Hello friends,
Hope you are all having a lovely week! This post is short and sweet…just a little bit of sparkle. Yesterday I shared Betsy’s beautiful laugh, and today I’m sharing the necklace that accentuated the deep v-neck back of her vintage lace dress. Such a simple and striking touch.
As I mentioned yesterday, I shot this wedding digitally several years ago. Photographers, this shot was taken on a Nikon D300, 50mm lens, wide open. I believe the ISO setting was around 100, which allowed for a slower shutter speed – probably around 1/50…thus the subtle motion blur.
xoxo,
Gina Leigh
Hello friends,
Happy Wednesday! Today I’m sharing an image that is several years old, but still remains one of my favorites from all the weddings that I’ve photographed. One of the reasons that I enjoy weddings is because of all the emotion…especially laughter. I love to laugh, and so I naturally smile when I see this photo. The bride’s name is Betsy, the groom is John…and their wedding was a blast.
I photographed this wedding during my two years shooting digitally, before I transitioned back to film. Photographers, I used a 50mm lens on a D300 camera body, wide open. Conversion to black and white, with toning, in Adobe Lightroom during post production. I applied some burning and dodging in Photoshop. One of the many reasons that I love film is that a photo with backlighting such as this would have been beautiful from the original film scan, assuming that the lab does their job well. I’m thankful not to be spending hours using Photoshop anymore…which allows me more time behind the lens.
xoxo,
Gina Leigh
Hello friends,
I think I’ve laughed more this weekend than in the past year combined. I wish I could somehow share a glimpse into my world when I’m with my brothers – somehow all the little boring details of life become material for sarcasm and wit. The past five days have been no exception. I love the way my brothers interact with my children, and my boys adore them….I can’t say what it does to my heart to watch them kick around a soccer ball with Joshua, my oldest boy.
My youngest brother, Seth, is officially married to Christie…she’s a darling girl and I enjoyed getting to know her better this weekend. Saturday was a gorgeous day – it was an outdoor wedding at Christie’s homestead in the country. Her home was built in the early 1900′s and it has been well preserved – the floors were rough original wood, beautiful moldings, porcelain doorknobs, original kitchen cabinets…lovely. Outdoors we were surrounded by cornfields. The reception tent stood next to their large white washed barn. The weather was nearly perfect – mid 60′s, sun and clouds – a little chilly for my Florida blood, but beautiful nonetheless.
I’m back to work today, and I’m glad to have my routine back. Funny thing…I think I’m actually getting used to getting up at 6a.m.! Today I’m sharing a portrait of Rachel. Rachel married one of my brothers last year in September, and this photo was taken at her grandmother’s farm. I enjoy this photograph for many reasons…first because I love her so much. Rachel is a classically trained dancer, which shows in her posture and her dancer’s feet. I love that she had the confidence to marry in her bare feet! Her grandmother made her sweet cotton eyelet lace dress by hand…it is no doubt one of my favorites. And the photo wouldn’t be complete without the walnuts in the grass under the swing.
Photographers, I shot this on my Nikon F100, 35mm Fuji 400H, rated at 200, metered to the shadow. 50mm lens, wide open. Processed and scanned by North Coast Photo.
xoxo,
Gina Leigh
Hello friends,
Today is going to be a great day! I can’t say how happy I am to be with my brothers and their sweet wives, and we’ve got a day packed full of fun. Tomorrow Seth is getting married, which hardly seems possible….he’s the baby of the family.
I shot this series of digital photos of Seth and Christian at Seth’s graduation just a few years ago, and I thought I’d share a peak into my world when I’m with them. No one makes me laugh more…
Happy Friday!
xoxo,
Gina Leigh
Hello friends,
I’m feeling happy and excited today! I can’t wait to see my family. It’s a perfect day to share bright cheerful pink peonies…this lovely little bunch matches my mood perfectly, even at 5:45 in the morning. In a few moments, I’ll begin the mad dash to finish packing and get everyone dressed and ready to go, but for now I think I’ll just sit back and be lighthearted for a moment.
A while ago I was trying to explain to a friend what type of flowers I like and don’t like. I’m sure I’m just particular, but I’ve never really enjoyed the standard florist arrangements. I love flowers that feel as if they’ve been hand picked, something from the garden in the backyard perhaps. I love arrangements that are artistic and unexpected. This is one of the reasons that I enjoy working with floral designers frequently…I’m continually amazed by their talent and creativity…they understand the art of floral design, not just to business of providing a pre-designed arrangement of flowers for the 50 people that might walk in the door wanting to give something to their mother for Mother’s Day.
These darling little peonies and tulips are a perfect example. The design exudes simplicity. It feels personal. The flowers themselves are naturally beautiful, particularly when showcased in the eclectic mix of vases.
Many thanks to Botanical International Design Studio for providing such stunning floral designs at Lauren and Jonathan’s wedding.
Photographers, this shot was taken on my Contax 645, Fuji 400H rated at 200, wide open – 80mm f2.0 at 1/60. Off camera flash with umbrella, triggered by PocketWizards to the right of the flowers. Processed and scanned by North Coast Photo.
xoxo,
Gina Leigh
Hello friends,
Happy Tuesday to you! I have a busy day ahead of me…I’m looking forward to it.
Today I am sharing a portrait from Amy and Tony’s wedding at the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa. I like this one in particular because it seems to typify Florida, mostly because of the water and palm tree in the distance. It’s been a favorite for a while. Amy and Tony were a great couple to work with, and Amy was such a trooper walking through the tall grass in her dress, which was much taller in certain areas than this photo shows. We ended up spending a good ten minutes picking little burs out of her dress…she laughed the whole time. Such a sweet bride!
Photographers, this was shot on Fuji 400H, 35mm, rated at 200, metered to the shadow, using a Nikon F100 and a 80-200 f2.8, at about 80mm. Processed and scanned by Richard Photo Lab on the Fuji Frontier.
xoxo,
Gina Leigh
Hello friends,
Hope you’ve all had a lovely weekend. My family and I enjoyed watching NFL yesterday afternoon and evening…it’s always a fun day in our house when the season starts. I also watched a good bit of the 9/11 coverage, which made the day feel a bit somber. Somehow it’s difficult to watch football after taking the time to remember the many lives that were lost that day. Yet, I’m tremendously thankful for the freedoms that I enjoy, and I’m grateful to those who serve our country in battle everyday.
Since I shared a little last week, I thought I’d share a few more of the amazing details from Jessica and John’s beautiful wedding at the Powel Crosley Mansion. I had the honor of seeing this wedding published in Brides Florida magazine, much in part to the careful attention that Jessica put into all the little things. This wedding has provided inspiration to many of the brides that I have personally met with, so hopefully it will be a source of inspiration to those of you who are in the planning stages right now! Special thanks to Redman Steele for the beautiful floral design.
Jessica’s Melissa Sweet gown, provided by Malindy Elene Bridal Couture:
Photographers, these were shot primarily using my Contax 645, Fuji 400H and 800Z, along with Nikon F100′s and lenses. Rated at half, metered to the shadow.
xoxo,
Gina Leigh
Hello Friends,
Happy Thursday to you! Today’s post is short and sweet…I have a busy morning ahead of me, including a dentist appointment…why, oh why, must we go to the dentist?
This Thursday’s detail shot is…sweet. Although this one is very simple, it’s been one of my favorites for a while. In fact, I used this photo as my background display on my iPhone for several months. The beautiful roses, along with the rest of the floral design for the wedding, was provided by Redman Steele Florist, whom I highly recommend.
Photographers, I’m having a hard time remembering the specific specs on this particular photograph, but I do know that it was taken on my Contax 645, Fuji 400H film, rated at 200. I believe that I was wide open at 2.0, metered to the shadow. Processed and scanned by North Coast Photo.
xoxo,
Gina Leigh
Hello Friends,
Hope you are all enjoying a lovely Wednesday!
Today I’m sharing a moment from Jessica and John’s wedding that took me quite by surprise. Nearly every wedding involves the special introduction of the couple at the reception as “Mr. and Mrs.” for the first time. It’s an important part of the day, and I usually spend at least a moment or two scoping out the best angle for the shot. This particular wedding was at one of my favorite venues in Sarasota – The Powel Crosley Mansion. I love the history, the rich wood, the beautiful arched doorways, the original tile floors…even the doorknobs. It’s all preserved perfectly. And as the sun makes it’s decent over the gulf which the estate overlooks, the light pours into the mansion through the glass windows and doors…it’s remarkable. Jessica and John timed their introduction perfectly – the sunlight happened to be hitting the pane of glass on the door behind them, and I decided to take a risk. Normally I would use flash to make sure their faces were illuminated, but that didn’t fit with what I was seeing artistically. At the last moment, I turned off my flash to allow the light to burst into the image, creating a silhouette. Sometimes the risk is worth it…
Photographers, here are the specs – Nikon F100, 50mm 1.8, Fuji Superia 1600, rated at 800, no flash, processed and scanned by North Coast Photo.
Be sure to visit Jessica at her own blog…The Poor Girl!
xoxo,
Gina Leigh
Hello Friends,
Happy Friday! I’ve survived week one…up at 6a.m. everyday, new work schedule, new school schedule for the boys, new exercise schedule, healthy meals for dinner, and daily posts on A Pen for Pearl. And my children have not yet grown tired of chicken. I’m looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow!
Today I’m sharing photographs of Jennifer while she was getting dressed for her beautiful wedding earlier this year. Jennifer and Michael were married at the Renaissance Vinoy, and the wedding was planned by the very talented Lori of Simply Divine Events. It’s always a treat for me to work with Lori…she is as “on the ball” as they come! I’ll share more color images of this beautiful wedding next week. For now though, it’s the special time of anticipation and preparation that I’d like to focus on. Somehow I find that black and white photography fits perfectly with the emotion and moments that characterize the time that a bride spends getting ready. Although I also shoot plenty of color, it’s usually the black and whites that are my favorite…when the color is stripped away, what remains is the emotion…the nervousness, the laughter, the hugs….
Photographers, the first three photographs were shot using a Nikon F100 with a 50mm lens, at about f2.0 and 1/60. I used Fuji Neopan 400 film, rated at 200. The last two images were shot on a Contax 645 using Kodak Portra 220, 400 speed. Shot wide open at f2.0, rated at 400, exposed to the shadow. Processed and scanned by Richard Photo Lab. Desaturated and toned in post production.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend, and be sure to stop back on Monday.
xoxo,
Gina Leigh
by ~ GINA LEIGH ~
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