White Sand, Blue Skies and Paisley: Florida Beach Model Session

florida beach portraits white sand blue skies

Sometimes a trip to the beach is a required break from wedding editing. And photographing a model is a great time to create new images and experiment.

The sunny F16 rules applies to shooting in bright daylight, and as photographers we need to have some serious flash power to match or overpower daylight. I decided to bring my Visatec monolight to Fort DeSoto Beach in Saint Petersburg Florida to experiment with cross lighting the sun.

My model Andrea had the perfect dress for the setting and we decided to keep the shades on!

kristen sloan beach portraits

st pete florida photographer kristen sloan

florida saint petersburg photographer kristen sloan

Fort DeSoto Florida Model Beach

florida beach model strobe kristen sloan

florida beach visatec strobist crosslight

florida beach crosslight strobe

CONTACT KRISTEN SLOAN TODAY TO BOOK YOUR PORTRAIT SESSION!

Vinoy Park Beach and Coffee Pot Boulevard Saint Petersburg Florida Portraits

I photographed portraits of Ann in along scenic Coffee Pot Blvd in Saint Petersburg Florida. Coffe Pot Bayou provides a beautiful backdrop, and I especially love the white stucco spanish style park structures which featured bougainvillea in bloom. As the afternoon light progressed, we sought the golden hour light on the Vinoy Park beach.

During this shoot I mixed available light with fill light provided by two SaberStrips in an upside L formation. The SaberStrips in this formation create a soft box look, and allow space for me to photograph my subject. At times I used the fill light, at other times I just shot available light.

saint petersburg  florida portraits photograher

tampa bay portraits

florida beach portraits

coffe pot bayou portraits

saint petersburg florida headshots

saint petersburg florida beach portraits

Vinoy Park Portraits St Petersburg Photographer

CONTACT KRISTEN TODAY TO SCHEDULE YOUR PORTRAIT SESSION!

Longboat Key Family Beach Portraits

The Johns family traveled to West Bradenton Florida over the Christmas holiday for a family reunion. They asked me to photograph their extended family in Longboat Key, a beautiful section of the Sarasota Bradenton beaches.

Now is the perfect time to schedule Kristen Sloan to photograph your family portrait session, whether its on the gulf beaches, along the bay in Saint Petersburg or your favorite Tampa Bay urbanscape.

saint petersburg beach portraits

florida beach portraits

longboat key family beach portraits

tampa bay beach senior portraits

longboat key beach family portraits

florida gulf beach portraits saint petersburg photographer

CONTACT KRISTEN SLOAN TODAY TO BOOK YOUR PORTRAIT SESSION!

Holy Ghost Church Wedding and History Colorado Denver Wedding Reception

Molly McConaty and David Coors were married over Thanksgiving weekend in downtown Denver. Since both of their families each go back five generations in Colorado, Molly and David selected venues, decor, food and drink to compliment their strong ties to Colorado. This wedding was a celebration of Colorado heritage!

denver colorado holy ghost history colorado wedding

Beginning in late September, I photographed Molly’s bridal portrait at Denver Country Club and was lucky to capture the gorgeous fall foliage in addition to the interior and exterior beauty of the Denver Country Club.Fall Foliage Bridal Portrait Denver Photographer Kristen Sloan Moss Pink Flora

Bridal Portraits Denver Country Club

Fall Foliage Bridal Portrait Denver Photographer Kristen Sloan

On Friday evening, Scott Krebs and I captured candids during the wedding ceremony rehearsal at Holy Ghost Church in downtown Denver. The bride and groom selected a western attire theme for the evening.

Western Theme Wedding Cowboy Boots Holy Ghost Church Denver Colorado

cowboy boots wedding rehearsal

western theme wedding cowboy bootsholy ghost wedding denver

David’s family hosted the wedding rehearsal dinner at University Club Denver. Coors beer was featured, along with western guitar entertainment.

western theme rehearsal denver

groom denver university club

David and his groomsmen got dressed at his parents residence in Denver. We photographed the portraits of the gentlemen in their beautiful backyard. The gentlemen were outfitted handsomely in black cowboy boots. David’s dad, Pete set-up a boot shining station to help the gentlemen look their best.

western theme wedding

groomsmen cowboy boots black tie

Molly and her bridesmaids dressed in a room on the 9th art deco floor of the Brown Palace Hotel. Molly’s dress was purchased at Anna Be in the Highlands.

Anna Be Wedding Dress Denver Colorado

brown palace hotel wedding

brown palace hotel wedding bride

Brown Palace wedding bridesmaids christmasbrown palace wedding

Molly and David’s evening wedding ceremony was held at Holy Ghost Church. The full Catholic Mass was officiated by Father Daniel Leonard and Monsignor Michael Glenn.

Flowers were designed by Jil at Moss Pink Flora. Sophisticated woodland rustic was the theme with hydrangeas, roses, thistle, succulents, orchids, nandina and seeded eucalyptus.

All of the wedding stationary, (including the invitations, church programs and menu cards) was provided by Rosie Wiedenmayer of the Paper Lady, Denver, Colorado.holy ghost wedding

Moss pink flora paper lady denver colorado

wedding holy ghost denver

father walking bride aisle holy ghost church

holy ghost wedding ceremony

holy ghost wedding catholic mass

bride groom walking aisle holy ghost wedding

bride groom holy ghost wedding

denver catholic wedding ceremony

The wedding reception was held at the newly opened History Colorado Museum. Hosting their wedding reception at History Colorado was particularly meaningful to the Molly and David since their families are fifth generation Coloradans.

The menu featured local Colorado ingredients  of autumns’ rich bounty catered by Continental Divine Catering  lead by  Shannon Fitzgerald.

History Colorado wedding

moss pink flora history colorado wedding

The wedding featured Colorado wines from Creekside Cellars. The grapes were grown and harvested in Palisades, Colorado, but crushed, cellared and bottled in Evergreen, Colorado.

History Colorado Wedding reception

bride groom history colorado

A celebratory grand cru honey wheat ale brewed with local madhava clover honey from Lyons, Colorado was created by the groom,  David Coors and Sandlot Brewery for the special occasion. Guests toasted the couple in monogrammed glasses. Later  they were able to take these home as a favor along with a bottle of the ale customized with Molly and David wedding labels.

 coors beer wedding toast

history colorado wedding dancing

Jerry Barnett and Moments Notice provided phenomenal entertainment.

Moments Notice Denver

The cake and cupcakes were made by Brooke Smith at the Dessert Stand.

dessert stand denver coors beer wedding

CONTACT KRISTEN SLOAN TO DISCUSS YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY NEEDS AND CHECK HER AVAILABILITY

Playa del Carmen Mexico Beach Wedding at Playacar Palace

mexico beach wedding

Scott Krebs and I traveled to beautiful Playa del Carmen, Mexico to photograph Bronwyn and Chris’s destination beach wedding at Playacar Palace.

Bronwyn and Chris chose to have a destination beach wedding after attending a friend’s Cozumel wedding  at the previous year. They selected Playacar Palace in Playa del Carmen Mexico to host their wedding. Playacar Palace All inclusive Resort offers 4 star accommodations with modern architecture, a variety of excellent dining options in their restaurants, a beautiful pool, sweeping views of the Caribbean, and is conveniently located at the southern end of the Playa del Carmen village.

Bronwyn and Chris are lucky to reside in the mountains of Colorado and as beautiful as a mountain wedding is, they wanted the sand beneath their toes and the gorgeous ocean on the horizon.

We started the wedding day photographing Bronwyn in her suite and on its balcony overlooking the Caribbean. We exposed for natural light, but adding off camera fill light from SaberStrips. We met Chris on the beach before the ceremony to photograph him with his parents in front of the couples custom made ceremony arch, designed by local Playa del Carmen florist Marvin José Ku Kinil of Maya Floral.

playa car  palace wedding dress mexico beach wedding

Bronwyn purchased her dress in Denver Colorado at The Little White Dress

playacar palace mexico wedding dress

Hair and Makeup by Jalil with Trio Riviera Maya

playacar palace wedding

playa del carmen mexico wedding brideplaya del carmen beach wedding groom

Wedding Floral design by Marvin José Ku Kinil of Maya Flora located in Playa del Carmen Mexico

playacar palace mexico wedding groom flowersmexico beach wedding bride and groom

beach wedding caribbean

mexico beach wedding photos playa del carmen kissbride groom mexico wedding

mexican beach destination wedding

Bronwyn and Chris selected stationary from Palm Leaf Invitations

beach wedding ceremony mexico bride groom

beach wedding ceremony

Wedding Floral design by Marvin José Ku Kinil of Maya Flora, a local florist located in Playa del Carmen Mexico.

mexico beach wedding first dance playa car palace

CONTACT KRISTEN SLOAN TODAY TO DISCUSS YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY NEEDS AND CHECK HER AVAILABILITY

Ybor City Tampa Florida Natural Light Portraits of Amber Osborne aka Miss Destructo

I photographed Amber Osborne, social media extraordinaire, while photo assisting Scott Krebs’ portrait session in Ybor City, Tampa Florida. I grabbed Scott’s Fuji X-Pro camera with a 60mm lens and captured some natural light shots of Miss Destructo in the late afternoon light. These images were taken a few days before Amber relocated to Seattle, WA.

CONTACT KRISTEN SLOAN TODAY TO BOOK YOUR PORTRAIT SESSION!

Hollywood Glamour Lighting Studio Portraits, Saint Petersburg Tampa Bay Florida

It had been quite some time since I had photographed a studio portrait session and I wanted to emulate the dramatic, elegant and flattering light of old Hollywood portraits of the 1930’s and 1940’s. I kept the lighting very simple: continuous light from my Visatec modeling lamps with barn doors. Camera was my Nikon D700 with the 85mm lens, with most aperture settings at F4 or F2.8. Very little post production in Lightroom was needed because this lighting setup is extremely flattering to skin tones and my model Megan has amazing porcelain skin.

Cherry Creek Country Club Wedding and Reception in Denver, Colorado

cherry creek country club wedding

Art Silk and Kristen Sloan photographed Shannon and Mark’s wedding day at Cherry Creek Country Club in Denver Colorado on a beautiful warm and sunny June day.

Shannon and her bridesmaids prepared their hair and makeup in the gorgeous upstairs women’s locker room lounge; a dream location to shoot in. Directly off of this lounge, we photographed the ladies on a covered balcony that provided beautiful natural light that we supplemented with diffused off camera flash.

Earlier Shannon and I had met to do a walk through at Cherry Creek Country Club, and I fell in love with the interior spaces of the clubhouse. Later we explored the exterior covered alcoves and balconies, which kept us shaded on their wedding day, provided filtered natural light and interesting architectural backgrounds. Location wise, Cherry Creek Country Club is one of the prettiest clubhouses I have photographed. Jan Hardy, the social director at the Cherry Creek Country Club was one of the nicest event coordinators to work with.

Bonnie Brae Flowers created the bouquets and flower decor for this wedding. Das Meyer Pastry of Arvada, Colorado made the wedding cake. Sugarlicious, located in Cherry Creek North Denver Colorado, created a candy bar which allowed the wedding guests to make custom boxes of candy to enjoy at the wedding and take home as favors. Elite DJ Matt Kenfield kept the dancing going strong well into the night.

cherry creek country club wedding dress

golf course wedding denver

colorado country club wedding

Bonnie Brae Flowers Wedding Bouquet Flowers Denver Colorado

denver country club wedding

cherry creek wedding bridesmaids

golf course wedding denver colorado groom

cherry creek country club wedding

golf course wedding denver country club

 golf course wedding colorado

denver country club wedding bride groom

denver country club wedding colorado

bridal party colorado wedding country club

flower girl country club wedding

cherry creek denver colorado wedding groomsmen

golf course wedding groomsmen denver colorado

ceremony denver wedding outdoors golf course

wedding ceremony cherry creek country club

golf course wedding denver colorado cherry creek

denver wedding photographer

wedding candy table sugarliscious denver

Wedding Cake Das Meyer Bakery Denver Colorado

Hipster Eighties Wedding Reception

signature cocktail denver colorado wedding

denver wedding Elite DJ Matt Kenfield

%d bloggers like this: