Weekly Photo Challenge: Ready

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baby, don cesar beach, photography, postaday, ready, st. petersburg, toddler running

Ready! I’m going in. Look at me mom, I’m all grown up!

Free Photoshoot Contest!

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child, contest, couple, dale mabry, family, free photoshoot, giveaway, maternity, Matoi sushi, newborn, photography, photos, poem writing contest, poetry contest, portrait, senior, tampa

Matoi Sushi Restaurant, located on 602 North Dale Mabry HWY in Tampa, is sponsoring a Free Photoshoot Contest!

One lucky winner will receive a free photoshoot. (Valued at $125!)
Two lucky winners will receive a $50 gift certificate towards Sophan Theam Photography.

The rules are simple:
1. “Like” the fanpage www.facebook.com/SophanTheamPhotography
2. Post a comment with your favorite love poem written by any poet to get one raffle.
3. Or, write your own original love poem on a facebook comment to get two raffles.
4. Deadline to enter is February 12, 2012 at 11:59 pm.

Random drawing will be held on February 12, 2012 and winners will be announced on Facebook at midnight. Photoshoot location must be in Tampa, Clearwater, or St. Petersburg area. Offer expires on February 12, 2013 and will be good for use with current rates. Photo session includes portrait, couple, family, maternity, child/ newborn, or senior photos.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Hope

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american dream, diner, mom and pops restaurant, photography, postaday, tampa

HOPE  What does a diner sign have to do with Hope?  To me, a lot of things.

To me, a mom and pops diner symbolizes the American dream.  It also reminds me of one of my dreams (I know, I have so many, but truly this is also one of my biggest dreams) and that is, to drive from east to west coast on a crazy, self-empowering road-trip through America.  Diners will be my best friend along the road.  And lastly, on hungry nights when I’m too lazy to cook (which is like every other night of the week), I’m always hoping there’ll be one of these around and open.  (How’d you think I got this shot?  ;-)

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Share a picture that means HOPE to you! 

New to The Daily Post? Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, you’re invited to get involved in our Weekly Photo Challenge to help you meet your blogging goals and give you another way to take part in Post a Day / Post a Week. Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

1. Each week, we’ll provide a theme for creative inspiration. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog anytime before the following Friday when the next photo theme will be announced.

2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “Weekly Photo Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use a “postaday2011″ or “postaweek2011″ tag.

3. Subscribe to The Daily Post so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS

The Magic Hour

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attention whore, beach, Clearwater, engagement session, iPhone, magic hour, photography, sunrise, wordpress app

After I came home and looked through the pictures of this morning’s engagement session, I saw this and just had to post it ASAP.

This is a small sneak peek of Ali and Eric’s pre-wedding shoot.  I had to post it in great urgency for 3 reasons:  1.  I’m gloating,  2.  I finally witnessed a sunrise on the beach for the first time ever,  and 3.  I’m gloating.

Almost every photographer has a portfolio with a picture of the sunrise/ sunset nestled in between two people. Every time I see this on the web, I cringe with envy. That kind of magic is to die for.

And finally, because Ali and Eric are troopers and agreed to wake up at 6 in the morning to do this photo shoot with me, I finally got to photograph in the magic hour, the time when dreams and wishes really come true.

More pictures of this engagement session will be posted soon.

Oh yeah, and if anyone is curious about the previous blog post, that was all my one year old son’s doing. I gave him my iPhone to quiet him in the car (I know, what a mom, huh?) and somehow, he got into the wordpress app and posted a picture of himself on this blog. I swear to God it was all him. I gave birth to an attention whore.

Coretta and Frank: A New Year’s Eve Wedding

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Annalise Emerick, Coretta and Frank, Courtney Campbell Causeway, New Year's Eve, photography, tampa, The Chart House, The Notebook, This Love Won't Break Your Heart, wedding

Have you ever seen The Notebook?  It’s perhaps every hopeless romantic’s favorite movie and it brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it.  Even after the 15th time and most likely after the 50th time.

Coretta and Frank’s Wedding reminded me of The Notebook.

It was small and intimate. Everyone was close.

Coretta was already emotional while getting dressed in the hotel room. Her mother and bridesmaids stayed close and assisted her every step of the way.

Frank on the other hand, had his father and friends to ease his anxiety.

Everyone’s love poured out for Coretta and Frank as if everyone’s heart shared the same special place reserved for this beautiful couple.

Coretta’s father was also the minister for the ceremony. This alone brought tears to my eyes as I quietly photographed the wedding.

When Frank saw Coretta through a glass window at his workplace years ago, he knew she was the one for him…

Love is patient, Love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

Please click here to view a slideshow of Coretta and Frank’s New Year’s Eve Wedding.

The song on this slideshow was beautifully sung by Annalise Emerick and is entitled This Love Won’t Break Your Heart.

A special thanks to Erin McElhaney from Three Green Leaves Photography for being my second shooter.

Cindy and Zaylon at the Park

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banker, cindy and zaylon, engagement session, firefighter, john chestnut park, palm harbor, photography

John Chestnut Park is a quaint attraction located in a quaint town called Palm Harbor, FL.  It’s also where I met Cindy and Zaylon for the first time in person.

Zaylon is a firefighter and Cindy is a banker.  So it’s no coincidence that Cindy adds love and spunk to the relationship while Zaylon lays down his heart and gives his life to her.

Is it also no coincidence that the two met at a bar yet are both non-drinkers? Couldn’t tell ya.  But I can say, they both make a very good-looking couple and my camera probably agrees.

I’ve come to learn that unexpected things will always happen at my photo sessions, including, but not limited to, tree climbing and costume soirees. It’s a wonderful thing.

Here’s something new I’m gonna try doing for all of my future sessions. This is a slideshow I created of Cindy and Zaylon, inspired by a wonderful wedding photographer named Jasmine Star. Click here to view and please enjoy.

Judy and Hai

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engagement session, judy and hai, photography, sigma psi zeta, sorority sisters, tampa

Judy is my sorority sister from Umass, Amherst.  I graduated before she was a freshman but our paths would intertwine later through sorority emails, functions, facebook, and finally, in Orlando, FL where Judy resides now.  Thank God for a Sigma Psi Zeta sister down in Florida!

Judy is such a sweet girl. I’ve been so out of the loop with current sorority happenings and the hundreds of new sorority sisters who I may never get to meet, really because of laziness than any other reason.  Years have passed since I responded to anything sorority related.  But, what finally caught my attention was when Judy asked for my donation in honor of one of our sisters who passed away from cancer.  I was touched to see her dedication for this charity and cancer awareness event and gladly pledged the little I could to help out. That’s where my interest in Judy really began. It’s been a warm, fuzzy love ever since.

I met Hai today for the first time during their visit to Tampa. He’s a really, really sweet guy! I don’t know whose sweeter, Judy or Hai. My day was surrounded with so much sweetness from the two of them that I think I may need to carry around some insulin with me whenever I see them again.

But I didn’t turn hyperglycemic. Actually, I ended up being comatose after dinner, which was really fine by me.

Good company, great photos, and a feast of a dinner.  It was Sigma-licious!  (Haha)