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Choice Clearwater beaches…

Clearwater Beach Family Photo One of my clients recently booked a portrait session on the beach and let me know she was coming from out of town. The beach that was closest to her vacation condo was not as “portrait worthy” as one that she would have to travel a bit to get to. Since she was from out of town with some younger children, I happily emailed her some beach suggestions in town so that she could visit these on her other vacation days. I’ve included it here for your information as well.

Fred Howard Park (Tarpon Springs) – Nice wooded area for picnicking and a beach that I would rate about a 7.

Sunset Beach (Tarpon Springs) Very small beach, not crowded, lots of shall

ow areas for wading and a playground there as well. The beach? Well, really a 2 or 3, but last week I saw two dolphins swimming only about 50 feet offshore!

Honeymoon Island – State Park in Dunedin – pay to get in, nice area, bird watching and shelling, beach can be quite rocky.

Clearwater beach – very pretty, more crowded, lots of tourist things, shops etc., if you want to do that. 20 to 30 minutes to get there from the Palm Harbor area. Clearwater marine aquarium, with the dolphin Winter – they just made a movie about him. Beach -8-9

City of St. Petersburg Municipal Beach at Treasure Island, 112th St and Gulf Blvd. Beautiful beach! This would be at least a 9, maybe a 10! It doesn’t look like much from the parking lot, but just go beyond the fence and WOW! Drawback – restrooms only open 10:00 till 4:00, why, I do not know! Refreshment area and play area for the kids.

Ft. De Soto Park – absolutely beautiful. About 1 hour drive south from the Palm Harbor area; take U.S. 19 south, follow the signs. Takes a while to get there, but voted one of the top ten beaches in the U.S. Dolphins, sand dollars, wide sandy beaches, fishing pier, picnic areas and usually not crowded at all because it is so large. Yes, the beach really is a 10!

The portrait above are from the Treasure Island beach. This family was staying at a large, very nice hotel on St. Pete Beach that was very crowded, due to a convention. The beach was very nice, but way too busy for a lovely family portrait. Treasure Island beach was only a few minutes drive for them and they were quite happy to make the short drive. The final results are fabulous!

Stand up Straight…

Posture. There is a lot to be said for good posture. I see a lot of trends over the years with people’s posture. For years it was one shoulder higher than the other, because that is the shoulder they held the phone on! Now, when I tell clients to sit up straight, they usually all lean back just a little in their chairs, because that is how they are used to sitting at their computers! So when I get them straight, they feel a little odd for a few seconds! Posture can do very good things for the final portrait. It lengthens the body and puts all the “parts” where they should be! Good posture gives an impression of alertness and assertiveness in a client as well. So, I am always saying sit up straight or tall and encouraging clients to look their best. Ok, so now that is all said and done, there is the case for a slight easiness among clients to establish relationships. Take a look at these two mother and daughter portraits. Just a slight lean of the daughter in the second one creates the finishing touch on the portrait. She relaxes into her mom and the closeness that you can feel in that one is much more real and less posed. So, exceptions to every rule. As a photographer, I feel it is my job to watch for these things and correct them ever so slightly to get the emotional content that you desire to have in a portrait. I do so love my job and all the family relationships that I get to witness every week.

Open House…finally!

Do you know how hard it is to get images from everyone at an event? I don’t know what bride’s do that don’t have an official photographer!! The pics below are mostly from family and friends. The open house was a wonderful day and thanks so much to everyone who came out. It was great to see old friends and clients that came to celebrate with me and to see the new space. I got flowers, flowers and more flowers! Some from right here, some from as far away as Ohio. I really do love flowers! I come from a florist background, with my Dad running a commercial greenhouse back in the Cleveland area. So I grew up with them and am still not tired of them. Hope I never will be! The food was terrific, thanks to my good friend Rebecca and Pamela. The big thing, for those who attended and are waiting to find out, was the winner of the $500.00 Portrait Prize…drum roll please… (you have to look below the pictures, hehehe!) Maylene Bird and her husband! I think they are going to go ahead and get a fantastic couples portrait…we’ll see!

Sunkissed Angel…{Palm Harbor Senior Photographer}

Kaila is graduating this year and was ready for her senior portraits! Going into the field of fashion, she really knew what to wear and what looked good on her. I have been photographing her family for probably 15? years. I was so happy to see her all grown up! She wanted her portraits in John Chestnut Park, so we picked a sunny day 🙂 and off we went. These are just two of the stunning images we got out in the park. Enjoy your sneak peek, Kaila. See you next week!

Let’s run a little contest… Leave a comment below and vote for your favorite. I will give Kaila a free 8×10 of the image that gets the most votes over 10! Let me know what you think!

First Communion time…{Palm Harbor Photographer}

This is such a wonderful time of year. I begin to get all the little boys and girls who are about to make their First Communion. At this age, the event is understood and the significance is foremost in their minds. They have gone to classes for quite a while and helped pick out the dress, jewelry, etc. and are quite excited to be photographed for this event. I like to photograph on a white background to follow through with the innocence and freshness that these youth bring with them. I also suggest that the photos are taken before the date, just to make sure the clothing remains clean! Give me a call if your child is about to celebrate their First Communion and we will schedule a time for you!