Dreambuilder’s Modern Take on the Classic Farmhouse

Jun17

Next up on our Catch-up Cavalcade is this gorgeous home from Dreambuilder Custom Homes. This modern take on the quintessentially American farmhouse takes elements of the traditional style and merges it with a modern flair. This was also the second house where we used our new elevated photography capabilities to capture the house from a variety of angles (such as the one above).

The modern farmhouse theme was carried indoors, where details like the farmhouse apron sink (above) captured that classic look. As with all Dreambuilder homes, this house came with all sorts of extras – from elegant storage solutions to little details that make a world of difference. As always, 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 pro.deremerstudios.com/architecture.html.

Copyright 2013 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at: Pro.DeremerStudios.com (Commercial Photography) or DeremerStudios.com (Wedding & Portrait Photography) | 904-744-1103 | nate@deremerstudios.com

Celebrating the Heavy Haulers with Western Star

Jun17

After a week of catching up on wedding photography, it’s now time to spend the same effort on our commercial, architectural and fine art photography. And so… Once upon a time… the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island was the host to a great group from Western Star. The company manufacturers and sells a variety of big rigs that are known for their toughness and durability. While in Amelia, the group celebrated the accomplishments of their top dealers while enjoying the amenities and attractions of award-winning island.

Below are some of our favorite shots from the shoot – enjoy!

Fine Art Follies – Thanksgiving in Appalachia

Jun11

If you were wondering just how behind we have become, this post, consisting of photos from a fine art shoot in November, should prove evidence enough! It was the week after this shoot that we discovered Bryn had breast cancer – and it has been a solid 6 months of business since then. Thankfully, Bryn’s prognosis is good and we were able to handle a couple large surges in business even with Bryn going through chemo. The months have been hard but fruitful – a blessing of sorts that we would never have asked for, but are thankful to have experienced.

But I digress. A bit about the photos: We went up to Abingdon, Virgina just before Thanksgiving to spend some time with family. As always, I take the opportunity of a trip to explore and shoot some fine art photography. This time, I focused on the old and dilapidated remains or homes and barns in hill country around Abingdon. One house that especially struck me was this once grand home, with full porch and substantial size, yet abandoned and falling in. It makes you wonder why a home is just left and abandoned. And this was just one of many homes along a short stretch of hilly back road suffering the same fate. Later on, we took a trip to Bristol Speedway to drive the track and enjoy their massive Christmas light display. Check out all our favorites from the trip below!

Copyright 2013 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at: Pro.DeremerStudios.com (Commercial Photography Services) or DeremerStudios.com (Wedding & Portrait Photography Services) | 904-744-1103 | nate@deremerstudios.com

Kayla & Kevin’s Gorgeous Golf Course Wedding

Jun10

So, with this post, we have finally caught up on our wedding sneak peeks. Kayla and Kevin chose Jacksonville Golf and Country Club as the perfect venue for their wedding day. Despite some threatening (though pretty) clouds, the weather held off for their wedding and made for the perfect background for this couple’s fun posed photos. It’s always a joy when the couple is fun-loving! Check out some of their great ideas featured in the photos below!

Congrats Kevin & Kayla! As always, check out all our favorite photos below!

TO DOWNLOAD PHOTOS: simply click on the photo you like from the gallery below. On the bottom right, click permalink. Right above the photo is a link to the full resolution image (1280×720 is usually what it says). Simply right click that link and save it to your preferred folder.

Copyright 2013 Deremer Studios – Jacksonville, FL
Check us out at: Pro.DeremerStudios.com (Deremer Studios Pro Commercial Photography) or DeremerStudios.com (Wedding & Portrait Photography) | 904-744-1103 | nate@deremerstudios.com\

Celebrating Ten Years of Memories – Lesley & Victor’s Amelia Island Vow Renewal

Jun5

We had the wonderful opportunity to spend a few hours with Victor and Lesley as they celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows. They chose the picturesque William House Bed and Breakfast, located in historic Fernandina Beach, for this very special occasion. On our shoot, we spent a bit of time in the sweltering afternoon sun downtown, then retired to the Williams House for some more pictures around their beautiful property. The evening was culminated in an intimate vow renewal ceremony, followed by a romantic carriage ride along the island’s historic streets.

Congrats Lesley & Victor! As always, check out all our favorite photos below!

Jeremy & Allie’s Fun and Fantastic Gainesville Wedding

Jun5

We’re still catcing up on wedding posts this week – and next on our list of sneak peeks is this wonderful Gainesville, FL wedding. Jeremy and Allie decided upon an intimate courtyard wedding at the gorgeous Sweetwater Branch Inn. Filled with laughter (lots of it) and heartfelt joy, it was really a pleasure to be a part of this special day! They had some great ideas too – check them out below!

Congrats Jeremy and Allie! As always, check out all our favorite photos below!

Natalie & Peterson’s Spectacular Ritz-Carlton Wedding

Jun3

If you frequent our blog, you’ll know we’re up at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island quite often with various corporate events, but that’s not the only thing we shoot at the resort. Take, as example, the energetic and extravagant wedding of Natalie and Peterson. We had the pleasure of spending the whole day with the happy couple, from a morning full of papering at the spa and a romantic first look, to the final farewell, complete with a beautiful 1960′s Rolls Royce. With both Bryn and I shooting, we captured over 2,000 photos in the nine hours we spent with the newlyweds.

Congrats Natalie and Peterson! As always, check out all our favorite photos below!

Caleb & Katies Rustic River-side Wedding

Jun3

After over two months of non-stop work, we finally have a slower week to catch up on our blog posts – and what better way to get started than to begin with one couple’s new beginning as husband and wife! We had the wonderful pleasure of capturing Caleb and Katie’s wedding along the banks of the Suwannee River in Branford, FL. The celebration was full of rustic charm that fit perfectly with the romantic yet relaxed mood of the day.

Congrats Caleb and Katie! As always, check out all our favorite photos below!

Photo of the Day: An Unexpected Visitor from Africa

May28

We had quite the surprise when walking out of the studio late this afternoon. Lumbering down the street was this uncomfortably large tortoise which, when it saw us approaching, decided to come visit. At first, I thought this was a very large specimen of the region’s protected Gopher Tortoise, but after speaking with Florida Fish and Wildlife, we came to find out it’s an African Spurred Tortoise. And after talking with our neighbor, we discovered it had been walking up and down our small street for several hours.

To give you an idea of just how large this guy is, the grass in the foreground of the picture is 2 to 3 inches high. The shell was 22 inches long and it likely weighed 75 to 80 pounds. Not wanting it to get run over or injured, we called around until we were connected with the kind folks at the Jacksonville Herpetological Society. After examining this big guy, they suspect he is someone’s pet (which would explain how friendly he was), was 30 or 40 years old and that he likely escaped from a back yard enclosure somewhere within a half mile or so from our location. So, if you happen to be missing a lawnmower-sized reptile, please contact us and we’ll connect you to the folks that are taking care of him.

Steve & Apryl’s Awesome Vintage Wedding!

May7

Did someone say wedding? I thought so. This past weekend, we had the pleasure of shooting two weddings, including Steve and Apryls, featured here today. I’ve known Steve for the better part of a decade. We went to college together, go to church together, have the same group of friends from all those years back – so this wedding was especially fun for us. The wedding was held at Apryl’s home church in Keystone Heights, FL about an hour and a half out of Jacksonville (or 3 hours by boat, considering all the rain we had that week). Of special note, the couple chose a great vintage theme for their special day – with all the right accents – from hundreds of candles to rustic old window frames!

Congrats Steve & Apryl! As always, check out all our favorite photos below!

Photo of the Day: Pink Moon Rising

Apr25

Ever heard of a pink moon? Well, now you have. Native Americans used to call the April full moon the ‘pink moon’ and tonight, I had the privilege of watching the moon rise over the Blue Ridge mountains (above). While I am not sure I would call it pink in this photo, as the moon was just becoming visible behind the trees the light red hue was noticeable. Please feel free to download the image – as it is 1080p, it is perfect for use as an HD desktop wallpaper. Have a wonderful evening!

Amelia Concours 2013: All Shouty

Mar9

It was another wonderful day at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance with a great open-to-the-public car show including the new C7 Corvette (above), as well as a record breaking RM auction, and lots of luxury test drive opportunities. The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island was the focal point of the day’s events, housing the standing room only RM auction (below) and several seminars.

I had the opportunity to meet all sorts of people – from highschoolers to retirees – all with a passion for cars that is downright contagious. Many shared with me their own car stories which I found simply fascinating – but I’ll leave it at that for now as morning will be coming along quite early, especially with daylight savings time! Don’t forget – be sure to check back over the next several days for the latest from the Concours. Enjoy!

Amelia Concours 2013: Morning Glory

Mar8

Today marked the first day of the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and we didn’t waste any time getting to business. The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island has officially been invaded by some of the most beautiful and expensive cars you’ll ever see – a veritable feast for the eyes of any petrol-head. This year, we arrive just before sunrise to photograph the cars with that dramatic dawn lighting, as with the photo above.

We also spent much of the day with the folks from McLaren, documenting their static display and test drives, but more on that in a coming post. The star of the show this year is the great Ford GT-40 racers of the 1960s. Look familiar? Yes my friends, it is cars like these that inspired the animated cartoon of old, Speed Racer. I’ve got an early morning tomorrow, so I’ll leaver it here for the time bring. Be sure to check back over the next several days for the latest from the Concours, and as always, enjoy!

Celebrating the Taste of Success with Firebirds Restaurants

Mar7

This week, the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island was once again host to a great group from the food service industry y. This time, the folks from Firebirds, a small but quickly growing chain of great steakhouses, called the Ritz-Carlton home for several days. We had the pleasure of photographing both their morning sessions and a great celebration dinner at the resort’s AAA five diamond restaurant, Salt.

I’ve gotta say, its been a while since I’ve laughed so often at a shoot. The whole group seemed to be a bunch of comedians, making my job even more enjoyable. As you can see from the image above, the famous Rudy of Notre Dame fame was the guest speaker. He encouraged the group to strive for greatness, never give up, and to always treat people with kindness and respect. And now, without further adieu, below are some of our favorite shots from the shoot – enjoy!

Dostie Homes’ Mediterranean Twins Fit for a Queen

Mar6

Late last week, we spent the evening with Dostie Homes, photographing a pair of their Mediterranean-inspired homes in Jacksonville’s Queen’s Harbor neighborhood. This particular part of Queen’s Harbor is built around an alley system with deep, narrow lots, however despite the geographical restrictions, Dostie managed to create two stunning, spacious 3000+ square foot homes that feel anything but narrow.

As part of our continued efforts to expand our capabilities, we invested in one of those expanding step ladders that allow us to shoot from a height of 13 feet with ease – allowing for elevated shots (top) – and providing for a unique perspective. We also experimented with multiple lighting sources with this shoot, which helped us to light distant areas more evenly and provide some creative lighting ideas to the shoot. As always, check out some of our favorite shots from this shoot below.