Diane

Diane came into the studio on Tuesday for some "just because" portraits. She was telling me that all of the pictures she has of herself are with her son, when she is being a mom. I think most moms would agree that being a mother is a wonderful life changing thing, but it is not the entirety of who you are. I was so glad Diane came in to get some images of herself, as the funny, vibrant beautiful woman she is!www.LongsPhotography.com

Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

A few Changes...

Olyn and I always have a six month review of things in January and July. Since today is July 1st it was a day of retrospection. We have had an absolutely amazing first half of 2008 and we have added so many new offerings-- new albums, jewelry, bags, frames, composites, etc. Its almost overwhelming how many options we now have! On top of that we are busier than ever with portraits and weddings! Senior portraits are booming, we are always out doing family shoots and our baby calendar is filling up farther and farther in advance!

With growth comes some lessons and inevitably some changes. Luckily, I think they are all good changes! The two biggest changes are kind of a big deal, so they warrant a formal announcement on the blog-- starting today:

• To book a portrait session OTHER than a baby plan session or an engagement session that is part of a package, you will need to call with a credit card number to reserve a time on the calendar and you must return your signed contract within 72 hours. We had a lot of people ask us to pencil them in, only to cancel at the last minute or never return the contract. This really is unfair to our other clients who are having to wait weeks sometimes for an appointment time. To make things fair to everyone, this will be our firm new policy on bookings.
• Starting in January, we offered a viewing session for any client who would like to come into the studio to view their images for the first time. The response has been absolutely overwhelming! I had no idea it was so daunting for so many to choose their images, sizes and finishes. Now, with the wide assortment of new products, it just makes sense for all clients to come in for a viewing session. So, we are now requiring clients to come to the studio for a viewing session if they would like to use any of their product credit. Credit codes will no longer be issued for the online gallery. Also, special discounts and packages will be offered at the viewing that will not be offered in the online gallery. Not to worry-- you will still be able to share your images with your family and friends, as the gallery will still go online for 7 days after your viewing session!

We have given a lot of thought to these changes and we really feel they will enable us to better serve our clients and manage our time. We are always open to suggestions and we welcome any feedback! If you have any comments, please don't hesitate to email us at Linda@LongsPhotography.com

www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Lindsey, Frank, Luke and Kelly

I just love surprises! Lindsey, Frank, Luke and Kelly all conspired to surprise Mom with a portrait session of the kids for her birthday. Since Luke and Kelly were only going to be in town for a very short window, we were all so upset yesterday when the weather turned bad. Luckily, the rainshowers broke just long enough to fit in a quick session at Maclay. So, since the first thing Mom will see of her birthday present is this blog post... HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Oh, and sorry you got ditched at home last night while the kids ran out to play at the park with me! www.LongsPhotography.com

Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Ashley & Sean

Olyn and I spent the weekend at Wakulla Springs for Ashley and Sean's vintage-themed wedding. What more perfect way to personalize the wedding of two history-buffs than focus on a specific moment of Florida history? All of the details from the cake to the flowers and music absolutely transported you back to the way the Wakulla Springs Lodge must have felt in the 1940's.

Taking their theme as inspiration, I spent weeks before the wedding thinking of 1940's imagery and what that meant in my mind. I loved having this challenge as it really forced my creativity into images that I adore and I might not have thought of without the push.

Blossom's did a stunning job with the bouquets and the centerpieces. Ashley had them string beads into the flowers, as it was common for bride's in the Great Depression to carry bouquets of buttons and string.Olyn and I split up to spend time with both the girls and the guys while they were getting ready. No offense to Olyn or the guys... but they just didn't have the drama that Ashley did with that dress! The silhouette was an immediate inspiration for me and sent my mind into a thousand different directions.
I love having two photographers to cover a ceremony. Olyn stayed at the back and covered mostly wide angles, while I snuck up to the front for the close-ups. From this one spot, I captured Ashley crying, her mother crying, her grandmother crying, and her bridesmaids crying.Olyn got a few different angles of the back of the service.
The fireplace makes such an elegant backdrop for the ceremony.Probably my favorite shot of the day-- taken in the elevator of the lodge. It embraces the vintage feel, but adds a healthy dose of sex-appeal. If forced to choose one type of image as my signature style, this would have to be it. I love dark moody shadows and dramatic lighting. Of course, thanks to Olyn, I spent the entire day after this with "Love in an Elevator" stuck in my head!
Ashley and Sean were amazingly generous with the amount of time they gave us for portraits, so we literally went all over the lodge.The ceiling was the first thing Ashley fell in love with and had mentioned at our first meeting how she would like to have it included in an image. I don't think she realized this meant me laying on the dirty floor as people literally moved chairs and swept around me. :)The architecture of the lodge adds instant drama to any image, so I used it every chance I could!Tiki's Tasties created another amazing cake-- each layer had part of a latin phrase piped on it, but I never did get a translation!
Ashley and Sean do not hide their emotions, so photographing their toasts was a photographer's dream!
This was actually a first for me-- I have photographed countless bubble, birdseed and sparkler farewells, but this time they threw dried lavender. Not only pretty, but it smells yummy too!

www.LongsPhotography.com

Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Vendors:
Ceremony and Reception Location: Wakulla Springs Lodge
Florist: Blossoms Flowers
Cake: Tiki's Tasties
Wedding Planner: Kenya Washington, Imagine Brides

The Shelby Family

I was back at Maclay Gardens this morning for portraits of the Shelby family... I swear I just need to pitch a tent and stay , I have been there so much! The ground was still a bit mucky from last night's storm, but we found a few dry places to sit! Even though it was a TAD humid, I think we got some really great shots and as always, I had a blast with the Shelbys!I have seen a lot of critters at Maclay-- deer, squirrels, frogs, etc. But this was a new one-- crawfish! I honestly thought it was a weird fluke until we found some of his friends! Sarah was a lot braver than me, she actually wanted to pick him up! www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Baby Karaline

I was so excited to meet baby Karaline yesterday-- I absolutely love her family and I have been waiting to meet her since her mom came in for maternity portraits. I spent the morning at the family's home, doing some studio type images of Karaline alone, but also doing some documentary lifestyle portraits of her with her family.

I have to say she is the most alert newborn I have ever seen! She is only a week old and is already trying to hold her head up for long periods of time. The session lasted nearly two hours and Karaline's eyes only closed for a brief moment. Most newborns have trouble keeping awake for even a few moments of the session-- we honestly could not get Karaline to sleep at ALL! Hopefully, she slept well yesterday afternoon and let her parents rest a bit!

www.longsphotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Morgan and Karilyn's Senior Portraits

I really had no idea I would enjoy senior portraits this much! Olyn and I had another senior session yesterday-- this time at Maclay Gardens with Morgan and Karilyn. Honestly, seniors are becoming one of my favorite shoots! Especially when you have girls as sweet and funny as Morgan and Karilyn! I thought teenagers were supposed to be difficult and moody!! :)

A lot of our senior clients are choosing to do their sessions together so they have someone there for moral support. It really makes each session a riot and I think we have just as much fun as the seniors do!

www.longsphotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

"Where Are We?"-- We have a winner!

Ok, so the ones I think will be really hard to guess are over in a matter of hours. The one that I think will easy it takes a day for someone to guess. Y'all are making this really hard for me to predict!!

Congrats to Tracy Cantella for her winning guess-- she will be receiving a $50 Long's Photography gift certificate! And the location?? It was Andrew's 228 restaurant in downtown Tallahassee! If you haven't eaten there, you are really missing out-- the food is yummy and the atmosphere is very funky and trendy. Oh and they cater too! Want more info? Go to their website at www.AndrewsDowntown.com

I am still working on the location for next month's contest shoot. If you have any ideas, suggestions, etc. please just let me know! We are also taking a waiting list of people who would like to model for the sessions. So, if you would like a free portrait session and are willing to trust Olyn and I, just shoot me an email and we will add you to the list! Linda@LongsPhotography.com

www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

"Where Are We?" -- Dani and Dan!

Wow-- I promised to post the contest on Monday and we have already received a bunch of emails and phone calls since it wasn't up first thing this morning! I thought patience was a virtue?? :) I have been just as impatient to share these, as they are some of my favorite images with one of our all time favorite couples.

While some of the images reveal no clues to the location, I thought they were too cool not to share. :) I definitely think this one will be guessed quickly, so be sure to post your guess as soon as you can! Oh, and read the rules before to make sure you can win!

A huge gi-normous thank you to the rocking models-- Dani and Dan. They were absolutely amazing and we had so much fun. Really, thank you for your sense of humor and your absolute trust in all of our nutty ideas-- you are the BEST!Rules:

• To guess you must enter a comment on this blog post. You are limited to one guess per day which must include your email address so we may contact you.
• No negative comments will be published.
• The winning guess receives a $50 gift certificate to Long's Photography!
• If we cannot successfully contact you to award your prize, we will not post your comment and we will move on to the next guess.
• If there are no winning guesses after three days, we will post a hint per day until it is guessed.
  

www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

The Rice Family

I don't think many assignments can be as tough as photographing a family of 10 adults and 11 children on a hot day in between rainstorms, but that is exactly what we did yesterday for the Rice family. Not only did we get some great shots of the family, but we had a wonderful time meeting everyone and playing around with the kiddos! www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Miss Sara

I had the absolute best session Firday morning with Miss Sara. I have to admit that from 1yr to 2 years... kids just aren't easy subjects to photograph. Sarah was a striking exemption from that rule. She was very cooperative, funny, sweet and loads of fun. I have never met a child her age who was so loving to EVERYONE! Both Olyn and I received at least a dozen hugs and her favorite place to pose was right next to wherever Olyn was!

www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Amanda & Damon

I had such a great day yesterday at Amanda and Damon's wedding-- what more could you ask for?? An awesome couple with the sweetest families, a good friend as a second shooter and my absolute favorite vendors to work with. I hardly ever cry at weddings-- usually one per year-- but I teared up twice yesterday. The first time was during the super emotional mother-son dance and the second time was out of laughter during the toasts!

Amanda had really sexy heels, but I just loved her reception shoes-- they really showed her sassy personality!
The couple's baby, Riley, showed his true colors--- garnet and gold instead of orange and blue!Whenever I am asked about flowers-- I only have two words to say- Missy Gunnels. She is phenomenal each and every time I work with her and yesterday was definitely no exception!There was a bit of a disappointment yesterday as the priest informed me at the last minute that he would not allow any photographs of the ceremony. We were allowed to photograph the processional and recessional, but nothing else. All I can say is that it greatly saddened me that the couple would have no images of their ceremony for their album...
The church had absolutely beautiful pockets of light that we used every opportunity we could for portraits.After the formal portraits at the church, we saved a few minutes for portraits at Golden Eagle-- one of my favorite places to shoot. You just can't beat the great light and awesome backdrops of the Country Club!
I love sentimental touches with wedding details-- the bride and groom used the same cake knife that her parents used and had it engraved with their names and date next to that of her parents.This could definitely be called a grand entrance!

The couple was so incredibly into each other-- I don't think they noticed the hundreds of guests watching them!Damon is a musician and as part of the reception, he performed acoustically a song he wrote for Amanda.The man... the legend... the one and only Greg Tish. :) No, he didn't pay me to say that! Greg is beyond awesome-- he is the key to any great party in town. Even look at the background of the image... the window is reflecting a packed dance floor. And he kept the party rolling until 1:30 in the morning! And my super groovy second shooter, Monica. Who totally kept me sane and in giggles with her weird posing, facebook shots and general nuttiness! Thanks again for helping me out!www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Vendors:
Ceremony Location: Holy Cross Anglican Church
Reception Location: Golden Eagle Country Club
Florist: Missy Gunnels
DJ: Greg Tish
Dress: The Studio Bridal

Betty & Paul

Olyn photographed Betty and Paul's intimate wedding this Saturday at the Women's Club. From the personalized vows, to the flair added to the first dance, to the great entertainment, Paul and Betty's day was truly unique!

I love Paul's expression here as he sees his bride for the first time-- you can actually see the tears welling up in his eyes.

Betty was all smiles as she was escorted down the aisle by her daughters. Paul and Betty wrote their own vows for each other. I love how it adds so much intimacy to the ceremony...

...Although some of us may have been more moved than others - Betty's granddaughter couldn't help yawning towards the end of the ceremony!

Paul and Betty added their own personal touches everywhere. They even danced up the aisle!

Betty smile didn't even fade outside in the heat-- from start to finish, she really enjoyed every moment of her day!
Black tuxes and 90 degree heat just don't go well together for some reason. We just can't figure out why! :) So, Paul's portraits were done mostly indoors to keep him from melting!

It is undeniable how much Paul loves Betty. At times during the family portraits, he could not help sharing a little romantic moment with her!

There were touches of calla lilies everywhere-- really adding to the theme of the day!
Paul and Betty put on quite a show for their first dance! Paul went down on one knee and then picked up Betty and twirled her around!
And their dance ended to a huge round of applause!
You can tell Paul and Betty are really loved, as they were toasted by their friends and family.
Tiki's Tasties really embraced the green and white calla lily theme and took it to the next leve with the cake.
You can really see the pride in Paul's mom's eyes as she watches the events of the day.
Believe it or not, Betty forgot to do the bouquet toss! Paul and Betty were all but gone and they ran back in, threw the bouquet and ran right back out!
www.LongsPhotography.com

Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Vendors:
Ceremony and Reception Location: Los Robles Tallahassee Women's Club
Cake: Tiki's Tasties

"Where are We??" Coming on MONDAY!

Yea! its time for another round of our "Where are We?" Contest! We have some really rocking shots to share, but I think this location will be guessed REALLY quickly. So, be sure to check the blog on Monday morning when we start this round of the contest!

In case you haven't been stalking the blog, here are the details!
We will post a handful of images on the blog and you get to guess what strange/cool/weird location they were taken in! The winner receives a $50 Long's Photography gift certificate!

The Rules:

• You must guess by entering comments on the blog post.
• One guess per person per day.
• You MUST include a way to contact you in your comment. Comments without email addresses or phone numbers will not be published.
• No negative comments will be published.
• The winning guess will receive a $50 Long's Photography gift card to use on anything the wish-- sessions, weddings, prints, etc.

Have an idea for a Where-Are-We session? Email me at Linda@LongsPhotography.com and you will have a chance to model for one of the sessions! What could be better than a free session?? :) Don't have an idea, but still want to model?? Go ahead and email me as well!

www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Summer Portrait Special!

So, in case you hadn't noticed, Tallahassee gets a tad warm in the summer. So much so that the moment you walk out the door, you are shining with sweat. So, we want to reward our portrait clients who choose to have their session in the early morning-- not only is the light awesome, but the temperatures are the coolest of the day.

So, for July and August any outdoor portrait session (excluding engagements and baby plan sessions), that takes place between 7am and 9:30am will receive a BONUS $25 print credit. All you have to do is schedule your session for the morning and you get free stuff!

And to illustrate the Tallahassee heat, here is Thatcher doing his daily reign of terror with the hose. Ahh... two year olds can be so easily amused! :) www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers