Nicole and David

Nicole and David are so hilarious to me-- they are such an opposite couple! He is tall, she is tiny; he hates being photographed, she loves it; she's girly and he's so macho... Its going to be a blast harassing David at the wedding in August!

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

Julian

I met up with Julian and his dad on Thursday at Dorothy B. Oven park for a quick portrait session. Julian is definitely a two year old as we spent most of the session chasing him down! He is absolutely hilarious and melted my heart with all of his dancing! www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Alexis and Ryen

Olyn and I were out in Carabelle on Monday for Alexis and Ryen's engagement session (of course we go to the beach when it gets cold!). Alexis and Ryen are the kind of couple that instantly put you at ease. They have such a great sense of humor and their laughter is absolutely infectious! We are really looking forward to their May wedding!

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

Family Portrait Day at Maclay

Wow... what an incredible day we had Saturday for our "Family Portrait Day at Maclay"!! We had so much fun with all the families and the images are really great-- it was so difficult to narrow down favorites for the blog! So here is a SUPER sneak peek-- I can't wait to get through ALL the images!

www.LongsPhotography.com

Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

The Smith Family

I photographed the Smith family yesterday morning at Maclay Gardens-- it was a great preview for today's "Family Portrait Day at Maclay". I really had a lot of fun with the family... getting little kiddos to look at the camera always makes me come up with new creative silliness! :)www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Big Boy Hunter!

Hunter is a year old! Wow! I can't believe he is walking and running! I always tell people that the first and last sessions of the baby plan are the most difficult. :) The first session the baby generally only wants to be held and cries a bit. The last session they are all over the place, crawling, running and climbing. Hunter was definitely no exception! He really made me work for it! :)

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

Baby Madisyn

Baby Madisyn looks like a living porcelain doll. She is so incredibly precious and sweet! I had a great time yesterday with her newborn portraits! I can't wait to see how cute she will be at her three month session!

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

Roberta

Miss Roberta was in the studio this morning for her portrait session. She is ALL girl! You could tell that playing dress up was a dream come true! :) www.LongsPhotography.com

Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Julie and Jonathan

Olyn had a blast yesterday photographing Julie and Jonathan's engagement portraits. It is hard to believe that they had never been to Dorothy B. Oven Park before! Its so great to go play outside this time of year and when you have a couple as fun as Julie and Jonathan everything just seems to go right!

www.LongsPhotography.com

Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

A Very Sad Announcement

I am really sad to have to post this announcement. Over the weekend I found four of our clients who have digitally obtained their images and posted them on other websites—facebook, myspace, blogs and wedding websites. I really do view my clients as friends, so seeing a friend do this really hurts. Digitally obtaining any image without explicit permission is theft—whether you take it from a website, blog or any other digital medium. It is no different than scanning images, pirating software and movies, or shoplifting. We understand that our clients want to share their images on these other websites—and we have given permission for you to use the images we post on the blog as long as the Long’s Photography logo stays untouched.

So, effective today, all images posted in our online gallery will be watermarked across the middle with “Copyright 2008 Long’s Photography”. It is a move I really honestly hate to make. I have always felt that watermarking images distracts from the image itself, but I feel the actions of some have given me little choice. I am sorry for the change and hope that everyone can understand why it is necessary. For those of you who have taken images, please take this as an opportunity to remove the images from your websites, blogs, etc. Maintaining a mutual respect between photographer and client is the only way to produce good work and any clients who continue to digitally obtain their images will no longer be on our client list.

Thatcher

Ok... I can't exactly have a cute kid contest without including the kid I think is the cutest in the entire world! Not that I am in any way biased! So, yes, I finally did real portraits of Thatcher rather than just following him around the house with the camera. :)Most of Thatch's session was Olyn placing him in the spot that I wanted and then doing anything we could to keep him from running off. :) That's just what almost-2 year olds do. The one time Olyn tried to get him to pose it didn't work out exactly as planned... Olyn wanted Thatch to lay down, so he demonstrated the pose. Thatch decided that jumping on Daddy's back was way more fun than posing alone...

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

Colette

Colette just makes me smile. She is so incredibly funny, sweet and silly. I had a blast at her portrait session-- she even got a chance to take a few photos (and then told her mom that she needed a pink camera)!

www.LongsPhotography.com

Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Shane

Boys and girls are SO different and it really becomes obvious to me when I pick up the camera. A 4 year old girl will pose and grin from the camera. A four year old boy will avoid me like the plague! :) I caught up with Shane and his mom at Railroad Square for his portrait session and Shane was not in the mood to model. He did however give me a VERY extensive lesson about Star Wars!

www.LongsPhotography.com

Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Stephanie and David

Olyn and I were in Thomasville this weekend for Stephanie and David's Coalson Plantation wedding. These two had one of the most personal ceremonies I have ever heard-- the officiant actually had letters from the bride and groom to each other as well as stories their families had given him! It was so incredibly moving, sweet and funny all at the same time!
The weather was absolutely stunning, but changed all day long! From sunny to cloudy and windy!
The little flowergirl broke her elbow a week before the wedding, but she was so incredibly sweet! The kids stayed inside for the ceremony, but she stayed glued to the window, watching her "princess" aunt.
The groom's nephew didn't seem to be as interested in the ceremony...We had a few minutes of quiet time after the ceremony...I loved Stephanie's dress-- the corset backs always look so romantic!David was a real trooper in his all black tux in the sun.Penny did a phenomenal job with the reception decor-- the Showboat looked great and everything went so smoothly!
One of the major things I like about the Showboat is the balcony, so you can see the entire reception.And they ended the night with a sparkler farewell.Vendors:
Ceremony and Reception Location; Catering, Flowers and Decor: Coalson Plantation and Inn
Cake: Linda Rodin's Cake Gallery
DJ: The Music Machine

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

Baby Bradford

I swear Bradford's mom and I played phonetag forever trying to get his first session scheduled! I was so happy to finally meet them both yesterday as we did 5 1/2 month portraits of Bradford. He was such a trooper-- he was sleepy and rubbed his eyes a lot, but he still managed to smile, giggle and blow raspberries. I know his mom doesn't like to hear it, but I have to say he definitely looks like his dad's side of the family! :)www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Sydney

When I look at Sydney, I see Punky Brewster. (Yep, I'm a total 80's kid!) She has such an amazing personality-- she is sweet, funny, outgoing and kind-- the kind of kid you hope yours will be! :) As always, I had a blast with Sydney and her mom and I think the images are stunning!

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

Michael

I love to be challenged. Its just a part of my personality and one of the major things I love about photography. Everytime I pick up the camera I try something new and challenge myself to produce better images.

I had a surprise challenge yesterday, though. I showed up at Tom Brown Park for Michael's portrait session only to be greeted by a less than enthusiastic model. Michael was not feeling well and spent the first part of the session running and hiding from me. He actually burst into tears when I took a photo of him!

Not willing to give up, Micheal, his mom Sarah and I went on a walk on one of the trails. While Michael never really warmed up to the idea of having me photograph him, he did warm up to me. It was so obvious that Michael was not himself yesterday-- underneath his adorable pout I could see what an amazing kid he is.

Michael actually did me a favor-- he challenged me to create the images I wanted without being able to direct my subjects, without being able to choose the locations, backgrounds, etc. In other words, he really made me work for it! I love the results, as they are so true to how the afternoon was and I am sure they are images that his parents will smile about for years!
At the end of the session Michael did give me a hug and thank me for playing. His mom later emailed me to let me know that Michael was disappointed I was not at dinner with them to photograph him! :) So, at least it wasn't personal!

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

Only 3 spots left in the "Family Day at Maclay"!

We have completely booked the morning slots for the family day at Maclay, but we do still have three afternoon appointment times! If you are interested in booking your session, please call as soon as possible-- we expect to book the last few spots soon!

To recap-- the portrait special will be Saturday March 22nd at Maclay Gardens. The session is $150, accomodates from 3 to 6 people and includes a $175 credit to spend on any combination of prints that you like! Sessions generally last 30-45 minutes as we walk around the gardens. Our sessions are very low-key casual and fun.

If you would like to schedule your session, call 850.339.5799 or email Linda@LongsPhotography.com!

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

Natalie and Dane

I finished my crazy day of shooting yesterday downtown with Natalie and Dane. They were so incredibly sweet and let me play and experiment with a few new things. They insisted they were uncomfortable in front of a camera, but I definitely think the results prove otherwise!

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

Lacey

Lacey honestly has the most dramatic features of any child I have ever seen. Her face absolutely comes to light in front of a camera. It took her a little while to warm up to me, but when she did, she came with truckloads of personality!

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

Thomas

I laughed so hard with Thomas yesterday that my sides hurt. I swear he is one of the funniest kids I have ever seen! I love photographing kids-- it gives me a great excuse to be silly and playful!

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

Will

I am so thankful to be able to go outside and play in this amazing weather! I caught up with Will and his mom at Maclay Gardens yesterday afternoon for Will's 14 month portraits. Every time I see Will I think he is a bit cuter! He is now running around and has the most mischievous smile in the world!

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

Baby Magdelene

I can't believe Baby Magdelene is here! I feel like it was just yesterday when her mom announced she was pregnant! I am so flattered that they have chosen me as their family photographer and I had a wonderful time with Miss Magdelen's newborn portraits!

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

Website and Email Troubles

Some of you may have noticed that the site and blog went down today. The webhost company had to do emergency repairs to our server which unfortunately meant that everything went down for about eight hours. The site is back up now, but the emails are still stuck in cyber space. If you need anything urgently, please call 850.339.5799. I will be returning emails just as soon as they come through!

Thanks so much for your patience!

The Cumulus Crew-- Part 3

It has been such a busy week! I finally finished all the headshots for the talented group of Cumulus Broadcasting staff. Its so fun to meet everyone after hearing them on the radio. They all do such a fabulous job and they made the headshot sessions so much fun!

John and Tammy-- Star 98.9

John Dawson-- Star 98.9Tammy Webb-- Star 98.9
J Blaze-- BLAZIN 102.3

DJ Dap-- BLAZIN 102.3


TJ-- 96.1 JAMZ
Victor D-- 96.1 JAMZ

Double J-- GULF 104http://www.longsphotography.com/
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographer

Kris and Eric

Of all the engagement sessions I have ever done, I have never shot one at Tom Brown Park! I don't know why, its just never happened! I had a wonderful time yesterday at the park with Kris and Eric-- I got to explore some new portrait locations and try out a few new things. I think the results are fabulous, I just hope the couple agrees! :)My favorite shot of the day:This pose was all Kris-- and I think its hilarious!www.LongsPhotography.com
Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Baby Lawton

Baby Lawton was back in the studio yesterday for her three month portraits and she was an absolute doll! I loved so many of her images-- she was full of smiles and silly faces yesterday! I can't wait to photograph her entire family as part of our "Family Portraits at Maclay" special!www.LongsPhotography.com

Tallahassee and Thomasville's premier wedding and portrait photographers

Allison's Maternity Portraits

I can't believe its been almost two years since Allison & Scott's wedding! I was so happy to see them again on Tuesday when they came in for their maternity portraits. I am so excited to meet baby Caden! I think its probably the biggest compliment a photographer can ever receive when a wedding couple chooses you to be their family photographer as well.

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

Family Potrait Day at Maclay-- only 5 spots left!

Just a reminder that Saturday, March 22nd is Long's Photography's "Family Portrait Day at Maclay". We have only 5 spots left in our special-- a 30-45 minute family session at the gardens with a $175 credit-- all for $150. Its a Saturday and you get a BONUS print credit when you book!

A reminder of the fun fine print part... the sessions are for families ONLY. No couples, no individuals, no "just kids". The sessions require a minimum of three people, but cannot have more than six people. Because we are at Maclay, it does not include pets. You must schedule a viewing session to redeem your credit, but your images will also go online for 1 week. You must call with a credit card number to book your session-- 850.339.5799 If you have any questions, please call or email me at Linda@LongsPhotography.com

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

Hayley and Matt

I had been looking forward to Hayley and Matt's wedding for months! Hayley is a fellow wedding vendor, (Hayley Lauren Couture), but she is also my friend. I don't think there is a greater compliment than to have someone in this industry choose you for their own wedding. So, the pressure is definitely on when you are working for a vendor and a friend. :) I had so much fun and I think Olyn and I got some great images!

I don't think I have ever taken as many dress shots as I did for Hayley-- could there be a more important detail of her day?
Matt and Hayley have known each other since they were basically kids-- He gave her this guardian angel charm when she was only 13. She wore the charm as a bracelet on a ribbon. Flowers by Vince did an absolutely amazing job with all the arrangements. I love how everything felt so seasonal-- the fresh daffodils and tulips really added to the spring feeling.I wouldn't exactly call Matt camera-shy... more like camera disgruntled. He absolutely hates having ANY photos taken, so it was a definite challenge. :) It became fun by the end as we harrassed one another-- me begging him to be in a shot, him threatening to do horrible things to my car. :)

I love this shot of Matt waiting for the ceremony to begin.
The light was absolutely beautiful as Hayley and her dad came down the aisle.
The ceremony was incredibly sweet and intimate with a lot of personal touches.After the ceremony, Hayley and Matt walked back down the aisle and into some amazing light. I got some of my favorite images of the day as they walked away.
The formals went amazingly well, with this probably being the biggest smile I could get out of Matt.Getting Hayley to smile was easy.Probably my favorite shot of Hayley was one she said made her feel "goofy"... I think the end result is anything but it!Hayley has such an attention to detail and such a sense of fun-- I loved her whimsical centerpieces. Each goldfish had a name and a story and the guests could adopt them at the end of the night.
The tent looked awesome, with pink rose chandaliers hanging from the ceiling. One of Matt's sweet moments as the prayer was said for dinner.Another amazing creation by Myra Jean!I love this shot, probably my favorite of the entire day-- and it was Olyn's. :)One of the cutest farewells I have ever seen, Hayley and Matt were showered by confetti poppers as they ran out of the reception.

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

Vendors:
Ceremony and Reception Location: Morningside Baptist Church
Florist: Flowers by Vince www.FlowersbyVince.com
Cake: Myra Jean's Cakes www.myrajeanscakes.com
Dress: Hayley Lauren Couture www.hayleylaurencouture.com
Videography: Waterford Productions www.waterfordproductions.com
Coordinator: Magnolia Events
Tents, tables, etc: Balloons Unlimited www.balloonstallahassee.com

Cute Kid Contest Winners!

Wow! We received a total of 82 entries in the cute kid contest-- 53 were girls and 29 were boys. I gave the judges all morning to vote on their favorites and we ended up with a few ties. So, since I couldn't break the ties, we are taking all 10 winners! :)

I am tremendously humbled that so many of you like our work and want us to photograph your children. As a personal thank you, anyone who entered the contest and was not named a winner will receive a BONUS $25 print credit on their next session (excluding baby plans and special offer sessions). To receive your credit, just schedule a session before April 30th!

And the winners are..... drum roll please....

Girls:
Sydney G.
Roberta C.
Alexandra H.
Riley & Kenna B.
Lacey K.

Boys:
Michael C.
Julian S.
Thomas L.
Shane L.

Winners-- I will be contacting you over the next week to schedule the session and discuss ideas. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Again, thank you to everyone!!

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