Alli & Joe....A little unusual!

Alli and Joe are different...and we love different!  At the consultation I remember throwing at engagement session ideas and a cemetery shoot has been at the top of my list along with the library shoot we just did.  Joe loved the idea from the start and Alli, with her love of skeletons and trench coats said she was game too!  We set our sites on Greenwood Cemetery in Downtown Orlando, one of Florida's oldest cemeteries.  Since the couple is having a summer wedding I went with our rule of opposites and planned the shoot for winter in Florida.  We were hoping for cold weather and lots of browns and tans to work as our backdrop.  We actually ended up with temps in the 40's (for Florida that's cold) and we really enjoyed our time with this couple!  Alli's gorgeous red hair and Joe's cool guy swag really made everything pop!  These shots are just some of the great ones...we did include a series we have of Alli (a former dance team member) who said she was having trouble not doing spirit fingers and cheesy smiles...we worked with her...got her to laugh and she did great the rest of the shoot.  Joe...he just showed up :)  We paid our respects to the deep history of the cemetery and made sure we followed the rules!

We worked with our frame again (an idea now requested by many couples since our first time using it with Mike and Dawn in August).  Each time we use it we try to do a different spin on it...and this one came out great too!!

Orange County Public Library Engagement Shoot

When it comes to engagement shoots...we LOVE them!  It gives us the opportunity to feel more comfortable with our clients and the same thing goes for them.  We get a chance to spend more time with them, learn what makes them feel good...when I gush over how beautiful the photos are as I'm shooting...does it make our bride blush from embarrassment or pride?  After an engagement shoot we know!  When it comes to ideas and themes for our engagement sessions...I've got a list of a hundred ideas...so if you book us and you're in need of engagement photos...I'll come up with an out-of-this-world idea that will still showcase you.  I met Kat nearly six months ago for her consultation.  She seemed shy and reserved and anybody that knows me, knows I'm not...so I worked to pull some information out.  The more she spoke the more I thought I had found my LIBRARY bride!  She loved the idea as she said her and Mike met in college and spent a lot of time together in the library!  I adore books...libraries, the quiet...the endless, ever awaiting comfort of a good book and the maze of shelves adorned with colors and depth...

Bill worked on getting permission to do a quiet shoot but there was no other library I wanted the shoot done in than the Downtown Orlando Branch.  We'd like to say a HUGE thank you to Tracy Zampaglione the Public Relations Administrator of the Orange County Library System who so kindly worked with our scheduling needs and escorted our team throughout the library to make sure we weren't disturbed (or more like we didn't disturb anyone...but we didn't).  The photos came out better than I hoped for.  Kat and Mike are NATURALS in front of the camera and I actually had to get them not to smile so much.  We used books for props and my creativity sparked and I found a book about diamonds to work in some of our magic!  We ended our session on the tracks at Church Street Station for the iconic factor...but really we hit this one out of the park!!  Thanks again to everyone involved in helping make this another success.  We can't wait for their spring wedding at Mystic Dunes!

Mike & Dawn's Engagement Photos

Bill and I had the absolute pleasure of being booked by Mike and Dawn for their Christmas wedding at the Walt Disney World Resort.  We recently met up with them while they flew in to finish up plans and we shot their engagement photos from The Grand Floridian to the Boardwalk Resort!  They presented us with some "challenges" for with I will credit Mike's brother-in-law who told him the engagement photos would be one of the most uncomfortable experiences of his life!  WELL, so sorry for him we didn't photograph their engagement photos otherwise I think Mike's brother-in-law would have been whistling a different tune!!  We got Mike and Dawn laughing and sure enough they finished like pros!!!  We can't wait for the wedding and to spend some more time with them!!

TJ & Kerry

This lovely couple hired us just last week and even though they had decided against engagement photos, they changed their minds and wanted them for their Save The Dates! Bill and I are fans of engagement photos for our clients! Not only does it give our clients a sneak peek at how much they will adore their wedding photos but it gives us a really great chance to get to know them even better! Engagement photos should be fun, sweet and endearing! I suppose it all depends on the couple, but most of our clients are lighthearted and I thought TJ and Kerry did an amazing job of being cute and sweet and helped us to completely avoid the POSED shots I hate! It took them a few minutes to warm up to the camera but they were pros by the end!

TJ and Kerry met at UCF in grad school and even though Kerry liked the idea of doing the shoot on campus she wanted to make sure the photos were not centered around the University... so I think we nailed the subtle UCF cameos! Bill and I are very much looking forward to photographing their wedding! They are such a sweet and silly couple who truly enjoy being together. The shoot took place late afternoon and the heat index was 108!! They managed to look great and not sweaty (with a little help from Bill and I)....

So thank you guys! We think they came out better than we hoped!

Much Love!

Bill & Rachel

Ron & Jenelle

How awesome was this shoot? Super awesome.

Jenelle is a trainer at an amazing Ranch in Central Florida and her horse and her dogs mean a lot to her and her hubby-to-be, Ron. She wanted to incorporate all the things she loves so much into her "engagement shoot". The weather was shady to say the least and we did the best we could to avoid thunder and lightning. Towards the end of the shoot the rain started to come down but the ranch had an amazing overhang that we were able to still get some shots without everyone getting soaked!

We are very much looking forward to photographing their wedding in May 2012 at the amazing Albin Polasek Musuem and Sculpture Garden in Winter Park, Florida!

Thanks Ron & Jenelle...it was fun :)

Many Blessings,

Rachel & Bill

Tara & Joe

 

A couple VERY much in love...and at times, "difficult"...because all they wanted to do was look at each other :)

But we'll take that kind of "difficult" any day! Joe proposed to Tara at Cranes Roost, so they wanted their engagement photos there and it made perfect sense! We shot this just yesterday evening at sunset and it worked out well! We are honored to be photographing their wedding as well, this October!

Congratulations Joe and Tara...we look forward to spending more time with the two of you!

Much Love,

Bill & Rachel