East Orlando Photography

Ashley and Fouad: Baby Shower at Highland Manor

Chris Honour — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 07:21:57 +0000

One of the greatest things about being a photographer is the honor to witness some of life’s best moments. Like the baby shower for Ashley and Fouad that I was asked to photograph.

Turns out that Ashley and Fouad didn’t have a photographer at their wedding because it wasn’t in their budget. So, when they were having a baby shower they decided to spring for one to capture all those fun and special moments. I was very excited to be there for them and as the father of an almost 4 year old, I know how special a baby shower can be.

Highland Manor is a beautiful place, so if you are looking for a venue to have your wedding at check them out. The staff gave Ashley and her family tons of attention and took care of everything, even though they were setting up for a large wedding that was starting in just a few hours. I will also give Highland Manor very high marks for the way they took care of me. Some venues are not that great at treating vendors well, but this place made sure I had everything I needed…

Here are some of my favorites from the day.

Chris Honour

Paradise Cove Wedding: Melanie and Josh

Chris Honour — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 03:25:44 +0000

Melanie and Josh’s wedding goes down as the wettest I have ever worked. It was pouring all day long and not one of those short, but hard Florida rains. It was raining hard, had been for hours and was scheduled to not let up for several hours longer. Now, normally we would say bummer, no outside shots, but this was not your ordinary venue. This was Paradise Cove, where the venue is all about the outside. There isnt much of a plan B, but the folks over at Tuxedocatering were able to move the entire event under the large, covered patio.

On the patio, the venue had canvas “walls” for the rain, so they were able to pull those down. There were a drips here and there from the roof and those “walls” didnt seal out all the water. I went in thinking I was going to use natural light for the ceremony as it was later afternoon, but that storm made it feel like the sun had set long ago. So, I had to set up some lights. However, with all the wind and rain, I had to break out the fancy water proofing gear I had been saving for just this occasion so that my flashes and remotes didnt get ruined. If you are a potential client, dont read this next part… If you are a fellow photographer, then you know what I am talking about. Those good, ole kitchen trash bags did the trick and diffused the light just right.

Anyway, I also worked with Karen Osborne of StudioOsborne.com and she shot the trailer below. She was a blast to work with and cant wait to do it again…

What a great wedding, so thank you Melanie and Josh for the chance to shoot your wedding and be a part of your wet day! Here are my favorites from the day.

Melanie & Joshua — Trailer from Karen Osborne on Vimeo.

East Orlando Engagement Shoot: Nicole and Chris

Chris Honour — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 05:21:26 +0000

Nicole and Chris have to be one of the sweetest couples I have ever met. They are down to earth, kind and totally in love!! It was so awesome to see these two together and making themselves just laugh and laugh. We had a great time and took the “tour” of Avalon Park in East Orlando. If you havent been out this way, check out our little “town” as its grown up over the last 5 years or so, despite the downturn in the economy.

Anyway, here are a few of my favorites from our time together:

Engagement Shoot at Lake Eola: Lauren and Eric

Chris Honour — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 02:29:29 +0000

Lauren, Eric and I met down at Lake Eola for their engagement shoot. It was great to shoot somewhere different and its been awhile since I have shot down at Lake Eola. The challenge shooting there until just the last week or so was avoiding the big eye sore in the middle of the lake. That once gorgeous fountain is one ugly piece of green junk without the water flowing. Personally the other major disadvantage shooting there is avoiding the vagrants. There are section of that park that you cant even go into anymore. What gives Orlando?? Anway, we had a great time and even got kicked out of the auditorium section by someone that we first thought was a cop, but after a second glance it may of been some guy with a whistle and nothing more!! Way too funny….

Engagement Shoot in Avalon Park: Michele and Leo

Chris Honour — Wed, 12 May 2010 03:45:24 +0000

Shooting engagement photos are always so much fun. I love the slower pace, enjoy spending time getting to know the couple and all and all just totally enjoy myself. Shooting with Michele and Leo was no exception and walked all over Avalon Park just having a good time. Thanks guys and I look forward to shooting your wedding!!

Here are some of my favorites:

Baby and Engagement Photos

Chris Honour — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 19:00:13 +0000

When I talked to Liana and Kieth about setting up their engagement session, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they were going to have a baby! Liana wanted to wait till after the baby was born and do some baby shots and a few shots of just her and Keith. I thought that was a wonderful idea. I love shooting babies and their parents.

Here are some of my favorites of Ella, Liana and Keith:

I love Ella’s face!

Here too!

And a few from the engagement shoot:

Chris

Indialantic Wedding – Stephanie and Chris

Chris Honour — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:05:05 +0000

I met Stephanie at a Chipolte Grill a ways back and we yapped and ate lunch together. It was a great conversation and one that just clicked and I knew I wanted to be her wedding photographer. When I finally met Chris at the engagement shoot, the three of us had so much fun walking around in the freezing cold that we settled down to a cup of coffee afterwards to just talk some more. Hardly much about photography; just more about how they met and all the stories in between. They really are an awesome couple that have something special. You can see it in the way they look at each other.

The one thing that Stephanie “warned” me about with her wedding was that she had a huge family and she was going to want photos with everyone after the ceremony. I was prepared for such a shoot and happy to obliged all the different set ups. I mean, come on, how many times in your life do you get to have this many family members together at once? When they started to line up for the “big” shot of the entire family, I was shocked. It was easily 40 people strong. After I got everyone lined up correctly, I took a bunch of shots just in case. Later on that same shock was experienced when I took a photo of all the place cards together and saw that a huge majority had her last name on them! The whole expereince reminded me how honored I am to be a wedding photographer and shoot events like this.

The wedding was beatiful. The ceremony was at the amazing Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church and the reception was across the road at the Beachfront Hilton. Don Soledad and members of his band played during the cocktail hour, first dance and dinner and the group over at Sophisticated Gents took care of the tunes the rest of the evening. My favorite part of the evening was easily when all the guys sung “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” – Righteous Brothers. The moment pulled straight out of Top Gun. Stephanie was surprised and the guys were great.

Anyway, I have rambled enough…. here are some of my favorites:

Bridal makeup tips

Chris Honour — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:02:22 +0000

Posted with permission from Professional Photographer magazine, March 2010
“Glamourpuss”
Bridal makeup tips for a picture-perfect face

Tips from makeup artists Steve Moore of The Moore Agency in Atlanta, Deanna Rene of Scottsdale, Ariz., and photographer Holly Schumacher.

1. BLEND, BLEND, BLEND. You can use your everyday makeup, but use more than you normally use every day. Many makeup professionals use airbrush makeup, the method of choice for high-definition TV, because it’s lightweight, waterproof and gives flawless coverage.

2. SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE. Use less makeup for a day wedding and more for evenings. You can get dramatic with eye makeup.

3. DON’T SKIMP ON CONCEALER. Use a moisturized concealer on the thin, sensitive skin under the eyes. If your concealer isn’t moisturizing, blend it with a skin cream. For blemishes, first treat them with a natural or over-the-counter anti-inflammatory, then cover with concealer.

4. DO A MAKEUP TRIAL RUN. It’s the only sure-fire, stress-free way to make certain your makeup will look beautiful.

5. NOT ALL MINERAL MAKEUP IS CREATED EQUAL. Titanium dioxide, a chemical used as sun block, can reflect flash, giving the bride a ghostly appearance. In 2009 makeup artist Annie May launched a line of mineral makeup especially formulated for photography called Advanced Mineral Makeup. May promises it won’t white-out the bride under a flash.

6. USE WATERPROOF MAKEUP WITH STAYING POWER. You don’t want to spend your reception in the bathroom reapplying your makeup. Foundation, eyeliner and mascara all should be waterproof. And in case you cry (and you probably will), have a tissue or handkerchief handy to gently blot your tears right at the eye.

7. KEEP YOUR LIPS MOISTURIZED AND COLORED. Dry lips look dreadful in photos. Have someone carry your lipstick for you and touch up often. Matte and gloss lipstick both photograph well, and be sure to use blended lip liner for enhanced definition.

8. DON’T FORGET THE GROOM. If the groom is red faced due to too much sun (or drinking), a little powder can help. That goes for shiny heads, too. And it’s a good idea to slip a tube of Chapstick in the groom’s pocket for his dry lips, as well as a handkerchief to dab well-wishers’ makeup smudges off his suit.

9. DON’T SPRINKLE ON GLITTER. In photographs, it tends to look like little white spots, as if there’s something wrong with the camera.

10. REMEMBER to apply foundation and powder to your neck, shoulders and décolletage—you want your head to look like it belongs to your body!

Kissimmee Old Town Wedding

Chris Honour — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:58:44 +0000

I just posted Erin and Justin’s engagement shoot a few weeks ago, and now here is their wedding. We started out at Leu Gardens and then made our way down to Kissimmee’s Old Town. The real story was the accident that happened on I-4 and essentially blocked the highway during rush hour traffic. Thank goodness for GPS and traffic alerts as I was routed around the scene. The funny thing is that I was the first person to the venue, even arriving before those guests that left 30 minutes earlier because they werent in any of the family portraits. I love being prepared!! Anyway, here are some of my favorite photos…

Another Installment of the Dancing Photographer

Chris Honour — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:27:25 +0000

I love working weddings… the love, family, excitement and reminiscing that is done is just amazing to be a part of. I also love to watch that dance floor. Every wedding I work, there is always someone out there that knows how to “cut a rug”. Some are shy about it, some are overtly obnoxious about it (especially when a camera comes near). But some of us just like to dance…

Isnt that music hideous? Happy St. Patricks Day!!!