Dr. Masson's older son plays on the team while his younger son comes along to practice. I am so glad they were both there the afternoon I met them.

This is, by far, my favorite photo from the session.

Team shot!

Baby Zachary

2010-05-17T17:22:00.000-07:00

There's nothing sweeter than a newborn baby. Zachary was no exception! I had the privilege of being his first photographer. Zachary was only three weeks old and as sweet as can be!

One of my favorite shots. Took a different approach to the traditional "Dad supporting him effortlessly with one hand" shot. What do you think?

Proud Mommy and Daddy in their first family photo.

Congratulations Rachael and Matt!

They Did... Again!

2010-05-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

Chris and Deanna renewed their vows this Saturday in what was a sweet and memorable ceremony. In a move that would make most women green with envy, Deanna wore the same wedding gown (which was also her mother's) that she wore 10yrs ago!

The groom decided to take a more relaxed approach this time around.

Ten years ago, the bride and groom celebrated at Disney and decided to bring their "ears" along to their renewal.

These cakes were made by the bride. Aren't they beautiful?

Thank you for allowing me to capture your vows the second time around! Congratulations and here's to another ten years!

CFL Doc May

2010-05-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

May 2010 Cover - Influential Leadership
I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Joseph Portoghese in March. We met at Rollins College which just seemed to be the perfect place to conduct this cover shoot. Dr. Portoghese is very connected to Rollins as this college is near and dear to both him and his family. His sister worked PR and The VIP treatment on this shoot was fun!

Dr. Joseph Portoghese - So much fun meeting this doctor. Loved hearing about his mission trips to Peru!

And what a great sense of humor he had! He was such a good sport. :)

KC's Senior Session

2010-04-24T19:24:00.000-07:00

Don't let this shot fool you... KC is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet! I had the privilege of capturing his Seniors Shots today and truly captured his personality.

While he will be a graduate from Oviedo, we covered Winter Park for his session.

And of course there was some fun to be had!

From the lake to the farmer's market to downtown. There was no stopping us!

Thanks for a great session KC and ConGRADuations on your upcoming graduation! I know you will do well in all you do!

Shelby's Senior Session

2010-04-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

Had so much fun shooting Shelby's senior photos. Her personality and wit made for a fun and creative session!The smile here is genuine.... I loved all of the yellow flowers and in trying to decide how to incorporate them in to a photo, there was some confusion as to what Shelby should do with this particular flower...at one point, it was stuck on her nose. Witty girl!

I want my clients to be comfortable at each session... Shelby decided to bring her long time friend, and also my son, Josh as well as her boyfriend along. Needless to say, lots of laughter all around.

Thanks for a fun day Shelby! ConGRADulations on all you do!!

Take Two!

2010-04-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

When the boys heard we would meet at the crack of dawn, they were less than thrilled. But we had a blast shooting this family! Beth and her family were so much fun! We especially had fun setting up this photo. I like the "attitude" it broadcasts!

I knew what I was getting in to as I had the privilege of shooting Luke's Senior Portraits in October 2008. This time around, I got to meet his brother Kurt and dad Craig. Not one dull moment during the time we spent together.

Brothers... best friends.

Thanks for such a great session guys!

Beach Reunion

2010-04-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

When Joyce told me that she had instructed her family to wear teal and khaki for our late afternoon photo session, I have to say I wasn't sure what to expect. After all, aren't all beach sessions done in denim and white or khaki and white? At least all of mine had been in that color grouping.... but wow! I have to say I was more than pleasantly surprised! The colors were dead on and "mama" knew best!

Four children and their families in town for Easter made for a super fun session!

One of my favorite shots were of these two... sweet little sisters with their shadows cast towards the ocean.

Beautiful family.... beautiful afternoon.

CFL Doc April

2010-04-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

April 2010 Cover - Race to Washington
I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Ken Miller in February. Dr. Miller's passion for change and is prepared to leave medicine to serve the people of this country as he runs for Congress this Fall. Did you know that of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence, 7% were doctors? Currently only 3% of congress is made of up physicians. Dr. Miller wants to change those stats. This shoot took place in Winter Park.

Dr. Miller's middle son Brian is his campaign manager.

Josh's Senior Session

2010-03-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

Bittersweet.... This is my son who is a senior this year. I have enjoyed, no, LOVED taking pictures of him for the past 18 years.... (can't say the feeling is mutual on this one!) but by far these pictures were the hardest. With it came the realization that he is growing up and will be leaving the nest for college very soon.

And while I know we raised him in a way that would be pleasing to the Lord, I know I will still worry.

He's such a great son and big brother to his little sister. He is an amazing friend to those who have had the privilege of knowing him. He is talented, genuine, honest, full of integrity and passionate about family, faith and the this country he loves.

Proud of you son!!

Nate's Senior Session

2010-03-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

Had the opportunity to shoot Nate's Senior session this morning. Just shy of graduation, this photo truly captured the thoughtfulness that is going in to all he is doing these days.

Nate is passionate about his country and one of the things he is seriously considering is enlisting in the USMC. Saw this flag and took the opportunity. The lighting on the flag is courtesy of the beautiful sunlight we got this morning.

Wishing you the very best Nate! Thank you for allowing me to capture you in the final months of your final year of High School. You will go on to do great things be it the USMC, College or ministry.

Kathie and Bob Say I DO

2010-03-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

A beautiful wedding followed by an Italian reception! The bride and groom were on Cloud 9 the entire evening.

I had the opportunity to work with an old friend, a groomsman from my own wedding! Because of the size of the wedding, I needed to hire a second shooter. I had recently reconnected with an old friend of ours through Facebook and found out that he too was a photographer living just an hour away. I saw that his work complimented mine... HIRED! We had such a great time working together and learned some things from each other.

Over all a beautiful ceremony and a great reception! Congratulations Kathie and Bob!!

Experiencing Joy

2010-03-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

River Run Christian Church put on a women's conference this weekend called "Experiencing Joy". The conference was uplifting, entertaining and full of JOY! What a privilege to be able to attend and shoot the entire event. Here are a few of the moments I captured.

Ronda Rich kept everyone in stitches with her Southern Stories of Faith. I had the privilege of having dinner with Ronda that evening and I have to tell you... she's the real deal. On or off the stage, she is an awesome woman, her Southern accent is endearing and her humour is contagious.

Channel 9's Vanessa Echols was incredible. What a beautiful woman... inside and out. Her testimony touched so many. Her spunk and sense of humor was a departure from the newswoman we watch each morning. What a pleasure to meet this amazing woman!

Crystal Tomlinson is an amazing Worship Leader. She is passionate about her music and her God.

Elizabeth leading worship.... another God's Girl!

All in the Family

2010-03-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

March edition of Central Florida Doctor is out. Fun time (even though we were still in the throws of that arctic blast that blew through the Sunshine State in January) getting to know these brothers who share a practice here in town. The original shoot was scheduled a week prior but we were busy having snow flurries....

My favorite shot... didn't make the magazine but I really like it. It captured the mood.

Be-Cuz

2010-02-17T17:44:00.000-08:00

My cousin Tina has got to be one of my biggest cheerleaders! She is the first to comment on any photo I post on my personal and professional Facebook pages and tags on to other comments made by others. She has even recommended me to friends down here in Florida... did I mention she lives in upstate NY?

It only seemed fitting to photograph her beautiful family when they came down this past week for a vacation. It was quite the adventure. I thought it would be fun to take them to a beautiful "Florida"-like spot for their family photo. We agreed to meet before the sun began setting, about 5pm-ish... good light. Unfortunately, they got caught up in horrible traffic due to an accident on the Interstate and didn't make it until almost 6pm. With little light to work with, we called it a night, grabbed dinner and agreed to do it all over again the next afternoon.

Take 2.... Perfect! We made it with full light and got some really nice stuff..... We got it! LOVE THIS PICTURE! Not only are they very photogenic but they are great actors too.... we were freeeeeeezzzzzing!!! :)

Little did we know when we planned this, we would be smack dab in the middle of a freak arctic weather blast. The winds off the lake were insane as you can see by the photo below. WE.WERE.COLD.

Thank you Tina, Bill, Becky, Joe and Brandon for a fun time! We were cold but it sure was fun hanging with you guys!! Hope to see you back soon 'Cuz! :)

Makin' Some Magic!

2010-02-07T18:56:00.000-08:00

By far one of my most exciting shoots to date. Central Florida Doctor magazine's February cover story was on the Orlando Magic's team doctor. I was given an NBA "press pass" to cover the cover! It was quite humbling to be sitting in between the photographer for Getty Images and the AP. Did I mention that "sitting" meant on the floor? As in.. on the court under the baskets? Yeah... it was an experience I won't soon forget.

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the game...

They call him Superman for a reason folks....

Not a work of art... but did I mention I was sitting on the court, close to the action? Maybe a bit too close? The dedicated photographer that I am, I took the shot and then covered my camera in case of impact... which didn't happen. :)

A Park Avenue Wedding

2010-02-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure and privilege of capturing Lisa and Duane's special day. The wedding was held in the courtyard of local bistro and it was simply beautiful! It was an intimate affair with only family in attendance.

I was a bit concerned that the recent arctic blast Central Florida had experienced, would impact the beautiful flowers and greenery all around Winter Park. The bride was so beautfiul, eyes were only on her and the flowers were quickly forgotten!

I had the sometimes rare opportunity of being able to spend some quality photo time with the bride and groom and I captured some beautiful images of this very happy couple!

Having Some Fun With My Camera.....

2010-01-28T19:09:00.000-08:00

While I simply LOVE capturing people at their best.... I like to look for the beauty around me and try to capture it in a unique way..... Here are some of my recent captures! :)

Pigeon Forge, TN

Orlando, FL

Gatlinburg, TN

Oviedo, FL

Gatlinburg, TN

Cades Cove, TN

Ormond Beach, FL

Is There a Doctor in the House?

2009-12-13T18:59:00.000-08:00

Well, not quite... but there is a photographer! Exciting news for me as I open a door that I didn't actually knock on.

After a recommendation from a client, a look through my portfolio and an interview with the editor, I am now shooting the cover of Central Florida Doctor's Magazine! It's very new and very exciting.

I shot December's issue in October and the cover story was on Dr. Mark Weatherly who is affiliated with Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children here in the Orlando area. To view the rest of the photos and read this doctor's amazing story, follow this link: December 2009.

I have since shot two more sessions... the second was for a physician who was set to depart on a mission trip the next morning to Haiti and the third was with the UCF Knight's basketball team doc. That was a fun shoot as well!

I never know what I am walking in to when I go to each session..... small quarters, unusual lighting challenges or inline skating mascots! Awesome shot of our doc last night with UCF's Knightro. :) I'll post each cover as they are released.

Christmas Photos

2009-11-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

What an awesome time I had meeting the "H" family this weekend! The photographer that I worked closely with when I first started, recently relocated to another state. Boo. :( However, she did recommend me to her former client, the "H" family. She adored working with the children and I was truly excited to be given the opportunity.

The children were a blast. So sweet and so full of personality. I think I laughed more than I didn't. I don't think that makes much sense but let's just say, there wasn't a dull moment. :) The dresses were absolutely beautiful and the family Christmas photo was smashing! The cards that were selected were had a black and grey striped back ground with a red ribbon and greeting. Very nice indeed.

Also got to capture a generational photo here. Mom, grandmother and daughters. So sweet!

Thank you so much for welcoming me in to your home and allowing the great opportunity to capture you lovely family. I look forward to working with you in the future. :)

Fun at the Park!

2009-11-14T18:24:00.000-08:00

Had so much fun with Rick and Cheryl! We met at the park bright and early, you all know how much I love working in morning light. It was the perfect day to accomplish what we had come to do... capture this beautiful family!

Five year old Canyon looked around, and very seriously, turned to Cheryl and said "this is a grown-up park". He was a bit disappointed that there weren't any swings or slides but they soon made their own fun!

Love this family! Loved watching the interaction between parents and children....

And just loved the connection Canyon and his sweet baby sister had!

Thank you for the opportunity to capture you sweet family!

Time For Grandma

2009-10-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

Therese wanted to surprise her son and daughter in law with a photo session the next time they were in town. While the "surprise" factor was a bust, :) the session was great!

No flash photography here, Therese has a sky-light right over where I chose to set up. I let the natural light do it's thing for the entire session!

Baby Max is three months old and was just the sweetest thing! His beautiful red hair really popped against the black background.

Max really lit up when I brought out the big Tonka trucks! He is all boy!

Thanks for a great session Therese! It was fun visiting with you and Max!

Megan's Senior Session

2009-10-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

I had such a great time with Megan! She was an absolute natural and super fun to work with! We had an early Saturday morning session. I love shooting in the morning light, the glow that comes from first sun is amazing!

Usually, the first half of my senior sessions are spent getting the senior comfortable with the camera. Looking through proofs, I can usually see the comfort levels increase as the session progresses... not with Megan! She turned "it" on every time I raised the camera to my eye!

The photos from this session afforded me the great opportunity to try something new. I found Florabella Textures waiting for me when I got home form this session. The Flora Bella Collection is a collection of textures created by the oh-so-talented Shana Rae. She has taken her love for photography and her creative eye and created some amazing tools for photographers! I am very pleased with the results and Megan and her mom are just as thrilled!

Thanks for spending your Saturday morning with me Megan... it was lots of fun!

Jordan's Senior Session

2009-09-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

I love shooting senior sessions. Sometimes they are more formal and other times they are more a "lifestyle" session. Jordan opted out of anything traditional and went for a lifestyle I session. We hit a local park for some of the photos.... and then....

we headed to a rival high school for the rest! Jordan loves his long board so it became his "prop of choice" for this session and the brick walls at this school were perfect!

While I have had the privilege of watching Jordan go from a pre-teen boy grow in to a young man even I was amazed at the rugged young man he has turned in to. Thanks Jordan for a great session!

Emmy's Session

2009-09-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

I had a great time shooting this amazing pre-teen! Emmy is such a beauty and we really had a great time during our session. It didn't take much to get a glimpse of Emmy's smile!

Emmy and her mom decided on three distinct looks for this weekend's session. Casual, soft and trendy. This dress was perfect! As soon as I saw it, I knew exactly where we needed to be. The natural greenery pulls all of the green and yellow from Emmy's dress while the pink just pops!

Did I mention she has a real sense for fashion? Emmy loves hats and this hat was super fun to work with! I really liked the black against the brick wall.

Thanks for a great session Emmy! I look forward to doing it again! :)

BUMPS for OCC

2009-08-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

I was asked to capture this awesome fundraiser for Operation Christmas Child by the twelve year old Torii Robertson, who envisioned an event to raise money for this amazing outreach! For those of you who don't know, Operation Christmas Child sends shoe boxes filled with toys, toiletries and candy to children in need, all around the world. Once the shoe boxes are filled, the boxes are then collected and sent to a main distribution center where a booklet that shares the good news of God's love in their native tongue is placed inside. These boxes are then 'boxed' up for distribution and sent overseas.
While it's very easy to collect items to go in to these boxes, and many can be easily filled, it takes $7 to ship each box. Unfortunately, especially in today's economy, this $7 fee can limit the number of boxes a family is able fill. Torii, who loves OCC and volleyball, came up with the idea to hold an all night volleyball event where participants would be sponsored... all funds would go towards the OCC box fees. It was a huge success and as a result of one young girl's heart, over $5,000 was raised which means that 715 kids will receive a box and hear about Jesus!

Operation Christmas Child is near and dear to me and my family's heart, it was an honor to capture this amazing event and be a part of Torii's vision.

New... New... New!

2009-08-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

New Name.... New Logo.... New Website... New Blog! Well, the Blog isn't completely brand new but it will have a different look pretty soon. Stay tuned! It's been a very busy time for me and I am slowly getting all of my eggs in one basket. Lots of photo sessions to share as well. :)

Family Foto Fun!

2008-11-08T13:19:00.000-08:00

I had the great opportunity to photograph John and Tina's family this weekend! John and Tina are such a cute couple! While they have been together for 30 years, they are just still so in love with each other. You would think they were newly weds! :)

Typical teenage boys, they were less than thrilled that I would be photographing them... but in a short amount of time, they loosened up and even, dare I say it, had a bit, just a little bit, of fun!

Even "Boo" got in to the act and posed with his family!

Beautiful photos for a beautiful family... Thank you John and Tina, for inviting me in to your home and allowing me to create lasting memories!

Senior Session - Luke D.

2008-10-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

I had the awesome opportunity to photograph Luke D. for his senior portraits. Luke was a riot! What a nice young man and what a sense of humor!

We went for a casual look with jeans and a button down shirt. This worked well with the dock as well as some volley-ball shots. Luke is on the varsity volley ball team at his school. Unfortunately, after weeks of planning, his coach forgot to bring his uniform in during this off season period and we had to shoot in jeans. I think it worked to our advantage... don't you agree?

Luke and his mom really liked the photos taken around the Exedra monument. I have to say that those were my favorite as well!

Thanks Luke for a great morning! :)

All About the Kids - Part II

2008-10-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in my last post, I am currently photographing families that will appear in the "success stories" section of the annual report of a local non-profit organization that works with children and families. I travelled down to West Palm Beach with the organization's interviewer and met an amazing woman who has opened up her life, home and heart to children. Miss "D" has been fostering and adopting children with the support of this organization for several years now. She took the required courses, studies and worked along side the organization's skilled staff prior to fostering her first child... several years and many children later, "D" is a very much admired and loved woman. The children below were all adopted by Miss "D". Five children five and under! WOW!

Does this photo say "Got Milk?" or what? : )

This sweet girl was so excited when I asked her to be my helper during the photo shoot!

I loved watching the little ones play together. The stories of each of these children, and what brought them to Miss "D"'s home and in to her heart, were astounding!

Miss "D" told us that at Christmas, she hangs 32 stockings because once you are one of Miss "D"'s kids, through adoption or fostering, you are forever her family.
I am unable to post the photos of the two teenage girls who are also being fostered in Miss "D"'s home as they are not legally hers. But what stories they share! The love, respect and admiration they have for her was amazing.

An added treat? One of the first girls adopted by "D" stopped by with her own daughter, while we were there. She's one of the family, right? She hopped right in to the photo below!

All About the Kids - Part I

2008-09-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

I had an amazing opportunity present itself to me a few months ago. I offered my services to a non-profit organization that cares for children and families in crisis. Two weeks ago, I was asked if I would be willing to take some photos for their annual report. YES.I.WOULD!

It was my job to ensure that we got a couple of good photos of each family that was interviewed. Needless to say, I just don't stop at "a couple". :) This little guy was too cute for words!!

He is two years old and is the son of an amazing young woman who fought to escape a really bad home-life situation. Having only been exposed to a very rough lifestyle, she was able to determine on her own that there was so much more to life than what she had grown up around. After becoming pregnant, she enlisted the help of this non-profit organization.

This precious child means the world to her. It was evident during our short time together. She knew she wanted to give her baby boy all that she never had as a child.

Through this amazing non-profit organization, she has been able to provide a stable, healthy and happy environment from the time he was born up to now, at 2 years of age. This brave mother not only chose to leave her prior life behind, but has since graduated high school, obtained a job and is currently going to college to be....

a social worker, counselor or therapist. Pay it forward? I think so! What a wonderful opportunity to see love in action!

Brandie & Miguel

2008-07-24T17:13:00.000-07:00

Beautiful day at the beach. Hot enough to melt us all... but you wouldn't know it by the smiles of these two lovebirds! This mid-day wedding had a very tropical feel to it. The entire bridal party wore "tropical" colors and the ceremony took place under a gazebo, with the Gulf of Mexico for a back drop just steps from the water.

This is one of my favorite photos... nothing fancy or particularly special about the scene.... or is there? I captured the reflection of Brandie's mother watching her daughter, with a hint of a smile and maybe some nostalgia on her face, as Brandie did a last check of her hair.

One of the neatest things I had ever seen was the "sand ceremony" just before the final kiss. The bride and groom each had a glass vase filled with different colored sand. As they poured the sand in to a heart shaped glass vase, their colors blended just like their lives were about to. It was a tropical version of lighting the unity candle.

While the ceremony and reception were mid-day, I met up with Brandie and Miguel as the sun went down to capture some fun moments before the sun set. Below are a few of the pictures I took.

It was a beautiful day indeed!

Family Beach Time

2008-07-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

My website states that this blog has been designed to share my favorite photos as well as some behind the scenes stories. I present you with my first "behind the scenes" post. : )

As a photographer who prefers shooting outside and using natural light, I find that one of the most challenging and often frustrating situations I occasionally find myself in, is not having control over the environment in which I am shooting.

Case in point.... The "D" Family loves the beach. You just can't even imagine how much the beach is a part of their lives, yet they have never had a formal portrait made on one. Brandie, Mrs. D's oldest daughter, would be getting married the following morning and they decided it would be the perfect time to have a family portrait made. However, they had dinner reservations at 8pm that evening. With the sun still very much in control of the early evening, we ran in to some challenging obstacles.

1. Perfect location... beautiful background.... no tourists or hot pink bikinis in the background. Problem? The family was facing the sun. Because the night before was rainy, we didn't realize when we initially scouted the location, that the sun would be front and center. Moving on to location #2.

2. With "Plan B" in full swing, it just doesn't get better than this! This tree was so beautiful and we thought it would make a phenomenal backdrop and a pretty good "alternate" location. The sun was to the family's back, however, it bounced off the building behind me and no amount of talent, reflectors or post-production work could salvage Mr. D's face! He was pretty washed out.

3. Third time's the charm! You knew this family was photogenic but did you see this coming? They are gorgeous! And the lighting is perfect!!
Same location, different angle. Happy faces and some creative hand tinting make this shot my favorite!

A huge thank you to the "D" Family for keeping it fun as we journeyed around the sun!

They're Making History

2008-06-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

I teamed up with Jen Fortin this past Friday and photographed the wedding of Jeff and Corrine at the Orlando History Center. They are such a happy couple who were an absolute pleasure to work with! Hi-lights included the "big reveal", a trip to the corner bar (the entire wedding party in tow), a historic courthouse ceremony, a rockin' reception and a sparkler exit! Here are some of my favorite shots:

Class of '08

2008-06-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

I got to revisit Julie's Senior photo session when she placed her order this week. What an awesome young woman she is! It's so refreshing to meet young adults who have a heart for others. Julie's session took place one week before she headed off to Africa! She travelled with her mother to work with orphans. But just before the trip, she had her beautiful golden locks sheared and donated them to Locks of Love. Love the new look Julie! All in all, it was a fun session! Congratulations Julie! Wishing you the very best as you begin a new journey this fall!