Makeup Show 08 Webgallery

We have completed the web gallery for the Miami Makeup Show 08. Feel free to click on the image above to browse through our images from the show.

Ms. Laura Cotton

Last week we did a portrait session for our good friend and fellow Lindy Hopper Laura Cotton. This session was a blast and Laura was a perfect model. Laura handles public relations for an airline company and spends most of her time in Antigua, so we always cherish the time we spend with her when she is home. Last weekend we went to see 10,000 b.c. at the drive-in theater (terrible movie by the way, save your money) but the drive-in theater experience is always fun. To view the webshow, please click on the image.

Starchef 2008 Awards

Early this month we were hired by Starchefs Magazine to cover their Rising Stars Review being held at the Trump International Golf Club. Martin and I love food and we were very excited about this event. Many of South Florida's top chefs were in attendance sharing their favorite dishes with the guests. As part of our agreement with Starchefs we were able to put the camera down and enjoy the food tasting. It was a night to remember and we look forward to next year. To view the web gallery for this event please click the image.

Ralph "Poppi" 70th Birthday

Last month we had the privilege to share with the Basso family the 70th birthday of Ralph "Poppi" Basso. We feel blessed to be entrusted to capture these special moments and provide the family a record of their special day. Every family shares a special bond and we love being a part of that. There were 11 grandchildren who we spent most of the day chasing, pleading with and bribing. We had a blast with the kids and in the end I think we got great images of the kids being kids, as well as the adults being kids. The Basso family was full of love and we want to thank them for making us feel welcomed. Please click the image to view the slideshow.

How Cool is That!!?

We spent some time at the Makeup Show Miami on Sunday and Monday. It was held in the Miami Beach Convention Center. There were lots of vendors with cool displays and models being painted or airbrushed by very talented artists right before our eyes. This is just a teaser. Check back soon for the finished look of this model (by Make Up For Ever) and much more from other artists. A special "thank you" to Kiley and Terrence at Big Girl Cosmetics for their invitation to this event.

Wedding Professionals

We have met some really nice wedding pros along the way and have been meaning to mention them. Bobby at Petals Panache is amazingly talented and a pleasure to work with. Sira at Sira D'Pion offers gorgeous gowns at her bridal boutique in Miami. Nuran at A Dance to Remember is one of our first swing dance teachers. She specializes in dance lessons and choreographing "first dances" for wedding couples. We enjoy working with them, value their talent and recommend them to all of our couples. We'll post more later...

Laurie

We had the pleasure of doing a session with the model Laurie while she was here in SoFla last week. Even though Laurie was very sick that day and there was rain in the forecast,we still had a good time and made some great shots. The awesome makeup was done by make up artist JessicaG. Great artist, very pleasant and easy to work with. Some of you might also recognize our furry child Savoy in one of these images. He was a really good sport and got along with Laurie very well. I'm looking forward to more sessions like this.

SoFLex 2008

F-U-N!!!! We had a great time at the SoFLex (South Florida Lindy Exchange) this year. We had so much fun that we got super sick afterwards, but it was all worth it. We danced about 32 hours from Thursday to Sunday night. Lindy Hop heaven indeed. With all the dancing, we totally missed all the photo-ops, so we have no pics to post. But here is the link to a YouTube clip one of the dancers posted: SoFLex 08 Video The clip shows dancers at Beach Place in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday afternoon. There are no routines, just people getting together and dancing their hearts out. Did I say fun?!

Imaging USA

Yeah...it's been a while...a long while, but we're ready to blog. We have some catching up to do. We took a road trip up to Tampa for Imaging USA with our friend Mike Meyer. It was a blast. We had lots of laughs and learned some new things both from each other and at the expo. We are now looking forward to incorporating all our new plans and ideas for 2008.

Anne & Matt's Wedding

I love Christmas and I love weddings. A Christmas Wedding !? What could be finer? It was so great. We are happy to have been a part of this wonderful event. It was good to meet Anne and Matt's family. Such nice people one and all. This slide show is just a short/sweet version of this lovely story. Enjoy.

Happy New Year!!!!

We wish all of you a wonderful New Year filled with love, peace, health and prosperity. We appreciate all of you who stop by on a regular basis to see what we're up to. We are looking forward to a great New Year of making memories together and the continued success of PhotoNotions, Inc. I am blessed everyday to do what I love for a living. Always follow your dreams. There are great things in-store for all of us. "Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong." ~Ella Fitzgerald

Our New Website!!!

Finally! Our new and improved website is online. Check it out when you get a chance at  www.photonotions.net. It's at the same address but it's filled with new images and music and best of all it's totally us. You can let us know what you think by leaving a comment on this post or sending us an email.

Anne & Matt

Anne and Matt are the sweetest most fun loving couple. We had a great time even at the first session which was totally rained out. We made up for it with a second session at Vizcaya. The day turned out perfect. Even on the rainiest day, this couples' spirits were not dampened. Their wedding, three days before Christmas will be a dream I am sure. I am so looking forward to it. Click on the image above to see their slide show.

The Bells

I just LOVE when it's time for the Bell family session. Trevor and Tanner are so awesome. They have grown and are a regular pair of models now. We had a blast in the studio session at their home and the time we spent at the park was icing on the cake. What a beautiful day. Click on the image above to see their slide show.

Elisa

Elisa's maternity session was the third part of our photo shoot in the Colonial City in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Hard to believe she's due in December with such a cute little tummy. What a lovely lady. We had a bit of a language barrier but nothing that my husband (Martin) couldn't handle. Lots of fun as usual. The rest of this entry will be in Spanish for Elisa. Gracias Elisa por ser tan buen modelo y ser tan paciente con nosotros. Finalmente puedes dejar de llamar a Clara, aqui esta el Slideshow. Click en la foto.

Francheska

Francheska is a little lady with lots of personality. The way she talks, you forget she's just eleven. She's a beautiful girl inside and out. We had a blast doing this session, also in the old Colonial City in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Hopefully we'll see Francheska again in December, when she's in Florida to visit Disney World. Please click on her image above to view her slide show.

Clara and Yadiris

Congratulations Clara and Yadiris on your graduation. We went out to the old Colonial City in Santo Domingo, D.R. Great morning! Sweet girls! Lots of laughs!!! Chulisimo!Click on the image above to see their slide show.

Attention Fellow Photographers!

TYE Studios will be having their Open House this Friday and Saturday. We will definitely be there on Friday. TYE is a state of the art rental studio for professional photographers. TYE is well equipped for any photographic assignment or artistic vision. All you pros and enthusiasts out there really need to visit . The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is relaxed. They also have models and make-up artists on call. The super cool founder Donna Peplin is the best. Open house hours are Friday, October 5th 5:00pm-9:00pm and Saturday, October 6th 10:00am-6:00pm If you need more information please call them at: 954-327-3447 or you can Email: info@tyestudios.com

Expecting

Monika and Ian are expecting their first baby. They are both anxious for her arrival and look forward to all that their new life with her will bring. She's a lucky baby because she has a beautiful and creative Mom and a smart and funny Dad. This shoot was a lot of fun because these two are very much in love. Click photo above to view slideshow.
P.S. Martin says "keep representing Babushka!" ;-)

What's New

I've been busy with album designing for the past month. Everything is on it's way to Italy now for production. Now it's time to focus on updating our website. Our webmaster Chris will be working with us on the new site development. If all goes well, the site will be up and running by the end of the summer. Recently, a new photography studio has opened up in the Fort Lauderdale area. Donna, the owner of TYE Studios, is super cool. The place is like a photographer's dream come true, with state-of-the-art equipment to die for. The grand opening party was a blast with models, make-up artists, photographers and lots of music - awesome party. I have posted a few images here. Looking forward to doing some great sessions in that studio. Will post again real soon.

Happy Independence Day

We hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday. The weather here was very wet and humid, but we fared far better than those who experienced flooding or fires. So, we are thankful. I made this image on the campus of the local Community College. The fireworks show was short but enjoyable. In the works: We have a new website in progress. Stay tuned for up coming slide shows and updates.

Shalonda & Carlton

Here is the slide show with some of the images from Shalonda and Carlton's lovely wedding. It was a great event. A special thank you to Mrs. Inniss (Mother of the Groom). We are happy to have met such a sweet lady. We were glad to have the opportunity to do some portraits with the bride & groom alone before the reception. It turned out great. Just click on the image above to view the slide show.

Sharon & Todd Wedding

Wonderful! Perfect! We had a grand time at the wedding of Sharon and Todd. It was total excitement from beginning to end. Their personal vows were a perfect highlight to the evening. We were all blessed to be a part of all this love. The party was great with lots of dancing. I can't wait to see the video. A perfect and beautiful wedding for a perfect and beautiful couple. We love you Sharodd! CLICK PHOTO TO SEE SLIDE SHOW.

Swinging with George Gee & Friends

Martin and I can't begin to explain how much fun we had this night(but I think this photo Frank took sums it up). Six of us performed at the European Stock Exchange late night party at the Boca Resort. George Gee (who rocks) brought in Barbara Morrison (her voice makes you wanna' shake something) and they jammed. And as if that wasn't enough, we also had Levay Smith and her Red Hot Skillets Lickers. Can we say, "Lindy Hop Heaven"? We had a ball dancing with Jay & Megan, Frank & Laura and all the folks from the Stock Exchange. It will be a cherished memory always.

Jennifer & Rick's Wedding Day

Can we say beautiful!?! Everyone was so sweet. We had a great time photographing this wedding event. Here is a very small sampling of the many images we created that day. Click on image above to view the slide show..
FYI!!! The online proofs will be available at www.pictage.com/297047 Sorry for the inconvenience.

Jennifer & Rick

We had a lot of laughs hanging out with Rick and Jen. We look forward to the wedding coming up in just a couple of weeks. We want to thank Rick for giving us face cramps from laughing too much. Rick a.k.a. Tom Cruise's cousin ;-)
Click Image above to view slide show.

Sharon & Todd E-Session

Here is the sweetest couple you'll ever want to meet. Sharon is a good friend we met swing dancing and Todd is her very cool fiance. We are happy to be given the honor of being their wedding photographer. Here is the slide show of their E-Session. Click on the Image above to view.

Mayra & Yves

A nice event at the Eagle Trace Country Club. These two families became one and it was all so perfect. Everyone was great. There was so much love and so many beautiful people. Martin , Jenni and I were happy to be a part of this event. Enjoy the slide show.  CLICK HERE TO VIEW SLIDE SHOW.

We're Back

Okay. It's time get back into the swing of things. We've been neglecting our blog duties trying to get the business up to speed for the New Year. I'm back now and will post as often as possible. We have some exciting events coming up, so stay tuned for the gorgeous slideshows to come. A special Thank You to all our wonderful clients/friends for your support and raves over the last few months.

The Bell Family

Last Sunday was a blast in the Bell's backyard. It was great fun and the kids enjoyed themselves. It's always fun capturing kids when they are in their element. Trevor and Tanner were awesome. Bobby and Lori have two gorgeous boys. CLICK HERE TO VIEW SLIDESHOW.

Chazulle Family

Samson, Evelyn, Daniel and Jordyn were loads of fun at this session last Thursday. The mall was something new, but fitting for the holiday theme. The beach was beautiful and the tide was high so we had a blast trying to get away from the waves. Enjoy the Slideshow.

Haynes Family Session

Just a fun afternoon with this family. Thanks Aaron, Kelly and Savannah for lots of love and never ending motion. Savannah, nicknamed "Hot Rod" by Dad and "Constant Motion" by Mom, was a bundle of one year old energy. View Slideshow.

Italy Slideshow

Without further ado, here are the photos from our trip to Italy. Photographs were taken by Martin and I (even the ones of us together clicking our heels in Venice and Rome). The only exception is the one of us in the restaurant, which was taken by one of the photographers who attended the workshop from Portugal. View Slideshow.

Photography Workshop in Venice

Unfortunately, I missed most of the workshop because I had problems with my Visa, but we made it eventually. Venice is the most beautiful city I have ever seen. It was like a dream. Rome to me, is like NYC with Monuments. The Colloseum is amazing! It was heart-breaking to miss the workshop but I did get to see Italy and I took lots of pictures. Be on the look-out for the slideshow coming soon.

Marlene & Andrew

We had so much fun shooting this e-session at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel. Andrew & Marlene will be married in Jamaica at the end of October. It will be a beautiful affair. Congratulations to both of you. We wish you all the best. Thank you guys for a great time and a great shoot. View Slideshow

Connor & Ryan

Connor and his baby brother Ryan, had a fun time during their photo session. It was a lot of work because Connor is two years old and Ryan is six months. But everything turned out great and everyone had a good time. Josie (their Mother) was a sweetheart and also a lot of help trying to get some great shots. View Slideshow

Finally!

Here is the exciting results of the 3 photo-sessions we did with Terry. We definately achieved some good variety and had great fun in the process. I love shooting like this. My wish is to have some adventurous brides do sessions like these. It's all about the fantasy. Models do it all the time. Why not you? Who would you like to be today? What a big surprise for your significant other ;-) Terry was a great sport. It was hard work but she had the "time of her life" and was very into anything I could think of. She also had some ideas of her own and did her own hair and make-up. She Rocks! Very special thanks to SanKyle Couture Accessories. The designer allowed us to use the unusual suede cord top, gorgeous shell necklace and stunning red coral necklace you see Terry wearing in the forest scene. Without further ado, here is the SLIDESHOW.

Cara

I had a blast doing this studio and on location shoot. Cara is a beautiful model. Terry did a great job on make-up for us and Cara's boyfriend Joel would make a great photo-stylist (plenty of ideas in his head). The session ran late because of another rainy day in S. Fla. but we still had a great time. I should mention there are a few partial nudes at the end (nothing serious). Just don't want to catch anyone by surprise. Enjoy!
View Slideshow

Huascar & Salma

This e-session was great fun. Thanks guys for choosing us to do your engagement photos. May God always bless you and your relationship. Take a look at the slideshow.
View Slideshow

Terry Photo Shoot

We are currently in the middle of an exciting 3 day high-fashion shoot with this gorgeous model (who also happens to be my cousin's wife). Our goal is different/funky/sexy looks. When I'm done, I will post a slideshow. You'll want to see this, so stay tune. Here is one of my favorites so far.

To All My Weblog Guest

Hey guys, thank you for all the compliments I have received by phone (keep 'em comin' - never get tired of hearing them ;-) I would really love to see some comments from the viewers of this weblog. Please feel free to click the "comment" link below each entry and tell me what you think, how you feel or any ideas you may have. When I get the chance, I'll post some photographs as well. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Joe

Joe needed new pix for his portfolio. He was referred to us by a mutual friend. We spent the day at his place in Bal Harbour doing some lifestyle and fashion shots. He is the nicest guy you ever want to meet - so we put a little slideshow together to showcase his photos. Enjoy!
View Slideshow

Christina & Anthony

We had a great time shooting this wedding at the Signature Grand. It was both fun and sentimental. One of the highlights was when Anthony gave Adriana (his stepdaughter) a ring at the end of the ceremony. She couldn't hold back the tears and neither could anyone else. So sweet! Here is the slideshow for all to enjoy.
View Slideshow

Nkeruka & Christopher

I had the pleasure of being the photographer at this lovely morning wedding. Martin and Jennifer were my efficient assistants. It rained everyday for the previous three weeks but the morning of the wedding turned out beautiful (hot, but beautiful). I hope you all enjoy this slideshow and share it with anyone who couldn't be there to enjoy this blessed day.
View Slideshow

The Man

I guess I should start my blog by introducing this man.













This very "Cool Cat" is my husband Martin.
He is also my business partner, so you'll hardly see us without each other. As an integral part of PhotoNotions, Inc. he keeps us on the cutting edge of photographic technology. All cameras, equipment and digital darkroom gear are procured through his research and marketing. This image was taken in Austin, TX in January(2006) while we were there to attend Imaging USA
(a major industry event for photographers). You'll see more, about and from Martin a.k.a MP in the future.