Andrea and Alex: Two Cultures. Two Weddings. One Day.

Andrea and Alex had the most unique wedding day I've ever seen. They didn't just have one wedding; they had two! To celebrate their different heritages, they had two weddings: one Catholic and one hindu. Andrea and her girls got ready at Post Card Inn on St. Pete Beach. Because the Catholic wedding was first, Andrea put on her white dress, and all the girls got henna tattoos on their hands and feet, knowing that the hindu ceremony was coming later.

Because Alex grew up Catholic, their first wedding of the day was at the beautiful St. John Vianney Catholic Church on St. Pete Beach, Florida.

Their second wedding of the day was the hindu wedding to celebrate Andrea's heritage at Tampa Bay Watch in Tierra Verde, Florida. I had never shot a hindu wedding before, and I have to say the colors were dazzling. I loved the vibrancy of everything, especially considering what a contrast it was to the Catholic wedding they had just had. Andrea's ensemble was absolutely amazing in its intricacy and detail, but Alex also had a very cool outfit. I especially loved his shoes with the pointy toes!

Erika's Maternity Photos

Erika and Jonathan are first-time parents, and they were so excited to meet their little man. I took these maternity photos at the beautiful Sunken Gardens in northeast St. Petersburg, Florida. You really can't beat the lush tropical landscaping and gorgeous setting.

Matthew and Laura's Wedding Photos

I had the privilege of taking Matthew and Laura's engagement photos, so I knew that their wedding photos were going to be amazing. They got married at the stunning Sacred Heart Catholic Church in downtown Tampa. This is probably the most beautiful church I have seen in the Tampa Bay area, and of course Matthew and Laura's love made it all the more beautiful.

After the ceremony, they went to one of the most fun locations I have ever seen for their reception: Lowry Park Zoo! I thought their wedding cake was adorable with the little monkeys dressed as a bride and groom. Also, Matthew and Laura and all of their guests were allowed to get up close and personal with a giraffe and actually feed it! How cool is that?

 

Aaron's Senior Portraits

Aaron may be a home-schooled kid from Ohio, but he's still one of the most outgoing kids I've ever met. He happened to be in Florida for the holidays, so we took the opportunity of snapping some shots in our nice weather to contrast with the white winters he gets back home. He also has beautiful blue eyes that I loved capturing.

Matthew and Laura's Engagement Photos at Sweetfield Farms

This is definitely one of my favorite photo shoots ever. I loved the setting at Sweetfield Farms in Masaryktown, Florida. Matthew, Laura and I got lost for awhile in the sunflower maze, but we got some beautiful photos. The sunflower farm was gorgeous, and there were lots of fun areas and props, like the swing and the two-seater bicycle. I'm even more excited to shoot their wedding later this year at Lowry Park Zoo.

I Shot William Shatner's Son (With a Camera)

When I was asked to photograph Peter Shatner, the obvious question came up. And the answer is yes, he is indeed related to the Captain Kirk. In fact, Peter is his son. I thought it was so cool to get the chance to photograph him, but even more impressive is the fact that he is an artist as well. He actually painted this himself and created other beautiful works of art throughout his home.

Sarah: Just Because

My sister and I were hanging out the other day, and I asked her what she wanted to do. "I don't know, what do you want to do?" So I said, let's take some photos! No particular reason. Just why not? I helped her pick out some outfits, and all of these photos were taken in my backyard. Who says you need a reason to take awesome photos?

Maddie: Newborn Photos

Stephanie is a friend and coworker of mine on the Marketing Communications team at Triad Retail Media. When I found out she was pregnant, I was really excited and called dibs on doing the newborn photographs. Little Maddie is as cute as can be!

Jace: Newborn Photography

It breaks my heart to know that this little baby's father has never held his son because he is deployed. Thank goodness for Skype! At least they have been able to see each other.

Kaylen: Newborn Portraits

Meredith's Holiday Portraits 2012

My sister's good friend Meredith's parents also happen to be good friends with our parents. They have always seen the photos I've taken of Sarah and decided that I should take photos of Meredith for their holiday card this year. All of these photos were taken in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.

Happy Holidays from Desilyn and Sarah!

I took a couple photos of my sister for our family's holiday card this year, and of course I had to jump in one too.

Holiday Portraits 2012

I grew up with Anne Michelle, and we've been friends since the fourth grade. I can't believe that we're both grown up, and she has a family of her own now! Their daughter Cate is absolutely adorable, and I thought the Christmas tree they had set up on the beach was super cute too!

From Scotland to Downtown St. Petersburg, Florida

The Evans family wanted to show off the kilts they got during their vacation to Scotland, and what's better than showing them off in their holiday portraits? Unfortunately, Mat was about to deploy to the middle east and wouldn't actually get to be there for Christmas. That's why we also took the photo of Cara stepping on Mat's feet as she kissed him goodbye. Thank you, Mat, for your service, and I hope you come back home safely and quickly!

Mason: Newborn Photos

I'm very glad that Jodi was so happy with her maternity photos that she chose me to also take newborn photos of her little baby Mason.

Feminine Portraits: Jackie

One style of photography that has always intrigued me is contemporary portraiture or glamor. I wanted to test out my skills, and my good friend Jackie was more than willing to be my guinea pig.

Sarah's Sophomore Homecoming

Believe it or not, my sister actually wore my dress to her sophomore homecoming dance. We took the opportunity of her being all dolled up to snap some shots. I love the way the flowers match the dress.

Jodi's Maternity Photos

While Jodi was expecting her second child, I took her to Philippe Park in Safety Harbor to take some maternity photos. I loved the little sign she made with her soon-to-be son's name: Mason.

Owen: Newborn Photography

While Kelley was expecting her firstborn child, she didn't know what the sex was going to be and kept it a secret until the birth. Owen came, and the secret was out. It's a boy!

Portrait Photography: Brandi

Brandi is one of my coworkers and fellow designers at Triad Retail Media. One day, we took a few quick snaps on a whim. I think these turned out pretty cute. After all, Brandi, you're a fine girl.

Kelley's Maternity Photos

Kelley was seriously the most stunning pregnant lady I have ever seen. It's really not even fair. I hope that I look half as good if I ever have a baby. It was a blessing to be chosen as her maternity photographer.

Carla and Tom: Wedding Photos at the Grand Plaza on St. Pete Beach

Chase: Newborn Photography

I thought this photos of Chase in his dad's hat, next to his cowboy boots was a pretty adorable idea. Also, I liked that his parents brought a sign with his name on it to Lauren's maternity shoot.

Children's Photography: Gabby

Gabby is my cousin Ashley's daughter, and she has the funniest personality of any little kid I've ever met. She kept coming up with ideas for her own photos and saying, "Desi, take a picture of this! Aren't I cute?" Yes, Gabby. You are very cute.

Kaitlyn and John: Wedding Photos at Heritage Village

I love it when couples are willing to do a "First Look." It gives me more time to work with them and make sure I get a good variety of shots and exactly the right look. Plus, it makes the rest of the day a lot less hectic. I took Kaitlyn and John right next to where we took their engagement photos at The Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo. We took their wedding photos at Heritage Village, right next door.