Monday, September 20, 2010

Tonjia and Russell-University of Tampa



"I like flowers, and we both like architecture", Tonjia said when she first contacted me about scheduling a wedding portrait session. I instantly knew that the University of Tampa campus would be the perfect setting for this classically romantic couple.

We met on a warm September evening for a one-hour shoot.

Neither Tonjia or Russell were particularly comfortable having their pictures taken. That is perfectly normal and understandable, so I began by asking them to just take a walk through the park... and pretend I wasn't there.





We found a nice bench in a secluded area of the park where they could sit together and relax. "Do what comes naturally", I told them... and they were happy to oblige...









The metal scultpture in the middle of the park provided another terrific setting...



From there, we moved to the veranda of the Henry B. Plant museum to capture a variety of shots, using the beautiful historic architecture as a backdrop. It's one of my favorite locations in Tampa for both wedding and engagement portraits.







While I don't typically direct my clients through pre-determined poses, I couldn't resist asking Tonjia and Russell to pose in a very specific way for this shot. It's definitely one of my favorites...



These are of course just a small sample of the images I captured for this terrific couple. We had a great time together, and I truly wish them well on their new life together!