Event Photography Lighting- Taking it up a notch

By Evan

As promised, I am writing today to comment on some of the more technical features of what we do. We have always prided ourselves in our reception photography, making an effort to not just document the event but have exciting, fun, colorful "portraits" of our clients and their guests partying through the night. Achieving truly high end reception photography is about much more than knowing how to take a good picture. Rather, it becomes a challenge of not only having the proper equipment, but knowing how to use it. We recently upgraded our lighting arsenal and decided the break the new members of the family in at a sweet 16 party this past weekend. We were so pleased with the results, there was no way we couldn't blog about it. See some of our favorites below with some notes on just what it was about the lighting and photography that made the shot special.









The use of multiple lights changes everything. More fill, better color and perhaps most importantly, the addition of more lights than just the one mounted on the camera adds the perception of studio lighting- something you don't expect at a party. In addition, the use of our low aperture lens collection allows us to capture a lot of movement while allowing as much light in as possible. Here, we are using a combination of our Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 and my personal favorite; our Nikon 50mm 1.8.



In the photo above, my second light has been strategically placed next to the DJ booth, where a cloud of mist fills the air courtesy Cory of Grant Hammond and Associates.





A strong back light can have magical effects, in this first photo the light invades the frame and helps to translate an exciting moment. In the second image, the harsh light actually softens the image taken during an emotional moment as the birthday girl dances with her father. We use this technique often during the first dances at weddings.



Being true to our roots, these lighting techniques even offer the chance to throw a hint of the high fashion edge that we usually use for portraits into the impromptu party environment. After all, every birthday girl should be treated like a celebrity.

That's all for now. I'll be sure check in again soon, I've got all sorts of new toys I'm shooting with now that I can't wait to brag about.

Pop-Art Inspiration Board

Well the past few weeks Evan and I have been planning an inspiration shoot that will be completely inspired by some of my favorite modern artists. Narrowing down which artists would influence the details was difficult, and after trying to incorporate Jackson Pollock several times, I decided to go with a more streamlined look that will utilize the styles of Andy Warhol, Piet Mondrian, and Roy Lichtenstein.



After scouring the internet for some other art inspired wedding elements (which was no easy feat) I created this inspiration board that I feel captures the essence of these three visionaries.



Now I won't be using all of these ideas and I have a few surprises up my sleeve that you will just have to wait and see. I am so excited to be able to incorporate some art history into this wedding shoot and glad that I finally have something concrete to show you all so you can get as excited as I am :)

Victoria & Brandon Engagment Session

Victoria & Brandon were married this past Saturday, and since Brandon flew in from Idaho only a few days before the wedding, we did a mini engagement session with them so that we could get to know Brandon better before the big day. We shot at Seminole Lake Park which is where Brandon first asked Victoria to be his girlfriend. It's a beautiful park with a trail and we got to enjoy an encounter with a gopher tortoise at the end of the session.







Such a sweet couple. And since we edited the photos same day for them, they met us back at the studio and we got to look through them all together. It was so enjoyable to see their reaction and excitement at each photo. We should have couples over for live previews more often.

Mud Wars- Event Photography on a Whim

By Evan

This blog post had been a long time coming. You're no longer reading the elegant words of Caroline, my beautiful wife. Instead, you have switched gears to the less social media inclined thoughts of he who puts the "E" in CSE Photography, Evan.

Expect more tech related items coming from me in the future, but for today, I thought I'd mention a recent spur of the moment shoot we did in downtown Saint Petersburg. On our way to an event at the pier, we stopped by Spa Beach where an unexpected treasury of images awaited us. The first annual Adult Mud Wars put on by Tampa Bay Club Sport was taking place. After catching a glimpse of the festivities, we quickly ran home and grabbed the camera.

On this day, history was made as many proud athletes gathered from the Bay area to compete in many activities including mud tug of war, mud football, mud dodgeball, and mud obstacle courses. It's not hard to figure that these are events with capturing, enjoy.













Some of the best shots- both in life and in weddings- are the ones you can't predict. Look forward to some insight on shooting and editing techniques we use to add the extra flare and personal touch to all our client's photos.

Shannon & Mark's Lange Farm Engagement and Vintage Touches

As a continuation of my vintage inspired engagement week, I speedily prepared these shots from yesterday's shoot with SHannon and Mark on the Lange Farm. Beautiful Florida day, check. Beautiful people in love, check. Bicycle built for two, oh yeah. After needing to reschedule once due to rain, we were given a gorgeous blue and sunny sky with a breeze today while we explored the fields, picket fences and resident furry creatures of the farm.

Shannon had some amazing crafts that she made for the session, including adorable signs and a banner we hung from the barn. We also became very good friends with a resident cat, who followed us around almost the entire shoot and even found his way into a few shots. Besides being on such a beautiful property, the touches that Shannon made to her outfits and vintage hairpieces were spectacular.




Here is kitty's moment of fame. The right photo is my favorite of the day. Shannon's expression is so soft but high fashion and she is just so gorgeous.






My other favorite capture of the day.



The bike was such a blast, Evan and I even rode it for a bit. Hey, we like to have fun too.




So much fun, that I actually needed a nap afterward :) With all the little details I can't wait to see what Shannon comes up with to personalize the wedding! Can't wait for next March!

Ashley & Sean Vintage St Petersburg Engagement Session

Vintage is a popular trend right now, but we are lucky to have couples that know how to do it right! We started Ashley and Sean's session around downtown St Pete and ventured around to see what cool stuff we could find. Well, how about a really old Ford on the side of the road? Yes please! We lucked out with a really nice owner that actually uses this beauty as his day-to-day car and let us lean on it and climb inside. We only stayed in the vintage theme for about half of the session, even though Sean was not shy about saying he wished people still dressed like that because Ashley looked so adorable (awww, they're so cute right?).

We spent the second half in some more comfy clothes and drove to a park where we played with butterflies (ok, that was me) and got some shots that showed a little more of this couple's fun personality.








Here are some of the more casual shots from Sawgrass Lake Park.



And I just love the way he's looking at her here...


Can't even wait for their wedding next March which will take place in an orange grove!

Geena & Henry University of Tampa Vintage Engagement Session

The University of Tampa is one of those places that you see a lot of engagement sessions done. It's a highly requested location, especially for couples wanting a vintage look. I actually attended UT for a few years so I know the campus a little too well, so when we do shoot there we try to expose hidden hallways and rooms that you don't typically see in a photographer's portfolio.

Geena and Henry met up with us on a really hot day to do their session and even though the weather was trying (very hard) to make us miserable we had a really fun time. Here's an example; walking along the campus to do an outfit change Evan begins going on one of his rants about something (probably movies) Dialogue-
Evan: "You know what I've never understood?..."
Henry: "Russian?"

I was busting a gut. I am hoping to be able to rent Henry on an hourly basis in the future to teach me other great ways to thwart Evan when he starts a conversation which will inevitably trap me into his dilemma of how different versions of the same comic book contradict the characters.

Anyway, you want to see some of the fabulous shots of their session right? These are a few of my favorites-







I just adored the little details that Geena thought of like her hairpiece, jewelry, adorable shoes, and the vintage watch that Henry wore. They are our lucky 10/10/10 couple and I so look forward to seeing the personal touches Geena finds for their wedding!

And vintage is the theme this week so stay tuned until tomorrow when I show off Ashley & Sean's 1940's themed engagement.

Laurie & Dave | Sanibel Island | Destination Wedding Photography

Laurie and Dave decided to do a barefoot beach wedding in Sanibel with just their parents and brother. There were a total of 8 people including Evan and I and including the bride and groom. It was an intimate and personal wedding, just about two people in love and we were so honored to be part of it.













Congrats again to Laurie and Dave! I hope that this idea of an intimate barefoot beach wedding will become more of a trend because it was so special.

Venue: Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa
Reception: Courtside Steakhouse
Dress: by BCBG
Florals: by Special Arrangements in Ft. Myers, FL
Cake: Yum Yum Cakes