Last weekend Kelly and Steve tied the knot at the Tradewinds Island Grand in St. Petersburg, FL.  Although I had met up with Kelly a few times before the wedding day, I was not able to meet Steve until just before he took to the front of the aisle to meet his bride.  I could tell why she loved him; he seemed laid back and kind spirited and the moment that they joined each other at the front of the alter neither of them couple wipe the grin off their faces!  All of the friends and family in the bridal party seemed to share the excitement that these two were just meant to be together.  The wedding ceremony took place overlooking the water just before sunset and the aqua and orange details mimicked perfectly the setting sun against the blue water.  It really was a beautiful day to celebrate a beautiful couple.  Kelly and Steve, thank you for letting me be a part of it and I wish you so much love and happiness in your life together!  Here is a sneak peak at the images from the wedding day!

Working as a second shooter is an incredible way to gain experience as well as learn from some of the best in the wedding photography industry.  I get lots of requests from photographers trying to break into the industry and looking for an opportunity to assist or second shoot.  To be honest, I am a little picky when it comes to who I will bring along as an assistant and I think I can speak for other professional wedding photogs when I say that when we find a good second shooter or assistant, we tend to stick with them.  There is too much at risk when you bring along another individual who in essence becomes a representative of your brand on the wedding day.  I came across a VERY helpful post by Jasmine Star, one of the leading photographers in the wedding industry that I wanted to share on this topic.  Actually, the post was written by her husband J.D who is her second shooter so these rules come directly from one second shooter to another.  Read it, love it, do it, and if you do…you will find your name being passed along a must-use second shooter!

The following is re-posted from the Jasmine Star blog for your reading pleasure:)  Some parts have been removed to condense the article.  View her original post here:

10. Dress Appropriately
Don’t be afraid to ask the main photographer what to wear on the wedding day. Some weddings are casual, others more formal. The most important thing is to always be a reflection of the main photographer’s attire and blend in with guests as much as possible.

9. Same Day Slideshow
If the main photographer creates a same-day slideshow to display at the reception, make sure and find a nearby work station (i.e. chair and outlet). I usually find a place just outside of the reception so we can hear what’s going on and be easily accessible.
8. Gather the Family
It’s so important to help the main photographer during family formal photos. There’s a really short amount of time to execute the photos, so be sure to find grandma and Uncle Kevin (who’s usually at the bar) so the entire group isn’t waiting for one person.
7. Taking Care of Vendors
During a wedding day, I usually don’t have time to cultivate friendships, but I always make sure to include every vendor throughout the day. If they need anything, I offer assistance. If the vendor dinner is served, I try to make sure everyone knows. It’s small things that ensure everyone feels like we’re on the same team…and there’s a high probability we’ll work together again in the future, so make sure to have everyone’s back.
6. Offer to Carry Bags
I’m kinda particular about this because it reminds me of my role as a second shooter…to make life easier for the main shooter. I’m not saying every second photographer MUST carry the bags, but it’s nice to offer. I always carry and maintain the main photo bag on wedding days and I know Jasmine appreciates it.
5. Get Water
Here in Southern California, peak wedding season is during the hottest time of the year, so keeping ourselves hydrated is very important. I always make sure Jasmine has a cold glass of water waiting for her: 1. Before the ceremony; 2. After the ceremony; and 3. After cocktail hour. Usually these are the hottest (and most stressful) times outdoors because there’s so much juggling going on for her. Every time she finishes her glass, she’s recharged (and in a better mood!).
4. Smile
Jasmine usually has to remind me of this one…and when she does, I usually give her a sarcastic smile. In all honesty, I know she’s right. Jasmine reminds me that guests are looking at us even when we don’t realize it and we’re a reflection of the bride’s desire to have us document her dream day. If we look hot, unhappy, tired, or annoyed, it’ll be a poor reflection on our brand.
3. Find New Angles
Don’t shoot over the main photographer’s shoulder! When I first started shooting with Jasmine, I shot behind her and captured–basically–the same photo as she did. Okay, just not as cool. She finally explained that she didn’t need another version of her photo…she needs an entirely photo of the same moment. I’ll admit this is harder than it seems, but I know she appreciates creativity and a different photo from the exact same moment.
2. NEVER PASS OUT YOUR BUSINESS CARD
One of the first weddings we photographed together, we had another photographer tag along with us. The night was flowing nicely until I overheard the third shooter pass his/her business card to a wedding guest…and passed his/her studio name along. I can’t explain how rude this is. On a wedding day, a second and third photographer is just that…an accompanying photographer to the main photographer’s studio. If a guest asks for a business card from a second shooter (which happens often!), the second shooter should always pass along the main photographer’s business card. Period. The end.
1. Leave Ego at the Door
This one doesn’t need much of an explanation as it’s more a rule for life in general. Just remember, as a second shooter, your number one goal is to shoot the best you can and make the main photographer’s life easier…even if it means missing the best photo opportunities at the wedding. Yes, everyone prefers to shoot the bride getting ready, the bride and groom portraits, and getting the First Kiss standing in the center of the aisle. But chances are, it ain’t gonna be like that. So own what you got and make it work.

And I (Shay) have to give a little shout out to my fabulous assistant, Marissa Moss, from the past weekend’s wedding who literally worked her butt off for me!  (She may kill me for posting this picture! )  but you should go check out her work! One of the perks of being an assistant or second shooter is that you gets lots of fun/scary pictures taken of you in the name of testing camera settings:) Thanks a million Marissa!

When it rains it pours!  For some reason the past few weeks have gone from having not much planned to having work up to my eyeballs!  I love it:)  Part of the onslaught of work has to do with Christmas (and therefore Christmas card time) being just a few months away (crazy!)  The images below are a few from my fun shoot with the Kravetz family.  I don’t do a lot of family and kids but of course I can’t say no to friends…especially when they are as handsome a family as these guys! Here are just a few cute pics from their shoot.

I mean, is this a good looking family or what?

His laugh is precious!

I just love the cute little look on his face in this one:)

And my favorite…

I was so excited to get Abby and Josh’s wedding albums in the mail this week!  You may remember their beautiful Clearwater wedding this past May.  I recently switched album companies and could not be happier with the results!!  GORGEOUS!!!! In the box was the 10×10 album for the couple and the duplicate 8×8 album ordered by the bride’s parents.  Both are a beautiful black leather and my favorite part has to be the metal cameo on the cover!  From the moment their wedding images were off the camera I already had this image in mind for the cover! With a metal cameo the image is printed directly onto a brushed aluminum plate adhered to the front of the book.  So cool!  It adds such a fun mod flair to a classic album style.  Album layout and design was done by the talented Ashlee Proffitt. You can view a slideshow of their complete album layout in the “Album Samples” section of the website!

By the time I saw her walking across the parking deck where we had arranged to meet, I felt like I was reconnecting with an old friend.  The months leading up to the shoot were filled with sweet e-mails, thoughtful gifts for our whole family, swapped book recommendations, we even picked out her outfits for the shoot together via e-mailed pictures.  In reality, we are connected only by the thinnest thread of a random situation…or maybe we were just meant to be friends all along:)  Laurie works for a little company called Crocs…but from the looks of these images I think she might have missed her calling as a model!  She followed every bit of my advice and invested in herself for the shoot by getting up super early to get her hair and make up done (with gorgeous results I might add!). Laurie is as genuinely beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside and I am grateful for the chance to connect with her. We were both excited to make this shoot finally happen and I could not be happier with the images.  Here are a few sneak peaks of Laurie’s portrait session.

**P.S…you know the new chair had to make an appearance – despite the fight my husband put up (he should have known it was coming!)  Well worth it!

I know it is just going to be too tempting to scroll through the pics before reading so I will save my comments for the end!

But first lets take a walk down memory lane and think about how yucky and green the room used to be!

And now….ta da!!!!!

YAY!  Do you like it!?  It is now my most favorite room of the house – as it should be right?

We sold all of our previous bedroom furniture for $825  total on Craigslist and believe it or not we came in just a few dollars under that budget for the new room when it was all said and done!  So this whole renovation did not cost us a single penny!

Now for the breakdown for those of you who are curious…

Paint and supplies: $100 (Paint color is Behr “Dolphin fin”)

Furniture: $530  (Ikea bed – “scratch and dent”, chair from Ross, night stands from Target, Ikea dressers- in closet not pictured, Ikea leaning wall mirror)

Curtains: $32 Ikea

Wooden frames: $25 Thrift store

Lamps and other decos: $80 (bed side lamps Pier and throw blanket Pier 1, reading lamp by chair -thrift store)

Pillows and throw blanket: $55

If you are curious about the home made art above the bed you can get instructions for this fun craft here from Design Sponge.

**A big thanks to my sweet friend Ashlee of Ashlee Proffitt Design for spending the day painting and thrift store shopping with me!

Ok…at this point, not only is the bedroom in shambles but literally my entire house looks like it has been turned upside down…MUST FINISH and move on with life!  The room is officially painted and all furniture and decos have been purchased!!!  Now to make it all come together!

Here’s the freshly painted bedroom, sans furniture!!!

And the guest room currently crammed with goodies (there’s more in the garage too!)

Back to work!

Yesterday we made a trip to Ikea to try to find a few pieces for the bedroom. There are just some things that you can’t find a better deal on anywhere other than Ikea – for example white sheer curtains…I refuse to pay more then $12 for a set of white sheer curtains now that we have an Ikea.  Anyone who has ever been to Ikea though knows that something happens somewhere between bedroom sets and textiles…you realized that you have been walking for miles through a maze of  Swedish furniture with no sign of windows to the outside world. You are starting to get hungry and tired and confused about what you came there for in the first place and just then you realize that you are only 1/6th of the way through the carnival that is shopping at Ikea. BUT if you can push through the confusion, slight nausea and furniture fatigue and get all the way to the check out line with your fabulous finds you will be rewarded with frozen yogurt and cinnamon rolls for less than $1 on your way out of the store!! (Only to be reminded that Ikea does NOT supply shopping bags so you will have to find a way to juggle all of your precious new items, boxed furniture pieces and said frozen yogurt out to your car).  Oh, Ikea…how I love and hate you…well, mostly love:)

I digress!  My whole point of posting was to show you my little “inspiration board” for the room!  Our hope is to create a peaceful room with a spa like feel, gray, cream and brown mixed neutrals, and lots of different textures that make the room feel rich and inviting.  Pulling that off is a whole different story!  Painting begins today!  More to come!!!!!!!

Ok…you are going to have to humor me for a few days as I digress from my usual photo posts and share with you a fun renovation project that I am in the middle of.   When we moved into our new (and first) home here in FL I was about 7 months prego with little time/patience/energy for decorating.  We (my sweet husband and I) tried to get the house in order and promised each other that some day we would take the time to really make our master bedroom into the beautiful and peaceful room that we wanted.

A little over a year later we are finally doing it!  We sold the entire bedroom set (pictured) on Craigslist and with the money, we are trying to completly re-do the room without spending a penny extra (I will share how much we spent at the end!).

So that brings us to bedroom renovation day #1 – choosing a paint color!  Anyone who knows me knows that nothing strikes such fear and uncovers such creative insecurities in me quite like having to commit to a paint color! I literally get sweaty palms and within moments of  ”selecting a color” I second guess everything, throw in the towel and start all over again!  Which explains why my husband burst into laughter when he came into our bedroom to find about 100 paint color samples taped to our bedroom wall. haha  Knowing that he could not leave me in there to fend for myself  against all those tiny little color swatches, he lovingly took a seat on the bedroom floor and helped me to meticulously narrow them down.  I love him.

Here is our current master bedroom – the first word that comes to mind is boring haha.  I guess its not that bad…it’s just not “us.”

And here is my enemy…paint swatches – just staring me in the face!

Now I know what you are saying…”but you only narrowed it down to about 25 colors” haha.  With the help of my patient husband and the reassurance of a few trusted friends, I have in fact narrowed it down to one, thats right, one paint color. The paint has been purchased.  The cans sit, full of possibilities, in our laundry room…but you will just have to wait to see what we chose!

More to come…

Yesterday I had the pleasure of shooting some commercial product images for a close friend and talented graphic designer Ashlee Proffitt.  Ashlee’s stationary designs have a very simple, clean organic feel and I loved incorporating that with my own style emphasis on clean lines, depth, texture and symmetry in the images.  She does everything from custom wedding and party invitations to corporate logo design.  Her work is gorgeous and I am super pleased with how the images turned out, even in our own make shift at-home studio!!  You can check out samples of Ashlee’s work on her website which will be relaunching this Monday.  Be sure to check out her blog and find her on etsy as well!  Here area  few images from the shoot. Enjoy!

My sweet talented friend!

And just for fun…a little behind the scenes action…notice my fuel for the shoot – animal crackers and chai