I love being a photographer on Miami Beach with so many gorgeous locations right in my backyard. The pandemic has been tough on my wedding photography business, but I'm using this time as best I can to do complete projects I've had on the bucket list for years. I'm so excited to offer fine art prints and open my print shop! I am offering fine art prints, fine art beach prints + frames (perfect for gallery walls), beach canvases, beach metal prints, and even Miami Beach greeting cards! Right now, it's full of Miami Beach photos from lifeguard stands, to the blue ocean, and to colorful umbrellas. Today, I want to show off some of my favorite Lifeguard Stands from Miami Beach! One day I went to take pictures on South Beach at sunrise and it was cloudy. Then, a few weeks later, I finally caught a sunny day! Each block, the lifeguard stands are decorated differently and uniquely! I love these printed on their own or in sets. Hope these beachy prints bring some warmth and joy into your home! 

Visit my print shop and get 10% off your order!
https://bit.ly/laurasprintshop

In honor of Earth Day, here are 10 tips for a sustainable and ecofriendly wedding! There are so many ways to go green on your wedding day! Big and small, all way 

​1. Sustainable Wedding Venue
This is usually the first choice you make when planning your eco-friendly wedding. Try having your wedding at one location so guests and vendors don't have to travel between two places.
You can see if a venue is green by checking out this site!

• ​Is it designed with energy efficiency or sustainable power?
• Do they pay workers a living wage? 
• Is there a lot of built in decor or natural outdoor space that doesn't require a lot of extra sprucing up?
• Do they give back to the community?
• Is there a lot of natural light so you can cut down on power?

​2. Ethical and Ecofriendly Wedding Clothes - Wedding Dress, Wedding Jumper, Wedding Suit
The fashion industry is surprisingly a top polluter due to the amount of water consumption, fabric waste, micro-plastics, chemicals and dyes, soil degradation, and green houses gasses emitted during production. Also, many working conditions are not ethical and many are not paid a living wage. The good news is there are tons of amazing options for a sustainable and eco friendly wedding dress and suit!

• Buy from one of these ethical approved wedding dress stores
• Or one of these Dude approved ethical suit stores
• Buy a used wedding dress
• Borrow a friends outfit 
• Rent an outfit 
• Thrift an outfit
• Support a local maker 
• Choose a material that's more sustainable like bamboo 
• Sell or donate outfit after your celebration

​4. Sustainable Florals

• Reuse florals throughout the wedding, like ceremony decor to reception. Saves you money too!
• Choose locally grown flowers and flowers that are in season 
• Pick flowers that are VeriFlora certified - meaning they are grown without harsh chemicals & with ethical treatment of workers 
• Donate to a local hospital, community center, or elderly care home 

5. Cut down on plastics & waste 
Think of all those DIY projects and see how you can cut down on plastic.

• Shipping - opt out of plastic when using Amazon, consolidate orders, recycle boxes and wrapping
• Switch from paper napkins to reusable cloth napkins
• Use old wood for signs instead of new wood or plastic signs 
• Buy pre-used wedding decor (Facebook Marketplace was great for my sister's wedding!)
• Use more natural elements like leaves for table assignments instead of paper

​8. Eco Friendly Wedding favors 

• Chose to donate to a local cause or charity in your guests name
• Give out flowers seeds or small plant
• Make jam from local fruit made in glass jars
• Give a custom wedding glass guests will use all night 
• ​Give a reusable straw guests will use all night 
• Edible treat packaged with zero waste 
• Custom tote/grocery bag
• Reef friendly chapstick 
• Fair trade coffee or organic tea

9. Zero Waste Wedding Exit 
Biodegradable is key! Easy to clean up is crucial. 

• Bird seeds
• Dried lavender
• Flower petals
• Cotton pompoms
• Seed paper confetti 

​

1. Make sure wedding venue is ok with it
May seem obvious, but not all venues are dog friendly. Make sure you let them know you have a plan for how to clean up after your dog and that you will have a designated dog supervisor. Ask if there are certain places your dog can or cannot go. Maybe puppy can show up for just photos or just getting ready time!

2. Bring treats or favorite toy
We're not above bribing on your wedding day. Treats or a favorite toy are especially useful when trying to get your pup to walk down the aisle or sit for photos

3. Consider who will take care of your fur baby while you're not taking photos 
Have a good friend or family member who can be there to make sure your dog has what they need like food, water, & potty breaks. 

4. Bring a lint roller 
Let's make sure your wedding outfits, especially dark colored suits, are looking as fresh and hair free as possible!

5. Don't be afraid to move or get on their level and play and have fun!
It's super hard to get your dog to look right at the camera when there are new faces and new smells and oh so much excitement! So let's walk with them, play fetch, show off some trick with treats, and don't be afraid of kisses! I like doing photos with you dog after all our pics so it's ok if you can't resist a big wet kiss from your puppy!

6. Make sure your puppy is ok with it too
Weddings can be overwhelming for humans, but if your dog is also anxious, a big celebration with lots of noises and newness might be too much! Make sure your wedding environment is a good fit for your four legged friend!

I did a thing! Inspired by so many creatives out there, I called up my dear friend, Lyndsey (check out her profile HERE!) Drew and I met in Rome and asked if she wanted to experiment with me. Thankfully, my redheaded goddess muse said, "Yes, let's make art"! SO after some research and trial and error here is what we found on the best ways to have a FaceTime Photoshoot with your friends during quarantine:

2 ways to shoot FaceTime Portraits:

1. Taking live photos or screen shots while on FaceTime
2. Using DSLR to take picture of your iPhone with model on it

What you need for your FaceTime Photoshoot:

• An iPhone or iPad for the model 
• An iPhone or Macbook on the photographers side
• Good internet connection
• Lots of light! 
• A way to stack and lean iPhone/iPad if model/couple doesn't have a phone tripod. 

​
How to:

1. Determine if model's iPhone or iPad has better camera
2. Everyone update to latest IOS
3. Everyone turn on Live Photos while FaceTime
   1. Set both devices to allow Live Photo capture (Setting>FaceTime>allow FaceTime Live Photos on your iPhone,
   2. or – FaceTime>Preferences>Settings>allow FaceTime Live Photos on your Mac)
4. Make sure model uses rear camera because it's better than the selfie camera
5. Communicate about angles, the model will be the one moving and setting the camera and trusting you since she can't see herself
6. Start playing and have fun! 

When you click the "Take Live Photo" button while FaceTiming on either your computer or your phone, it will save to your photos. I then transferred those to my hard drive, brought them into Lightroom, and edited!

Tips:

• We found simple background and neutral clothes helped
• Just embrace that it's not great quality and edit accordingly
• Use props like mirrors and plants 
• Having the phone steady is almost better than someone else holding it because there's less motion blur
• Have fun, try new things, and don't take it too seriously! 

Inspired by Tim Dunk & Anastasia Jobin

Q: What if we want a traditional first look on wedding day?
A: That's ok too! BUT, here are 3 very important questions for you:

1. What time is sunset on your wedding day?
2. What time will your ceremony end?
3. Do you want to enjoy your cocktail hour?

After the ceremony, we typically ask family members to please stay seated so we can roll right into family photos. I like to do this so older family members can have a place to sit. Another plus, is we don't have to chase down family members. Drew and I do not know what your family members look like, so this way we don't have to send a parent or sibling to go wrangle while we just wait. Then, after family photos, if we did not do a first look, we have combined wedding party photos. Finally, we can take pictures of you and your love. All of this takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on size of family and wedding party meaning you will also miss your cocktail hour.

SO that means we need your ceremony to end 60-90 minutes before sunset. 

If your ceremony ends at sunset, all photos will need to be taken with a flash. And that's ok, we've done that before and they look beautiful! Flash just has a little different of a look vs. natural sunset light. If you actually want time away from your guests and you're cool with missing cocktail hour, we get that too! Everyone needs a break! Just something to consider when you and your fiancé think things through.

If you're still undecided, ask married friends who have done both and see what they say! 

I'm always here to help answer any questions about your wedding day timeline and flow too! :D 

I love promoting that I give my couples print rights! 

It's a big part of my philosophy that with your wedding, engagement, or family photos, you have print rights. I export my photos at the highest quality so you can print big or small. Every photo I send you in your digital gallery comes with a print right, so no limits there!

Why print rights are so important to Drew and I:
When Drew and I were first engaged and looking into wedding photographers, we had nooo idea what to look for or ask. I just looked at the pictures and said, oh they look nice, let's go with them. We realized only after the wedding that we were not given print rights. The photographer wanted us to buy a very expensive 4x6 print and then with each print came a digital file. We sadly could not afford to buy hundreds of 4x6 prints from this person. We were devastated. We wanted to share our wedding with friends and family all over the world. I wanted to plaster my Facebook with wedding photos and show my friends my favorite day ever on my phone and text our best friends funny dancing moments. But because we didn't have print rights, we couldn't do that. We ended up fighting for over a year with this person and they finally let us purchase print rights but they were only quality enough for a 4x6 photo. Pictures are so important to me so it's my biggest regret in life.

​SO, Drew & I want to help you avoid that! We want to help you understand wedding photography print rights, copy right, and print releases!

​Q: What do print rights mean?
A: Printing Rights = Having print rights means you have the right to print your images for personal use.
I, the photographer, give you, my client, the right and ability to print your photos that give you in digital format for personal use such as sharing on social media and printing them out! I give you a print release (a form I'll put in your client portal) so you can have print rights! (Some places like Walmart will ask that you present a physical print release.) This way you can print thank you cards, canvases, put your face on a cake, anything that you use for you, your family, and friends.

Q: "Digitals"?
A: Photographer lingo for digital files, aka, your pictures! I send you a weblink with all your pictures as .jpg's in a beautiful digital album. Then, you can download those to your phone and desktop! Next, you can print your photos at your favorite lab and share them on social media! 

Q: "Personal use"?
A: Yup! So if you want to submit your pics to a contest or a blog or if someone wants to use or buy your photos, I'd be so stoked! Let me know and we can work together to show off your pictures to the world! 

Q: Why wouldn't another photographer let me have print rights in the first place?
A: It's very important to me that you, my clients have print rights. Every photographer has a different philosophy. I personally love giving you the option to print at whatever lab fits your budget and share with family and friends all over the world. We live in a digital age and I recognize and embrace that! I never want to hold your memories hostage! Some photographers will ask you pay additional for you to download your pictures. Sometimes you will be allowed a certain number of digitals. Sometimes, your digital pictures are only a certain size and quality so you can only print a 4x6 or something small and not big quality canvases. So these are all good questions to ask your photographer! 

• Digital photo files are included in my wedding, engagement, and family prices!
• I do not limit the amount you can download!
• My digitals are sent to you at the highest rate so you can print big and small!

​​Q: So, who has the copy right to my photos?
A: Technically, I, the photographer do. But, it's for good reason! This way, I can use your gorgeous photos to use in my marketing, blogs, social media, and submit to contests and publications! I always work with couples who want to keep their photos private or want to purchase full copy rights too so feel free to ask :) 

Q: Why is knowing about print rights important?
A: It's always important to ask your photographer about number, size, and quality of print rights and whether they are included or not in the price. This way you know the full price upfront and you know what's included in the entire photography package. All my sessions include print rights at the highest quality with no limits :D 

If you have any other thoughts or questions about print rights, copy right, or print release ask below in the comments or send me an email! I'd love to help navigate these terms with you!

E+E are friends of ours from work and I was so happy when they asked me to document such a special chapter! I love maternity photos and what a joy it is to be celebrating a growing family! She's a psychologist and he's a chiropractor, so this loving, selfless, healer, helper, power couple was a joy to work with! We chased the sun and wandered around the closed down golf course. We got cute moments, goofy moments, and fun action moments. I adored her emerald green dress from Dalliance Bespoke, and was so thrilled she jumped in the pool with it too! Any time I can break out my drone I'm a happy artist! I love every frame because they were their genuine, fun, and carefree selves. Thank you so much for this fun afternoon! 

Michelle + Paul's wedding at the Confidante Hotel on South Beach was a beautiful celebration full of tropical vibes and lots of love! I loved everything from the bright colors of the tile and art work to the beautiful details like custom cuff links and new, blue, borrowed, blue jewelry. I had so much for taking their engagement photos at Mattheson Hammock Park that showing up on their wedding day was a breeze and like showing up to celebrate with friends! They are just the most loving and caring people, and hearing stories from their friends and family only confirms what a gift they are as individuals and as a couple! Thank you for letting me be a part of your gorgeous day! 

5 years ago, Chanelle + Cole met at a cafe during the MLB playoffs, hit it off and slid right into their adventuring (puns intended)! They toured MLB stadiums, visited several new cities and states, got engaged at sunrise on floating cabin in Illinois, and now engagement pictures at sunset in Miami, Florida! I love their spirits for exploring new places hand in hand! I so loved showing off one of my favorite parks, Mattheson Hammock Park, full of Spanish moss and air plants hanging from ancient trees, and a palm tree lined beach that's magical during golden hour. Thank you so much for including me on this beautiful 8th adventure together! 

Cristi and Nick met in paramedic school and both went on to become firefighter paramedics! These two brave, selfless, full of joy and energy warriors are just so inspiring! They're beyond chill and care deeply for others. Wedding day was so easy and so much fun! Cristi made custom everything for their wedding including awesome jackets, glasses, shirts, and favors. Their first look was intimate and emotional and I loved that we had so much time for photos which let me take a few pics with the drone! Their ceremony was personal and reflective while still holding true to their light and easy going souls. My favorite was that Cristi's grandmother was her matron of honor (check out the viral TikTok post here!) SO sweet! Abuela smiled and was radiant the whole night! Drew and I loved dancing the night away with their awesome friends and family. Always so special when we feel the love too! Drew and I admire our brave first responder life saving friends and are so happy we could be a part of their well deserved celebration!