Christina and Gary, A La Carte Event Pavilion

Christina and Gary were married at the A La Carte Event Pavilion in early April. It was a lovely Spring event, full of loving family, joyous friends and delicious food. I always enjoy shooting at the A La Carte, and it's like a new location ever since they started changing the decor a little bit.

Beautiful.

Gary hangs out before the ceremony.

As usual, the girls were still getting ready and we were missing some groomsmen (traffic jam) so we weren't able to do lots of group stuff before the ceremony. Gary's best man and longtime friend was there so we brought him in for a few photos.

I love it. You'd think he was getting married today!

A quick prayer before walking down the aisle. This was off in a dark room with bad light, but sometimes the moment is more important than anything else.

The rings are presented along with an explanation of their significance.

The unity candle remains lit after the ceremony crowd clears out.

We did manage to steal a few minutes for some portraits of the newlyweds. I don't have to tell you, but it was obvious these two were in love (which always makes my job easier).

I couldn't decide which one to post, so you're getting both!

The cake.

Christina and Gary share their first dance of many.

Congratulations Christina and Gary! Thanks for choosing Tampa Photo to be there for all of the special moments that make up your wedding day. Best of luck to you both!

Angelina and Steve, A La Carte Event Pavilion

Angelina and Steve were married last month at the A La Carte Event Pavilion in Tampa. We started out with some group shots at the hotel before heading to the venue, where the ceremony and reception were taking place.

Steve and the guys hang out at the hotel. Kevin was the lead shooter this day and was working with Steve head-on. I was able to find this second angle that incorporated all the groomsmen in the background.

We still had some time once we made it to the A La Carte, so we worked with the guys a little more. Kevin was shooting available light so I used a flash to create a slightly different look. Focusing the light on Steve helps separate him from the crowd.

Anglelina had a locket with some very special photos attached to her bouquet. I made sure to make some nice images of this important detail.

At this time of day, the light was pouring in through the ceiling of the ceremony room. Even with the light, it was still kind of "camera dark" so I had to slow the shutter speed down. I remembered the proper exposure before the processional began. I got the standard safe shot of Angelina being escorted down the aisle, but once they passed me I switched my settings and popped this off. It's a little blurry due to the slow shutter speed, but I like it.

The sun disappeared pretty quickly after the ceremony, so I was used some flash to even things out.

The front of the A La Carte is always a great place to shoot. I couldn't decide between the next two shots, so you're getting both.

A little flash makes a big difference.

The front of the cake had a bow on it, but I preferred this shot from behind since I was able to utilize the main chandelier as a background element.

That same chandelier made an appearance later in the evening when it caught the bouquet. I swear those things are flower magnets. With a little help, this gal was able to get it down after all.

Congratulations Angelina and Steve! Kevin and I had a great time covering your big day. The real fun starts now!

Shannon and Jason, Feather Sound Country Club

Shannon and Jason were just married this past weekend at the Feather Sound Country Club. It ended up being a beautiful day, with just enough wind to keep things interesting. Let's jump right in.

Jason and the fellas were ready first, so we took them around to some of the great areas to shoot at the club. Here, Jason poses for a few solo shots in the main lobby while we wait for the groomsmen to have their flowers pinned.

There is this great veranda, but the sun was difficult to work with at this time of day. I went ahead and overexposed some backlit shots to make it work.

We met up with a few more ushers and family members and went a more traditional route.

OK guys, you can go relax. The ladies are ready now. Here is a shot from earlier, before Shannon got dressed.

The club has this cool room for the bride to get ready in. The bright red walls make for a nice background. The room was a little too small to pull off group shots, so I focused on making some portraits of Shannon.

Shannon knew that she wanted some photos upstairs using the piano. The backgrounds were a little limited, but we did have one clean wall with a cool light fixture. Yeah, yeah, I know you can't even see the piano in this one, but I like it.

Shannon was a great model.

I couldn't pull off a nice reflection shot with a clean background, but we got lucky and snapped a few shots where the guests milling around in the background were hidden behind her.

After all the family shots, the sun was getting low enough to take the ladies outside for a few shots before the reception.

The main lobby doors provided a nice frame for a shot to show off the back of the dress. I took a few other angles that showed the whole train, but this was my favorite.

A tearful moment during the ceremony.

Right before the guests were allowed into the reception room, I was able to scamper around and make some cool room shots.

The bridal party was hiding out waiting to be announced. I take every opportunity I can to make nice photos. I worked out the exposure while they were drinking champagne and chatting with friends. A simple kiss in a back room becomes a dynamic image and a memorable moment.

Their love for each other was obvious during the first dance (and the rest of the night).

We were able to catch the tail end of dusk and pull off one photo with the cool blue background.

Shannon and Jason even skipped out on part of the reception to get some more photos around the club.

I initially converted this image to black and white, but on second thought I like the pop of the yellow walls.

Shannon's bridesmaids even joined us for a few more photos back in the main lobby. I love shooting so it's always nice to have a couple interested in making lots of images.

Finally, Shannon and Jason had to sit down and eat a little bit. That gave me enough time to work on some of the details, including their rings.

We'll end on a cake shot. The club had it lit pretty well, but I went ahead and used a flash to get exactly the look I wanted.

Congratulations Shannon and Jason! Thanks for being such willing participants in the photo process; I think it paid off! Thanks for choosing Tampa Photo to handle the important task of covering your special day.

Krystal and Austin Maternity Shoot

I recently had the opportunity to photograph Krystal and her husband Austin when she was about 8 months pregnant. We did the shoot in their home to make sure she was comfortable and could relax while I was changing setups. I also wanted to use this as a chance to shoot some maternity photos in a more natural setting, in addition to the studio background shots.

Krystal had browsed some maternity photos online and found a pose like this that she really liked. I wouldn't normally use a pose like this, but it came out great. Unfortunately I don't know what photographer she got this from to give them credit.

Something funny is bound to happen when you ask a man to talk to his wife's belly.

I loved this big window in the front of the house. I let Krystal and Austin do their own thing while I moved around trying various compositions.

They had this great chaise lounge that I worked into a few photos. Photographers just love furniture like this. I wanted a dramatic light setup so I locked the camera down on the tripod and triggered the shutter with a remote. This allowed me to hand-hold a snooted flash right above Krystal to concentrate the light on her belly.

We hung out in the nursery for a little while shooting with available light. I closed the drapes to diffuse the sunlight a bit and noticed it made a pretty nice background. By exposing for the drapes and warming up the white balance, we ended up with some great silhouettes.

Shifting to a studio setup, I stick with soft yet dramatic lighting to accentuate her form.

This was in the dining room in front of a window, but it looks like it could be a studio lighting/background setup.

Austin joins Krystal for a few final images

We'll end with another perspective in front of the large windows.

As of today, Krystal's due date has come and gone and we're looking forward to baby's arrival any day! Congratulations Krystal and Austin. Thank you for inviting me into your home to make some images of this very special time in your lives. Good luck!