To celebrate the 4th of July, we're offering our 16x20 canvases (regularly priced at $275) for $150! Every single person who gets their hands on one of our canvases "oooo"s and "awww"s over them! They are instant conversation starters and the most beautiful way to display your favorite images. We even have a big canvas of this picture hanging in our dining room!

For all you blog readers, you are hearing about this first and have an additional day to get your orders placed as we're starting the sale right now as a thank you for being so awesome. Everyone else will be hearing about it tomorrow via our monthly e-letter. This sale price will last from now until 12pm EST. All orders must be placed and paid for before then to take advantage of this discounted price. To order, simply click the button below, select local pickup or delivery, and make your payment. Please let us know the filename of the image you want as your canvas in the space provided while ordering. If you need help, feel free to contact us at any time and we'll walk you through it. We are now available to allow local clients to pick up their canvases at our downtown condo at no extra shipping charge! If you are not local or wish to have the canvas shipped to you there will be a $20 shipping charge added to the total. If you select to have the canvas shipped to you, make sure you enter in your shipping address when finishing your payment (no P.O. Boxes) You may order as many as you like, just make sure to specify how many of each specific image you would like. We will send you a confirmation email once your order has been processed with a small sample of what your canvas will look like and will notify you when it is ready for you to pick up! :)

Update: We had a few people ask if they could order some of our personal work from our vacation to New York as fine art canvases. The answer is yes, most definitely. Just let us know which image you would like. Here are some popular ones:


Left: "Central Park" Right: "Brooklyn Bridge"

Choose your method of delivery:

Local pickup $150.00 Ship it to me $170.00

Vero Beach | Florida

Lyndsey and Jonathan's wedding could not have flown by any faster! When we left, we looked at each other and remarked, "That was the fasted 8 1/2 hours we've ever worked!" Everyone in attendance was smiles and hugs all day long and Lyndsey and Jonathan were surrounded by love the entire day. You could feel it, thick in the air, like a blanket covering everything. Even the rain subsided in perfect timing, leaving us with a cooler than normal breeze and some beautifully wind-strewn clouds high in the sky against the setting sun. Lyndsey and Jonathan's ceremony was the first mass we had ever shot and we were blessed with a fantastic priest who pretty much gave us free rein of the sanctuary allowing us to get angles we wouldn't normally be able to get inside a church. (Thanks friendly priest!) They celebrated at the Bent Pines Gold Club and danced late into the night to the music of a live band. I cannot wait to get through the rest of the images and show them off to everyone!

Lyndsey and Jonathan,
Have an amazing time in New Zealand. We are completely jealous and will facebook stalk you to see all the pictures you come back with! We had such a wonderful time celebrating with you. Thank you so much for trusting us completely and letting us have some creative photo fun with you! We are so excited to show these pictures to you and cannot wait to show you the rest. Until then, enjoy your sneak peak. And your honeymoon!

Check out the gorgeous embellishments on these babies...




Rain rain, go away...






Work it out girls...






Her train was perfection!




I am just head over heels in love with this one:




Shotgun shells? Hell yes. (Can I say hell? We weren't in the church at this point.)


Are you kidding me with those baby blues?


Um, GQ called and they'd like their smoldering look back ;)


FAVORITE




Love the golden light...




Hello perfect dress swirl! It's party time!

. I am officially behind schedule and I'm misplaced my Delorean.
. I have about 5 car loads of stuff that still needs to be moved to the condo.
. Watching 16 and pregnant makes me oh so very thankful for Nate.
. The kitchen is officially the only room that is completely moved in and organized.
. Having this newly organized kitchen ignites my desire to bake delicious things.
. Nate and I are coming up with personal fine art projects to do and I'm really excited about mine!
. I really love the smell of my affectionally titled 'Anthropologie candle'.
. I really love Anthropologie in general.
. We have the absolute best landlords in the world. They came over and repainted two walls for us last night.
. Ikea is sneaky. You go in thinking "I just need a few cheap things" but come out a few hundred dollars lighter. Be ye warned.
. I have a girl crush on Leighton Meester.
. I am in the market for: a coffee/espresso maker, bedroom furniture, a table runner, and pillows from Etsy. Watch out!

And because I believe that posts need pictures, here is one from our photographers get together last night. This was our G10 self portrait, held by Nate:



***Don't forget. Our early bird promotion begins on the 1st! If you are booking a wedding in 2010 you can take advantage of this amazing discount but you gotta be quick! Each day that you wait, the discount drops. ;)

If you asked us last Friday, we would have said that moving was the LAST thing on our minds. Our plans for moving were more of a distant future type. We had pretty much decided that we were going to stay where we were until we bought a house because buying a house is the only thing worth moving for. We loved the location of our condo downtown and how we could walk to all the fun nightspots, run around the lake, get coffee in the mornings, enjoy our view of the skyline, and cultivate relationships with the wonderful network of amazing young professionals, artists, and entrepreneurs who we had gotten to know so well over the last year. Other than a house, nothing was going to get us to move.... until Sunday afternoon.

We had been living in a small, one bedroom condo that, if the walls could talk, they'd have probably used phrases like, "Groovy man". As our business grew over the last year, we converted half of our bedroom into my office. The condo was cooled by a wall AC unit and as summer approached, it was starting to become evident that this condo was not a good fit for us anymore. The shower broke, and as our landlord stopped in to give the final okay for the plumber he mentioned in passing a 2/2 that he owned in the same area that was available. He told us it was completely renovated and asked if we wanted to see it. We said yes, to be polite, because we honestly thought "How much nicer can it be?"

When we stepped inside and the cool 73 degree centrally cooled air hit us, we knew we had stepped into heaven. The condo was unrecognizably different than the one we were living in. It was beautiful and had everything that we needed. We shook on it that night and signed a contract a few days later. And today, we moved about 70% of our stuff in.

Here's a quick iphone shot:

That candle is Volusia Baltic Amber from Anthropologie. I went in today and asked the clerk which candle was the store's signature smell and she brought me to this one. Now our condo smells just like Anthropologie. Heaven? I think so.


I'm not going to lie, I'm a little sad about leaving our old place. The year I lived there was one of the most transformative and influential years of my life. It's going to be a bit sad to leave it behind. But, I feel like moving couldn't come at a better time for us, both logistically, and emotionally. New condo, new phase of our relationship, new summer in business, and big things on the horizon. The best is yet to come...

Last March we went up to NYC for a week to visit our friends Rachel & Matt and shoot some updated headshots for them. Rachel and Matt are both ridiculously talented singer/actors and are up in the big apple pursuing their dreams in musical theater and acting. And please don't think that I'm just flattering them because they are our friends. They are both unbelievable singers and actors. Trust us, not only do they randomly break into song all the time, but we also got to hear them belt out some show tunes at a karaoke bar while we were there. (Rachel does a mean Elphaba in Defying Gravity!)

We just got word that Matt got a role in the upcoming showing of Hair ON BROADWAY! Everyone give him a huge congratulations because this is insanely exciting and I've literally been bragging about it to everyone I know. Nate and I are going to try to get up there to see the show so if anyone sees some good deals on flights to New York in the next few months, let me know.

Matt,
You are an amazingly talented guy and we are so excited/thrilled/proud/elated/down-right-happy for you! We know you're going to be a force to be reckoned with and we know that this is just one in a lifetime of amazing accomplishments in store for you! Cheers to dreaming big and seeing big dreams come true!

You can see their websites and hear how amazing they are for yourself here:
Matt DeAngelis
Rachel Potter

This was a quick shot we got of Rachel and Matt on the train


And showing off some dance moves in the street at Time Square...

Since Nate and I are photographers we rarely get any pictures of both of us doing our thing at weddings. Every now and then we'll snap a few of each other, or our assistant Matt, will catch a shot with both of us in it at the same time, but they never really capture us in all of our true goofy glory. I was so thrilled when Seth, from Visual Effects by Seth, sent me a link to a highlights video he had put together from Justin & Lindsey's wedding. I watched the video expecting to smile because of how much fun I had at the wedding, but I was absolutely thrilled when at 2:16 in the video I saw that Seth had caught Nate and I in one of our patented (okay, maybe not actually patented) photographing positions. Check it out. :)

Also, check out the dance moves at 3:25! This crowd danced the night away. We've never been to a wedding with that much dancing! And, my favorite part of the reception is at 3:28 where you'll get to see when Lindsey tossed her bouquet into the chandelier, and then hit her sister in the face on the second try. :)

Justin & Lindsey from Visual Effects by Seth on Vimeo.

Thank you so much Seth for sending this our way and for being such a fun and easy videographer to work with at Justin & Lindsey's wedding!

I was watching the news this morning because I wanted to get caught up on some world events and a woman was being interviewed about how in today's world, and especially with the younger generation of twenty-somethings (represent!) the world is bigger and smaller than it has ever been before. What she meant was that people, young people especially, are viewing themselves more as citizens of the world than of their particular nation. That we are all very concerned with the well being of our fellow world citizens and feel a strong sense of justice for all of mankind. I love it. I have been to a few other countries and I always come back feeling like I've grown as a person just for having been there and learning more about the people I meet and places I visit.

It all just reminds me how small the world is. We are really all just people. We are not Americans, Europeans, Iranians, Floridans, or even Orlando people. We are all people, all sharing this beautiful world and sharing responsibility. We all wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night. The immense worth of each individual adds up to a planet rich in stories and love and although we are separated by many factors, in more ways that one we are all interconnected. I always appreciate the way those connections work. One of my favorite things about my job is that I get to meet people I would have never gotten to meet otherwise. Photography brings people into my life that are amazing, with beautiful stories and beautiful quirks. I love feeling my world expand with each interaction. Meeting Katie and Jon was one of those connections. They are a fantastically cute duo and we are so excited to share these images of them as we count down to their wedding this August.

Oh sweet symmetry!


I haven't done puddle shots in over a year but this one was too good to pass up...


Hello gorgeous eyes!






Time for some Studio222 Rocktography...








This one may be my favorite...

I've always had a rebellious spirit. I'm proud of it now but I'm sure it brought a lot of grief to my mom during conversations that went like this: "You need to clean your room now!" "Well I was planning on it but now that you told me to, I don't want to!"

Just the sheer act of someone telling me that I had to do something a certain way or that I couldn't do something ignited a fire of ambition inside of me to prove them wrong. Seriously people, it's bad. So when I was told that I could never be successful I thought, "Just wait." When they said, "It will take years before you can do it full time." I thought, "Uh uh, I'm doing it right now." When they told me, "You're doing it wrong" I thought, "Nope, we're giving them something new." And then when they told me, "You're both too young." I thought, "Watch us."

I've been hearing a lot of people talking about following their dreams lately and it makes me so excited. Go for it! Do it. Let me be the first to tell you that you truly can. Find something that inspires you and hold on to it. Repeat it. Watch it over and over. Write it on sticky notes and put them all over your house. Your dreams are too important to let them fall away because of fear. Do not let the world, or your family, or your friends, or the economy scare you into settling. Find that rebellious part of you that wants to prove everyone wrong and let it run free for a little while! Recently, I've been extremely drawn in by Wicked. And the song "Defying Gravity" has pretty much become my mantra. I will play it on repeat for hours while I work and sing it over and over again. This song is what inspires me. Find whatever it is that inspires you, play it on repeat, and go!

A few months ago I put together an inspiration board. For those of you who don't know what an inspiration board is, it's basically just a collage of things that inspire you. But even more than that, it's positive images of goals you have for yourself and your life. You display them somewhere that you'll look everyday, usually in a workspace. Mine is positioned on the wall right behind our desktop computer so whenever I sit down to work, it's the first thing I see. It's 20x30 and has cutouts from magazines, a few things I printed out myself, and some extras just because. If you subscribe to the views in the book The Secret then you would believe that by focusing brain power on these positive images, you will actually manifest them into being in your life by the law of attraction. I'll be honest, that philosophy sounds pretty cool to me even though I'm not too sure of it's validity. But, I do think there is something to be gained from positive thinking and focusing on your goals. Recently I asked my friends on facebook if they had inspiration boards and if they've seen anything come true in their lives from them. I was really excited to see that many people have seen things go from pictures on their boards to events in real life.

Becka, this all well and good by why are you babbling on and on about it?

I thought you may ask that. I'm talking about it because recently we've watched some things go from inspiration board to real life without even realizing it completely. They weren't even exact, established goals. They were more like ideas too bold to actually vocalize and yet, here they are as real life things.

We were published in Professional Photographer Magazine this month with a little blurb about our trash the prom dress sessions. Professional Photographer Magazine? WHHHHAAATTT? I know, right? Oh wait, it gets better. We're going to be in there again this fall! With a full feature.

Hold the phone, Becka... WHAT?

Yeah, I know. Crazy cool. Mind-blowing. Nate and I were literally sitting in awe for an hour while we were interviewed by the talented writer who will be turning all of our babbling into a story worth reading. I still can't really wrap my mind around it. And that's all I'm going to say about it until it comes out because I don't want to ginx anything... Here is our stuff from this month's issue. They used one of our photos for the contents page and then the little story with another photo is on page 22.

Nate makes fun of me all the time because although my head is normally up in the clouds, planning for something 5 years from now or talking about big dream goals and aspirations, sometimes my focus can be extremely narrow. (Nate would probably call it "painfully narrow".) I'll obsess over the fact that the shade of yellow is wrong on the DVD's we had printed and decide that we need to send them back and have them redone. I'll stand in the ribbon aisle for an hour trying to match the perfect packaging combinations. I'll work and rework designs for days, changing things by the teeniest bits until they are perfect. Yes, world, I am a perfectionist, and I can't relax until every detail is perfect. I like to serve tea in fine china cups just because I think it's prettier. I put brownies and cookies in our big glass cake plate even when no one is coming over just because I think it makes the table look better. I bought Nate a cheese platter for Christmas so he could serve our guests snacks on something other than an old plate. And oh Lord, you do not want to get in my path when I'm trying to set up for a party. Because I know that everything is in the details. All those tiny little things that make someone feel special or that dress up a house, or that fancy up an event, add up to one big picture. So much of life is in the details. I think that's why I have so much fun shooting weddings with a lot of details. Because brides, I totally get it! (And because it makes me feel less obsessive compulsive about my own life. HAHA!)

As promised, here are the rest of Traci's details. You can see how everything has so much of their personalities in it, from the rhinestone-embellished invitations to the table numbers featuring snapshots with their Labs, to the unique floral arrangements on each table, to the Florida State Seminole's beer pong groom's cake. The entire wedding with dripping with elegant yet relaxed southern charm. Take a look at all these details and be inspired. :)

Cypress Grove | Orlando | Florida

Traci is another example of a bride who handed the reins over to us completely. From the first time we spoke, to the first time we met, to the wedding day, Traci kept telling us that we had "full creative control" (which is pretty much the 3 best words any photographer can hear). "If you want a certain picture and I'm off talking to someone, literally grab me and pull me away!" is what Traci told us on the morning of the wedding. Nate and I just smiled at each other knowing that this was going to be a good day. I cannot emphasize how important this trust relationship is. If you're an upcoming client of ours and you feel disconnected, give us a call, we'll go get coffee, or wine, or cheesecake and just hang out. We promise we won't bring our cameras. ;) Traci and Steve not only trusted us, but they really brought us in and made us feel like friends. The magic that was created is unmistakeable and Traci and Steve's wedding is undoubtedly one of our best to date. We are extremely proud of it. But it's not all us, Traci was a planning goddess! She had pages of details that she had hand-chosen to incorporate. Seriously people, pages! I couldn't even fit all the details into this post and I have over 50 images in here! I'll have to dedicate another post just to her details! ;) Her goal was to get her wedding into her favorite wedding blog,Southern Weddings. Let's see how we do...

Kate Spade


Loubou's...my heart is all aflutter!






Wondering what's on that computer screen?


Well hello bachelor number one!




Natalie did such a fabulous job with Traci's makeup. She even brought an airbrush machine!


Flawless...


And Teresa worked her magic on the locks...


Perfection!




Traci wanted to scope out the ceremony and reception site as it was getting set up...


Jim Hjelm, ladies and gentlemen...


...and Betsy Johnson!


Something old: Her fathers hospital bracelet from when he was born


Waiting...








I love his face...


Last chance Steve!


Traci & Steve's "babies"...




Dum, dum, da dum...














Yay!




Work it out!


Traci and her bridesmaids are all old soccer teammates...






...and are all beautiful




Bromance...




I think this was Traci's favorite detail:


Kristen was such a wonderful coordinator. Seriously, just look at how amazing this wedding turned out!




Traci's dad was by far the most fun father of the bride we've ever met...




Greenery productions blew our minds with the amazing arrangements:


Smooches & Sunsets


48 seconds...


Goodnight!




Traci & Steve,

Congratulations! And thank you so much for trusting us and allowing us to be as creative as we wanted. It means so much to us that you allowed us that freedom on such an important day in your lives. We wish you years and years of wedding bliss! And we absolutely cannot wait till you are back here in Florida for your trash the dress session.


Traci's recommended vendors:
Getting ready location: The Grand Bohemian Hotel
Venue: Estate House at Cypress Grove Park
Wedding Coordination: Kristin at Blush
Wedding Gown: Jim Hjelm
Reception Dress: Forever 21
Makeup: Natalie at Knockout Artistry
Hair: Teresa at Capricci Ricci Salon
Shoes: Kate Spade, Christian Louboutin, Betsy Johnston
Catering: Creative Cuisine
Linens & Runners: Custom by a family member
Stationery: Glory Thorpe at Revelry Invitation Studio
Floral: Tom Murphy of Greenery Productions
Photobooth: Photomagic
Photography: US! ;)


Since Nate and I are a team, we usually only end up with pictures of one of us at a time shooting but we were lucky enough to have our oh-so-fantastic assistant Matt with us at Traci's wedding and he got this shot of both Nate and I shooting the mother/son dance....

(Thanks Matt!)