Tampa Photography Blog

Sierra said all she wanted for her 9^th birthday was to have a glamour party.

Wish granted.

Thanks to Collective Creations, Sierra and six of her closest friends painted their fingers and toes, received professional hair styling and played “dress up” with boas, jewelry, dresses, hats and high heels.

They feasted on pizza and birthday cake and giggled until their bellies hurt.

Sierra is a wonderful, charismatic girl who has impeccable manners and a kind heart. She deserves nothing but the best on this birthday and all the ones to come! Thanks for inviting me into your home to photograph your day, Sierra!

When a business decides to embark on a new advertising campaign, change their image or design a new website, I believe the key is starting with great photography or visuals. This can be as simple as taking new business head shots and portraits.

Corless Zinober does it right.

Not only do they have a spectacular website being unveiled this month but they have also invested in new photography for their attorneys. As a consumer, I feel this creates a more personal website which helps when you’re shopping law firms that all seem to look the same.

I photographed some new attorneys and reshot others but what I like about working with them is that they are always open to new ideas. They do whatever it takes to finish a project and do it well. We decided on some tight head shots and a few portraits taken in their office on Westshore Boulevard that reflects their love for art.

Thank you to Ted Corless and the team at Corless Zinober for allowing me to be a part of their new look. Good luck!

I don’t photograph weddings every weekend. I do a few here and a few there. But when I get to do them, it makes my job so much more enjoyable to see a happy, stress-free couple that remembers what the day is all about…love.

Angela and Brad fit this description to a tee. From the time I shot their engagement portraits in December, I knew they were different. I expected there to be a little stress since the wedding was a mere four months away but they both had a calm aura about them. We walked around River Hills Park in Tampa, shot photos, played on the playground, watched ducks waddle and saw a beautiful sunset. It was one of the calmest photo shoots I’ve been on and it’s all because of Angela and Brad.

Their wedding was no different. From photographing Angela getting ready with her best friends to their peaceful ceremony to the colorful Hawaiian reception, they kept their cool and simply enjoyed the day.

Not only was their reception intimate but it was also one of the more unique events I’ve had the pleasure of photographing. It was a Hawaiian luau hosted by The Exotic Plumeria in Seffner, Florida, complete with leis for guests, dancing and traditions unlike anywhere else. Angela was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and the bride and groom both dreamed of a Hawaiian wedding here in Tampa Bay so it seemed a good fit.

The music and video was provided by the team at Celebrations of Tampa Bay and the wedding rings were designed by Spath Jewelers. The bride’s hair was styled by Synergy in Brandon, Florida and Alan Bunch at the Exotic Plumeria took care of all the catering and the performers.

Congratulations and best wishes to Angela and Brad!

The event called “Lush” at The Don Cesar in St. Petersburg is named for the feeling you get when you walk through the courtyard.

It’s an elegant and extravagant event centered around food and drinks. Once you pay for a ticket, you can sample as much as they can offer. And like all Loews Hotels events, they do everything right.

From wine to scotch (from Southern Wine and Spirits) and sushi to chocolate mousse, every guest can find something worth trying. Loews Hotels gathered some of their finest chefs from The Don Cesar and Loews Miami Beach Hotel to participate. These chefs managed to cook up culinary delights all night and I don’t think anyone left unhappy.

The Don also provided musical entertainment from ­­­Lamar Tremain and a fashion show by local designer Ivanka Ska with some outrageous and breathtaking designs.

I think I enjoyed this photo shoot so much because it gave me a chance to create food photography again. It’s been ages (it seems) that I have focused on food. I, of course, photographed the models, guests and chefs but food that is prepared by culinary masters is a visual treat for artists like myself.

I had the pleasure of photographing the 13^th Annual Latinos Unidos Luncheon hosted by The City of Tampa’s Mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Council at the Tampa Convention Center. Proceeds from the conference and the luncheon helped to fund the scholarship endowment at the University of Tampa. (There are also endowments at the University of South Florida and Hillsborough Community College.)

I love being a part of organizations that help other kids go to college. I was blessed enough (years ago) to receive a few scholarships from Tampa organizations and HCC plus my parents were kind enough to pay my tuition at the University of Florida. I understand not everyone has opportunities like these.

The keynote speaker was City of Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio and prominent guests included UT president Dr. Ronald Vaughn, USF President Dr. Judy Genshaft and HCC President Dr. Gwendolyn Stephenson. More than 400 Tampa business owners and community members attended the conference and luncheon.

UT hosted a private reception the night before and as always, UT proved to be a wonderful place to host a function. Donors, business owners and guests were invited to celebrate some of the accomplishments of the Hispanic Advisory Council. Council member Maritza Roviro Forino lead the event and honored UT trustee Dr. O. Rex Damron, President of the Krewe of Sant 'Yago Education Foundation.

Thanks to all who help give kids opportunities they didn’t know they could have.

The Brian family is prepared for anything.

We meet annually when they arrive at St. Petersburg Beach to vacation at their condo. They need a break in March or April from the winter they've survived in Pennsylvania and they call on me for family portraits.

Not only do they manage to pack quite a bit into a few hours of photography but they are also color coordinated, ready to feed kids with snacks and juice and they always try to make it as fun as possible for their two children.

Keeping kids interested in a family portrait photo session can be a challenge. The Brians bring supplies to make sand castles, they play games, squirt water guns, swim and much more. No child wants to sit in front of a camera for hours and smile. It’s not natural.

So, every year I am amazed at how they make their photo session fresh and fun and always with a new color scheme!

We shot half of our session in their condo and half on the beach. I created a miniature studio in their condo and they invited a couple of family friends over to join in the session. Then, we took the cameras, toys, snacks and water down to the beach for some candid photos.

I've included a few of my favorites…it was a gorgeous Florida afternoon; perfect for portraits!