Madelaine | Class of 2015: South Florida Senior Portrait Session, Downtown Fort Lauderdale
Posted on January 14, 2015
Madelaine was the winner of my senior portrait session giveaway that I did this summer for those graduating in the class of 2015, and I am SO incredibly happy that she won. Not only is Madelaine gorgeous, but she is also sweet, funny, and smart! She is the student of a good friend of mine (Hey, Arlene!), and she is active in the school newspaper, softball team, drama and art club. Also, she has the most incredible hair I have ever photographed!
When Madelaine and I were planning her sesssion, she said that she wanted something in a downtown or city area, so we headed to Downtown Fort Lauderdale on a rather rainy Sunday afternoon to take our portraits. Luckily, the rain cleared, and then the most beautiful light appeared (Which tends to happen right after rain. Photographer tip: If you ever want pretty light, go out just after a rainstorm)!
It was so much fun to walk along the city and photograph Madelaine. Her vibrant personality shined through the lens and made my job so simple!
This next shot is my money shot, my favorite of the day. We were walking down a street and this entrance to a restaurant that was closed caught my eye. The light was coming in just right and I asked Madelaine to sit down for just a second. We were there maybe a minute total, but I knew I saw something good. Sure enough, when I saw this image loading on my computer, my breath caught for a second. These are the shots I live for.
Congratulations on all your accomplishments, Madelaine! I know the future holds so many great things for you!
Carla: Ballet Portraits | Seattle, Queen Anne Portrait Session
Posted on December 23, 2014
I have been a bad photographer blogger and missed blogging all of my sessions from August to November. As such, I will be blogging these sessions throughout the next couple of months or so. This session is from Labor Day Weekend 2014.
TODAY is my sister’s 18th birthday!! And it is also the day she will finally be coming home for a visit!! I could not think of a better way to celebrate than finally blogging the mini sesh we did while I was in Seattle.
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So as I’ve mentioned (check this post for more info), my sister, Carla is now living in Seattle and dancing in the professional training program with Pacific Northwest Ballet. At the end of August, I travelled there with her to help her move and get settled in her new city. Luckily, one of my very best friends happens to live in Seattle (Hey, Roma!), and she had years of knowledge to share with us, including this amazing location at the top of Queen Anne Hill overlooking downtown Seattle.
One of the best parts of this session was getting to shoot in a location that is so different from South Florida. Don’t get me wrong, I love living here, but like seriously– just look at these views!
This is session seriously rocked my socks. Not only did I get to capture my sister, but I fell in love with Seattle and can’t wait to travel there again soon. Also, shooting somewhere new was exhilarating and inspirational. Someone book me to travel soon!! It is seriously my fave (I will literally go anywhere you fly me, true story). =)
Carla: Class of 2015 | South Florida Senior Portrait Session
Posted on December 10, 2014
I have been a bad photographer blogger and missed blogging all of my sessions from August to November. As such, I will be blogging these sessions throughout the next couple of months or so. This session is from mid-August 2014.
I’ve certainly blogged about my baby sister before, but it is hard to believe that I am now blogging her SENIOR PHOTOS. I am not even quite sure how that happened (Alas, this means I am officially old “mature” and can impart wisdom on others. Watch out world).
I digress.
My sister’s session took place on a sort of rushed Sunday afternoon. I say rushed not in that we rushed the photos, but in that we rushed to get to our location before sunset. Part of having a photographer for a sister means Carla gets free sessions, but it also means I have to sometimes squeeze her in when I have time, and this was one of those days. I also had to do this session before my sister left to spend the year in Seattle (more on that later), so we were rushed in a lot of ways.
In any case, I am glad we rushed and I am glad we made it, because the photographs that came out of this session are some of my most favorite I have ever taken. The combination of my gorgeous sister, her amazing dance technique, the beautiful park, and our sisterly bond, made these photos something extra special. Also, my friend and fellow photographer, Stephanie Arieno of Shmily Face Photography & Paper Posies made this RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME flower crown that was the proverbial cherry on top of this photography awesomeness.
And now, I will simply let these images speak for themselves.
My sister moved to Seattle at the end of August to begin a professional training position with Pacific Northwest Ballet. Although I miss her quite terribly, I am so happy that she is living out her dream and taking this incredible step to becoming a professional ballerina. She is currently dancing on stage with PNB professionals in the company’s annual Nutcracker shows and I could not be more proud of her!
Vera is Three | Miami Children’s Portrait Session
Posted on November 30, 2014
It isn’t very often that I get to capture children. It isn’t that I don’t love doing it, but since my specialty tends to be high school seniors and families, I don’t often get requests to for children’s portraits. I really love doing them, and so I was especially excited when one of my friends asked me to do a portrait session to celebrate her daughter turning three.
Tatina had a great vision for Vera’s session. We would highlight Vera’s favorite color, pink, and also celebrate her being such a big girl now. Her first outfit, a beautiful black and white dress and bright pink bow, was the epitome of little girl sophistication.
We also decided to use balloons so that Vera could have fun celebrating turning three. Tatiana got these fantastic balloons online and they were so much fun to incorporate into the session. I just loved how they moved with the breeze and brought such color and movement to the photographs. After we were done, Vera selflessly offered these balloons to some children who were playing in the park nearby. Such an awesome girl!
I really wanted to capture all of Vera’s personality and details. Afterall, you only get to be three once, and it is such a lovely age to be. She is learning so much and I was so impressed with how smart she is!
Vera is such an amazing little girl and it was a joy to spend some time with her! She is funny, sweet, and incredibly joyful. Thank you, Tatiana for allowing me to capture your incredible daughter!
Phoebe | South Florida Senior Portrait Session
Posted on July 21, 2014
Phoebe is an incredible young woman. In the 5 months that I have known her, she only continues to impress me with her faith, kindness, humor, and all around general awesomeness. The other thing I love about Phoebe? She is also a photographer and you can see some of her work on instagram!!
Phoebe is will be starting college at PBA in about a month, so we headed over to West Palm Beach for her session. These weren’t her official senior portraits, but more of a chance for her and I to have some fun, and for her to take a moment to be in front of the camera. As photographers, we are always the ones taking the photos, and sometimes it is nice to be on the other end. Plus, I adore Phoebe’s style, so I couldn’t resist playing with her for a little bit. =)
Thank you, Phoebe, for allowing me to photograph you. You are amazing!
Colleen + Albert | Second Shooting | Wedding Photography
Posted on July 16, 2014
Photographers often hire other photographers to be their second shooters when doing weddings to allow for greater event day coverage and a greater variety of perspectives.One of the benefits of networking with fellow photographers in your area is that you can often form bonds that will allow you to hire people that you trust to second shoot for you. And it is fun to work with your friends! =)
** A Tip for Aspiring Photographers: A great way to get valuable experience and break into the photography industry is to second shoot and/or assist a fellow photographer. I have often taken my students with me to weddings and events as my “third shooter” in order to allow them to learn. They often take great shots and walk away with so much hands on knowledge. Pick a few photographers in your area whose work you admire and who shoot the kind of photography you want to get into, and send out a kind email to each of them. You will be surprised just how many photographers are looking for assistants. I know I always need someone to hold a reflector for me! If you are willing to work for free in exchange for the learning experience, it will help you immensely. Even if all they offer you is assisting with no shooting, you will learn a TON just from watching them work. Also, if you need a good, supportive group to be a part of, I am in one on FB that rocks. Contact me and I will get you in!**
Even though I am a experienced photographer who has shot many of my own weddings, I still enjoy second shooting because it allows me to see how another photographer perspective and way of doing things, which can be so inspiring. It is also a lot less pressure to not be the main photographer in charge of the day.
My friend Lauren of Lauren Louise photography is a amazing photographer, and a few months ago I shot Colleen + Albert’s wedding with her as her second shooter. I have been meaning to share a few of my favorites images from that day here on the blog.
I have a cute story to tell about this first photo of Albert below. Albert was running a bit late on wedding day. He rushed to get dressed, and his nerves got the best of him. Despite the fact that he ties bow-ties all the time (they even had bow-tie napkins at the reception), he just could not get his tie tied correctly. When I took the portrait below of Albert, his tie was still a bit off, but I love this picture because it captures the emotion of the day. Albert’s sister eventually helped him tie his tie perfectly a few mins before the ceremony started, but it is this picture that reminds me of just how special weddings really are.
Angelic Warfare | South Florida Band Photography Session
Posted on July 14, 2014
I seriously had SO much fun photographing the band Angelic Warfare the other day in Downtown West Palm Beach. These young men are not only amazing musicians, but they write music that glorifies the Lord, which makes it all the more awesome. Taylor, Colby, and Jake are a big part of my church community and I loved getting a chance to showcase these guys through photography.
I hope you enjoy these photos as much as the guys and I do!
Thanks guys for spending the afternoon with me! It was a blast!
I love photographing groups! If you have a band or a group of friends that you’ve always wanted to take some photos with, contact me today!
Ally | South Florida Dance Recital Portrait Session
Posted on May 31, 2014
I danced from the age of two and a half until I was nineteen. Jazz, ballet, tap, you name it. I was on dance teams in both high school (shout out to my Atlantic High School Eagle-Ettes & Co.) and college. To this day, I would rather dance than do pretty much anything else active in my free time, and zumba is my favorite workout.
You can imagine how happy I was to get the opportunity to capture Ally in her costume for her upcoming jazz dance recital with her dance studio. Ally is an awesome girl who shined in her session; both figuratively and literally. Check out the snazz on her costume!
Ally was an absolute dream to photograph!! She is a beautiful girl inside and out. Thank you to Ally, and her mom Rosemary, for allowing me to capture this awesome moment in her life!
Rhodes Family | Spring 2014: South Florida Family Portraits
Posted on May 7, 2014
Jake is the amazing youth pastor at my church, and a couple of weeks ago I had the honor of photographing his awesome and adorable family. I headed out to the Boynton Beach Inlet with Jake, Kristin, and Baby Caleb around sunset for some spring family photos and beach fun. The love that this family has for each other is just so incredible to capture!
Caleb loves to read (which I love!!) so we brought some of his favorite books to the session. He is making a fire truck sound in a few of these! =)
Smiles all around! =)
After we finished, Caleb shouted, “all done!” Seriously, so cute. Thank you Jacob & Kristin for allowing me to capture your beautiful family!
Adrianna + Seth in Love: South Florida Engagement Portraits
Posted on April 28, 2014
Adrianna + Seth are one of the most adorable and in love couples I have ever met. Photographing them was so easy. They were just themselves, and all I did was capture their moments. By the end, Seth even said he had forgotten I was there!
You wouldn’t believe it by looking at these photos, but it was absolutely pouring and storming up until the moment that Adrianna + Seth arrived. I literally sat in my car and prayed for about half an hour or so, willing the rain to stop. It stopped and started several times while I was waiting, but when Adrianna + Seth arrived, it was as if God said, “Here is your perfect light!”
It didn’t rain at all for the entire session, although if you look closely, you’ll be able to spot some raindrops from the gorgeous trees that dripped on to them at the beginning of the shoot. I left these drops there because I think they tell the perfect story of a relationship: sometimes there are storms, and rain falls, but LOVE can make it through anything.
Alright, I will stop gushing about now, but fair warning: I am a tad obsessed with how these turned out. But seriously, how could I not be?
Thank you, Adrianna + Seth for allowing me to capture your love! I know that your wedding day is going to be the beginning of a great and awesome journey for you both. I wish you many blessings!
Camile Teresa | Photographer 
