trigger happy tara (.com)

2011-04-22T19:36:00.006-04:00

Amber and Ryan
April 1, 2011
One Ocean - Atlantic Beach, FL

Amber is an old friend of mine from high school and we recently reconnected via facebook and met up one night at Starbucks to talk about photographing her wedding. Amber and Ryan are that couple that you just assume have been together for for-ev-ar. :) They are best friends, so fun to be around, their families are real "good people", and they had the most relaxed wedding I've been to in quite awhile. Can't get much more relaxed and cozy than a sunset beach wedding and an outdoor reception with both a taste of tropical and Southern flavor.

Thank you both for letting us be a part of your big day!

eric

2011-03-15T13:55:00.003-04:00

Was going through some old image files and found the shoot I did with the band The Architect Sound a couple of years ago. Ran Eric through for a quick re-edit. We never did anything with the original photo.

the igloo riots.

2011-03-13T23:22:00.000-04:00

"Your mind is working at its best when you're being paranoid.
You explore every avenue and possibility of your situation
at high speed with total clarity." -Banksy

wasps and cow skulls

2011-02-18T19:58:00.001-05:00

in the desert (jacksonville portrait photography.)

2011-01-17T14:18:00.003-05:00

Kendall braved 38 degree weather and lots of wind for this. :)

I was layered up head to toe and she was literally purple all over when we were done.

A fun note about the dress: I found it at Goodwill and they marked it down to $6 because the zipper was broken. I ripped it out and stitched a new one in while we were driving to the location. :)

welcome to the world, laurel (st. augustine newborn photography.)

2010-11-22T13:10:00.003-05:00

My best friend Candi and her husband Bryon had their first baby on Friday! These are Laurie's first professional portraits at 17 hours old. Many more to come over the years, I am sure of it!

Laurel Evonrose
Born November 19
7lbs 12oz
20 inches long

up, up and away (trash the dress, homecoming edition.)

2010-11-01T17:05:00.002-04:00

megan & daniel (st. augustine destination wedding photography.)

2010-10-18T15:04:00.005-04:00

Daniel and Megan came all the way from Birmingham, AL for their wedding here in St. Augustine, FL. Congratulations you guys!

9/19/2010

DJ/band: Charlie Roberts Band
Floral: Flowerworks
Bakery: Defore's Cake Design
Wedding Planner: The Big Event
Special thanks to my second shooter, Heather!

a loft hotels (jacksonville model photography.)

2010-10-16T15:27:00.003-04:00

Much thanks to:
location: aloft Hotels
models: Rodney Sumter
Breanna Danielle
Cynthia Cook
photographer: Kurt Hudson
hair stylist: Margo Nelms

no glass on the beach (kendall.)

2010-10-05T03:55:00.003-04:00

kendall (st. augustine high school portrait photography.)

2010-09-09T19:20:00.003-04:00

Kendall came by for hair and makeup after school and she and I went on a little adventure to try out a couple of places I'd been eyeballing for awhile. The first shot is the only one I really had in mind. The rest just happened.

Thanks Kendall! You rocked it and made it so much more than we planned for!

St. Augustine Beach, FL
MUA/H: trigger happy tara
Wardrobe: model

philip pan (violinist, jacksonville symphony orchestra.)

2010-08-31T21:57:00.002-04:00

tact apparel for la vie est belle e.mag (august 2010.)

2010-08-04T05:24:00.003-04:00

I've recently joined the rockstar team of talented ladies on the staff at La Vie Est Belle E.Mag as a fashion/features photographer.(I hate that word - rockstar - but love the irony and making fun of the industry. Bear with me, it's been a long day.)I shot model Sandy Haltiwanger in Tact Apparelfor Tony Rodrigues, Artist of the Month in the August 2010 issue. The shoot was pretty awesome in sum. Sonia did Sandy's hair and makeup, and we shot inside Tony's house, amongst all his awesome artwork. His house is a pristine achievement past my attempt at decorating. He had an awesome collection of mid-century furniture and art, art, art.

www.lavieestbellemagazine.com
Tact Apparel can be purchased through their web site, www.tactapparel.com, or at Anomaly 5 Points, Jacksonville, and Riverside Arts Market (RAM) on Saturdays.

kurt (day "off" and still shooting.)

2010-08-04T05:10:00.002-04:00

Kurt has this neato thing he built called an eyelight, which scared me to be close to it for fear of electric shock with all these light bulbs wired into it, but we stuck it in a corner and shot a very hot video light at the wall and went to town.

I realize after this that I have a silly thing for antlers on people and I'm thinking about doing a series project of antlers on their owners. Get in touch with me if you own some... maybe we'll make something cool happen with them. :)

staugustine.com's Best Photographer of 2010

2010-07-15T11:58:00.002-04:00

Am I your favoritest photographer in all of St. Augustine, FL? :) Cast a vote for me in the St. Augustine Record's Best Of 2010 contest!

Click here and simply register with your email address (you can opt not to get emails from them and you don't even have to check your email and confirm anything to vote), then type in Trigger Happy Tara or my web site triggerhappytara.com into the "Best Photographer" field. It only takes a few seconds and I appreciate every single vote and bit of support from everyone!

toga party (st. augustine/vilano beach fashion photography.)

2010-07-12T18:09:00.002-04:00

Oh, Beth.

I think we continue to amaze each other each and every time we shoot together. She was heading to a toga party Saturday night, so we met up beforehand to get some shots of her killer costume.

Is that not the hottest toga you've ever seen, ever?!

(On a side note, I shot outside my "comfort zone" all week! Didn't do a single shot with artificial light. It felt funny.)

kendall (vilano beach/st. augustine portrait photography.)

2010-07-12T17:28:00.006-04:00

We started out at an abandoned motel on Vilano Beach...

(She brought a friend along!)

Then we moved outside to dance in the water...

vote for me (la vie est belle e.mag summer contest.)

2010-06-14T17:37:00.002-04:00

La Vie Est Belle E.Mag is holding a summer swimsuit/fashion photo contest. I entered my shots of Emily in a Betsey Johnson suit. I was amazed at how many votes I've gotten in just one day!

To vote, just click the photo below and you'll be taken to the photo on Facebook. You must "like" La Vie Est Belle first, then simply click LIKE under my photo. It's easy and just takes a second! I appreciate all of your support. Spread the word!

featured (la vie est belle e.mag.)

2010-06-13T17:10:00.002-04:00

I was recently featured on La Vie Est Belle E.Mag's blog - two shots from the evening I spent shooting Jacksonville-based models Ceejay Blake and Sarah Papke here in St. Augustine.

Check them out here and here.

emily (2 years ago.)

2010-06-13T04:59:00.003-04:00

Dug out some old files and edited some shots that I originally had discarded out of the batches. Sometimes, if I wait long enough, I can go back and appreciate old work a little more. I like this one because I know exactly what's good and bad about it, and why it came out like it did. This particular shot never made the cut out of my edits from this shoot. I think I probably didn't like it at first because of the shadow across the bottom. It's not necessarily supposed to be there, but it doesn't bother me anymore and almost confirms my dark, strange, never any rules style.

summer shootout sessions for photographers!

2010-06-07T21:19:00.002-04:00

brides to be: save 15% this month!

2010-06-04T13:35:00.000-04:00

sarah & ceejay (jacksonville/st. augustine model photography.)

2010-05-24T19:47:00.001-04:00

mary & ron (jacksonville wedding photography.)

2010-05-20T18:17:00.003-04:00

It was such a pleasure to photograph Mary and Ron's wedding last weekend in Jacksonville. Everything was laid back, casual, and the weather stayed perfect throughout the evening. No worries in sight!

My particularly favorite moments of the evening happened when we were taking family shots in the gardens after the ceremony. Mary asked for some good shots of her parents, then we did some shots with Mary and Ron with her parents. In only ONE shot, her father is looking at the camera. He couldn't take his eyes off Mary's mother the whole night. :)

VENDORS
Catering: Over the Ditch Cafe (Mary's restaurant!)
DJ: Unique DJ Entertainment
Venue: Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens

FAV!!! :)

Mary and Ron, thank you both for letting me document your drop dead wedding! Congratulations, and best wishes to you both. :)

long live love.

2010-05-16T18:25:00.003-04:00

I shot a great wedding last night at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. I know I should be blogging a sneak peek for my bride and groom, Mary and Ron, but I love this shot so much, I had to share. Mary told me it was very important that I get a few good shots of her parents for her. They are wonderful people, and I had quite the conversation with Mary's dad about vintage cameras. :)

Long live love.

crystal (st. augustine underwater photography - with light bulbs! )

2010-04-28T00:48:00.002-04:00

Crystal is one of my former brides -and a repeat offender, she also hired me to shoot a special reunion within her family a couple months ago- and, well, she kicks ass.

We struggled with 35mph gusts of wind and handfuls of light bulbs and it was totally worth it. In my previous post I gave away my secrets on how I got the shots of Courtney in the springs. This one, however, was shot all stills with the camera on a 10-second delay self timer. Same waterproof box procedure as before. I kind of don't want to give away my secret for the light bulbs, but it wasn't quite as chaotic and scary as it might seem. ;)

The last one is probably my favorite from the whole hour we spent in the pool, for the simple fact that it's entirely uncropped and unedited except desaturation. She's just that pretty.

And in case you're wondering:
waterproof eyeliner Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 0L, $17, available here on Sephora.com
waterproof mascara Benefit Bad Gal Waterproof in black, $19, available here on Sephora.com

courtney (Gainesville / High Springs underwater photography.)

2010-04-26T11:33:00.002-04:00

I'm not one to normally give away secrets, but a good handful of photographers have asked me some technical questions about these shots, and it's honestly so simple that I figured I'd settle the record here and spill my technical beans about how I shoot underwater. I'm actually interested to see if anyone else tries this, and what kind of results you get. If you decide to try it, let me know!

Most people assumed I have an underwater housing for my camera. This is true, in a roundabout way. I simply went to Walmart and purchased an $8 dry box from the sporting goods section. It's just a clear blue waterproof plastic box that you would use on board a boat to store your keys, wallet, what have you. From there, it gets even simpler. I have a Canon A1000 point and shoot that takes video as well. I simply hit record on the camera, put it in the box, close the lid, and submerge it and swim. All of these shots are actually screen captures from a 5 minute video of Courtney flailing around underwater, drowning in a 10 foot length of black tulle and massive mounds of seaweed. :) I'm all about cheap fixes and improvising!

The only real drawbacks to this method are the fact that the size and resolution of the screen captures won't allow for good print quality, and of course there's the risk of getting your camera wet when using this setup, but I've found that keeping a small hand towel or washcloth in the box not only lets you cushion the camera against the front of the box for a clearer image, and you have something to wipe your wet hands on before you turn the camera off.

This can be done pretty much anywhere with clear water. I shot these in High Springs, FL, over a natural spring that constantly surges water. (Probably another reason Courtney was having a hard time swimming through, the force of the water pushes against you very hard.)

emily

2010-03-28T17:34:00.002-04:00

Last week I got to spend an afternoon shooting at my friend Jen's property way out in Melrose, FL. I took my good friend Emily and some random outfits from her closet and we made it all up as we went along.

Except for the spaghetti... that one was planned. :)

bowling night (it's not what you think.)

2010-03-13T12:58:00.002-05:00

I recently helped plan a fun night out bowling for local photographers, models, and stylists at Beach Bowl in Jax Beach. The bowling alley was jam packed Thursday night for cosmic bowling, so we wound up not staying for too long and decided to hit the studio for some impromptu shooting. Facebook Fans have already seen some of them, but I had to save the "better" stuff for the blog. :)

Much thanks to Adam for studio use!

call to duty (jacksonville studio photography.)

2010-03-12T17:43:00.002-05:00

Ditched the bowling alley last night around midnight and headed to Chad Martel's studio with my friend Beth and fellow photog Adam. We goofed off for the better part of two hours with some Busch and some other random stuff in the studio. Enjoy. :)

flickr groups (offbeat engagement..)

2010-02-25T20:31:00.002-05:00

Some beautiful shots from the Offbeat Engagement group.

"Salvation" by Mukhina Ekaterina

by Gritz Photography

by Soda Fountain Photography Company

"Dyan & Byrne" by Bonnie Tsang Photography

"E&J151" by redbarrettes

by Marianne mnoo

"Michelle & Mike" by rootography

"Keri & Derek" by Landersgreen photography

flickr groups (offbeat maternity.)

2010-02-25T20:08:00.002-05:00

Sometime last year, I started three different Flickr groups, or public photo collections. Flickr users can join and add a limited number of photos to the pool each day, within group guidelines.

I was browsing through my Offbeat Maternity group today and found these amazing images I'd like to share:

"Butterflies" by Sabina R.

"I done told ya!" by The Image Foundry

"Bellies" by Katsoulis

"Maternity portrait - creative" by Ottawa Wedding Photographer m-photography.ca

"Heather Maternity 002" by stacey.lynn

"hug" by pughville111

"I will still be the baby, right?" by Emily GP

junkyard pinup shootout

2010-02-18T14:53:00.003-05:00

I left my camera at home this week and trekked up to the westside of Jacksonville to model at Faythe's Fashion Shootout. The theme was "junkyard pinups" and we had a whole junkyard to play in! I had a great time getting to know new faces, as well as sharing good times with old friends.

Huge thanks to Faythe Mesic and the League of Professional Stylists, as well as all photographers in attendance. I absolutely love seeing everyone's different takes on the theme! You all did a fantastic job. :)

Credits:
MUA: Erin Foster / MAC Cosmetics
HAIR: Sonia Garza
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Gwen Tundermann, Sarah Dial, Brandi Tolliver, Mary Carver, David Stevens, LeeAnn Townsend, Al Norman, Ginger Dupre, Jamie Halstead.

What's the biggest bit of info I collected from the experience? I need to invest in a 50mm. :p You guys rocked this shoot!

Stay tuned... I'm planning an upcoming fun night out for area photographers and models! More details as we plan it!

q and a (music.)

2010-01-26T21:12:00.001-05:00

I haven't quite jumped on this formspring bandwagon yet, but I've gotten this question quite a bit lately so I figured I'd settle the score.

q: What are the artists and songs that play on your web site?

a: In no particular order (because it's set to play at random):
Puscifer "The Mission"
Morcheeba "Trigger Hippie"
Nine Inch Nails "Where Is Everybody?"
Nine Inch Nails "The Mark Has Been Made"

OK, so all that good stuff and why no Tool if I'm the biggest Maynard fan in the world? Well, most of my favorite Tool songs are around 8 minutes long or longer, and that's no fun to wait for to load. Plus, if you spend more than 8 minutes on my web site, you'll probably go blind anyway. :p

(Credits were on my site, but when I reworked the looks of everything about a month ago everything disappeared. I'll address that shortly.)

ashley, school four (jacksonville model photography.)

2010-01-26T20:03:00.003-05:00

the places we go...

2010-01-26T00:38:00.004-05:00

Since I was little, I have been fascinated by places I am not supposed to go. I chalk this up to not being allowed to really go too many places, and never, ever being allowed to play in the FRONT yard. (Only the back, and if we rode our bikes around the house, we had to keep riding and not stop in front or someone might snatch us up!) :) My brother and I would sneak off into the woods and build forts or go fishing down at Pottsburg Creek while the adults were preoccupied, and once we got older we got a little more adventurous. We actually ventured a whole two blocks away one time (!) and found the most magical place we never knew existed... what was known since as the "Chinese Haunted Mansion".

This place was a real treat for any kid with a sense of adventure or that liked to get the crap scared out of them. It was a huge abandoned home, and the story was that a rich old doctor and his wife had lived there. I'd believe it. By the time we found it, it had been sitting behind vine-covered wrought iron gates and hidden from the world for years. The swimming pool was full of sludge. The bird baths were dried up and covered in weeds, and the interior of the house, or what we actually saw of it, was covered in dust, but almost otherwise untouched. It was a three-story house and we found a broken window on the second floor and climbed in one afternoon. We explored the whole floor, but couldn't access the upstairs or downstairs with no flashlight. We vowed this would be our secret hangout spot, the place we'd take off to if anyone was mad at us and we had to hide. We would "move in" and this would be our "fort" from then on. We made it back there once more to explore and my brother said something or someone touched his leg when he entered the basement. We sprinted the two blocks back home and never looked back. A few years later I was taking photography classes in high school and one of our black and white assignments was architecture. I went by after school one day to do my "homework", and there was no more Chinese Haunted Mansion. They tore it down, and there are now three big brick homes where this giant place of lore once stood.

I was bummed!!!

Many years have passed and I still can't stay out of places I'm not supposed to go in. Everyone in Jacksonville has heard of this place, and anybody with a set of balls about them has probably been inside with a daring group of friends. But, I've never seen anyone seriously shoot anything here. The property has been bought and sold numerous times over the years since Annie Lytle Elementary, aka "School Four", stopped functioning as a public school and started serving as a hotel for bums and a canvas for graffiti artists. Threats of demolishing the structure have been heard time and time again, and we were convinced it was going to be torn down during construction on I95 and I10, but alas, it still stands... as my perfect playground. Here's to hoping it stays around to amuse me a little longer.

A sneak peek... more soon.

give it up for... haiti!

2010-01-19T18:22:00.003-05:00

Seriously!

I'm teaming up with photog Ezra Marcos, Burro Bags, and Anomaly THIS SUNDAY in 5 Points to raise money for relief in Haiti!

Here's the deal:
This Sunday the 24th, from 10am until it gets dark, we'll be shooting FREE 15-minute sessions in front of Anomaly (1021 Park Street in 5 Points). All you have to do is show up and write a check for ANY amount to the Yele Foundation or UNICEF. We'll have stamped envelopes ready for you, all you have to do is write the check and drop it in the mailbox. We are using the "honor system" here, so you'll be responsible for mailing your check in the provided envelopes. During that time we'll get your contact info so we can send you your images. That's it!!

We are kid and pet friendly, and no appointment is necessary, just show up and get shot!

(Of course if you would like to book a specific time slot, you can email me.)

PLEASE feel free to repost this on your blog, twitter, facebook, send mass emails, whatever to spread the word! SEE YOU SUNDAY!

band room jam sessions

2010-01-17T22:44:00.002-05:00

What does Tara do in offtime...?

We've been doing a lot of this lately with many friends. Hoping something interesting spawns from it.

No, we aren't Jackson fans or anything....

(ps I am certainly interested in trading a shoot for a keyboard of some sort... anyone?)

a haunting wedding, high in the sky

2010-01-11T13:09:00.003-05:00

My mom complained that I hadn't blogged in a month now (she must be bored and running out of things to look at on the internet) so *poof* here's a blog! :)

I'm getting some awesome wedding inquiries for some really nontraditional themes and locations around Florida. Mom and I took a little afternoon trip a couple of months ago to a location I'll be shooting a wedding at in the fall. We're from northeast FL and had never been here for whatever reason.

A few weeks before we went, I hung out with Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango from Syfy's Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters Academy when they were in town filming an episode of Ghost Hunters Academy at one of their favorite locations they've investigated multiple times: The St. Augustine Lighthouse. My couple has asked for "creepy" and "dramatic" portraits here. Right up my alley. It certainly has both the creepy and dramatic factors going for it. It's beautiful, and I'm really excited that my couple chose this location!

Here's a few shots from my location scouting venture.

dolls (fashion shootout.)

2009-12-03T22:06:00.002-05:00

Special thanks to makeup artist Faythe Mesic for organizing an awesome shootout for photographers, models, and makeup artists to work together! I had a blast shooting alongside some of the most talented and creative photographers in Jacksonville, and of course some awesome makeup artists! :) December's theme was "Dolls in Toyland", and we shot at the Sea Walk Hotel in Jacksonville Beach.

Credits
MUA/H: Faythe Mesic and the league of professional stylists
Wardrobe: Three Muses by Candy Keane
Location: Seawalk Hotel, Jax Beach

And.... thanks to whoever walked in front of my strobe in this shot... it came out hella cool! ;)

dolls in toyland (yet another sneak peek.)

2009-12-01T22:31:00.001-05:00

crystal & rob (part 2)

2009-11-30T01:21:00.002-05:00

the thanksgiving crazybooth

2009-11-29T14:49:00.003-05:00

Holidays with my family usually aren't what most people experience with their families. We deep fry our turkey redneck-style, we don't dress up, we hang out in the backyard with beers and the all the family's dogs (we do include them in almost everything), and we sit around in the living room with big Chinette paper plates on our laps instead of around a big table with fancy china and big heavy forks.

This year, I opted to bring the trigger happy crazybooth along and see what happened. :)

World, meet my family.

Here's mom, my brother Jonathan, sister in law Courtney, uncle Walter, my grandma, me, and my husband Dani.

Hope everyone had a safe and fun Thanksgiving! :)

Woodhand and Junior Boys for Movement Magazine (florida live concert photography.)

2009-11-29T14:26:00.003-05:00

Recently shot Woodhand and Junior Boys for Movement Magazine at the St. Augustine Beach venue Cafe Eleven.

Here are some of the featured shots. You can check out the show review on the Movement blog.

more awesome things to do with your wedding photographs

2009-11-22T10:00:00.002-05:00

I can't be any more delighted than when I get to shoot with other creative minds... aka people who "get it". :) My recent bride, Crystal, went all out with her photos after they were completed, opting to scrapbook with the files and create some artsy pieces for her and her husband Rob's home, instead of the traditional album.

Crystal recently posted some awesome pictures of what she's been up to with her wedding photos and I just had to share! I love these!

I believe she said this one is Rob's favorite. This is one of earlier shots from the day we spent together and Crystal said they had to pull out the boxes of tissues to keep looking through the CD of photos!

And this.... just WOW!

It's so great to see what people do with their photos after all the wedding commotion dies down and they really have time to take it all in. I love seeing the couple's own perspective on creativity and how they finally choose to display my work in their homes. Amazing!

I'm not greedy with my files. I believe that since I drag my clients almost to hell and back sometimes for their weddings and sessions just to get the most killer shots, I owe you a little something back for being a good sport, right?! They're your photos and you deserve to love the heck out of 'em! That's why all my wedding arsenals include a CD of photos PLUS printing rights, so the options really are endless. Of course you can always order the big stuff (canvases, albums, etc.) from me, however I understand that most of my kickass clients don't come from the traditional skool and want something a little more. You want it, you got it! Cut, crop, glue, layer, and design to your little heart's content.

You can email me for your copy of my 2009/2010 Arsenal Guide. Dates are booking up for next year, so be sure to get with me soon!

daniel & megan: sneak peek (st. augustine engagement / wedding photography.)

2009-11-18T13:34:00.003-05:00

I met up with these two in downtown St. Augustine Monday afternoon. They came alllll the way from Birmingham, AL to finalize their wedding plans for next September and have me shoot their engagement session.

Um, can we say photogenic?!?!

More to come!

nick & jenny part 2 (st. augustine engagement photography.)

2009-11-18T13:31:00.002-05:00

A few more from Nick & Jenny's engagement session.

(ps. I did hair and makeup for this part.)

nick & jenny (st. augustine / palatka / jacksonville engagement photography.)

2009-11-17T22:27:00.002-05:00

We split their session up into two different days and two different feels. More to come!

lauren gherardi (photographer shooting photographer.)

2009-10-28T13:39:00.002-04:00

I have soooo much blogging to catch up on very soon!

Lauren is a stylish and talented fashion/portrait photographer in Jacksonville. I modeled for her and Michelle of Oeil over the summer so she returned the favor for me on a whim the other night and jumped in front of my lens. My original plan was to shoot on an old piano that had been dumped in the woods near my house, that I found probably a year ago. Flying by the seat of my pants in true Tara fashion, we headed down there to find that I should have checked it out ahead of time, because it had rotted and decayed so much that it had completely fallen to the ground and was covered in vines, weeds, and brush. Entirely unusable for what I had in mind. So we went a little further down the dirt road to try for the boat that I shot Emily on last year. Lo and behold, the fiberglass hull had been completely busted up by someone and thrown into the bushes. So we wound up wingin' it in the grass, then hit up the back of a shopping center on the way home.

You can check out Lauren's photography work, here. :) Thanks Lauren!

window seat

2009-10-22T13:25:00.002-04:00

Some shots from my p&s.

Jacksonville... JEA Power Plant on the northside.

Jax Beach:

Outer Space:

Atlantic Ocean:

Fort Lauderdale, FL:

Fast:

Emma is here!

2009-10-21T12:51:00.002-04:00

THIS:

TURNED INTO THIS!!!!:

Congrats, Aliye and Scott!

crystal & rob tied the knot! sneak peek! (st. augustine wedding photography.)

2009-10-19T20:31:00.003-04:00

A handful of sneak peeks from Crystal and Rob's St. Augustine wedding shoot last night! These guys were so laid back and easy to photograph, all of their photos speak volumes about the two of them! Can't wait to get through the rest. Special thanks to my lighting assistant, Heather! :)

Congratulations Crystal and Rob!!!

Thanks for kicking so much ass you guys! Can't wait to post more for you! :)

lots of new stuff coming soon!

2009-10-07T13:08:00.004-04:00

I'm pretty stoked about some upcoming events I'll be announcing soon, so I thought I'd share a few little hints!

- I'll soon be introducing a wedding referral program. More details soon, but the basic gist is, if you've booked a wedding and refer one other kickass couple that books their wedding with us, you'll get a 16x20 canvas wall portrait of your favorite shot from your wedding, for FREE!

- I'm now exclusively offering the Finao ONE album with all wedding arsenals that include a bride & groom album. Did away with the boring stuff, now everything is completely customizable for the same price!

- New business cards are in the design phase. I'll announce the winner of the Sephora discount voucher very soon!

- Trade in your junk for discounted or even free sessions! Big post coming soon with more details about this. We all love money but sometimes it's not the best. I'm in need of a LOT of stuff for photo shoots so I'm compiling a wish list of items I'd love to have on hand. I'll be posting the wish list soon, and if you have something on hand that's on the list, we can negotiate your session fee!! This is one of the best opportunities of the year for discounted portrait shoots, and I'll likely only be running this special for about 2 weeks.

- Last but not least, I've been dying to really delve into this and make an official announcement but I'm not quite ready yet. Still waiting on a few key pieces of equipment to really get it all up to the caliber I want it to be at before officially introducing this as part of my business. But here are two words that should give you a hint:

silent films.

mobile email down

2009-10-05T10:34:00.002-04:00

Just a quick note to let you all know my mobile email is temporarily down. Something on T-Mobile's end. I'll try to check email from the computer at least twice a day, but response times won't be quite as timely! :)

an occasional design (web site launch & giveaways!)

2009-10-04T13:53:00.002-04:00

My friend Amanda from An Occasional Design is launching her brand new web site this week. As part of the celebration she's giving away a toooon of awesome products to her blog readers.

Head over to the blog daily and leave a comment for your chance at one of the prizes. The daily drawings will be chosen at random. Good luck!

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**Reminder that my business card photo contest ends tomorrow at noon! If you haven't gotten your vote in, do so now for your chance at a Sephora Employee Discount voucher, good for 20% off anything from Sephora, or at Sephora.com!

contest revision (please read, contest closes Monday @ noon!)

2009-10-03T12:38:00.002-04:00

I've been getting lots of replies for the contest! Please please please make sure you comment here on the blog on which photo is your pick. I've been getting many @ replies via twitter and facebook, and several direct messages and emails. Too many places to keep track of entries. Please, since this is a blog contest, comment on the blog so I'm sure to consider your entry!

Contest closes this Monday at 12 noon. Good luck!

help me pick a photo for my businsess cards & win a Sephora discount!

2009-10-02T12:12:00.003-04:00

Here's this weekend's small contest! If you have a minute - well maybe like an hour because there's a looot to go through - click through this blog and find your FAVORITE image in the whole entire blog! Leave a comment and tell me why you love it the best. I'm designing brand new business cards and will place the order next week. If I choose your favorite photo for my new cards, a Sephora Friends & Family Certificate is yours! That means you get my 20% discount on anything in the store from 10/19 through 11/2!

So, what's it gonna be?!

Jax Shoot Club (september shootout.)

2009-10-01T01:04:00.002-04:00

A huge thank you to everyone involved in putting together last night's shootout! The location was cool, the models were perfect, and from what I've seen so far, everyone was able to get some great images.

Quite a few familiar faces were present - 80 photographers in total - and Jess Cumbie and I got to collab again in a roundabout, semi-unfortunate kinda way! As she was snapping her first test shots, the mirror mechanism inside the body of her 5D fell apart. Fortunately she's able to get it repaired for only $30, but she was cameraless the rest of the evening except shooting a little bit with her medium format camera. The rest of the night she pretty much helped me light, which was a huge help for a lot of my shots! :)

I spent all day developing new processes in LightRoom from these photos so some of them have a new look and feel.

Thank you to the models for being so patient with all of us. I'll give credit where credit is due just as soon as I find out all your names!

We even had a canine model present! I was very excited over the fact that this dog was so well-behaved because my mom's Boston terrier is the spawn of satan. ;)

I brought my Mamiya out for the shoot! At the time these shots were taken of Lauren holding the camera, I had a roll of black and white in it. :) Still have to finish off the roll, so it will be a little bit, but I can't wait to see what (if anything) comes out of it...

A new "tin-type" process I recently developed:

Yes, I'm super-indecisive:

Jess and I really got to play with lighting at the fire station:

I also made a deal with myself NOT to use any textures on anything this time. Not washing my hands clean of them forever, but cleaning up for a little (maybe temporary) change...

antlers

2009-09-24T23:38:00.002-04:00

My answer to the overdone model with antlers photos I see everywhere.

Quick little rundown of this photo:
The skull / antlers are from a certain type of deer found only in Europe (I can't remember the name).
The light behind the skull was achieved by holding a small video light behind it, aimed toward the camera.
Rear fill light is from a strobe triggered by Pocket Wizards, in a beauty dish, up against the wall.

Happy Halloween? :)

Aliye's expecting! (st. augustine beach maternity photography)

2009-09-23T14:21:00.002-04:00

Aliye called me a few weeks ago to talk about a maternity shoot she wanted to do to surprise her husband, who is away in the Navy, when he comes back for the baby to be born! Aliye's expecting a little girl in October, and her husband has no idea we did these while he's been away! I love being in on little surprises like that. :)

When Aliye called me she said she'd been scouring the internet for "unique" photographers in the area and I believe she stated specifically, "I don't want those boring shots of mom just smiling and holding her belly, everyone does that!" She had been looking at my web site, then called her friend Natasha to find out who had done her bridal photos. It didn't click at first, of course, since I shot Natasha and Chris' bridals when I was still shooting under Breaking Tradition Studios, but she was ecstatic to find out I was the same photographer she'd been eyeing all along. :)

Aliye's husband is an avid surfer so she wanted something beachy, but without all the cheese that normally comes along with oceanside portrait shoots. With Natasha's assistance in aiming the flowy fabric into the wind, we went for some neotraditional posing in a pretty traditional place. The result? Another gorgeous maternity dreamscape, as I like to call them... blissful mommyhood. :) Mission:Accomplished.

Helloooooo 16x20 canvas for the baby's room!!!

Aliye, I wish you and Scott the best with your new family! I'm so lucky to have been the one to document this moment in your life! :) Thank you!

the bird project (sneak peek.)

2009-09-23T01:35:00.001-04:00

More to come. :)

aliye's sneak peek (st. augustine maternity photography)

2009-09-19T01:28:00.002-04:00

More soon!

new stuff coming soon (and right now: a sale on art!)

2009-09-14T16:17:00.005-04:00

I have a few things coming up that should be pretty exciting. A friend of a friend found my web site by accident (more on that with her blog post) and I'll be shooting another water-themed maternity session this week.

Another Jax Shoot Club shootout coming soon...

And a really cool wedding at Cumberland Island in October.

I also put almost all my current artwork in the online store on sale to make room for a new project I'll be working on through October involving this fun piece I made today:

featured on rocknrollbride.com (jacksonville bridal photography.)

2009-09-09T17:09:00.002-04:00

Yay! Featured yet again on rocknrollbride.com, this time it's my shots from the last Jax Shoot Club shootout!

Click to go see:

The Business of Being You

2009-09-09T12:20:00.008-04:00

Before jumping back into portraits and weddings a few years ago, I was doing mostly editorial work and occasionally portraits on a freelance basis. I feel that since I lived all over the place until 2004 and traveled all over the place until 2006, I am still a "newb" in the area. I'm still meeting people, still building my business, still feeling out the local pool of wedding and portrait photographers. When I launched my blog, I slowly started gaining more and more followers, as well as on Facebook and Myspace. The kind of odd thing about this is, probably at least half of those are photographers themselves.

Why do we check out other photographers' work? We all have our reasons. I do subscribe to quite a handful of photographer's blogs, most of which are in different areas of the country, because I have been all over the place and have seen trends make it in some places, and never hit others. It fascinates me to see what's popular right now in, say, Atlanta versus Vegas, amongst established photographers. Or simply, who's the awesomest in whatever city in the US and why.

There are many other reasons for which I'm sure photographers subscribe to other photographers' blogs, such as for inspiration (I subscribe to fashion blogs for this), or maybe even just because they are nosy people, or so insecure about their talents or their business, that they seek cues from the rest and always want to be better than everyone else, or one step ahead, more often than not making a crappy attempt at doing so. It's also too easy to check up on everyone else because of constant Twitter and FB updates. However, through the many days and nights I've sat staring blankly at the computer screen looking at other people's pictures, I've noticed something else.

I like to the think of the vast majority of working photographers in two different tiers. There's the top tier, the ones that demand a minimum of 5 grand to just show up at your wedding with a camera, those that constantly use the same tried and true technique and style for which they have a following, or those that just "do" for the sake of shooting something awesome. The second tier consists of the group of photographers that may have bought a nice camera when their baby was born and said, "Oh hey, this is kinda fun", those that are eager seekers and learners (that will eventually be part of that elite top tier group because they hold so much potential talent and eagerness), and, sadly, those that are just plain satisfied being who they are as long as they are at least making an attempt to keep up with that top tier level, trying to reproduce everything they see and never finding much of their own style or even trying to hone and perfect those techniques they "copy". Typically these types will eventually "make it" within their local market and book plenty of work, but, alas, it is what it is, and to the untrained consumer eye, it looks like a super deal because this person that has such cheap wedding packages is really just going out and being very unoriginal and getting paid a so-so amount to do it. And they're typically ok with that as long as they are perceived as the "nice" photographer, everyone's friend.

"Copycat" is a heavy word amongst us. One thing for sure is true among us all: Having one of our photographs stolen and used elsewhere with someone else claiming credit for it makes us sad. Mad. Confused. Makes us want to get revenge. (If you've never had a photo of yours stolen, lucky you, and if you have and have never felt any of that, there's something wrong with you.) But how does it make you feel when you see that another photographer has just flat out copied you?

For the most part, my web site hasn't changed much since I got it up and running back in spring. I think the building and branding process is so much fun - mostly because any kind of creative process is fun for me, whether it be shooting, writing, designing album layouts, etc. When writing the text for my web site, specifically the page that describes my typical portrait shoots, I mentioned that my shoots are done (done meaning shot and post-processed) in a way that is pretty well unmatched in the immediate geographical area. And since I do not have a studio and shoot entirely on-location, I made mention of this as well, and the fact that shooting off the beaten path at locations far from typical, or re-thinking and re-using a typical location, is one of the main threads of my "style", and something that sets me apart for those seeking something very different.

But what's "very different" anymore? And what's the whole point of this blog post anyway?! My blog headline, as well as my site pre-loader, is my logo with the catch phrase, "Ridiculously creative photographer of weddings, portraits, and music culture". I make no small claim there, but I'll be damned if I don't make that claim unfairly.

With the advent of the digital SLR camera, everyone became a "photographer". This posed a struggle for some of us, making the switch from film being one obstacle/learning process, and completely opening up the field of competition to anyone and everyone with a camera. Those hardy enough to withstand that still be able to run a successful business nowadays - and don't even get me started on the status and effects of the economy on our field - I believe are making it on a combination of talent AND smarts. Talented, smart people produce one of a kind, truly unique images. Talentless copycats just try everything that everyone else tries, and... ohh... imagine this... bank off what they observe the rest of us doing. All the while making the general population of wedding and portrait photographers look bad... so thanks for that, too. ;)

I have several friends within the industry, many of them local, and have several successful working relationships with other photographers in the area. Though I still feel like I'm getting to know who's who, I pretty much know who I can trust to refer a job to should I already be booked, and who to avoid even though they may have offered. That said, I don't trust easily, and I am choosy about my friends, probably because I've personally dealt with a psycho that was using me to make herself look better. Back to the many months ago that I launched my blog and started gaining followers. A few of my local photographer friends began to point out a few things that I didn't immediately take particular notice to. Sure, I've peeked at a couple of blogs before and kinda went, "Hmm that looks similar to a shot I've done, but good job, well executed." Then I've been pointed to some blogs, one in particular that has a bad habit of magically popping up with a new post every few weeks that was shot exactly where I'd been, and blogged, a week or so prior. I'll admit my jaw has literally dropped as I scrolled down the page, my husband peeping over my shoulder and muttering spiteful obscenities because he can see that his wife's work was just blatantly copied, and in a truly terrible way, from blown out strobist attempts with bad exposures, right down to the same pose in the same location. It's a confusing feeling, and you don't know whether to laugh, feel flattered, or be pissed off. Probably most irritating for me is the blatant "following" of my locations. For specific example, I'll just mention the fountain at Vilano Beach, and of course the infamous abandoned planeyard (though I still haven't seen anyone else shoot there to the extent I did, going inside and on top of the planes, and the specific copycat I mention didn't even go in there and shot outside the barbed wire fence).

I don't believe in pointing fingers and naming names, simply because I don't feel the need to draw any negative attention to myself. I love what I do, I love what my business and my style is all about, and I know that my clients come to me because I am not that photographer, I'm that artist that grasps the concept of joining creativity, skill, and smarts together to make something badass. I consider myself to have a fun, laid-back, yet spontaneous personality, and a great friend to those that are deserving. That said, I do hate my toes being stepped on, and I am quite the assertive person. I don't believe in being a bitch, but I will speak my mind. Rather than confronting this person one-on-one, I've decided to go the passive-agressive route and hope that by pleading my case here, she gets the point and lays off. It's not that I feel she's a threat to me or my business, it's more a challenge for her (and maybe other photographers that may be reading this) to expand your creativity and really push to find your own style. I feel that when that happens, you fall into a completely different place in this industry, that top tier of happy photographers that know they're making it because they're just that damn good and know it.

I do believe in tact and manners, so instead of saying "Everybody check out this link to this blog and tell me it doesn't look like a cheap, high-ISO crappy grainy ripoff of one of my shoots", I'll try to put it a little nicer. I personally urge other photographers out there that just haven't found that niche yet, to get out there and shoot more. Practice more. Pick something and stick to it. Hone it, sharpen it, make it yours. Not only will your business reap more benefits from it (those 5 grand minimum wedding photographers charge that for a reason: they've harnessed and branded a particular style all their own), the rest of us will breathe a little easier knowing we aren't being cheated, ripped off, sold short, and undermined.

And lastly my gentle readers, have a fabulous, blessed day. :)

Jax Shoot Club (first shootout engagement & bridal portraits.)

2009-09-06T22:21:00.003-04:00

Last month, Melanie and Brad from La Dolce Vita Studio and Kara and Jeremy from Kara Pennington Photography teamed up to organize the first ever Jax Shoot Club shootout in downtown Jacksonville. Probably close to 40 area photographers (and some from as far as Orlando and Valdosta) came to shoot together, share tips and ideas, and get to know those that we've "known" forever online, but had not met in person. :) A great time was had by all, and I'm sure I'm not the only one that can't wait for this month's shootout!

The Jax Shoot Club Blog will be live very soon, and will showcase the best shots from attending photographers.

Major thanks go out to pro makeup artist Faythe Mesic for providing the killer hair and makeup for our models!
The bridal bouquets were provided by Anything With Plants and Flowers, and Lauren's (solo bride) gown was provided by Solutions Bridal of Gainesville. Her dress was by designer Alvina Valenta (style #9700) and her veil was by Lori London (style #VM95).

Julianne and Greg, our awesome engagement couple. Mel took our group on a little walk off the beaten path and away from the other groups so we could shoot them under the Main Street Bridge overpass.

For this shot, I had my 580EXII triggered by Pocket Wizards resting on top of an electrical box under the overpass. Mel stepped in for a shot and her head was blocking my flash, but I rather like the shadow dropoff effect on their legs. Breaks it up a bit. :)

Sasssssy Julianne!

Kelly and Chris, our bride and groom.
Helloooooo romance. :) <3

(Bet some of you don't even remember what the skyline looked like BEFORE that bridge!)

And Lauren, our solo bride. She was so full of personality, so naturally I have many more shots of her.

This was a full length shot, but I liked the details of the cropped version better.

The hand-colored vintage look.

And it wouldn't be trigger happy without at least one really unnatural dark crazy weirdly photoshopped shot. ;D

Jax Shoot Club (behind the scenes.)

2009-09-06T20:26:00.003-04:00

Some behind the scenes shots from the Jax Shoot Club's first group shootout in downtown Jacksonville.

I love it when I catch other people's flashes on my exposure: ;)

Melanie, dress-fixer extraordinaire:

Shain snapping a shot of Ginger and Lyndsay.

Rock n Roll Bride.com Approved Rockstar Vendors

2009-09-05T15:25:00.001-04:00

Rockstar Vendors
Originally uploaded by RocknRollBride

Kat from over at my faaaav wedd photo blog, RocknRollBride.com, made this for her favorite wedding vendors!

I'm thinking about re-arranging the site a little soon, so I'm sure to make use of it somewhere. :)

Thanks Kat!

Underwater (hotel pool.)

2009-09-04T02:11:00.001-04:00

Fun with my P&S and a plastic waterproof box I bought at Walmart for $8.

Announcing Fall Boudoir Marathon Special (for a cause!!!!)

2009-09-02T13:06:00.002-04:00

My Faceboook Fans may remember an update a couple of days ago, where I said, "If you've been procrastinating about doing a boudoir shoot, October is your month!"

And indeed it is! We're having a "save the boobies" Fall Boudoir Marathon, and you are invited!

Images For A Cure is a non-profit organization made up of a national network of photographers that have joined together to donate one day's worth of session fees to breast cancer research. It is a truly unique way to give back, and I am thrilled and honored to be a participating photographer!

I was recently featured on the blog, which you can check out here.

Aside from photographing you in flattering poses for your body type, I do completely edit and "airbrush" your photos as part of the boudoir shoot service. So there's not a thing to worry about!

"Little Black Book" boudoir albums are also 20% off if you order within one week of your session! Think ahead to the holidays as these are a popular gift for your man!

Sessions are extremely limited, so email me now to book: taraphoto@gmail.com I'm super excited about this event and hope you are too!

Jax Shoot Club's first shootout (sneak peek.)

2009-08-27T21:29:00.002-04:00

My Clearwire modem bit the dust early this week and I won't be getting a new one in the mail until next week, so here's a sneak peek from the very first Jax Shoot Club's shootout Tuesday night.

There were probably close to 40 photographers in attendance and it was great to meet new people and see familiar faces again!

Special thanks to La Dolce Vita Studio and Kara Pennington Photography for organizing the shoot!

The Verge of New Life - Full Post (st. augustine maternity photography.)

2009-08-04T14:06:00.003-04:00

I don't have too many more words to say about this session. I'm continually amazed and thankful for such dedication to life, art, creativity and and the will to never let anything stop you. Thank you Beth, you are more awesome than words can describe!

I'll allow the rest to speak for itself.

(the rubber boots came in handy.)

(told you she climbed a tree.) ;)

The Verge of New Life (st. augustine maternity photography)

2009-08-02T20:31:00.002-04:00

But a sneak peek at Beth's final maternity session.

We intended to shoot this a couple of weeks ago, but Beth wasn't feeling well as she was rapidly approaching Dallas' due date.

A McDonald's sweet tea gave her just enough pep in her step yesterday to get it done, and I think I love these even more than her 6 mos session back in May. To say this woman is A-FREAKIN-MAZING is a complete understatement. Complaining of being sore and due literally any minute now, she did some things that no other pregnant woman I've ever known would do. She walked over oyster beds to get out in the water, swam with a manatee, and climbed a tree.

More soon. For now, take a deep breath and appreciate life.

:)

New Travel Dates (ft. lauderdale & las vegas)

2009-08-01T11:52:00.001-04:00

New travel dates! I'll be in Fort Lauderdale from October 19th to the 23rd, and Las Vegas the weekend of Halloween (still haven't determined my flight yet, but it will be that weekend).

Interested in shooting and in one of those areas? Email me: taraphoto@gmail.com

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What never fails to make me smile

2009-07-29T01:58:00.004-04:00

45 pounds of nothin' but silly.

Scenarios as such are so typical around here that they happen at least 3 times a day.

:)

Yes, the white spots at the top of this photo are indeed Piggy spit.

I swapped places (sneak peek.)

2009-07-23T15:23:00.002-04:00

I got back into my wedding dress for the umpteenth time since my wedding a year and 3 months ago, and swapped places with the camera for Michelle of Oeil Photography and Lauren Gherardi.

Here's a sneak peek from Lauren's set... I can't wait to see the rest of hers, and Michelle's shots!

Michelle found an awesome location in Jacksonville and rounded up three models for the shoot, including me. The whole thing involved days of stitching (I made 3 or 4 different necklaces before deciding on the lace collar), and a whooooole bunch of what we call OPH for short, aka "other people's hair". :)

Will post the rest as soon as I have them!

July Art Walk: Christina Wagner, Amy Hendrickson @ The Florida Theatre (live concert photography.)

2009-07-14T17:52:00.003-04:00

Running a little behind in posting stuff this month. I swung by the Florida Theatre during Art Walk earlier this month for the free concerts and found local fav Christina Wagner, as well as Amy Hendrickson from St. Augustine.

I hadn't been inside the theatre since I was in 2nd grade I do believe, and I remember going there for a Spanish class field trip, to see Flamenco dancers. I had a little pink 110 film camera and the ushers took it away from me during the performance! My teacher had to go beg for it back before we left. :)

Nothing seemed to have changed, and I got a nice little tour of the backstage area and the wings before the performances started. The place truly is a gem.

The lighting onstage was to die for!

And a little bit of random... I95 from the Cummer Museum at midnight.

Dallas is almost here!

2009-07-13T23:17:00.003-04:00

A group of Beth's close friends and family got together Sunday afternoon for a fun baby shower for Beth and baby Dallas! I shot some maternity photos of her back in May and we'll be finishing up this Thursday with her last session before Dallas is born. Then tiny little newborn photos!

We're all so excited for Beth, and certainly can't wait to meet little Dallas.

The shower was so much fun. Instead of traditional shower games, we did some things that reflect Beth's passion for art, life, and little ones.

Beth and her mom and grandma did a great job decorating.

Beth and some of her family are vegan, so the party was full of healthy alternative snacks like fruit platters and "un-chicken" salad, which was fantastic. :) Her sister, Lauren, made THE tastiest vegan lemon cake ever!

We all took turns "tattooing" Beth's belly with finger paints. Everyone got to add whatever they wished. Beth's mom went first. (I can't get over how much they look alike!)

I've deducted that probably none of us should attempt to become tattoo artists. ;)

Beth decided not to find out the sex of the baby ahead of time, but everyone seems to think she's going to have a girl.

Everyone brought such thoughtful gifts! She got some very practical things and some very personal gifts as well.

I spent about 3 days making this quilt. It's got a leopard print top, purple flannel on the inside, and is decorated with a huge "d" made of black yo-yos. :) Beth is a great seamstress and gave me two beautiful pillows for my living room last week. I was so nervous about how this would turn out, because she's so much better than I!

Beth also got back the receiving blankets that her grandma originally made for Beth's oldest child, Kenyon. Between Kenyon and Dallas, they've also been used for Beth's son, Riley, and their cousins, Shaylee and Sunny. I'm sure they'll continue to pass them down when more children are born!

One of the best parts of the day was the making of the birthing necklace. Beth has chosen to deliver Dallas at home, like she did with Kenyon and Riley. Her sister Lauren contacted us all ahead of time and asked us to bring a special bead - something that symbolizes positive energy or that is sentimental - to string onto a necklace for Beth to wear when she goes through labor and delivery.

I chose a set of two glass hearts. One is bigger than the other, so it was the perfect symbol of the love Beth will surely feel on Dallas's birthday. Others brought beads that symbolized good luck, family ties, and health. Another of Beth's friends brought a bead from a necklace that belonged to someone close to her that recently passed away.

We all certainly can't wait for Dallas to get here! And I can't wait to shoot the last set of maternity portraits for Beth this week. Check back for those soon!

Fig Harvest!

2009-07-08T13:41:00.003-04:00

I have a lot of hobbies around here that some people would find weird. Farming organic figs and baby bananas being one of them. :) Yesterday we harvested the first batch of figs of 2009. (Bananas come late summer/fall!) It's looking like a great year for the figs. They are coming out huge, juicy, and sweet!

Our big producer is a giant fig tree that stretches close to 20 feet into the sky.

Greg actually fell from the ladder while he was picking off the top but the tree broke his fall. :) We hand-pick everything so it's tricky to get the ones out of the very top!

Piggy made sure there were none left behind for the squirrels.

Today I'll be baking some vegan fig newtons for a friend's baby shower, and I'll be canning up some fig preserves for the local farmer's market!

Safe Animal Shelter needs our help!

2009-07-02T03:15:00.004-04:00

I'm blessed to have, by far, THE coolest pit bull on the planet. :)

See? Told you. :p And I'll always use her as an excuse to plug animal rescue! Every day she makes me laugh. If ever a dog had a personality, it's the Piggy. But before Piggy even learned how to be funny, she went through this:

I had no idea what I was eventually going to get myself into when I took this poor thing in my home to nurse her back to health until she was adoptable. From time to time I foster all kinds of dogs through local no-kill animal rescue organizations, but only big ones, as I grew up around big dogs and "bully breeds". I got a call one day about a very sickly, malnourished, and abused 10 month old pit. No one else that volunteered for the organization had enough time to take care of her, and they were very nervous about her temperament since she came from a dogfighting ring. I was working part time at the time so I said "sure". Of course my original intention was to just be her foster mom, give her medicine and skin treatments, take her to the vet, and send her on her merry way when she was all better. Long story short, when I got there to pick her up, I was told she was very timid and that it may take some work to get her to come out of the dog house in the backyard. I went around the house and opened the gate to the kennel and peered into the dog house. Little glistening yellow eyes peered back up at me from under heavy, scabbed eyelids. She gave me a once over and came straight to me. It was like she knew this was her chance to get out and live. I saved her life and she knew it. She became attached to me over the weeks, as I to her.

It took literally around $2,000 worth of donated funds to get her to grow fur and gain 15 pounds. It took very expensive special shampoos and dips, lots of healthy food, countless bottles of antibiotics, a de-wormer made for horses, and a de-wormer made for swine and cattle. I would have never been able to afford her recovery alone, and thanks to kind and compassionate people that made donations, I was able to save her life and laugh at her antics every day. Now that we got the problems under control and she actually learned how to be a dog outside of a tiny crate and push our human buttons by diggin' holes under the fig tree and dancing around the kitchen for a piece of cheese.

Not every animal that ends up in foster care or a shelter has such severe and expensive medical needs, but a lot of the time people donate to cover medical expenses such as vaccines and sterilization, and don't even think about the little things like pet food.

Safe Animal Shelter in Middleburg is running out of food and we can't let that happen now, can we?

The NO-KILL shelter has been open since 1991 and has placed thousands of dogs and cats with loving families. Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that many more animals are ending up in shelters because of the economy and their families not being able to afford them or take them when they are forced to move. Of course none of this is the poor animal's fault, still they suffer. Safe Animal Shelter is asking for donations of pet food, and you can go directly to their web site and make a donation via credit card or PayPal. It's fast! Please help out! :)

http://www.safeanimalshelter.com/

RIP Naomi

2009-07-02T02:51:00.002-04:00

One of Jacksonville's very talented wedding photographers, Naomi Williams, just passed away yesterday morning. I met Naomi early this year, as her successful photography business was growing and she was searching for other photographers to shoot weddings for her studio. When I met Naomi, she was enthusiastic, very intelligent about wedding photography, and clearly in love with her career. At that point, no one including her knew anything was wrong. I shot a beautiful wedding at the Ponte Vedra Inn for her, and shortly after, learned that she had gone to the doctor with complaints of a pain in her back, underwent several unsuccessful back surgeries, then found out that it was stage 4 metastatic melanoma, a form of skin cancer. It quickly spread to her spine and lungs. She was just 29, and leaves behind a husband and 3 year old son.

Ashley, take 2 (vilano beach portrait photography.)

2009-06-30T00:38:00.002-04:00

Just dipped back into Ashley's folder to play a little bit. :) This is a shot from the shoot we did over a month ago.

Here ya go, short n sweet:

Summer Storms

2009-06-29T11:21:00.002-04:00

I don't take pictures of the sky too often, so last night I took a quick drive over the bridge to the island and shot some menacing clouds.

And a little long exposure fun after it cleared up:

Burlesque, Baby!

2009-06-28T19:51:00.003-04:00

I shot a burlesque show last night with my friend Henry, just for fun. Here's a few shots of Miss Sammy.

Accidentally good photography.

2009-06-24T23:38:00.002-04:00

This was a complete accident, but by far one of the coolest shots I've ever taken. This is Greg, my roommate. Well, his eye anyway. I asked him if I could do some macro shots of his eyes and this was the first one that I took.

PS: This was a technique I call "poor man's macro", so it's slightly grainy. If you're interested, do a search, you'll figure it out. ;)

RIP Mike

2009-06-24T14:54:00.003-04:00

Sad news. We just lost a very talented artist in Jax... tattoo artist and A.G.O.N.Y. Skateboards' Mike Geiger committed suicide Monday night.

I heard that there will be a memorial service for him tonight at the Landing, which I won't be able to attend, but my heart goes out to Mike's family and daughter Cairo.

RIP Mike. I hope you have found a better, safer place.

A few slight changes in packages / pricing!

2009-06-22T14:22:00.000-04:00

Just a few little changes to announce...

WEDDINGS: All Full Service Wedding Arsenals now include CD of all handcrafted images printable up to 8x10 in size on CD with rights to print. All wall art larger than 8x10 in size is available a la carte. Remember, some Arsenals DO already include canvases and wall art!

CONCEPTUAL PORTRAIT SESSIONS: All portrait sessions are now two hours at the location of your choice, and includes artist's time to handcraft your portrait art, plus all your best shots printable up to 8x10 in size on CD with rights to print. All wall art larger than 8x10 is available a la carte!

We order from only top quality printers in the US, and we can do anything with your art, from exclusive burned-edge canvases, to albums and kustom announcements!

Summer Slaughter Tour (coming soon.)

2009-06-17T19:13:00.002-04:00

Darkest Hour.

Full show coverage coming soon on metalinjection.net

Florida Travel Dates (book your shoots!)

2009-06-14T11:55:00.000-04:00

I will be in the following cities on these dates! I'll be on limited time so I'm offering half-sessions at half the price!

I am booking for regular portrait sessions, Senior portraits, band portraits, boudoir sessions, bridal, and Shoot the Dress!

Book an hour and a half of shooting time with unlimited outfit changes, get 25 edited high-res photos with rights to print on CD for $150.
It's possible I may have time to do a full 3 hour shoot in some places (Miami for sure), and in that case you get all your edited photos.
BAND PRICING is slightly different, contact me for rates.

Let's do it!

DAYTONA BEACH, FL: July 3rd
MIAMI, FL: July 10 - 12th
WEST PALM BEACH, FL: August 12 & 13th

Infiltration: Public School Number Four aka Annie Lytle Elementary - Jacksonville, FL

2009-06-13T17:31:00.004-04:00

(img courtesy grayd80)

School Four. A legendary, mystical landmark of good ol' Jacksonville, Florida. Seen best from the overpass of I95 North, just before the I-10 merger, it's the destitute end of an otherwise colorful historic5 Points. Like anyone else, I love a good ghost story, and for many years was curious about this place. All the kids talked about it back in high school, but no one ever had a first hand experience there. It was always a friend of a friend who went in and had the daylights scared out of them by either the ghosts of children that supposedly burned alive in the school, or by some unexplained spirit thought to have be derived forth by satanic ritualists that practiced and built altars inside the creepy building.

I don't remember how it came up, but I was sitting at Starlite one night with some friends and we all decided we wanted to try and go in there. We randomly picked a weeknight, met up in 5 Points, and on we went, a group of six.

The photos speak a lot for themselves, and I don't believe in ruining a great surprise, so here's where I say "go see for yourself". All I will say on my own account is that the scariest things we encountered were a few loud unexplained noises from inside the building, and bats flying down the main hallway upstairs. The worst part was sitting in the car a few blocks away, waiting for the rest of our party to arrive, and psyching ourselves up about actually getting inside the place in the process.

The stories of death or murder inside the building seem to all be fictional, as I did some research and found that there are no police reports of any kind that record a murder or death at the location. I found a very thorough article that describes the place very well. The following words are from that article, and the following photos are what I shot inside the building in the hour and a half we were inside. We did have several flashlights and a bright fluorescent lantern that provide enough light in our immediate areas, but it is literally pitch black in some areas, so pardon the crooked and blurry shots. Everything is basically just me walking around the school with my lantern in one hand and 30D in the other, snapping as I walked.

Enjoy.

" In 1891, a small wooden schoolhouse was constructed on the current site. After several years of use, the influx of people to the area demanded a greater size and resulted in numerous extensions to the building, continuing until the overall structure became unstable. In 1915, approximately $250,000 was granted by the local government to tear down the schoolhouse and replace it with the structure that exists there today.

The current structure was designed by architect Rutledge Holmes and built by the Florida Engineering and Construction Company, with construction being completed in 1917. It was first called Public School Number Four, but the name was later changed to Annie Lytle Elementary School, after a former principal.

The building initially faced Riverside Park, but the view became obscured in the 1950's when the Interstate 95 expressway was built. As a result of the height of the building and close proximity to I-95, the City of Jacksonville frequently places banners on the front of the building as a welcome to the city.

Sometime in the late 1960's or early 1970's, the building was abandoned by the Duval County School Board and either sold or leased to a private entity, after which it was used as a private Christian school. In 1976, the building was permanently abandoned altogether, and at this point the building was clearly the property of the City of Jacksonville.

In the mid-1990's, a portion of the building caught fire as a result of homeless persons starting a fire inside to keep warm, which got out of control. The fire was
extinguished without any extensive structural damage being incurred.

On October 29, 1999 the building was purchased by Foundation Holding Incorporated. In 2000 and 2001, Foundation Holding had plans to demolish the building and build a condominium complex (to be called "Lytle Place Condominiums"). These plans fell through, possibly as a result of the building's proximity to the noise of I-95, as well as resistance from admirers of the building including the Jacksonville Historical Society and Riverside Avondale Preservation, Inc. As of this writing, the building is still owned by this company. In or around 2002, the roof of the auditorium collapsed to the floor."

"Stories of murder and accidental death inside the building are entirely unfounded, as far as any researcher can gather. One of the most popular myths is that a boiler explosion killed several people and prompted the school to be left to ruin. Although a boiler explosion may have occurred, there is no record of any death in the school at any time, before or after it was abandoned, nor is there any official record of human remains being found in or around the building, nor did any such explosion cause the abandonment.

Another common myth is that in the recent past, a wrecking ball was smashed into the front of the building in an attempt to demolish it, which resulted in all of the windows on that side of the building being shattered, but the exterior wall remained undamaged. There is no official record of any attempt to demolish the building.

Another somewhat more uncommon myth is that the school's principal and a teacher were having an extramarital affair, and, unable to escape their marriages, committed a dual-suicide in the principal's office, right above the basement's hole-entrance. This is wrong on many levels. Once again, no official record of death in the building. Secondly, the "hole-entrance" to the basement did not exist when the building was in use, and exists today in a classroom, not the principal's office.

Although there have never been any reports of murder, there was a report of a rape (both the accused and victim homeless) inside the building following its abandonment. Aside from that, the only arrests made there have been for trespassing and vandalism."

"The building has without doubt been used by "Satanists" and/or others for such purposes since its abandonment. There have been several confirmed sightings of makeshift altars with animal remains seated atop them, although such activity seems to have ceased in the past two to three years, most likely in response to heightened security, and no obvious evidence remains."

"The exterior walls of the building are very overgrown with vines, and defaced by a mild amount of graffiti. There are several trees and countless ferns growing out of the roof, and in the warmer months ferns and vines can be found in a well-lit hallway on the second floor, as well as creeping down the cement stairs."

"The grass surrounding the building is well-kept, and a tall chain link fence with barbed wire, erected in the latter half of 2004, surrounds the property. When the fence was put in place, so were a series of blindingly bright floodlights on utility poles around the perimeter. The lights are photo-activated, and click on at sundown.

There is a small abandoned house (as well as a tool shed) on the school's property which supposedly once housed the groundskeeper and guardian of the building.

The interior of the building is absolutely covered with graffiti, some of it many decades old. Pentagrams and swastikas abound, as well as sinister messages, bad spelling and grammar, the occasional pleasant poetry, and the lyrics to Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit."

"The parts of the building that receive no ventilation are quite dusty. It can easily be seen with a flashlight, wafting through the air. Some of this dust is most certainly asbestos."

"All of the doors and windows on the first floor have been sealed off, most by plywood, some by cinder blocks and masonry. Many of the second-floor windows have also been boarded up. The entrance for the present owners of the building is the front door, which has been replaced by two large hinged pieces of plywood secured by heavy chains and six heavy Master locks."

"Parts of the first floor have no second floor immediately above them, which creates a roof that is accessible through smashed hallway windows on the second floor. There are several ventilation ducts (which are now simply holes in the ceiling) that one could easily fall through if walking on this "sub-roof."

"There is one classroom that was clearly the site of the fire. The ceiling's paint is charred black, and there are countless pieces of burned wood laying around.

It is most unusual the number of items left behind by those that last used the building. It is not uncommon to find un-graded schoolwork, desks, school pamphlets, newspapers, etc. I once found a signed field trip permission slip dated April, 1976. The floor is totally littered in many places with trash left by vagrants and squatters over the years."

"One of the most notable sites in the building is the view of the auditorium (ceiling collapsed) from the balcony on the second story. It is best during the daylight."

"The building does have a basement, which is quite unusual for Florida, especially given Jacksonville's high water table. After searching the interior and exterior of the building, I never found the intended entrance to the basement, however I believe it to be near the auditorium's stage (there is a chimney behind the stage, which I believe to be connected to the basement's boiler)."

"However, the basement is still accessible through a small hole in the cement floor of a classroom on the first level. The distance from the hole to the floor of the basement is around seven to eight feet.

The basement is, without doubt, the most unusual part of this building. The floor is simply dirt. Like most basements, it is very cold. Footprints and dogs' paw prints can be seen everywhere, as well as shallow holes obviously dug by dogs. The paw prints were apparently left there before the basement's true entrance was sealed. The basement is not simply one large room, like most basements. For every room up above, there is a corresponding room below, with elegant red brick archways instead of doors. This creates a feeling of being inside a tunnel system rather than a basement. There is some trash in the area immediately below the hole, as well as some graffiti, but but both stop there. The farther you wander from the hole-entrance, the fewer footprints can be seen. There are countless steel pipes (presumably steam pipes) running horizontally through the "tunnels," which one must step over or crawl under. When in the basement, it becomes apparent that either part of the building is sinking, the soil level is rising, or both. The farther the walk, the farther you must bend forward to avoid smashing your head on the ceiling. The size of the basement and the labyrinth feeling that all of the twists and turns give it led me to feel that the basement may extend out beyond the actual building, although this is rationally unlikely.

"There is a small house located just outside the fence, which is occupied by an elderly man who can often be seen walking his dog around the building and frequently notifies police and/or the building's owners of trespassers. He may or may not be paid by the school's present owner."

So.... who wants to shoot in here? :)

ART versus Fetish/Porno Photography. (sealing the deal.)

2009-06-12T13:27:00.003-04:00

I ran across an interesting blog post from Mojokiss, debating the differences between what is perceived as art, and what is perceived as, well, porn.

I get many mixed reactions about my photographs. I've been scoffed at, scorned and berated for taking it "too far". I've had my style labeled as fetish photography by some, and fetish art by others. At the end of May I brought home all my pieces from my showing that month to package up and ship the pieces that sold. The rest I just tacked up in my hallway at home, and I'll be honest, there are at least 3 or 4 of those portraits that contain nudity. But no, I'm not running a dominatrix dungeon, and it's not a nod to my personal life whatsoever. I simply get a kick out of people's reactions. :)

Here are two key phrases I pulled from the aforementioned blog post:

:: "What is porn? I ask myself because i want to know what im shooting, and what i will be taken as, with a given body of work. Porn is an industry. Thats what porn is. Its material that is meant for making money off of a preexisting market where the goal is to create and sell work that fits a variety of categories."

on the contrary...

:: "what is art? so since we know what porn is now, we can more easily say what art is. i would like to state here that art is anything that is original and not designed for an industry, but out of a personal emotional connection with the subject and process. Art can become an element of industry, but industry cannot become art."

::
"So if i make images that are erotic, that show nudity, every angle and part of a body, in all types of positions and expressions, it can't be called porn if im not selling it to the horny masses."

Which, I am not. :) So take it or leave it, but I don't shoot porn. :)

June Strobist Group Shoot - Tina & Ashley

2009-06-12T03:12:00.002-04:00

Get ready for some randomness.

June Strobist Group Shoot - Coming Soon!

2009-06-11T13:49:00.002-04:00

Location, location, location. I think I picked a good one. I'm going through my edits now and can't wait to see everyone else's work!

We had a small, intimate group - two models and four photographers. The entire shoot from start to finish was laid-back and fun, no pressure, and full of spur of the moment creativity. It was great to get to work alongside other photographers that can pull a shot out of nowhere and make it up as they go along!

Special thanks to our models, Ashley and Tina for being up for anything, including braving fiddler crabs crawling all around, and I won't even start on how bad the "skeeters" were.

Full post coming soon.

D-Day Party Crazybooth!

2009-06-07T17:15:00.002-04:00

We kind of look for excuses such as random holidays and such to have get-togethers. We had a D-Day Cookout last night and all our neighborhood friends came. I set up the Crazybooth for some fun action shots!

Corn makes us all very happy.

The Crazybooth is always available to make an appearance at your party or wedding! :D

Tess's Teddys

2009-06-05T16:41:00.002-04:00

One of my recent clients, Tess Granfield, Miss Jacksonville Outstanding Teen 2009, needs your help!

Tess is very active in the community, particularly with children, and her goal is to give every child at Wolfson Children's Hospital a Build-A-Bear teddy bear! Tess has arranged a discount with Build-A-Bear, and you can donate a nicely dressed bear to a child for about $25.

Details on the fundraiser can be found here!

Behind the scenes at trigger happy

2009-05-28T00:18:00.002-04:00

I can't post any of the actual show live yet, but here are some behind the scenes shots from the photo pit at the show I shot in Orlando at Club Firestone last weekend.

(Well, doesn't that one guy look like a party pooper! ^ )

Cephalic Carnage is a deathgrind band from Colorado and they have a song making fun of black metal, hence the mask and gauntlets. The singer, Lenzig Leal, whipped out his camera and started shooting the crowd, then noticed me in the photo pit. :)

Hope For Paws

2009-05-27T00:38:00.003-04:00

No big secret, the other half of my life aside from photography is my family, including my 2 dogs that I very much consider my children. This is a repost from another blog I'm subscribed to, but I had to share here because the story really touched me personally. I have quite the assortment of "coffee table" books at home, and a lot of them are about dogs. I'm certainly adding this one to the collection because it's also an inexpensive way to give and help those in need. If you find it in your heart, please get one of these also.

Audrey & Eldad Hagar never imagined that when they began photographing the hundreds of fostered dogs (and other creatures) who came through their home, that they would actually create a book. They just wanted to remember the animals they had shared great memories with.

Below is their short story about a little dog named Bradley...

"We rescued Bradley from the shelter last night, and today I took him to a neurologist.

The doctor had only sad news for Bradley...

We agreed he should go to sleep and not suffer this severe hydrocephalus. (as you can see, his head is weirdly shaped due to a lot of fluids in his head / brain).

I didn't want to let him go yet, so from the vet I took Bradley to the beach, I sat with him, played with him, and I fed him many cheeseburgers and fried chicken.

We sat there for two hours, and after that I took him to the vet's office right on the beach, and he went to sleep forever :-(

Please visit their website & help them save more animals. All they ask is for people to buy the book about their rescue work... this will help them pay the medical bills & all the expenses involved in animal rescuing. (The book cost only $9.95. It has a 100 pages of full color photos and stories that will make you laugh and cry.)

You can buy the book at Hope for Paws *

Jax Strobist Group Revival Meeting! June 10

2009-05-25T15:11:00.003-04:00

In an effort to revive the strobist community in northeast Florida, Laurie of LB Photography and myself have planned a revival meeting for June 10th!

I'm hosting and we have a fantastic location to shoot at in my neighborhood in St. Augustine which is along the intracoastal, with lots of old oak trees, Spanish moss, trails through the woods, water, docks, and cliffs that overlook the sunset.

There will be models provided, so come with your strobist gear and ready to shoot! The group is open to any pro and amateur strobist style photographer that wants to brush up on their off camera lighting or just have the opportunity to practice and get to know other photographers in the area. We're opening up the group to anyone that has the gear and the desire to shoot strobist style, so that everyone can learn and benefit! No matter your skill level at this point, you are welcome to come and ask questions and / or give advice to those in need!

Here are all the details:

What: Jax Strobist Group meeting
Date: Wednesday, June 10th
Time: From 6 to 8pm
Where: St. Augustine South

You MUST RSVP to me for directions! If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments or feel free to email me: taraphoto@gmail.com

The interest seems to be really good at this point so I'm looking forward to the meeting and getting to know those of you I haven't gotten to meet yet!

Check out strobist.com for more on what Strobism is all about.

Featured on 6767.com, Dave Navarro's personal site!

2009-05-23T07:19:00.003-04:00

Imagine my surprise this morning to learn that some of my shots of Dave Navarro with Jane's Addiction in West Palm Beach a couple of weeks ago landed on his personal site this week!

Sweet!

Relapse Records/Cephalic Carnage

2009-05-22T14:35:00.005-04:00

Just received confirmation for my photo pit pass from Relapse Records' press department. I'll be shooting Cephalic Carnage this Sunday at Club Firestone in Orlando!

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend... rock n roll!