Weathering the Storm

With the sound of the rain splashing on the roof and rushing down the gutters, it only seems fitting to reflect on the economic storm soaking us all. We hear the daily reports on the news of this company in bankruptcy or that bank needing a bailout, but what are we to do locally as small business owners? More specifically, what am I supposed to do with my own business? Compared to stories I'm hearing from across the country with other studios, we're holding our own. Sure business is off a little bit, but it's not anything that will drown us. However, there are members of our community, my clients, my friends that this storm is effecting. That's were the question comes in as to what to do with my business in order to help those in need around me. What could I do to be sympathetic to my clients financial stresses without devaluing the quality and integrity we've spent the last decade building?
We've decided to implement a new payment structure to spread out the financial commitment to our artistry. We don't want you to have to skimp on quality with such milestones in life such as a wedding or senior portraits, so we've decided to allow those who need it to spread their investment out over 12 monthly payments. Every situation is unique so we will work with each of our clients on an individual basis.
The sky is getting brighter on the horizon and as we experienced with many of our weddings last year, at the end of the rain we find the rainbow.

Ryan and Alex Slideshow

Naples, The Morning After

What would a destination wedding on the Gulf Coast be without bridal photos on the beach. We woke up early Sunday morning and went down to the beach with Alex, Ryan and the rest of the bridal party. The guys wore tan pants and white shirts while the girls wore sun dresses. Alex was able to obtain a few extra wedding dresses for the extra photo shoot so she was not bashful about letting it get full of sand and water. We had a great morning except for the sand fleas that at my feet.

After the beach shoot, we enjoyed a great brunch with the families down at McCabe's. I love destination weddings. After spending so much time with everyone involved, you become like family. I look forward to many future events with them.

We said our goodbyes and trekked north toward Ft. Meyers with an obligatory stop at the Bass Pro Shop and the we took a side trip to Sanibel Island. Sanibel is one of my favorite places although it was chewed up a bit by a few hurricanes since the last time I was there. My previous trips there were with my Dad, so it has a special place in my heart. As amazing as the trip was, it was nice to come home to my family, especially after having been apart from them for Mother's Day.

Wedding Day Naples Style

The big day arrived for Ryan and Alexandra in style, waking up at the Inn on Fifth in Old Naples. The ceremony at the First United Methodist Church of Naples was beautiful and funny. After the ceremony, we headed down to Third Street in Naples to an area of upscale shops and fantastic architecture, before returning to the Inn on Fifth for a reception that rocked the house. After the reception ended, we went out on to Fifth Avenue to get some night shots. Even at 11:30 at night, the air was a tropical, steamy soup. Ryan and Alex were awesome.

Friday in Naples

After exploring the area around Old Naples on Thursday, Rich and I spent the day with Ryan and Alex on Friday. We started the day with lunch with the bridesmaids and some family at McCabe's right outside of our hotel. I love the covered porches with ceiling fans that most restaurants in the area have. It's such a tropical "Keys" feel. After lunch we headed down to the nail salon for the girls to get manicures and pedicures complete with glasses of wine and a foot spa. (For the girls, not Rich and myself) While the girls we still being pampered, we headed over to the church to scope out the location. It was a beautiful Methodist church with palm trees towering over it. Inside, the church had a split in the wall that let in the natural light in the shape of the cross. There were also teddy bears dispersed throughout the pews. They were there for the congregants to take and bring to those who are in need of a hug and a prayer. Later in the afternoon we had the rehearsal at the church than went to a family friend of Ryan and Alex for dinner. The four course dinner was not only homemade, but was worthy of a five star hotel. The desserts were out of this world.

Naples Day 1

Rich and I flew in to Ft. Meyers today to photograph this weekends wedding of Ryan and Alex in Naples, FL. We're staying at the Inn on Fifth in Old Naples. Fifth Avenue is a affluent area with high end shops, restaurants and galleries. Rich made me eat sushi for lunch, then we had huge ice cream cones with homemade waffle cones that are still warm when they scoop the ice cream. After that, we walked down to the beach along the Gulf of Mexico. It's amazing how warm the water is already. It felt like bath water. Tomorrow we'll be tagging along with the bridesmaids for lunch then manicures and pedicures before the rehearsal dinner. Here are a few shots taken with my indestructible, waterproof point and shoot camera.