Best of 2010 - part 4

Best Engagement Picture

Tough category again but I have to go with this shot taken in dowtown Tampa. First runner up goes to the shot below:

Best wedding picture during the ceremony:

This shot of a Christmas wedding got a lot of attention this year. Second place goes to a Clearwater Beach wedding that I photographed for Perfect Florida Beach Wedding

Best of 2010 - Part 3

Best Bride and Groom:

Wow.... tough category. I really have a hard time picking a favorite. So many pictires fall into this category and I personally think it is where I do my best work. I narrowed it down to three images but trying to elevate one above the others is impossible, so.... it's a three-way tie.

Best of 2010 - Part 2

Are year-end breakdown of the best of 2010 continues with:

Best Groomsmen Picture

We are starting to get into categories now where it's almost a toss-up because I have so many pictures that I love.  However, I have to give the award to this shot, taken in a hallway at Sand Pearl Resort in Clearwater.  The sunglasses and the great "Rat-Pack" vibe of this shot make it a favorite.

Best Bridesmaids Picture

I have plenty of stunning shots of gorgeous girls in their bridesmaids dresses but for pure fun nothing beats these beautiful girls posing in the bride and groom's bed!  However, I have to show the close second place winner:

Best Cake Picture

The best cake picture isn't of a cake at all.  It's cupcakes!  The tiered stand for the cupcakes was made by the bride.  I may be a little partial to this picture because it was published..  :)

Stay tuned for Part 3!

Best of 2010 - Part 1

By original intention was to do a "Top 10" for 2010 but I soon realized that it would be imposable to do.  Since I take on such a large variety of gigs from weddings to Bar Mitzvah's and beyond, it's not really realistic to make those images compete against each other.  I mean, a really great picture of shoes is a really great picture but it can't compete agains a baby or a bride.  Still, it deserved recognition.  I may spend most of my time as a wedding photographer but that doesn't mean that's all I do.

So, instead of a "Top 10," I've decided to simply pick the best images by category.  Some of the categories will be serious, some not so much.  :)

So, without further adieu, here's the first category:

Best Bar/Bat Mitzvah Temple picture

This image was taken at Temple Beth-El in St. Petersburg FL.  It's a beautiful temple and it's the only one I have ever worked in where I felt there was room to take a shot like this with the subjects sitting on the steps.

Best Dance Picture

I love everything about this image.  The pose is perfect and the background light was reflecting off the white vinyl just enough to give me a little kicker light on the model's face.

Best Special Assignment Picture

A "special assignment" is something outside of the norm.  Like when I get asked to shoot a company or in the case of this photograph, a school play.

This image is from Carrollwood Day School's production of "Beauty and the Beast."  I actually shot this from the back of the stage so that I could get the dark background of the hall.  This isolated the actors better.
I'll post "part 2" soon and we'll start looking at wedding images.  Stay tuned!

Booray's Better Pictures Class!

I'll be starting a new session of my beginner photography classes in January!

The class will be three weeks, every Sunday starting 1/9 (1/9, 1/16, 1/23).  Cost is $50 per class.

As usual I will cover all the basics of photography from composition to exposure.  When we are done you will be a photographer!  At the very least you will finally be able to understand that expensive DSLR that you have been carrying around and using on "auto."

Contact me right away because space is limited.  booray@boorayperry.com

Santa pictures at Hyde Park Village

I'm spending a week taking pictures of Santa Claus at Hyde Park Village and it's really a wonderful experience.

First, a little inside scoop on photographers.  Most photographers specialize in one sort of photography.  Some are wedding photographers and some are baby photographers.  Some shoot sports and Little League and some shoot school portraits.  Which field you specialize in is based on what you like, what you're good at and what makes money, not necessarily in that order.  There's also some ego stuff involved sometimes... fashion photographers would never lower themselves to shooting a wedding, wedding photographers would never stoop to shooting Little league. That sort of thing.

My problem is that I like to work.  If someone asks me to do a job and I'm not already booked, there's a good chance I'll do it.  I have a family to support and there's pride to be had in working but the main reason is that I enjoy being a photographer.  Any kind of photographer.  There's joy to be had in the work, the people you meet and the pride of doing a good job.  That's why it's not unusual to see me photographing a high-end wedding one day and a High School prom the next.  I've turned down jobs before for various reasons but I don't know many photographers who work in as wide a variety of fields as I do.

This is the first time that I've ever signed on for such a long session (6 days total).  I'm two days in and I can't tell you how much I'm loving it.

St. Petersburg Beach Wedding

I recently had the privilege of shooting another wedding for Perfect Florida Beach Wedding.  I say "privilege" because I don't really get paid for it since my wife, Bobbi, owns the company.  It's more like:

"Are you working on this date?

"No.

"Good, your photographing my wedding."

It's good to be the king.  :)

This particular beach wedding was different than most because they booked a lot of extra time with me.  Usually, beach weddings run about an hour, although sometimes the client will book an extra hour of photography.  Rebecca and Ben booked me for 6 hours so it was almost like a normal wedding for me in which Bobbi just happenned to be providing all the trappings.