This picture cracks me up...

Some of my favorite pictures are the ones that I take when I'm not supposed to be taking pictures yet. Typically, I'll take a few pictures while my model is still getting ready so I can test the lighting, etc. Sometimes this results in a picture that I like, even though it's not really something you would print and frame.

Today I was photographing The World's Most Photographed Children © when I got this shot. Bobbi's arm seems so loooong. Meanwhile, there's Mac..... the bored Diva.

See more Tampa children's photography at www.boorayperry.com

Portrait of author Laurie Kellor

Last Friday I went to Samantha's school to take some pictures of a visiting author. The school is always on the lookout for parents to take pictures for the yearbook and so I volunteered to help out.

Laurie Keller is a children's author and illustrator. She spent an hour with the entire 4th grade class and tolerated me like a champ.


I imagine that I probably behave a little differently than the other parents who volunteer to take pictures since I show up with my entire gear bag and take pictures like it's a job. (I don't suspect that the other parents walk around with two camera's around their necks!) One of the great things about photography is that you can create something special from any circumstance if you just look for the shot. Once I have the camera in my hand I immediately start to scan for something creative... just the right angle or light... that will make for a good picture. (My wife sometimes won't let me take my camera unless I promise to "take pictures like a Dad, not a photographer." :) )


I mentioned that I brought my entire gear bag with me. I prefer to keep all my gear together all the time. I have a small bag that I sometimes will pack with just a few things if I will be moving around a lot (like Disney World) but otherwise I just take the whole bag. I like knowing that I have everything I could possibly need with me. There's also the peace-of-mind that comes with never having to worry that you left some vital piece of gear in another bag.


After Laurie's presentation I asked her if she would mind sitting for a quick portrait. I couldn't resist the chance to photograph an author in a library. She was a great sport about it and we got a great picture.




You can see more of my photography on my website.

Wedding on the beach at Treasure Island

Perfect Florida Beach Wedding has everything you need for your beach wedding in Treasure Island, FL.

A few weeks ago I was shooting a wedding where the reception was at the beach but the wedding was in a church. Around sunset, I took my bride and groom out to the beach for some nice shots and discovered that the water was about a half-mile from the back of the hotel. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration but it was far.

I told my bride that I would be happy to walk as far as it took to get close to the water but that it was really up to her since she was the one in the dress and it wasn't exactly cool outside. We decided to stay near the hotel.

The effect that this had on the pictures is that we ended up with shots that almost look like they were taken in the desert because it's nothing but sand as far as the eye can see. That's okay, though, because the pictures were still great!

See more St. Petersburg wedding photography on my website.

St. Petersburg Wedding Photographer

When you're a wedding photographer in St. Petersburg, you have to be prepared to take pictures on the beach. A lot of people get married on the beach in Florida. A few weekends ago I had a unique situation because my bride and groom got married in a church but had their reception at a beach resort. Typically, it's just one thing or the other but in this case I got to shoot wonderful formals in the church and then later shoot wonderful formals on the beach.

By the way, if you are planning a beach wedding in Clearwater or St. Petersburg than Perfect Florida Beach Wedding has everything you need from arches to chairs... photography and officiante!

The wedding was at the Pasadena community Church which is right next to Treasure Island. The reception was at the Bilmar Resort on Treasure Island. The church is fantastic... very big and lots of light (we photographers love lots of light at a wedding ceremony). The Bilmar doesn't have a lot to offer in terms of ambience but it doesn't have to offer much because it's on the beach. As long as you have the beach and a sunset you have plenty of opportunities for great photography.

This is my favorite picture from the church. As I mentioned, there was quite a bit of light in the church so I had to make adjustments to my shooting style in order to isolate Danielle from the background. Usually, it's the other way around when you're shooting in a church and the problem is trying to get enough light on the background.

Sometimes a church will have beautiful stained glass in it but the windows will be high or far in the back which was the case here. In this situation a big zoom lens comes in very handy because it allows me to make the background look much larger and fill the space behind Danielle and Sean.
All of my favorite shots weren't formal ones, of course. One of my favorite moments at a wedding is when the bride steps into her dress. It frequently takes four people, a crowbar, and several ropes and pulleys to get her into that huge dress. It almost always makes for a great picture.

That's it for now, I'll post some of the pictures from the reception and the beach a little later.

More St. Petersburg wedding photography on my website...

How hard is it to photograph a wedding?

Here's a nice piece from the BBC about wedding photography... Link

See Tampa wedding photography on www.boorayperry.com