Pensacola Wedding Photography: East Hill Photo Blog

Great Email today!

2007-10-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

I just got a great email from a bride of mine that I shot( sounds weird doesn't it) at the Yacht Club recently. It really made my day! Letters and emails like these remind me that I am in the right profession! Thanks Renee!

Here is an excert:

"Wow Rick! We love the pics, they are awesome. I sent the link to my mom at work and she said she started to cry right there! You are wonderful. Thank you for cementing our memories forever in this way. They will be treasured forever. They are so real and feel alive, I feel like I lived it all over again. The pics of our rings and the flowers are absolutely breathtaking. I just wanted to send you a note and tell you we got them, looked at them for hours, and are amazed. Thank you for sharing your talent with us."

Ashton Model Fashion Portfolio Shoot

2007-10-20T16:45:00.000-07:00

Ashton flew in from California and we took some time to shoot for her portfolio with some fashion and swimsuit photographs. If she looks familiar, you've probably seen her modeling on the cover of the Sharper Image catalogue or in the latest Shape or Martha Stewart Living magazine. She is a true professional and always a pleasure to work with.

Ally's senior portrait photography session

2007-10-19T23:23:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of shooting Ally's senior portrait recently. She and her mom were awesome to work with! They said they were looking for something different so this is some of what we came up with!

Washington D.C. Photgraphy Excursion

2007-10-19T22:42:00.000-07:00

After shooting my wedding in Baltimore I decided to do a little site seeing.

All I have to say is that if you t have ever complained about the traffic near Davis and Olive it can't hold a candle to driving in downtown Washington D.C. Thank God for GPS systems! I've always wanted to visit the Smithonians and my brain is still swelling from all the information and culture. Seeing about 7000 paintings and sculptures in 3 days was pretty overwhelming yet inspiring. I got to see the Ansel Adam exhibition which was great but it was a bit disappointing that there wasn't more photography on display by other artists in the museums. I know the typical Washington D.C. photos have been done to death but I thought i would try my own attempt at them.

Blue Angels in Pensacola!

2007-07-22T00:11:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful day to watch the Blue Angels fly out at Pensacola Beach and apparently 100,000 other people were thinking the same thing. You'd probably have to be a masochist to try to have a beach wedding today so I was enjoying my Saturday off soaking up some sun! When the show started there were still people stuck on the bridge! Fortunately I was on boat sipping on margaritas and having a great view to snap some photos of the Blue Angels showing their stuff!

Pensacola Modeling shoot

2007-07-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

I recently had a modeling shoot with Shanel, an aspiring model that I think has tremendous amount of potential. We are working on her portfolio before we submit them to the major agencies. In a couple of years i will need a stepladder to shoot her!

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Family Beach Portrait

2007-07-17T23:36:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of shooting family portrait at the beach today. Was it going to rain or wasn't? that was the million dollar question. The sky would grow ominous then disappear - just enough to keep us on our toes! The sky grew dark but it never rained so the shoot was on! Plus now there was great clouds in the sky!

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Courtney & Phillip Wedding, Seaside, Florida 5/12/07

2007-05-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

All I can say about this wedding is WOW! From the decorations, to the setting, the food, the cake, the flowers, and of course, the wedding party! There were so many components involved and everything came together to beautifully. I can safely say this was the biggest bridal party in the smallest church i have ever photographed! The guests actually applauded when everyone had made it down the aisle! So much thought and planning went into planning this wedding at Seaside and it definitely showed in all the wonderful details. The reception was going to be held outdoors and the weather kept hinting at rain but no one wanted to think about that. It would have been a complete heartbreaking disaster. To me as a photographer, the weather was perfect since it was overcast and there was beautiful soft light everywherer. The bride was surprisingly calm and i think it was due to all the complements she kept recieving from friends and family. The ceremony had a string quartet and opera singers that resonated thoughout the cozy church. Meanwhile the caterers were busy cooking up the food in an outdoor kitchen they had created in the alleyway. There was a fairy tale forest with lights hanging thoughout the trees leading the guests from the church to the reception area. Candles were passed out to help light their way though the darkness. The reception took place in the town courtyard and was lit up by chandleleers hanging from the trees. The food was esquiset and was worthy of any top fine dining restaurant which was quite impressive considering the large number of guests that had to be served. Most of the groommen including the groomsman were rugby players so they were definitely into having a good time which kept the party going though the night.

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Kristen and Jochan, Pensacola Beach, 5/6/07

2007-05-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

Kristen and Jochan met in college when they were foreign exchange students. Jochan was from Germany and when she first met him there he told her that he was going to marry her. She laughed it off at first but now they are getting married! He is a great guy and he adores her. There was no acting in front of the camera. He has such a great command of the english language that he has no problem expressing his love for Kristen and he is actually quite funny too. His close friends and family flew in from Germany for this small beach wedding. At one point it seemed like it might be a small living room ceremony when it started to thunder and rain. Fortunately it quickly passed and left us with beautiful lighting. This couple was so cool and laid back. They were game for anything I wanted to do with them for pictures. They will also have a traditional church cermony in Germany on 7/7/7 and Kristen will have to make sure her language skills are on point because it will all be in German!

Laura and Mark, Rosemary Beach, San Destin, Florida, 5/5/07

2007-05-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

The weather looked ominous this morning but it quickly burnt off and became clear and sunny. In fact it was quite a bit warm and I made the mistake of wearing all black for this beach wedding. But it cooled down by the time the wedding took place. It's a Shore Thing were the wedding coordinators so I knew the wedding would go smoothly. This was the first time I met the groom but I could easily tell that Mark was a great guy and that he was totally in love with his woman. Laura looked stunning in her dress and I am surprised her head did not swell with all the complements she kept getting. The reception had watermelon martinis that kept the partying going and the Motown band from Nashville blew the dance floor up with great vocals and energy. There was no shortage of dancers and the father of the bride gave a surprise perfomance of "Sloopy" to an eager crowd.

Steamy engagement Session

2007-05-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

When Kristen told me that she wanted her engagement session to be like the Chris Isack "Wicked Game" video I was very excited. I've been wanting to shoot a session like this for a quite awhile.

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Katy and Andrew, Navarre, Florida 4/29/07

2007-04-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

Below is a freak hair accident between Mom and Bride. I can safely say I've never seen this happen before!

I am usually a bit nervous when the first time I meet a couple is at their wedding, but as soon as I did I was immediately at ease. This Texan couple was very laid back and their wedding ceremony and reception matched their style. The wedding was at a beach house with just their close family and friends invited. Great food and drinks. An mp3 player the supplied music. The wedding was small enough that they could be pretty flexible with the itinerary. They had been partying with their friends a few nights before at the beach house so by the time the wedding day arrived everyone was pretty relaxed. Katy had a freak accident with her mom that I can safely say I have never seen happen before. She wore a beautiful beach dress that suited her perfectly. This intimate and fun wedding was a great way to wrap up a busy week!

Dayna & Joshua, Gulf Shores Beach Club, AL 4/28/07

2007-04-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

When I first met Dayna at our first meeting I knew I could get some phenominal bridal shots out of her. She had these amazing blue eyes. She normally doesn't wear make up but I knew that in the hands of the right makeup artist we could do something very glamous for her shoot. Unfortunately we had to shoot on a weekend during spring break and the beaches were mobbed. Diapers in the parking lot, grills out on the beach, and boomin' cars didn't help the fact that Dayna was a bit shy and would be the only one walking around the beach in a wedding dress. But she really came out of her shell and we got some amazing photos. When they were on display at her wedding reception people couldn't stop talking about them! Josh loved them and I was right about which ones would be his favorite. That is one advantage of being a male photographer. If she wants to impress her man, I can help her pick at the photos that he will like best! They had a beautiful ceremony on the beach and an elegant reception on deck at the Gulf Shores Beach Club. Joshua is a great guy and it doesn't take a genius to realize that he ADOREs her.

Michelle & X , Rutherfords 465, San Destin, Florida 4/21/07

2007-04-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

What an awesome couple! Michelle is an interior decorator so she definitely had the connections and the taste to make her wedding day beautiful. Her dress was very gorgeous and unique. When I asked her where she got it she said Niceville! WOW! Niceville has changed! Her future husband looked like he just walked off the set of the O.C. A beautiful couple that will have beautiful babies some day. The wedding ceremony was outdoors and the weather was perfect. If the weather was like this all year long no one could afford to live here!

Brian & Tabitha Wedding, Pensacola FL 4/14/07

2007-04-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

What a great couple! They both first met at age 13 when Brian's dog peed on her leg! You could obviously tell this couple was meant to be! Tabitha's bridal portraits were a huge hit at the wedding reception. Everyone had a great time and the DJ spun an eclectic mix to keep the crowd going. As many weddings as I shoot I actually heard songs played by a wedding DJ that I had never heard of before! There was plenty of great food and Brian was practiacally begging everyone to take food home with them!

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Will and Courney Wedding 4/7/07

2007-04-08T11:33:00.000-07:00

Will woke up on his wedding day with a mysterious scratch on his forehead that he had no idea how he got the night before. It must have been some party! Courtney looked amazing in her dress and was scratch-free. The ceremony was at Unity Church and had tons of natural light inside so it really gave me a lot of freedom to be creative shooting their wedding. I wasn't really sure what the reception was going to be like because it was at Will's parents house. Then when I drove up my jaw dropped. This house has always been my dream house! It was built in the early 1900s and has gorgeous architecture. What a fantastic location for a wedding reception! Oysters Rockerfeller, 2 fully bars, and a live band kept the party going. The after-party was at the Crown. I could tell Will would be hurting tomorrow morning!

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Bliss Event Group Magazine photoshoot

2006-12-27T14:48:00.000-08:00

Just got finished shooting for Bliss Event Group's Southern wedding style magazine today at the Banquet facitly, MySpayce in downtown Pensacola. All I can say is Wow! I was very impressed. The models, the cakes, the flowers, make up artists and hairstylists were amazing. It was a great opportunity to meet some of the best wedding vendors in Pensacola! If you want to have a fantastic wedding you need to use the vendors from this shoot!

John's 90th Birthday Bash: NAS, Pensacola

2005-08-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

A great celebration for a man who has lived a great life with a huge loving family that wanted to use his birthday as a great time to get all of his family from all over the United States. One family came all the way from Alaska! The celebration was held at the Naval Aviation museum, a fitting location because of John's service in the Navy. Even at 90 he was still strong and alert. The slide show that one of his sons made for him brought me to tears even though I had just met him. Perhaps I will hire him to do my slideshows!

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Seaside Wedding: Heather and Todd

2005-08-18T23:44:00.000-07:00

This beautiful beach ceremony in Seaside, Florida (outside of Destin) was the smallest wedding I have ever shot -only 4 people counting the bride and groom! This could have been seen as a touch challenge from a photography stand point but I like challenges! I moved around during the ceremony to get a wide variety of shots and the bride and groom invited only their two best friends that had introduced them to each other. All in all it was a very intimate wedding on the beach. I think their only regret was not getting a smaller wedding cake. It was way too much for just four people! :)

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Pensacola Wedding: Amanda and Jamie 8/13/05

2005-08-13T23:32:00.000-07:00

The day started out with an elegant brunch with Amanda and the bridesmaids. The wedding was beautiful and there was a great turn out despite the bad weather. Afterwards the weather cleared and beautiful light illuminated Apple Annie's at Seville Quarter where the reception took place. Jamie's son - who was probably one of the cutest ringbearers I have ever seen - was completely loving the camera and all the adoring bridesmaids. This crowd had a lot of people who were not afraid to have a good time.

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Pensacola Bridal Show

2005-08-03T23:13:00.000-07:00

The show at Cordova Mall went well despite the possible confusion that may have come about since the orginal date was postponed because of hurrican Dennis. The objective at our Booth was to show the wedding photographs presented as works of art. Photojournalist wedding photos will never go out of style in my opinion and framing them properly insures this. Many of the pieces were customed framed by Annette at A Means of Expression. She does fantastic work and really gives us personal service and creative ideas when it comes to framing artwork. We had a portrait that was printed 36" x 36" on canvas and the frame she selected was gorgeous. There were many brides at the show and I was happy to see that Pensacola won't let the hurricanes stop us!

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Pensacola Wedding: Carly and Ross 7/23/05

2005-07-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

This was a fun wedding of a young couple who got married at the Naval Aviation Memorial Chapel in Pensacola, one of my favorite churches to shoot in because of the beautiful natural light this location has. The Reception was at the pensacola Little theatre. It was still daylight but that didn't stop everyone from getting on the dance floor. In fact the party was getting so loud that we had to move at the last minute to the room next door so the people next door could enjoy the show in the theatre. This was for the best because everyone had more room to dance and more privacy so everyone could let loose!

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Shalimar Wedding: Julie and Russ

2005-07-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

07.16.05 Julie and Russ

wedding: shalimar lutheran church
reception: eglin officer's club

A beautiful ceremony and a great couple to shoot. They were very much in love and it was obvious to all their envious friend in family :) They were made for each other. On the dance floor there was plenty of lively and incriminating photographs to take. They had a DJ and a live band for entertainment and there was never a dull moment on the dance floor. I shot their engagement photographs and bridal portraits in pensacola prior to Dennis so we were still able to get some great pictures to have on display at their wedding.

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Pensacola Wedding: Gretchen Bryan and Dennis

2005-07-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

7.09.05 Gretchen and Bryan's Wedding

pensacola, florida

wedding ceremony: overlooking the bluffs off scenic highway

Because of hurricane Dennis approaching, it didn't look good for gretchen who had planing her wedding at the yacht club. At the last minute, the venue and the DJ cancelled. But there is a silver lining in every bad situation. The mayor of pensacola attended her rehersal dinner and on her wedding day, NBC and CBS news out of New York documented her wedding day and it was broadcast on national tv on the nightly news! How many brides can claim that? Things didn't exactly turn out the way she had planned but she will have a great story to tell about her wedding day. They were very much in love and they still had a beautiful ceremony.

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welcome

2005-07-13T15:14:00.000-07:00

Check back here for the latest news for East Hill Photo located in Pensacola Florida. We specialize in destination weddings and photojournalistic photography. Please visit the website to see examples of my work.

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