Tampa Photography Blog

Most of us would love to have a professional photographer shoot our family portraits, cover our birthday parties and weddings and photograph our children. It can be pricy so why not ask for it as a gift?

More and more people are trying to find new and creative gifts to give to family members, friends and co-workers. Why not give the gift of photography with a gift certificate from Jessica Leigh Photography?

One of the easiest ways to do this is simply add this “gift” to a wish list like www.amazon.com. Click here to add the universal wish list button from Amazon then go to my website at www.jlpflorida.com and click on “Add to Amazon” in your toolbar. You can even specify the amount or quantity of gift cards you are requesting.

Our sessions start at $75 per person for business head shots and $350 for Tampa family portrait sessions and boudoir photography. Wedding packages begin at $850 and commercial photography starts at $350.  These session rates are all-inclusive meaning the rate we quote is the rate you pay. We don’t believe in the “nickel and dime” philosophy so each session comes with a CD of the edited and toned high-resolution photos as well as an online gallery. We also include a release so you can print them at any color lab you choose.

With holiday family portraits being booked as early as September, this is a great time to be thinking of who might enjoy professional photography as a gift. There are only 203 days until Christmas and 181 days until Hanukkah!!!

Jessica Leigh Photography would like to welcome another new client, the University of South Florida.

While USF has an in-house photography staff as part of the University Commuications and Marketing Department, they still use freelance photographers from time to time and I'm thrilled to be on their short list!

USF was founded in 1956 but has emerged as one of Florida's finest universities. They serve more than 39,000 students each year and they reached a new high of $380 million in research grants and contracts in 2008-2009.

From private events to university luncheons to professional portraits, I am looking forward to creating fantastic commercial photography for USF and its faculty and staff.

Stay tuned for more information and photos from upcoming photo sessions in Tampa Bay!

Jessica Leigh Photography would like to welcome a new client, the Don CeSar Beach Resort, a Loews Hotel.

The Don CeSar has launched a new special offer called the Florida Family Memories Package and we are proud to be a part of this family portrait campaign. The Don offers rooms with rates starting from $169 per night. The special is based on a minimum 4-night stay which includes a $100 resort credit plus a family beach portrait sitting with a professional photographer.

This is a great way to take a mini-vacation with your family, earn some resort credit and enjoy a one-hour photo session that you can walk to! All sessions will take place in or around the Don CeSar so it's convenient for you and your family. And if time permits, you can view your photos within hours at the resort. You will receive one 8X10 print of your choice and if you like what you see, you can order prints and a CD of the images.

I hope everone will take advantage of this special family portrait offer. The Don CeSar is a great backdrop for portraits so book your package before the summer heat takes over!

For most photographers, it's difficult to edit or choose our best photos. We look at our photos for hours on end and after a while, they all look the same. So, putting together something as simple as a portrait book is not as easy as it sounds.

I started with my absolute favorite images and put those on the cover and as the dominant photos on the inside of the book. Then I tried to choose a variety of images—children’s portraits, family portraits, engagement portraits, etc. After a few hours, I had switched so many photos and “tinkered” with it so much, it didn’t look anything like what I started out creating.

To finish the project, I usually have to ask another photographer or my husband to give me a “cut-throat” decision so I can order the silly book and move on. This time, I finished it alone but not without hesitation.

Photographers create these albums because everyone likes holding something in their hands. You can look at photos all day on the internet but there’s still something unique about meeting a client at Starbucks, grabbing a coffee and turning the glossy pages of a photography book.

On occasion, I will stop by Borders in Tampa, order an iced chai tea latte, find a quiet place in the back and sift through photo book after photo book.

It calms me.

It inspires me.

It reminds me of how many talented people are on this Earth doing what I do.

Take a look at my latest book and tell me what you think. One more opinion wouldn’t hurt.

Along with our new website, we've created a new blog! Clients and photography lovers alike can follow our work, find out about specials on photo packages and talk about photo-related stories and controversies in the news. We also plan to add photo tips and techniques that hobby photographers can use to spice up their personal photos. Check out "Thankful Thursdays" when we will highlight a local Tampa Bay business that we are thankful exists.

Please check out the masters behind this site: Argonaut Studios and A Design Link. Thanks to Chad Pierce for all his patience and hard work!!!