Ashley's Maternity Portraits

Ashley came by the studio today for her maternity session, but at the last minute her husband was called into work so she had to go solo! I can't wait for baby girl to arrive so that her secretive parents will let us know her name!

http://www.longsphotography.com/
Tallahassee & Thomasville's premier wedding & portrait photographers

Lindsay's Maternity Portraits

Lindsay first called me to schedule her maternity portraits MONTHS ago and I can't believe we finally did them yesterday! She and Shane are so excited to become parents-- I really had a lot of fun getting them to laugh!
www.LongsPhotography.com

Tallahassee & Thomasville's premier wedding & portrait photographers

Lincoln High School 1987 Reunion

Olyn and I went over to the Double Tree last night to cover the Lincoln High School Class of 1987 reunion. I thought reunions were supposed to be tame and boring! The Class of 87 rocked out to some great 80's tunes from my favorite DJ in town, Greg Tish. I think its a good thing that we wrapped up the photography at 11:30... I have heard things got a bit wild after we left!

Thanks to the Class of 87 and Sean Caskie for having us as a part of their event! Here are a few sneak peek photos to tide everyone over until they all go online!

If you haven't checked it out yet, Greg Tish has a great web video on his website at http://www.tallahasseedj.com/!

http://www.longsphotography.com/

Thais' Maternity Portraits

Thais came by the studio last night for her maternity portrait session. It's so exciting-- Baby Connor should be here any day now!

http://www.longsphotography.com/

Tallahassee & Thomasville's premier wedding & portrait photographers

Rachel's Maternity Portraits

Rachel and JJ came by the studio last night for their maternity portrait session. These high school sweethearts are still so much in love-- they are a blast to be around.

www.LongsPhotography.com

Tallahassee & Thomasville's Premier Wedding and Portrait Photographers

Wedding Photography Tip #8

Wedding Photography Tip #8-- Tailoring

Wardrobe malfunctions simply should not be a part of your wedding day. Who wants to constantly be tugging at a dress or fussing with a bustle? A big reason why the planning books tell you to purchase your dress so far in advance is not simply that they can take awhile to come in, but also so that you have time for alterations.

Strapless dresses probably make up about 90% of the gowns that we see now. But I would guess only about 50% of those are actually fitted properly. A strapless gown should fit comfortably from the top through the entire bodice. Making the very top as tight as possible or just having the bodice fit isn't the answer. Gowns with straps should also fit comfortably, but the straps need to be triple checked for a no-slip fit.

Wearing a dress that is too tight in any area is not only uncomfortable, but it really does not photograph well. Many strapless dresses also have a corset back which can help to create a custom fit. Make sure whoever will be dressing you on the wedding day has practiced lacing the dress (and knows how to bustle it)! Oftentimes we see a corset dress cinched waaay too tight in a very Scarlet O'Hara-esque attempt at a tiny waist? The end result is an uncomfortable bride and some unsightly bulges at the top of the dress! :)

If your dress does not fit correctly it will have a definite impact on your day-- photojournalistic shots of a bride tugging at the top of her dress all day aren't exactly what most brides have in mind. There are lots of great seamstresses and tailors here in Tallahassee and Thomasville that can help fit your dress. Be prepared for this to take two or even three fittings and many weeks to accomplish! If you are still worried about how the dress will fit for the wedding day, try wearing it for awhile. Wear it around the house, or even better, for a bridal portrait session so that you know how the dress will fit and feel, but you will also know how to walk in it!!

www.LongsPhotography.com

Stealing!?

Ok, the title probably got your attention, but I just wanted to put up a quick post about image theft. Theft may seem like a strong word to some, but at the end of the day, it really isn't that different than shoplifting from a local store. When we post images to a website or to a blog, we are sharing our work with the world, but we are not giving the world our work. Any images on the website, blog or in the shopping cart are protected by federal copyright law. If you take images off a website (or scan any hardcopy images) without permission, you are not only breaking the law, but you are actually stealing from the photographer.

I want all of our clients to enjoy their images and be able to use them in the thousands of different image applications there are out there, but they need to be done in the right way. All of our wedding packages now include digital files at the end of the contract. Most of our portrait sessions allow the option of purchasing a single digital file. So, if you want to use your images for your wedding favors, your Christmas cards, your wallpaper, whatever, there is a legal way to do it.

To thank my clients for following those rules, I do allow the use of blog images for personal websites such as Facebook or MySpace. The only thing that is required to use a blog image on another website is that the Long's Photography logo remain intact. Cropping or otherwise altering our logo will negate that permission.

Sorry for the mini-lecture, its just helps to make sure our policies are out there and that our clients are as informed as possible!!

www.LongsPhotography.com

Our week away

A lot of you know that we took off last week to have a family vacation. This was the first time in three years that we left the office for something completely non-photography related! We spent all week in Indian Harbour Beach with my parents-- not doing much of anything!

I did take the camera along, so here are a few quick snaps! (Oh, and yes, Thatcher had his hair butchered while we were there. Hopefully it will grow quickly!)

This is what happens when Grandma insists that Thatch can have a chocolate chip cookie...

Thatch's favorite place in the condo? In the kitchen cabinet with the pots and pans!We took Thatcher to the Brevard Zoo, where he and I fed a giraffe.Thatcher with his grandparents on the zoo train.Thatcher and Daddy in the butterfly aviary.

http://www.longsphotography.com/

Finally-- a method to my madness!

You may have noticed some of the keywords that have started appearing beneath blog posts (old and new). I finally took the time to go back and label each and every post so that they are easily searchable!

So, if you are getting married at Golden Eagle, or you want to see all of our recent portraits at Maclay Gardens, you can click on the label and it will bring up all the posts that have the same label! Hopefully, this will make the blog more useful in the wedding planning process-- you can easily check out our work from different locations, see weddings that used certain key vendors, and narrow a search for a particular type of wedding.

The labels include:
Announcements
Apalachicola Wedding
Artistic Flowers
Beach Portraits
beach wedding
Blossoms Flowers
boudoir portraits
Brokaw-McDougal House
Cairo wedding
Chipley wedding
Coalson Plantation (Melhana)
Coombs House Inn
Dorothy B. Oven
Double Tree
downtown Tallahassee
Enchanted Evenings
engagement portraits
Family Portraits
FSU Alumni Center
FSU University Center Club
Ft. Walton Beach wedding
Gainesville Wedding
Golden Eagle Country Club
Goodwood Plantation Museum
Governor's Club
Headshots
Hilly Fields Florist
Jacksonville portrait
Jacksonville wedding
Katie's Cakes
Lake Ella
Leon County Civic Center
Los Robles Park
Maclay Gardens
McFarlin House
Missy Gunnels Flowers
Myra Jean's
Myrtlewood Plantation
newborn portraits
North Florida Christian Church
Panama City Beach Wedding
Parties
Personal
Quincy Portraits
Senior Portraits
Shannon Lakes Park
Shiloh Farm
South Carolina Wedding
Southwood
Specials
St. George Island Wedding
Tallahassee baby
Tallahassee Events
Tallahassee First Baptist Church
Tallahassee portrait
Tallahassee wedding
Tallahassee Women's Club
Tasty Pastry
The Cake Shop
The Retreat at Bradley's Pond
Thomasville Portrait
Thomasville wedding
Timberlane Church of Christ
Tips/Advice
Trinity Methodist Church
Trinity Reformed Church
watch-me-grow portraits
Whigam wedding
Woodbridge

As always, we are working to make things better and easier for our clients. If you have any comments or suggestions-- we want to hear them! Let us know what you like or what you don't like!

http://www.longsphotography.com/

Wedding Photography Tip #7

Wedding Photography Tip #7- Makeup!

How many times have you heard that you need to wear extra dark or heavy makeup for photos? It seems that almost every bride is told to apply her wedding makeup dramatically different than the way she normally wears it. The result? Photos of a bride who looks NOTHING like the real person!

Makeup for photography is NOT like stage makeup-- there is NO need to apply extra heavy eye makeup or a dark shade of lipstick. The best makeup for photography enhances your natural beauty using natural colors. You want to look like a more glamorous version of yourself, not a completely different person!

For eye makeup, try to not use very heavy eyeliner or a very dark eyeshadow. Your eyes will be lost in the darkness of the makeup. Many girls are now wearing false eyelashes which can have a very dramatic look. If you are not familiar with applying these eyelashes or if you are not very comfortable wearing them, they can create many problems and become very troublesome! They can take a good amout of time to apply and if they are not applied correctly, you may blink a bit, they can irritate your eye and cause you to tear up-- in addition to your wedding emotions!

I advise my brides to choose a long lasting lipstick. Although you will be able to check your makeup a few times, trying to reapply lipstick all day is nearly impossible! We have also seen many brides inadvertantly get lipstick on their dresses-- from it getting on their hands, champagne glasses, etc.

Another problem we encounter often is glitter. Glitter reflects light-- thats what makes it glitter. So, when we use any type of flash for our images, parts of the glitter will reflect back at the camera. Also, glitter in lotions and powders tends to rub off-- on your dress, on your Groom's tux, on your dad, etc. We want YOU to shine through your images, not your skin and hair to literally glitter! :)

The moral of the story? You need to be yourself and look like yourself. Then, when you look back on your images 30 years from now, you will recognize the face looking back at you!

http://www.longsphotography.com/

We're on display at Dorothy B. Oven!

We now have a set of images on display at Dorothy B. Oven park in Tallahassee! You can check out our series of framed prints up in the bride's room! We are so honored that they liked our wedding work so much! I know I keep saying this, but if yall haven't been out to the park lately, you need to go check it out. The expansion and renovation looks incredible and even though I shoot portraits there all the time, I am always finding something new!

http://www.longsphotography.com/

Wedding Photography Tip #6

Wedding Photography Tip #6-- Be Organized!

There are thousands of details that go into a wedding-- from booking your vendors, to selecting food, printing programs, scheduling arrivals, etc. It's easy to get overwhelmed! I smile whenever a bride comes into the studio with a book in hand that is stuffed with information sheets, fliers, magazine tear-outs and scribbled down phone numbers. There are so many things to keep track of, it is difficult to manage the amount of information that has to be coordinated (hence the creation of the "wedding coordinator")!

Start early. Earlier than you think you should. Get all your vendors booked as soon as possible, so that is set in stone. Get the dresses ordered so you are not stressed with last minute alterations. The bride's mantra-- if it can be done now, DO IT! :) No matter how well you plan or how organized you are, the last few weeks before the wedding are inherently chaotic.

Do everything in writing and make sure you have a copy as well as the vendor. For instance, when your groom and groomsmen are measured for tuxes, keep a carbon copy of the order with their measurements on it. If for some reason, the tux orders are not correct or happen to get misplaced, you have a copy of everything.

Keep your contracts! There are tons of cute bridal planners out there, but you may want to invest in a theee ring binder and sheet protectors. Every contract you sign is placed in the binder and put away for safe-keeping. This way, you can always refer back to the contract to clarify the services and products that you have agreed on. Keep your emails! A lot of wedding planning is now done via email, so instead of keeping your paper trail, keep all your electronic documents in a folder.

When you are working with the photographer on your itinerary, why not provide a copy to all the major players? The DJ, caterer, coordinator, officiant, family, bridal party, etc. Its OK to give people too much information-- its better than keeping them in the dark!

Some of you might be wondering how organization relates to photography, but I promise when you see a bride completely stressed out searching for a contract to contact a missing vendor, you will understand! :)

www.longsphotography.com

Rachel & Justin

7/7/7 was probably the most popular wedding date this year! Both Olyn and I had separate weddings booked, but unfortunately my couple was not able to go forward with their plans. Instead of taking a day off, I decided to work as Olyn's second shooter at Rachel and Justin's wedding.

Rachel and Justin's wedding was a celebration from start to finish! I don't think I have ever seen so many people on the dance floor at Golden Eagle!

Trinity Reformed Church here in Tallahassee has to be one of our most favorite churches to shoot in. Not only is the church beautiful with detailed woodwork and natural light, but everyone there is so wonderful!

There are so many details that go into telling the story of the wedding-- its not just the cake or the flowers, but the small details of the way a hand is held that really completes the story. I don't think Justin took his eyes off Rachel all day!Rachel and Justin's ceremony was really personal and tailored to suit them. They took communion from the same goblet that Rachel's parents had used at their wedding.Throughout the day, Rachel grinned from ear to ear!I think this is my favorite portrait of Justin, but I think it was the least comfortable pose!Just when Justin thought we weren't looking, he gave his new bride a kiss.The whole theme really came together with the lemon and lime centerpieces.Justin and Rachel had the sweetest first dance to Etta James' "At Last". The father-daughter dance was so emotional! I don't think there was a dry eye in the house!Another beautiful (and yummy!) creation by Myra Jeans!Of all the portraits we did of Rachel and Justin, this is my absolute favorite. We ran outside for a few shots during the reception and this really stands out to me as loving, relaxed and natural. A wedding this close to the 4th of July has to have fireworks!

Vendors:
Ceremony Location: Trinity Reformed Church, Tallahassee http://www.trinityreformed.com/

Reception Location: Golden Eagle Country Club http://www.goldeneaglecc.org/

Florist: Leah Jones

Cake: Myra Jean's Cake Shop http://www.myrajeanscakes.com/

DJ:Bill Kelly & Starflight Music Systems

Bride's Dress: The Studio Bridal Couture Gallery http://www.thestudiobridal.com/

http://www.longsphotography.com/

Janay and Chris

Ok, the true test if you like someone is to spend an hour outside with them in 95 degree heat taking pictures! Thankfully, Janay and Chris are so endearing and down-to-earth that today's session was a blast-- in spite of the heat! I am really looking forward to their September wedding in Bonifay!

http://www.longsphotography.com/

Baby Devenney

Baby Devenney came by the studio today for her 3 month portraits. I think I must be unpopular with the babies this week-- I just couldn't get her to crack a smile! Although she was not in the greatest of moods, she is such a cutie pie I think we got some gorgeous images!


Here are a few favs:

It's alive! It's alive!

After months of work, the new website is finally live! Wooo! We have had a few kinks in the last 24 hours getting everything to work properly, but it should be fully operational now. We would love for everyone to check it out and let us know what you think! http://www.longsphotography.com/


The shopping cart is still being finalized, so hopefully we will go live with it in the next few weeks!


If you see something with the new site that you think could use improvement, or that you feel isn't working properly, please email and let us know! We want the site to be as easy as possible for everyone!

Wedding Photography Tip #5

Wedding Photography Tip #5-- The dreaded formals!

For so many people, the formal portraits are the most dreaded part of the wedding day, but they don't really have to be! Three things you can do to make it less tedious--

1. Find a photographer who has fun with the formal groupings and who works quickly.
2. Accomplish as many of the formals before the ceremony as possible (even without the bride and groom seeing each other!)
3. Limit the number of people and different groupings.

We have done SO many weddings where we spend well over an hour (sometimes two!) after the ceremony working through a formal portait list. This is a major concern for most couples, as they do not want to leave their guests sitting idle for so long (and they also don't want to get face fatigue from smiling so long!)

One of the easiest solutions is to allot some portrait time BEFORE the ceremony. We like to have 45 minutes with the Bride, Bridesmaids and Bride's immediate family followed by 30 minutes with the Groom, Groomsmen and Groom's immediate family. This way, the only shots to take AFTER the ceremony include BOTH the bride and groom.

Sometimes we have six different groupings that either simply add one person or remove one person. Othertimes we have large family groupings that can involve 30-45 people and take 10-15 minutes to set up! The sad thing about both of these situations is that for the most part, the images are not included in an album and no one orders a print of these images, so they are left in photo purgatory.

We advise couples to use their post-ceremony portrait time for the images that are the most meaningful to them. Do you really want an image with your second cousin Larry and his third wife Wanda? If so, do you want it to be in your formal portraits, or do you want to grab a fun shot with them at the reception?

We spend our post ceremony portrait time working from the largest groups to the smallest so that we can send people on to the reception when we are finished. It also means the bride and groom's portraits are last, so they can have a few quiet minutes alone. Unfortunately, this means that their portrait time can be cut short when family members cannot be located for group portraits, or when mom insists on adding another 10 groupings.

While we never limit the number of formals that you can have or the time we will spend on portraits, we do recommend spending some planning time thinking over the groupings you would really like to have. Also consider when they would be best-- before the ceremony, after the ceremony or as a relaxed reception portrait?

http://www.longsphotography.com/

Will is back!

I got to play with baby Will again today! It was time for Will's six month portraits, so Natalie and I raced over to Dorothy B. Oven to beat the rain storm and get some outdoor portraits. Will is such a cutie, but he loves to torment me by laughing and smiling only when I put the camera down! Despite his best efforts, I managed to get a lot of adorable shots!

Randa & Bill

I spent my Friday at St. George Island photographing Randa and Bill's wedding. There are so many words I can use to describe this couple-- fun, laid-back, sweet, southern, but I think the minister summed it up best in their ceremony, "They're keepers!"
Randa's beautiful shoes and necklace:Randa isn't a prissy kind of girl-- she didn't need anyone to hold up her train, she just grabbed it and went!In true preschool teacher style-- Randa plopped down on the floor while she waited for everyone else to get ready.Their ceremony was lovely and extremely personal, but there is only so much room on the blog! So, I am selfishly using the space to show a lot of their beach portraits, as I just think they are awesome!

After the ceremony, Randa, Bill and I slipped away to his family beach house on the island. It was so wonderful to take portraits in a place that meant so much to them!
Could you ask for a better location or better subjects!?Bill had NO problem doing any of the kissing poses that I asked for-- I think it might have been his favorite part of the day!I am always pushing myself to come up with new ways to show off wedding bands. Sometimes the location helps me with ideas!The sunset on the island was absolutely beautiful, it was if their day had been blessed from start to finish.

Over at the Coombs House Inn, Randa and her dad shared the sweetest dance under the gazebo.

Randa's wedding drink of choice:To end the night, we grabbed a few romantic portraits before the couple headed up to their room.

Vendors:

Ceremony Location: St. George Island Methodist Church

Reception Location: Coombs House Inn http://www.coombshouseinn.com/

Florist: Amy Price, Bayside Gallery & Gifts

Cake: Carrie Ann & Company

Videography: Bradley White, Nu Art Video Productions