Renowned Professional Photographer

Wedding Pictures at The Terrace Hotel, Lakeland, Florida

I’ve photographed weddings throughout Florida and beyond but somehow one of my favorite locations is always nice to come back to for another wedding client.

This day brought me back to be the photographer for a wedding at the Terrace Hotel in Lakeland, Florida just across the street from Lake Mirror.

The location is simple enough, small hillside, nice seating area for guests, and a lake.  But if you have been here before and really taken the time to scout the location you would find that the best bridal shots in Lakeland are taken at dusk on the lake.

So, needless to say I took the now happily married couple down to the lake just after shooting the ceremony and the formal pictures following the wedding.  With some quick lighting to setup I was ready to shoot in under 5 minutes.  I posed them, checked my lighting and fired off about 30 pictures.  They all came out beautiful and I am really excited about showing the newlyweds these great pictures.

As for the Terrace Hotel, it was a great reception but for the 2nd or 3rd time running, their staff was less than accommodating, a little rude and overall just not fun to work with.  I left a message for a wedding coordinator there following the wedding but never heard back.

So, great location for pictures but as for the Terrace Hotel, I’d think twice before having my reception there.

Destination wedding this past weekend

This past weekend was busier than most.  I was glad to see the wedding of Sarah and Jake at St Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church in Lakewood Ranch.  Jessica Adkins was the head photographer on Saturday and I was her assistant.  The guys had a great time as I tried to get some great action shots of them.  I think they enjoyed the paparazzi treatment too!  The wedding ceremony was followed by a great dinner at Mattison’s Riverside.  This wedding reception venue is one of my favorites in the area.  This time I impressed even myself with my ability to get some great shots out by the waterside.  As the air was getting thicker by the minute from the humidity we had to cut things short and get in some nice AC!  Things wound down around 10pm and I think everyone had a wonderful time.  Congratulations Sarah and Jake!

The next wedding was at Siesta Key on Sunday.  All I can say on that one is WoWW!  Congratulations on your marriage Mark & Cassidy!  A destination wedding dream come true for this couple.  They came down with a whole group of people from Chicago and New York for this great beach wedding at sunset on Siesta Key.

Tim Macking - Tradewinds Resort Wedding Photographer

Few places in Florida rival the white sands just beyond the Tradewinds Resort Hotel on St. Pete Beach in Florida.  These precious sands are all too familiar to Tim Macking a local wedding photographer.

I caught up with Tim this past week to ask him what he thought of beach weddings, wedding photography and the St. Pete beach area for destination weddings.  ”People travel from all over the US and abroad to come to our beautiful beaches” he says and what on earth for you ask?  ”Destination weddings seem to be in abundance these days, people travel here to have their wedding on our beaches and it just so happens that St. Pete Beach is one of the beaches of choice for couples who want to get married on the beach” Tim says.

While the beautiful beaches and white sands attract people from all over, isn’t it expensive?  ”When you’re travelling here from Boston for a wedding you aren’t concerned if your wedding photographer costs $1000.00, and if the cost per plate is $75″ he said.  Capturing the first kiss at sunset on the beach behind the Tradewinds Resort hotel or the Don Cesar is a once in a lifetime event for many couples.  Or at least that’s what we hope.

There are numerous other hotels in the area but only a few have the facilities necesary to host a wedding party for the destination wedding dream that many brides and grooms have these days.

See you on the beach…

Don Cesar Photography

Tomorrow morning I’m doing a photo shoot on Pass-A-Grille beach almost next to the Don Cesar Hotel.  Weather permitting we’ll be all setup by 7am and taking pictures shortly thereafter.  After speaking with the wedding planner a few minutes ago they confirmed that everything is all set.

So who in the world wants to be up at 7am in the morning you’d ask?  Leave it up to the NFL to come in to Tampa, have someone get engaged want to get a photo shoot done, have the pictures ready before they play in the Super Bowl this weekend!  Ok, that’s incredible isn’t it.  But it’s no problem, I have lots of time and nothing to do.  Yeah right…

If it weren’t for the fact that I will be doing the wedding photography when they get married at the Don Cesar later this year, I wouldn’t have taken this photo gig.  I’m not able to give more details about time and date of the wedding but the engagement pictures from the beach will be posted online provided I get the photo release signed.

Ok, back to work…

Siesta Key Wedding Photographer

SIESTA KEY

What I love about Siesta Key is the youthful spirit that is drawn to the glassine waters and quartz-crystal white sands, which have been ranked as the “finest, whitest sand beach in the world.”  Of course Siesta Beach is energized, always plenty of Frisbee throwing, volleyball, jogging, tennis, biking, and picnicking.  Best of all, though, is giving way to afternoon “siestas” in the sun, either swaying on floats atop gentle waves or on shore near the waterline as the small waves crest.  Just a short walk away is Siesta Village, a spirited medley of the many different sides of Sarasota, from candlelight dining to beach boutiques and cool daiquiris outside.

If you are thinking of the Siesta Key area for your upcoming destination wedding, stop thinking and start booking!  With renowned Siesta Key Photographer Tim Macking and the services of Suncoast Wedding Planner to plan your upcoming destination wedding on the beach.  Each year countless couples come to Sarasota and Siesta Key to tie the knot in the sand.  Each weekend you can look up and down the sandy beaches and usually capture the bride walking down the palm lined aisle or maybe even the first kiss.  Of course the best destination wedding photography takes place at sunset, so when planning your wedding try to work it into the sunset so you can have some great pictures of your memorable wedding on the beach.

Siesta Key - Sarasota, Florida…  It’s a beautiful beach and great for weddings!

Last minute destination wedding photography

There is something special to be said for the client that calls you on Monday to see if you are availalbe for a destination beach wedding on Friday.  That is exactly what happened this week.

While many photographers refuse such jobs due to the lack of notice and last minute planning, I am of a differnent breed in photography and photojournalism.  You can call me the day of your wedding and if I am available I will do anything I can to provide you with wedding photography services.

Sure, I understand the other photographers who don’t take last minute jobs.  For me though it’s no problem for me to prepare what I need within a matter of a few hours.  I just need the time to charge the batteries if they aren’t charged and that’s about it.  Perhaps I’m a little bit crazy or maybe I’m just the person who doesn’t mind chasing business and who will run the extra distance (literally once) to get things going in the right direction.

I am a professional photojournalist, I deliver results, you pay me for my time and we’re all happy.

December 6th Longboat Key Wedding

Wow, I don’t think you could have asked for better weather today.  The clouds were barely visible in the evening as the sunset beach ceremony began.  The weather was beautiful, just a little brisk at about 63 degrees or so.  Not quite the desired weather for the guests I suppose but for this Sarasota Photographer, it was just perfect.

I began the day ceremony using my D300 with a fisheye lens just for some cool perspective.  Switched out lenses just in time to watch Shelley as she was escorted by her father accross the sand dunes and down the aisle of palm frawns.  She was wearing a beautiful Vera Wang wedding dress and as the sunlight caught the whisps of her long vail I was able to get some incredible shots.  Again, it’s all in the details.

The ceremony was short and followed by an incredible sunset.  I grabbed all the formals just in time to hear the bride say “i’m ready to eat”.  And off we went.

The reception was rather uneventful except for the son of the groom who was having fun sliding down the banister of the stairs.

The pictures are in the editing phase now and it looks like it was a huge success.

Bridal photography on Longboat key seems to be one of my favorite locations.  Of course the Vinoy in St. Petersburg is still up high on the list too.

Sawgrass Lake - St. Petersburg, Florida

You can search far and wide throughout all of Florida and you may never come accross a more beautiful location for photography of all types.

Sawgrass Lake Park, at 400 acres in size, allows people to walk through one of the largest maple swamps on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The park has a mile-long boardwalk a half-mile dirt trail provide opportunities to see birds, butterflies, plants and animals in their natural settings within the most densely populated county in Florida. Herons, egrets, ibis, wood storks, alligators and turtles can be seen along the canals and lakes. Thousands of birds migrate through the park during the fall and spring, attracting birders and eco-tourists from all over the country. Sawgrass Lake Park is mentioned by the Great Florida Birding Trail and the National Audubon Society as one of the premier birding sites in Florida.

Sawgrass Lake Park is the result of a unique cooperative agreement between the Pinellas County Parks & Recreation Department, the Pinellas County School District and the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Two Park Naturalists and a dedicated Environmental Education Resource Teacher offer nature tours and outdoor field trips for thousands of visitors and school students annually.

For those people who want a place to photograph birds and wildlife it’s also a great location.  Throughout the park there are numerous spots to take pictures of alligators, birds, snakes & more.

As a St. Petersburg wedding photographer I was attracted to Sawgrass Lake becuase of the stark contrast possibilities that I was presented.  This past weekend I did some high school senior pictures on the walking bridge and by the water, they turned out great.  A good friend of mine who is a Tampa Wedding Photographer did a bridal portrait session overlooking the swampy area.  I am certain that it would be a great “trash the dress” location, but I’m not too sure about finding a bride willing to wear her wedding dress into a swamp with alligators!

Pictures at the Pier

In the planning stages of a photo shoot at the St. Petersburg Pier.

With a little luck and some good planning everything will come together on May 17th to have a photo session with babies, toddlers, seniors and engagement couples.

The baby photography session will go from 8AM until 10AM followed by a toddler photo shoot from 10AM until 12PM.  Parents who wish to have their children photographed together should plan on a 11:30 to 1:30 timeframe where I will be conducting family portrait sessions.

Once the lil’ ones are gone we’ll move on to do some senior portraits for Lakewood High School, Osceola High School and St. Petersburg High.  Senior pictures will go from 2PM until abou 3:30PM.  Please reserve a 30 minute spot by emailing me or calling.

The day will wrap up with Bridal photography sessions by renowned Tampa Photographer Tim Macking.  Couples are encouraged to call ahead to book a 45 minute block of time.

St. Petersburg Pier Wedding Photography

As luck would have it I wrote in the blog yesterday about an upcoming photo shoot that I’ve recently started planning for May 17th.  Throughout the day I had a few people contact me regarding the St. Petersburg Pier and the ability to have a wedding there or close by along with a local venue for the wedding reception.

As a professional wedding photographer I am always trying to better familiarize myself and build business relationships with the locations and venues that I frequent.  While I reside in St. Petersburg and have photographed the St. Pete Pier and the surroundings many times throughout my life I have not yet looked at the location as a wedding ceremony location or venue for a reception.

A few weeks ago I was approached by someone who is somewhat of a local celibrity of types.  He is originally from the area and maintains strong ties to the local community.  He was recently married and wanted to get some pictures of him with his wife in more of a laid back portrait setting.  We went over my typical list of great locations like Sawgrass Lake, Sunken Gardens, Fort Desoto, and the Vinoy Basin area.  As we were talking things over he asked what I thought of The Pier for a portrait location.  While sharing my thoughts with him I agreed to scout out the location and see if it would work.

A few days later I went by the pier with the specific intention of scouting out some great spots for some portrait photography.  I was amazed what lie just before my eyes and which I had never taken advantage of.  There are a number of great spots and a few that could produce some truly stunning opportunities.  While there I thought of the location for a specific portrait session but later realized the potential it had for children and high school seniors for photo shoots and even for some great wedding photography.

So, to make a long story even longer I decided that I would try to put together a photo shoot during my favorite Florida month, May.  The plans are still in the developing stages, no promises yet but I am hoping for May 17th.

I referred a few of the people who contacted me yesterday to the Vinoy and the St. Petersburg Yacht club for their receptions and made a few suggestions for outside ceremonies and some local churches for those wanting a traditional church wedding.  Most of my wedding clients are from out of town and St. Pete is a destination wedding location for them, so it really helps when I can assist them with some of their other wedding planning tasks.

Along with the wedding requests I had I also received an inquiry from someone who wanted to see if I was interested in a portrait shoot for a local aspiring actress.  I will let you know how that goes…

Until tomorrow…