William and Michelle...

So we've worked several wedding at the infamous Courtyard at Lake Lucerne and the great Dr. Phillips House in Downtown Orlando.  We love that venue...colorful, well-kept...amazing, kind and FUNNY coordinators and everything is close :)

This particular holiday season we worked three weddings there almost back-to-back...and Bill (or William or Billy -- as I've heard Michelle call him) and Michelle's was sandwiched in the middle.  The two opted for a Saturday...December 23rd...and it was warm...in the mid 80's!  Even though they wanted a slight Christmas feel...it didn't FEEL like Christmas.  We really enjoyed being a part of their day.  They might not have felt it but everyone was calm, a little silly and pretty relaxed.  It always helps when the bride is GORGEOUS and the groom is a handsome man...and to top off the fact that they are CRAZY in love makes it even better!  The ceremony was delightful, calm and so meaningful.  I had to pull my camera away from eyes to wipe a few tears!  The officiant was none other than the groom's grandfather and namesake.  The groom is his only grandson and his grandfather was a pastor and had been for a loooong time and told me felt so blessed to still be here and to be able to marry his grandson.  The glances they exchanged, the way they held each other's hands...really came through these photos.  Michelle was one of those brides who was nervous and felt like she wasn't sure what to do in front of the camera...but once my lens landed on her...her light came on and she was a true blessing to photograph.  I really enjoyed my time with her...her realllly long veil made my squeal with excitement....because I knew I'd be able to work some killer shots...so with the two of them...my vision, my hubby's help with lighting...these photos are truly some of my personal favorites!  I hope you enjoy just a small amount of the highlights from the day...

And remember...it's booking season.  The best vendors are booking up and trying to keep everything organized and be in front of as many brides as possible...like we!!!  Next Sunday we'll be at The Tampa Convention Center for The Great Bridal Expo!  Come by and see us and chat!!!  We'll be there with amazing "book today deals" and some really great artwork to show off our beautiful couples!!!


HAPPY SATURDAY!

Rachel (and Bill) -- Your Photographers for Life :)

Good Karma

So our new website is up and running!!!  We're so happy to have a new streamlined site, focused (ah ha) on photography!  Easy to use...easy to find...and for us...easy to build!!!  Make sure to check it out if you haven't at ThirteenthMoonPhotography.com

Also, today we received more terrific news...as we're still floating high on the clouds of winning our first Brides Choices Award (Wedding Wire) and Best of Weddings Award (The Knot).  The Orange County Public Library System has asked Bill and I to be a part of a small group of community innovators to help plan out a new Center for Technology, Innovation and Creativity.  Being involved in something like this means the WORLD to us.  Bill grew up in Orlando and loves it like no other...I grew up in library...and it's where I found my peace and comfort, often.  Some of my earliest and best memories are of my big brother taking me with him to the library...it's that good for me.  So here's how the Orange County Library System describes it...


"We need your help creating something that Central Florida has never seen before. Imagine a place where the community can go that not only promotes creativity but places cutting-edge tools in the hands of local entrepreneurs, inventors, and innovative artists. Imagine a design, fabrication, and prototyping lab that turns ideas into reality; or a visual arts and audio studio that provides hands-on tools for the creative community; or perhaps a hub for self-publication that supports digital publishing and printing on demand. The Center for Technology, Innovation, and Creativity could be just such a place. But we need you!"

I told you...pretty awesome!!  We'll be sure to keep you posted on how this unfolds in the future.

For now...we're back to work, getting everything together for the Great Bridal Expo in Tampa on February 12th and of course...editing photos :)

All our Love,

Bill and Rachel - Your Photographers for Life

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!!

And the Winners Are....

Thanks to each and every person who voted and supported our BEST OF 2011 Contest!  It's been fun and we can't wait to do it again next year with even more photos and new faces!!  Even if you're not a contestant next year make sure to drop in and show some love for those that are!!  And now...for the results (I'm pretending to be Ryan Seacrest).

BEST ENGAGEMENT PHOTO:

Jessica and Zac from Tampa have won a romantic evening and VIP Treatment at Florida's tallest lighthouse, Ponce Inlet.

BEST RECEPTION/CANDID PHOTO:

Mike and Dawn from Ohio have won some of our personal favorite Florida Wines from the Florida Orange Groves & Winery out of St. Pete Florida!  We'll be shipping them some fabulous wines and two AMC movie passes to enjoy a night together!

BEST WEDDING DAY PHOTO:

Vivianne and Jared from Orlando have won 2-one day Park Hopper Passes to Walt Disney World Resort to enjoy a day filled with magic and long lines (but oh so worth it).

Congratulations to all of our winners and thanks again for everybody that helped make this contest a success!  If you're in the market for a wedding photographer and you voted we'd like to thank you with 10% off your total package price!  If you're looking for family or maternity photos we'd like to extend the same thank you with 10% off any of our portrait packages.  Just let us know you're a fan and you voted!!!

THANKS AGAIN!!

Your Photographers for Life,
Bill and Rachel

Last Minute Wedding??

This time of year is popular for engagements and quick weddings...and we'd love to be your photographers!  BOOK today through February 1st for your February 2012 wedding and receive a 10% discount off any of our packages of 4 hours or more!  WEEKDAY WEDDING in FEBRUARY or MARCH...book before FEBRUARY 1st and receive 15% off of 4 hours or more.

Email or call today to schedule a consultation!!

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!