We had some super news this morning…..after loading up on coffee we sat down to check our email and the results for ISPWP’s summer contest were in!

Nicole’s awesome gown, shot at the beautiful Grandezza, took home first place in the Wedding Gown category! Judge’s comments: “Great use of window light and flare”. And yep. That was natural lens flare, not fake Photoshop flare!

Annemarie’s infamous (for Naples, anyway) La Playa balcony shot took home 7th place in the Framing the Subject category. Judge’s comments: “Absolutely stunning image”.

We placed 19th out of 20 overall from all the entrants all over the world, our first time placing in the top 20 since we started competing (we started in the Fall of 2009 and placed for the first time in the contest of summer of 2009).

So we are were pretty stoked overall…..it’s always a wonderful validation when your favorite images place. I love both of these images….and whenever I select images for contests, I always try to select images that I love, not what I think the judges will like…..’stay true to your vision’ is what we always try to do! It’s never let us down….

Congratulations to all the other winners….there is some FAB talent going on and if you have a minute, we encourage you to take a look at all the winners. Some uber-talented photographers from all over the world placed and it’s a real honor for us. Check out the results right here at ISPWP’s gallery results page!

Tags: accolades, contest winners by Astrid
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We had the super-duper honor of preserving our friends’ Jon and Abigail’s wedding memories. We’ve known Jon for a while now and of course, not only was it a pleasure to participate in such a beautiful day, but we couldn’t be happier that Jon and Abigail found each other. You know, life is too short to not find that special better half, and whenever we get to be a part of that union, it’s very satisfying to see two people who have found each other and will be going through life together as one.

Abigail started her day at her sister’s house, where she got ready. What a beautiful bride! Abigail is from Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. And her sister has this beautiful statue of the Aztec calendar, which made the perfect backdrop for the ring shot. Cool, huh!

 

 

Gotta love the shoes!

 

Getting ready….

 

Jon and Abigail exchanged vows at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Naples, Florida. What a beautiful church and look at the pride in her eyes….

 

The happy newlyweds! Congratulations Jon and Abi!!!

 

So in love….

 

Didn’t I say she was a natural beauty…..Abigail really made my work easy for me!

 

I LOVE this shot…

 

Off to our favorite beach for some sandy pictures…

 

 

So dramatic…I love the beaches here in Naples!

 

And then we made our way to Grandezza Country Club in Naples, where Jon and Abigail had a fabulous reception. I got some major Hurrell-inspiration when I shot these in the balcony in front of the club. I just LOVE dramatic lighting and this image is really something to see as a print! The entire series is breath-taking….

 

A close-up from this series.

 

You guys make my job so easy!

 

Wow is all I can say….

 

The official grand entrance! I love this formal portrait. The colors really give it a bit of je ne sais quoi!

 

Ok, this is probably my favorite of the entire day. Just look at the awesomeness Jon and Abi exude here….they look like royalty!!

 

Some of the details inside the Grandezza Club….yes, this is during the holidays! Remember, fine art like this doesn’t happen overnight!

 

Love the classic and very elegant touch of style that Abi brought to everything she touched…

 

A romantic moment during their first-dance…

 

Their cake, like everything else, seemed to GLOW…..

 

An end to a fabulously unforgettable night. Congratulations to you both! We can’t think of a better match…..!

Tags: Florida Weddings, Naples Florida weddings by Astrid
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