Fun Under the Amelia Sun – Part 2

May21

Last week we had the privilege of spending several days at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island with a great commercial client. The resort not only provided some wonderful meals and amazing service, but they also coordinated a selection of great activities. In this post, I’ve highlighted a trip to the enchanted White Oak Conservation Center, full of mostly African endangered and threatened species. This tour included the opportunity to watch the Cheetahs run, interact with two species of rhino, and feed a family of giraffe. Certainly a memorable experiencing!

The exciting day concluded with a trip the the Ritz’s own AAA 5-diamond rated SALT restaurant, topped off with a fantastic beachfront fireworks display. Enjoy the photos!

All the photos can be downloaded for free as HD desktop wallpaper. Simply click on a photo below, click on the permalink (bottom right), save the HD wallpaper by right clicking the “1280×720″ link, and selecting save as.

Fun Under the Amelia Sun – Part 1

May18

Last week we had the privilege of spending several days at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island with a great commercial client. The resort not only provided some wonderful meals and amazing service, but they also coordinated a selection of great activities. In this post, I’ve highlighted jet skiing and sailing, as well as an amazing reception at the historic Civil War site – Fort Clinch. Enjoy the photos!

Sunrise Photos at Dostie’s Latest Home

May17

Earlier this week, we had the chance to spend a morning (a very early morning) with our friends at Dostie Homes, photographing their latest home off of Scott Road in Jacksonville, FL. The home itself is a unique combination of modern design and top of the line amenities, with several throwback tributes from 1970′s homes. The result is a great looking home that offers guests a welcoming, comfortable, almost familiar environment.

Deremer Studios specializes in Architectural photography – both residential and commercial. Our specialized equipment, designed specifically for this sort of photography, enables us to creatively capture almost any space! Check out some of our favorite shots from this shoot below.

Want to see more of our architectural work? Check out our full portfolio at www.deremerstudios.com/arch.html.

The Boca Experience Part 2: Wild Florida

May8

It’s official – you can stop holding your breath now. The long-awaited second post from our corporate shoot in Boca Raton is officially here. This time, we’re sharing some of our favorite photos from the Florida Everglades and surrounding areas. Unlike a swamp, the Everglades are actually shallow, slow moving rivers of water that meander from headwaters in northern Florida to the open water surrounding the southern tip of the peninsula. This amazing location is home to a wide variety of wildlife, from alligators and crocodiles, to wading birds, panthers and black bears.

Above is a black necked stilt, one of the many species of birds that calls the Everglades home. At the turn of the 20th century, the area was home to flocks of birds numbering in the millions. It was not uncommon for a flock to take flight and blot out the sun, stretching for as far as the eye could see. But in the 1920s, the once plentiful birds were nearly hunted to extinction because of the fashion of the day – large, gaudy hats decorated with profuse numbers of bird feathers. Thankfully, the wildlife has been making a healthy comeback over the past 60 or so years, and though not what it once was, the Everglades are still an amazing place to visit.

Anyway, here are several of our favorite photos from the shoot – as always, downloadable as HD desktop wallpaper. Enjoy!

Want to see more of our commercial work? Check out our full portfolio at deremerstudios.com/events.html.

DS Photography on the Cover of Jacksonville Magazine!

May7

We found out some more great news recently! For the third time in less than a year, our photography has been proiminently featured in Jacksonville Magazine. This time, we were honored to get the magazine’s cover! Thanks to our friends at Dostie Homes and Dreambuilder Custom Homes for submitting our work to the publication!

This particular article featured a wonderfully designed Dostie home located in the St Augustine development of Palencia. Want to view this month’s Jacksonville Magazine for free, including our cover and six-page spread? Simply follow this link!

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Want to see more of our architectural work? Check out our full portfolio at www.deremerstudios.com/arch.html.

Capturing Creativity at the Club at Danforth

May1

This week we had the opportunity to do a shoot for the folks at the Club at Danforth. They recently completed a wonderful remodel of their clubhouse and beautifully staged two model apartments. Below are some of our favorite photos. Enjoy!

Want to see more of our architectural work? Check out our full portfolio at www.deremerstudios.com/arch.html.

Capturing History: The Boca Raton Resort & Club

Apr19

We recently had the pleasure of shooting the Boca Raton Resort and Club for one of our commercial clients. This 1000+ room resort began its life during the Florida Land Boom as the Cloister Inn, built in 1926 as the most expensive 100 room hotel in the world. Since then, the hotel has gradually, though steadily grown into one of the top resorts in Florida. With 7 swimming pools, two professional golf courses, eleven restaurants, and hundreds of feet of ocean-front property, its no wonder!

Also – neat fact: During WWII the resort played an essential role as a barracks housing soldiers for nearby Boca Raton Army Air Force Base. The troops affectionately called it “the most elegant barracks in history”.

Anyway, here are several of our favorite photos from the shoot – as always, downloadable as HD desktop wallpaper. Enjoy!

Want to see more of our commercial work? Check out our full portfolio at deremerstudios.com/events.html.

DS Home of the Year Photos featured in Jacksonville Magazine

Apr16

image: Jacksonville Magazine

We received word today that Jacksonville Magazine has once again published several photos from our shoot with Dreambuilder Custom Homes, this time in their biannual HOME issue. Dreambuilder’s unique home has deservedly received the honor of Home of the Year. The article again details the uniquely narrow footprint and welcoming design of this Doctor’s Lake home. Check out the online version of the article here, or pick up a copy at a local news stand!

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Want to see more of our architectural work? Check out our full portfolio at www.deremerstudios.com/arch.html.

Car Crazy: 2012 Amelia Island Concours – Part 3: Panorama

Mar13

Here’s the last of the photos from our shoots at the Concours – this time in our ultra-high resolution panoramas! Feel free to view or download the HD photos using the slideshow below.

If you would like to purchase a print of any of the photos from our time at the Concours, or if you’d just like to browse additional images that weren’t on the blog, check them out on our online viewing and ordering site: http://www.photoreflect.com/store/thumbpage.aspx?e=8441882. Enjoy!

Car Crazy: 2012 Amelia Island Concours – Part 2

Mar12

Yesterday, we finished up our coverage of the 17th Annual Concours D’Elegance on behalf of the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. Sunday is the big day at the Concours – all those in the show (and there were a whole lot this year!) bring their cars out onto the 10th and 18th holes for everyone to see. From turn of the century motorized wagons and early 20th century custom coaches, to concept Corvettes and one of the largest gatherings of Ferrari 250 GTO’s in recent history – this year’s Concours really had it all!

Pictured above is Mauro Forghieri, the head designer responsible for the stunning lines of the 250 GTO’s bodywork. He was one of the judges for the event, and it was amazing standing nearby as he shared little details and stories about each of these cars.

Also on hand for the show was a collection of notable Road & Track cover cars including (above) this beautifully preserved Astro II Covette Concept from 1968. But, this is the Concours, so why stop at one concept? Also on hand was the 1990 Corvette CERV III concept. A Corvette nut at an early age, I still remember drooling all over myself when I first saw photos of this car.

Another of the noteworthy cars from the event were the various Shelby Cobras. The one pictured above – a 1964 Shelby Daytona Coupe – is one of just six ever made. Below are all my favorite photos from Sunday. Enjoy!

Car Crazy: 2012 Amelia Island Concours – Part 1

Mar9

This morning, we had the pleasure of shooting the Concours D’Elegance on behalf of the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. As you may know if you’ve followed the blog for any period of time, I am a bit of a car nut. So, when I was offered the opportunity to photograph this prestigious event, saying I was excited would be a big understatement. From antiques and exotics, to modern luxury vehicles, the C0ncours has it all. This year’s honored car is the Ferarri 250 GTO. Of the 32 still in existence, 10 are featured at this year’s show. And with the last GTO going for over $30,000,000, these cars represent some serious investments.

One unique aspect of the Concours is Friday’s Isle of Eight Flags road trip. This tour takes participating guests through the scenic Florida coastline and ends with a wonderful luncheon in the heart of Downtown Fernandina. Not only does this give the owners of these priceless cars the opportunity to stretch the cars’ legs, but it also provides all those folks who love cars, but may not be able to afford a visit to the Concours, an opportunity to see all these wonderful cars for free (above).

I also had the pleasure of test driving several cars this morning. I tried out the latest Chrysler 300 SRT, scaled the mountainous off-road course in a Land Rover Evoque, tooled around the island in a Porsche 911 Carerra S, and I would have to say the car I enjoyed most was 550 HP the Jaguar XK RS (above). My host for the test drive was Formula Drift Pro Am driver Doug Van Den Brink. Unfortunately, Doug informed me that drifting wasn’t part of the test drive… Below are all my favorite photos from today. Enjoy!

Mr. Rogers Presents: How to Make a Tube – Featuring Hanson Pressure Pipe

Mar9

When I was a kid, my very favorite part of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood was the small segments that featured the making of anything from crayons to musical instruments. To be completely honest, I still love those kind of shows. There’s just something about seeing all the machines whirling and people working to create a final product that really appeals to me.

Well, this week I had the opportunity to experience this firsthand. Hanson Pressure Pipe hired us to go out a capture the production of a new type of piping they have developed. And let me tell you, pressure pipe is pretty cool stuff! It all starts with a metal spiral core that is spun on this massive machine that takes up a whole building. The photo above is of a pipe segment being cut on this machine. These pipes can be made in all sizes (they’ve made pipes up to 194 inches in diameter at this facility), though the ones we worked with were a bit smaller.

Then, the pipe goes through a series of process by which the inside is coated with a layer of cement and spun (above) at an insane speed to ensure uniform coating. From there it gets an exterior coat of wire and a second coating of cement – this time on the outside. A few more steps, and walla, you have yourself a big ol’ pipe capable of handing hefty pressure loads. From a roll of metal to a finished pipe takes about two days. Of course, the whole process is much more complex than what I outlined, but it gives you the idea. More detailed photos below!

Want to see more of our commercial work? Check out our full portfolio at deremerstudios.com/events.html.

Going for the Long Drive: 2012 Avis Invitational

Mar8

This week, we had the unique honor of shooting the first annual Avis Invitational golf event, hosted at TPC Sawgrass. This two day event designed to honor some of Avis’ top corporate clients provided a wonderful opportunity for the competitors to enjoy the beautiful Florida weather on one of the best golf courses in the world.

Golfing legends Steve Stricker and Mark Rolfing generously spent the day with the golfers; answering questions, giving pointers and participating in some friendly competition on the famous 17th hole.

The event was capped at the beautiful Ponte Vedra Inn and Club with a wonderful awards banquet. Each guest was also given a framed print we had captured and printed onsite, using one of our awesome HiTi professional printing system.

Want to see more of our commercial work? Check out our full portfolio at deremerstudios.com/events.html.

150 Years Later: Rediscovering Fort Clinch

Mar3

Just today, we had the opportunity to shoot another signature Fernandina event for the Amelia Island Tourist Development Council. This time, we visited Fort Clinch – a Civil War era fort that 150 years ago today, was occupied by union troops (and remained in union custody until the conclusion of the war). On the first weekend of every month, you’ll find more than your average tourist walking around these ancient ground. In fact, you’ll be surrounded by troops, doctors, shop keepers, and a slew of other folk straight out of 1862.

Along with a large contingent of other guests, we spent the morning with these dedicated folks, learning much about life in the 19th century. From the joy of dental work (the patient had to use a foot pedal to power the drill), to soldier life in the south before vaccines, to live cannon firing demonstrations (below), the morning was certainly a treat!

Being a history buff myself, this trip was especially enjoyable for me. Inspired by the day, I decided to do a little extra work on several of the photos to give them a period feel (above and below). To do this I created vignetting on the sides, added a progressive blur toward the outsides, and did a slight textured overlay to make it all come together. I thought the finished product turned out well.

Also – neat fact. As you may know, i grew up in NH. While talking with one of the park rangers, come to discover that the granite used in the construction of the fort is no other than NH rock! Pretty cool stuff. Anyway, here are several of our favorite photos from the day – as always, downloadable as HD desktop wallpaper. Enjoy!

Want to see more of our commercial work? Check out our full portfolio at deremerstudios.com/events.html.

You are Entering the Twilight Zone: Daytona 500 Under the Lights…

Feb28

As you can see from the photo above, we had quite an adventure shooting the Daytona 500 last night! The race, which was delayed over 30 hours due to rain (the first time in its 54 year history the race was not run on Sunday), was marked by events that could have been straight out of the grainy, black and white world of the Twilight Zone.

The race itself, promised to be exciting when just one lap into the race, a large crash collected several cars. But before long, the race was going full bore, with very little in the way of incidents and with everyone for the most part staying in line and waiting for the last run. But that was all about to change…

At lap 160, while the caution was out, the 42 Target car was on the back stretch catching up to the pack. Just before entering turn 3, something broke in the rear of the car, sending it spinning out of control – and directly toward one of the jet dryer trucks that was slowly circling the track. I just happened to be looking in that direction, and saw a massive fireball erupt as the two vehicles met. I quickly grabbed my 100-400 and took the following series of images. The first is just a second or two after impact, before the jet fuel ignited. As you can see, the damage doesn’t look all that severer. The second image is shortly after the fire crew arrived. The third image is after the fire has been put out – you can clearly see the destruction.