Recent Projects - Barb Rooch Interior Environments

I had the pleasure of working once again with Barb Rooch of B.R.I.E.. This time, Barb had designed a beautiful 22nd floor condo in Bonita Bay, and her style is fantastic, as always. We only had time during the day to do the shoot, but even though it was the middle of summer in South Florida, the weather actually cooperated (well, mostly). Here are a few shots from the day.

Kenzie + Ben: Sanibel Island, FL

I had the great pleasure of meeting and shooting Kenzie and Ben last month on Sanibel Island for some beach engagement photos. Kenzie is a good friend of my fabulous cousin Jason, so I knew that Kenzie must be a genuinely wonderful person. Well, that was beyond the case and Ben was her equal counterpart in that department.

Now, shooting outdoor photos in Florida in the summer provides it's own set of challenges. From the heat/sweat, to the mosquitos, to the incessant afternoon downpours, you have to be pretty selective on when and where you are going to take the photos. We decided to hit up Sanibel beach in the morning, which was even more impressive that Kenzie and Ben agreed because they had to drive over from the east coast!

Despite all of our best intentions, it was HOT. The kind of hot where you just sweat if you think about moving. We were very lucky to get a reprieve on the rain, but we ended up with the opposite and had a blistering sun beating on us, even at that early in the morning. Most people would melt with this kind of pressure, but let me tell you, I did not hear Kenzie or Ben complain one time for the next two hours! They took the obstacles like champs and I think that their photos speak to their upbeat and easygoing nature. They were ready to try anything throughout the day and it was really a pleasure to shoot them. Here are a few of my favorites from the day.

I do realize that in this combo, it appears that Ben is staring lovingly at the tortoise. But, it is a pretty cute tortoise!

Now, this isn't a super fantastic photo, but I did happen to catch the dolphin as it's fin was breaching the surface of the water, so it gets extra cool points for that!

Recent Publications: Sotheby's International

The recent issue of Sotheby's International Realty Reside magazine is out and I am very pleased to have three properties that I shot featured inside. This is their publication which contains the best of Sotheby's properties from all over the world, from Turkey, Thailand, South Africa, to the Virgin Islands, so it is fantastic to be included.

Our local Southwest Florida edition, Collection magazine, features 18 different properties that I have shot over the years, including a two-page spread on the inside cover and a full-page feature on the same property.

(sorry the scans look a little wrinkled, they were greeted with one of Florida's summer downpours on my way home)

The summer is upon us and excitement is in the air...

It has been a wonderfully busy season here in SW Florida, and as is the norm, as the temperature begins to rise, the pace of life begins to slow. This past week is the first week where I feel I've had a little extra time to explore some of my personal projects and goals (oh, and to finally clean up my messy office). One of my goals has been to give a little more attention to this blog and I hope to be doing weekly posts (maybe even bi-weekly, I know, now I'm talking crazy)! I have so many ideas that flow through my head, problem is they've usually dripped out before I am able to give them any attention. So, now I've written it down for all to see, and you know that anything online must be true.

I have a few summer plans on the horizon, but one in particular that I am getting very excited about. I have throughout the years tried to take as many "continuing education" classes as I can. If time and money were no obstacle, I would be perfectly content being a permanent student. But, since that is not to be, I try to squeeze it in when I get the opportunity. If you are anywhere from a budding photographer to a seasoned pro, I think taking these courses is one of the best things you can do to progress your skills and creativity. While I don't mind working on my own, the nature of photography (especially architectural photography) can be very solitary. You have to take it upon yourself to interact with other photographers and to get and give feedback. I have been working in this area for five years and I am ashamed to say that I have met a scant few of my local industry professionals.

Anyway, I have taken several NAPP courses throughout Florida over the years. These are usually in a large auditorium with hundreds of people, with subjects ranging from Photoshop, to Lightroom, to lighting techniques. The courses are usually taught by renowned photographers in the business and are well worth the $99 fee. I have also made use of many of the online workshops available, most of them offered for free. Two that I have taken are through Creative Live and also OnOne. Again, I have usually always gained some piece of information that made it well worth my time. I also attended the PDN PhotoPlus Expo in NYC a few years ago with the opportunity to take several specialized seminars.

However, I have never taken a very intensive course, one that is one-on-one with the instructor, out in the field, and over a multiple day range so that you could really absorb all the information. I have looked for such a course over the years, but never really saw what I was looking for, or shall I say, could never really justify spending the money because a lot of the courses weren't necessarily in my area of interest. A few months ago, I came across Santa Fe Workshops and I immediately knew that I had found what I was looking for. I will be taking the weeklong Architectural Photography course, taught by Hedrich Blessing photographer, Nick Merrick. The best thing about the course (other than the aforementioned aspects) is that it is not geared to beginners but to architectural photographers with an established portfolio. So, I will be with 13 other established architectural photographers from across the country (plus, Nick Merrick, and he has to at least count for two on his own!) for a whole week completely immersed in all things linear. Sounds like a dream to me!

I am really looking forward to it and I'm sure I will blog more about it as details arrive, and of course, I will give updates on my experience there.

And because I can't post without a photo, here's a Miami skyline photo I shot while visiting a few months ago, just for fun.

Brittany + Blaine: April 2, 2011

I was asked to shoot Blaine and Brittany's wedding day next to the beautiful Gulf of Mexico in Naples, FL. It was a gorgeous morning (as you can tell by the photos) and Blaine and Brittany were just an adorable couple. It was very nice to be a part of their day.

I started off with the ladies at the hair salon where the mood was very light and relaxed. The hair and make-up turned out lovely, thanks to Abracadabra Salon.

We then headed to the Inn on Fifth in downtown Naples, one of the nicest places to stay in Old Naples, where the girls were getting ready.

Brittany and Blaine's adorable son, Brenden, was all smiles throughout the day. It was hard to not take an adorable photo of him!

We only had a quick minute to take a couple of photos in the lobby of the Inn on 5th, but the girls were very happy to pose as we were on our way out the door.

Brittany just looked stunning!

The wedding ceremony took place down at 8th Ave beach access in Naples. It was such a beautiful day and a lovely ceremony. The groom, Blaine, is also a fantastic photographer in the area, so I was very honored that I was chosen to capture his wedding day.

Best of luck to you, Blaine and Brittany, not that you're going to need it!