Holly & Pheonix

When Holly's horse Phoenix set hoof in Orlando I knew we'd have to shoot! We've been planning this for months. The dress, the horse, the meadow... what we didn't plan on were the hives, half-swollen shut eye, or the sneezing.

I'd been to meet Phoenix during feeding/grooming sessions a handful of times before our shoot date but always accounted my sniffly nose to the recent encounters with Holly's other animal friends (Incredibly: her cat, dog, and horse all match in color). Of course, it wasn't until our big shoot day that I got the full-blown allergic reaction. Ahh well, I pushed through and tried to stay focused! Although I'd envisioned being more relaxed and able to think more clearly as I experimented with new lighting, I'm happy with the results. I'd like to shoot more wildlife in the future, I'll just have to remember the Benadryl next time!




and a little computer editing fun...

Rachel & Amber

Rachel contacted me in hopes of having some photos taken for her army husband Joe. They've been together a year, and she thought some sexy photos would be a fun, creative gift. I couldn't agree with her more. I wish more people would think of portrait sessions as gifts, or even as GIVING a session as a gift...

Anyway, her friend Amber decided to have photos taken the same day which I think made the shoot more laid back because they had each other as comfort. Both were so great to work with; they just went with the flow. They also changed the fastest of anyone I've EVER worked with: two thumbs up.

Rachel's adorable house set the stage with it's old wooden floors. Between the charming location and chill girls I came up with some killer shots. I hope Joe likes them as much as I do!

Cindy & Ben

Cindy & Ben are the first couple that I got to shoot BOTH their engagement photos and their wedding photos! It was really neat to see how they'd used the first set of photos I'd taken in their guest book and throughout the reception. They also had a gelato bar at the reception, which was not only super cute but VERY yummy! All in all, it was a great wedding with a great couple; the recipe for awesome photos. :)

Dr. of Dentistry

I've been working with a magazine titled 'Doctor of Dentistry' this year. Each month, I shoot the cover story doctor for the central florida issue that reaches Jacksonville down to the Palm Beaches. It's been a great opportunity to learn to photograph people in a new light, no pun intended. (Ok, maybe a little pun intended). The publisher is super cool and open to new ideas visually so, she let me mix it up with last month's issue. Instead of the classic posed smiling-in-the-office doctor cover shot, we used an action shot! And not just any action shot, one taken with a 10.5mm fish-eye lens. It's my favorite cover to date. :)

Cody & Kristen

Matt's cousin Cody got married over the weekend! We've been looking forward to 6-7-08 as an opportunity to shoot a wedding in a whole new way: relaxed! Best of all, we knew we'd get to sit and eat while everyone else sat and ate. It's the little things in life...

Photographing Matt's family was fun. It was a beautiful wedding for a terrific couple. Even with our laid back approach, Matt and I came home with some really neat images on our memory cards. Here are a few favorites from my half. Again, Matt and I should really start a Smatt Wedding blog... Just another addition to the never-ending to-do list. :)