Hillary's Senior Portraits

Although we missed graduation by a few days, Hillary and I met up in downtown Tallahassee today for some senior portraits. I swear Hillary can't take a bad photo-- I had such a hard time choosing my favorites!

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Evie and Brian

Evie and Brian joined me at Dorothy B. Oven park in Tallahassee yesterday for some casual portraits. If yall haven't been to Dorothy B. in the last few months, you should really go check it out-- they have done a phenomenal amount of work and the park is looking awesome!


Here are a few quick favs from yesterday!

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Atit and Lina

I joined Atit, Lina and 400 of their closest friends and family yesterday at the Civic Center to celebrate their engagement. I really enjoyed seeing how another culture celebrates a couple's love-- it was so colorful, musical and full of laughter!


A quick portrait of Lina as we waited for the ceremony to begin. Part of the ceremony, which I'm afraid I still don't really understand! After the ceremony, several of Atit and Lina's friends performed traditional dances for them.One of the dances was by Atit's brother and two friends. Thank goodness they had us step back!

After dinner, the party really started!Vendors:

Location: Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center http://www.tlccc.org/

Decor: Margo's Balloons, Baskets and Floral http://www.margosoftallahassee.com/

Videography: Waterford Productions http://www.waterfordprod.com/

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Sarah and Rob

I joined Sarah and Rob yesterday at Melhana Plantation (now Coalson Plantation) for their low-key wedding. Everyone was so relaxed and joyful-- it really set the mood for the whole day!


Lately, my bride's have had the best shoes, and Sarah was no exception!

Sarah's pearl bracelet is a family heirloom passed down from her Great Grandmother from Italy.
The word of the day? CHEESE!

Sarah and Rob got cards for each other and sent them via the maid of honor. Call it kizmet or fate, but they bought each other the EXACT same card!!
There are times when you look through the viewfinder and what you see takes your breath away...
And a little love for the groom...

It was so funny as I posed the bride and groom for their portaits... they already knew what I was going to say, as we did their engagement portraits in the same spot! It really challenged me to do completely different things with the same location.

You can tell that the background is just a bit hazy in this shot. As we were finishing the portraits, the smoke from the wildfires really started to roll in.

Doesn't Sarah have the cutest dimple? This shot is ALL Rob-- I won't take credit for it at all. What else would a PE teacher want to do than a human pyramid?
Myra Jean's once again did an amazing job with the cake! We did a few quick farewell shots before sunset...
...but I don't think Sarah and Rob will get too far with this kind of horsepower!

Vendors:

Ceremony and Reception Location: Melhana Plantation/Coalson Plantation www.CoalsonPlantation.com

Florist: Missy Gunnels www.MissyGunnelsflowers.com

DJ: Greg Tish www.gregtish.com

Cake: Myra Jean's www.myrajeanscakes.com

Tuxes: Sacinos www.sacino.com

www.LongsPhotography.com

Candice and Nick

I was back out at the beach yesterday for Candice and Nick's St. George Island wedding. They made a week-long celebration out of the beach wedding, sharing some time with their closest friends and family.

Candice kept cracking me up as she told her guests that, "Linda is the best wedding photographer... EVER!" Well.... I hope she still believes it! :)

If a four-leaf clover is good luck... what is a six legged starfish??Candice's dress was a reflection her personality-- Untraditional, unexpected and fun! There were so many cute kiddos at the wedding! This guy in particular made me smile! Seriously-- how can you not look at him and grin??I love taking images that make my clients think I'm nuts! I get all kinds of odd looks at weddings as I lay on the ground or hang off a balcony, but the images are so worth it!I have taken a thousand images of brides walking down the aisle, but I loved this one simply because of the way Candice is holding her dad's hand. It isn't a formal escort that I often see, but a supportive, reassuring touch.Candice and Nick had one of the most enthusiastic kisses I have ever seen in a ceremony!I can't take credit for this pose-- it was all Candice. She had to have photos of Nick "twirling" her, something they seem to do fairly often!Some people complained about the bright sun, so I decided to make something cool out of it...

I don't think Candice even knew I was taking this photo in between poses. I love how simple and classic it looks.Only slightly delayed, Nick and Candice made the most of their reception!This has to be one of the coolest wedding gifts I have ever seen-- a bicycle built for two! The small reception had a wonderful feeling of intimacy with most of the light coming from candles scattered everywhere.

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Vanessa and Jamie

I spent Saturday down in Apalachicola for Vanessa and Jamie's semi-destination wedding. The couple came over to Apalachicola from Jacksonville for their wedding, as the area has special meaning for them, with Jamie's family beach house at nearby St. George Island. After a bit of a rocky wedding planning road which included not only a change of venue, but a change of city and a change of dress, the couple had a charming, intimate "Forgotten Coast" celebration.

I absolutely fell in love with Vanessa's shoes! How awesome are these!?

Vanessa and Jamie are a house divided-- She's a Nole, he's a Gator. What a surprise Jamie had when he pulled out her Seminole garter!Vanessa's calla lily bouquet was so perfect with all the simple elegance of the day.I love this look between mother and daughter as Vanessa is escorted down the aisle.The church was one of the cutest churches I have ever seen! I swear it looks like it came right off the set of The Andy Griffith Show!We did a few portraits in the church...Then ran outside for some fun!We finished up our portrait time at the main Coombs House, with a few shots on the porch...And in the stairway.Shying away from tradition a bit, Vanessa and Jamie chose a tower of mini key-lime tarts instead of a wedding cake!Vanessa's decor was stunning-- it really looked like a scene from a magazine to me.They finished off the evening with a sparkler farewell!
Vendors:

Ceremony Location: Apalachicola First Methodist Church

Reception Location: Coombs House Inn www.coombshouseinn.com

www.LongsPhotography.com

Amber and Nick

Amber and Nick chose a Friday for their spring wedding, so Olyn and I headed over to Bradley's Pond for their celebration. I think they may be the most photographed wedding couple ever! I swear there were more cameras than people at their wedding!! I am sure the paparazzi have some favorites, but these are our favs!

Amber had a beautiful corset backed dress, so we had to show it off, along with the stunning bouquet Missy Gunnels did for her!
Amber and Nick had a beautiful setting, near perfect light and a really moving ceremony. Normally, I don't blog a lot of the ceremony shots, but I really love these!

From laughter....
To tears...While the youth choir sang, Amber and Nick bowed their heads together for a really intimate moment.After we finished all the family and bridal party portraits, we took a few moments to do some of the more "formal" type portraits. This is about as formal as I get!The light was just perfect out by the road, but we kept having to stop for cars to go by. I really think someday I am just going to get run over while trying to get a great shot!The Retreat at Bradley's Pond is a great place for a reception. It has such southern charm with its large wrap-around porches! It is one of my favorite places to shoot as it always lends itself to a great party!I think Amber was a bit excited to be married...At the very end of the night we ran out to the porch for a few romantic shots. Its funny where you find the coolest light!What better way to wish a couple well than to pelt them with birdseed? :) At least most of the guests were loving enough to unwrap it first!

Vendors:

Ceremony and Reception Location: The Retreat at Bradley's Pond http://www.bradleyspond.com/

Florist: Missy Gunnels www.missygunnelsflowers.com

Cake: Heidi's Cakes http://www.heidisbakeryonline.com/

Dress: SG Bridal http://www.sgbridal.com/

Tuxes: Tails and Tweeds

www.LongsPhotography.com

Crystal and Jason

I met Crystal and Jason at Goodwood Plantation on Thursday for their engagement session. These two absolutely crack me up!

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Rachel and Justin

Olyn caught up with Rachel and Justin yesterday in downtown Tallahassee for their engagement portraits. Their 7-7-7 wedding is getting close!

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Kim and Ty

Normally, by the time a wedding day rolls around I know my couples pretty well. They have met with us for a consultation, a booking, perhaps an engagement session or even bridal portraits. I was a bit nervous for yesterday's wedding, as I hadn't met either Kim or Ty before!

The California couple planned their long-distance wedding in Ty's hometown of Niceville. Within minutes of meeting them, I felt at ease. They are so much in love and in addition to being extremely friendly, sweet people, they really clicked with Olyn and I!

Kim used the most beautiful combination of purple roses and hydrangea in her bouquet!
A girl after my own heart, Kim's sash dress was stunning.The chapel at Hurlburt field really suited the mood of the wedding and Kim's simple decor kept the focus on the couple and their vows.Kim looks like such a baby! I was shocked when she told me that she is only months younger than I am!
It rained for a total of 15 minutes on their wedding day. Of course, it was the 15 minutes we planned for outdoor portraits at the base! We did manage to find a few interesting locations... including this stained glass in the tower portion of the chapel.
The rain started to fade as they left the chapel to go to the beach for portraits.

What do you do on the 20 minute trolley ride to the beach? You toast!! The trolley party: We beat the storm to the beach, but only by a few minutes! I really have to hand it to this bridal party-- they hoofed it all over the beach in the humid heat and they didn't kill me!Because we had to rush through the beach portraits to avoid the storm, Kim and Ty were able to relax and enjoy their cocktail hour, followed by a beautiful first dance.

What says party more than a light up drink coaster?They had some of the sweetest speeches I have ever heard. I really don't think these two took their eyes off each other all day!

Vendors:

Ceremony Location: Hurlburt Field Chapel

Reception Location: Ramada Plaza Beach Resort

Florist: Flowers and Gifts by Vivian

Cake: Publix

DJ: Dj Vladi

Dresses: David's Bridal

Tuxes: House of Brides

Transportation: Beach Boy Trolley

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It's birthday time!!

I can hardly believe its been a year already! Thatcher is turning one on Monday, so we are shutting the office down from Friday through Tuesday so that we can celebrate with our family and friends. An update for everyone who hasn't seen him lately-- he is walking and starting to talk, he thinks Bella is the funniest thing in the world and he thinks his dinner goes well in his hair. :)

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What have we been doing this week?

What have we been up to?? Well, we didn't have a wedding!! :) But don't think that means we have been relaxing and goofing off! The office has gone into overdrive! With so many weddings and portrait sessions, I have been glued to this desk! We are making our way through all the editing as well as the mountain of album designs!


We just posted our revised pricing structure online at www.LongsPhotography.com and we are in the process of getting our own online shopping cart! That's right-- no more Photoreflect! This will mean if there are any problems (there better not be!!), then I can help you-- not some strange person in never-never Photoreflect land! We are still working on the new website, but I am hoping to have something new for you to see this summer! Jeez... that's not too far away!


If you need proof of what a workaholic I have become, you can just ask Bella. We had to move a puppy bed for her into the office just so that she could nap while I work!

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