Go Anywhere...

This short film is so incredibly beautiful, Tom Jenkins is amazing! I put myself in the shoes of this desk toy everyday because I too want to escape from the confines of my routine school and office life. I wish the video was longer because I soak in the mood of it all! The enviornment, soft melody, display of colors...all of it! You can find behind the scenes photos on The Theory's Facebook Page

Shay Cochrane Photography Workshop

It was such a great experience getting to hang out with the women at the Shay Cochrane Photography Workshop earlier this month. I met photographers from all over Florida and got in contact with a few locals which was cool.  I've been a fan of Shay's for quite some time now, not only for her amazing photography skills, but also her openness and willingness to share with others what shes learned. She and I had been keeping in touch via facebook over the past year, ironically though, we'd never met loL. So finally, finally we got to met during her beginner pro workshop at the beginning of the month! She is so sweet :) and I learned a lot from her that day which was extremely exciting! I've been happy to continue to put into practice the techniques she taught us that day. We had the pleasure of shooting a really nice couple in the super fab Tampa Heights historic building! I'd never been there before, but you can bet I will be back! I love it!

* Click on the photo for better quality...

 

Virginia and Kyle ~ St.Pete Portrait Photographer

It was so nice to finally meet these two! I'd been in contact with Virginia for a few months trying to settle on a date that would be convenient for all three of us. It was so interesting to hear about how they met and learn of the activities they do together :) Virginia and I are both Floridians, so when she told me she wasn't really into the outdoors I could 100% relate loL! Her fiance, Kyle, is from Kentucky however and he loovveess the outdoors! She said he introduced her to a lot of the activities they now do together like hiking, camping, biking and snow boarding! I have to admit that all seems pretty cool. I wouldn't mind trying snow boarding myself and I've hiked a time or two before, but I'm still a laid back lazy Floridian at heart loL so there is only so much I can do. Anyway, he currently resides in Italy, how cool is that!? (I'll admit I'm a little jealous, I've always wanted to go) and he'll be there for another year or so...they are the sweetest people, but nothing compares to their adorable dog Troy! Their engagement shoot almost turned into a Troy photo shoot - I had to stop and remember who actually is getting married (smh lol). Well, it was such a pleasure to meet Kyle and Virginia and I wish them all the best in their future together :) I hope to have the pleasure to talk and photograph them again...

* Click on the photo for better quality

 

It's a photographer's world

So I'm just sitting here in my room listening to music, editing pics, and browsing the web...what's new? lol...I'm looking at some of my favorite photographer's blogs - and for all of you who aren't photographers let me just tell you we are in our own little world, we have our "Beyonce's," and "Justin Beiber's" of the photography world. The celebrity photographers. - I'm looking at the blogs reading about their experiences speaking all over the world and it hit me! All of them have some sort of signature. Just like a singer has a signature sound or a top model has his/her signature walk or pose. These photographers have signature....I'll just call them signature ideas. These signature ideas are the ideas they sell to other people. They actually sell these ideas to people, well photographers, because we pay lots of money I'm talking thousands of dollars to hear them speak for just a few hours. Okay so I'll be real for a sec. because I've never actually paid more than $150 loL but seriously people spend hundreds and thousands of dollars for photography motivational speaking. If you got it like that, by all means go'head. This isn't a bash post. I'm not hatin on anyone spending or making money, it was just a thought that part of the celebrities' successes are their signature ideas. Be it the idea to use natural light or the idea to dream and continue to dream or work with film or whatever! What will my signature be?

I recently attended a photography workshop that was great! I loved it! We talked about the technicalities of shooting, amongst other things and I went away thinking okay this is how I need to shoot because this is what I like. I like this photographers style so I need to shoot like this. Well, I just had two shoots in the past week and I was not my regular self because I was thinking all about the technicalities of how I "need to shoot!" I wasn't thinking about MY signature (hadn't thought about it at that point) and it felt like I was trying to fit a circle into a square, just didn't fit and although I came back with nice photos they weren't MY photos.

I expressed that to my boyfriend last night as we were talking - and I love him because he always brings me back to Nina - he said, "Nina you know how to take a picture, you know the technicalities already and you're great at it. What's different about your images is YOU, your creativity. If you want to practice anything practice using your imagination, your point of view. Not another person's." So thinking about that and now thinking about signatures I wonder what my signature will be...I want my signature idea to be to follow your heart. Follow what you feel is right, what fits into your style and personality. It might not be the norm, but so. Television, texting, blogging, rap, heck! even digital photography wasn't the norm at one point.

I know every so often I have these rambling blog posts, but I know I'll just look back at these posts years from now and smile, reading how I had epiphanies throughout my life :) Here is a song, that I LOVE, from the musical Urinetown that I think fits this post perfectly ;-)

The 600 Block After Dark Party

Last month was one of my favorite St.Pete events. The 600 Block After Dark Party! The boutiques are open late, everyone comes out looking fabulous, we have free food and drinks and there is a fashion show in the middle of, what they call, the arcade! Check out the link to the video my favorite videographer Javier Fick shot, below that are some cool photos from the night.

http://vimeo.com/32014958

* Click on the photo for better quality...

Custom Thank You Cards

Yay my very own custom thank you cards! Now when I send clients their images I can thank them on personal stationary. All thanks to the lovely ladies at Beach Papery and Gifts in downtown St.Pete. They were so kind and helpful and I think the cards turned out great! I like them, simple yet meaningful (at least that's how I feel).

I didn't even realize this was on my 101 list that I made up last month until I read it again yesterday and said, "Hey! I can check that off" :D loL This is the first step to many in my new re-branding process and I can't even explain how excited I am! Things are starting off on a really good note! I can't wait to share more with you...

A gift bag and portraits...

New post coming soon!!

The Trunk Stylists Commercial Shoot

A few weeks ago I hung around The Trunk Stylists in downtown St.Pete on the infamous 600 block shooting some stills for their commercial shoot recorded by the fabulous Javier Fick! It was all kinds of fun. They started shooting inside the store for the first scene and then we moved outside onto the rooftop! The view of downtown St.Pete from up there was just beautiful...but I can show you better than I can tell you, so here goes...

Tori's Portrait Session Sarasota Portrait Photographer

Sarasota is so colorful and beautiful, I've always wanted to have a photo shoot in the downtown area, so I was extremely excited to make the 45 minute trip to downtown Sarasota to visit Tori and her friend Ariel to take photos :) We had lots of fun, enjoying good conversation and a LOT of laughing! I'm so happy the weather had cleared up a bit from the down pour earlier in the day.

This is Tori... * Click on the photo for better quality*

And this is her friend Ariel (love that red hair girl!)...