Sun + Moon at the Gulf Sands: Vinny's Take

2019 has been quite a year for me where I’ve experienced the widest range of emotions… A year of new beginnings, a year of change, a year of love and loss.

It seemed fitting that I would shift from my typical nudes in abandoned places to a more upbeat, colorful venue. Through my partnership with Jensen, I've allowed myself to be open to seeing the world through a more vibrant and diverse lens. This retreat was the perfect way to announce our Sun + Moon partnership to the world. It was a blending of our personalities and visions and a way to stretch and challenge each other, all while impacting and motivating others to come along for the ride.

One of my favorite parts of our weekend was witnessing the blended visions and stories of everyone who joined us. Our models, hosts, and photographers come from such different backgrounds, skill levels, and life experiences. In our time together we eat, drink, connect, and make beautiful pictures and memories. It is such a privilege to be a part of these events and I am beyond grateful to everyone who came to share their time and talents with us.

Let us know if you'd like us to come to your area. We would love to get to know you and help to connect you with other artists like yourself. Stay tuned for more dates and events from Sun + Moon. Thank you for being a part of our journey and our story.

-Vin

CREDITS:

Venue: Gulf Sands Beach Resort

Models: Jenna, Natasha, Maiaya, Richie, Chris, Mya, and Marco

Photographers:

Yoga Instructor:

SUN + MOON AT THE GULF SANDS: JENSEN'S TAKE

I was immediately inspired by the Gulf Sands Beach Resort when I first shot there with Vin in January. We were warmly welcomed and given the opportunity to let our visions run wild. It was only natural that we’d dream up a retreat.

While Vin has a number of natural light workshops under his belt, I had none. However, with my background in television and event production the challenge thrilled me. We conceptualized an event where photographers could decompress, letting their creativity blossom under the sun and along the waves. We picked a weekend that fell along a full moon. The name Sun + Moon was born.

Four photographers, each from different states, drove down to join us for a weekend at the beach. We shot both day and night with five models. Even Vin and I made casual appearances in front of the camera.

We ventured to the moonlit water. We played and posed in red turtle-friendly lights. We captured models all over the property, toying with natural textures, shadows, and botanicals, and enjoyed our uniquely old Florida rooms.

We danced in the sand with the locals at Nokomis Beach’s famous sunset drum circle. We experimented with delayed shutter and poi dancing, then rolled out of bed for yoga with Mya Cato. What I loved most about our retreat was seeing the collective energy drive our guests and where it took them.

The Gulf Sands is a safe, enchanting space for people to be themselves. I never imagined that day in January would alter the course of my life. The name Sun + Moon stemmed from the retreat, but since then it’s been the essence of who Vin and I are as artists and people. I opened my eyes to the necessary duality of darkness and light, literally and mentally. I allowed myself to fall back in love with portraiture and crave human experiences.

Our first retreat was a reward and I’m already longing for the next one. Since May we’ve hosted two workshops and have another in August. If you’d like to join us on our retreats and collectives and see where we’re going, head HERE. If you want us in your city, we are all ears!

I also encourage you to check out our Gulf Sands friends’ pages. All of the photographers absolutely crushed it:

Mya Cato - Yoga Instructor

If you want to book your own weekend getaway at this magical spot, head HERE and let Amy know we sent ya!

Special thanks to Jenna, Natasha, Maiaya, Richie, Chris, Mya, and Marco for your trust.

-JT

ULYSSES & CO. // PHOTOGRAPHING FAMILIES

VINNY’S TAKE

I loved working with Ulysses and his beautiful little family at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It was the first warm day of spring and at the peak of cherry blossom season. Being a parent myself makes me appreciate the efforts of other parents to have their kiddos photographed, especially in a hectic environment like this.

In these situations it’s important to get to the location early and do a little scouting and test shooting. That way you’re ready to jump right in when the party arrives. Kids don’t give you all day to get the shot; the more you expect them to behave like angels, the quicker things may devolve into the opposite.

Manage expectations and don’t expect to get super posed shots. They’re not realistic and more often than not, families enjoy candids anyway. Our style tends to be documentary and we love bringing that to our family sessions as well.

I loved the challenges of moving quickly, adapting to different light, keeping crowds out of the background, and avoiding the grouchy groundskeepers.

We walked away with beautiful photos and new and renewed friendships. Thank you, Ulysses, Aleksandra, Cataleya, & Alexander for sharing your beautiful family and part of your weekend with us!

JENSEN’S TAKE

Ulysses and I met at Full Sail, so to say we go back is a massive understatement. I have fond memories of experimenting with modeling and photography in his dimly lit apartment near campus. It was a tad mind-blowing to see him again all these years later, awesome wife and kiddos in tow. It was just what I needed to fill my heart and approach this family session excited and inspired.

With that said, when it comes to photographing families, bring a positive attitude. Children are ticking time bombs and tend to have a sixth sense. They can easily pick up on how you’re feeling. Offering a relaxed, curious, and kind demeanor will give them the chance to open up to you. They may even cooperate with your requests- no promises, though. ;)

Now that I’m the mother of a small child, I recall days in fragments. Life moves quickly and it’s easy to lose sight of the brief and magical moments. That’s why I love documenting them. Shooting families abstractly also gives them the freedom to interact without prodding and direction. I love shooting hands, shoes, toothy grins, the environment… all of these aspects are fleeting and wonderful to look back on. It doesn’t hurt that they look pretty cool hung in a family room, either.

I don’t brag about it often, but long ago I was a photographer at Sears Portrait Studio. As silly as that job was and as bad as I looked in a polo shirt, I still apply some of the teachings, mainly the importance of breaking your families into groups. Everyone has a unique relationship so it’s always a good idea to photograph children with each parent, each other, individually, etc. You never know what kind of moment you can capture unless you set it up.

Above all, embrace the chaos. Families are sweet, thrilling, beautiful messes. They’re probably going to overwhelm you and stretch your abilities. This is what makes us better artists and better people. Let children teach you more about yourself and your passions. Roll with the punches and remember that what you’re documenting means more to their parents than anything else in the world. It’s a tough gig but someone’s gotta do it- I hope it’s you!

DANIELLE & BRIAN: ENGAGED

JENSEN’S TAKE

Photographing family can be both easier than your typical clients and more of a challenge. On one hand, you know your relatives and what makes them smile. They’re already comfortable with you. At the same time the stakes are that much higher, and the last thing you want to do is disappoint them.

Danielle is my smart, gorgeous, driven, sarcastic-as-hell cousin. I was thrilled when she and Brian said they’d be down to play with us. They were open to trying different poses, set-ups, and even let me style them! Talk about dream subjects.

It was important to me that Danielle and Brian enjoyed working with us and that their poses didn’t seem too forced. They’re a laidback couple and it’s obvious that they’re at ease with each other. They also make each other laugh pretty frequently. Instead of controlling them too much and forcing them to stay within strict parameters, we guided them to “cheat” towards camera and simply shot around their interaction.

In order to avoid micromanaging their couples too much, I always recommend photographers let them connect organically- in the beginning, at the very least. I think this helps the subjects get used to being in front of the camera. Meanwhile, the photographer figures out how couples express their love. Call it a win-win. Personally, this is the part of engagement shoots I enjoy the most. Every couple has their own unique energy and it’s my job to capture it in an interesting way, all while making sure they’re happy.

I loved incorporating elements of the shoot location into Danielle and Brian’s set into my edits. I wanted to go with something colorful, whimsical, and dramatic. Magenta azaleas checked all of these boxes for me. They even inspired me to explore this technique further in future work! Never let anyone tell you engagement shoots can’t be creative or push the boundaries- just find yourself a Danielle and Brian who are cool with getting weird. ;)

VINNY’S TAKE

One of the benefits of working in pairs is that whenever the one runs out of ideas or has trouble conveying something, they can always count on the other to be full of them! Some locations simply inspire people more than others, and there's no shame in that. I notice photographers (me too, sometimes) will get stuck in one place and continue to "wear out the location" when they should be moving on and keeping the shoot fresh and exciting.

Jensen and I see things differently, but our approach to the subject matter is very similar. We create with a focus on empathy, intention, communication. At one point, Jensen handed me a strand of moss to use as foreground blur, and the shots immediately became dreamier and brighter. Throughout the day, I shot through flowers and leaves. It's important to utilize the environment, and make the shoot unique to the area that you're using. Often photographers will bring a ton of props to a shoot- I feel this puts unnecessary pressure on both the subjects and the photographers. Create in the moment and listen to what your surroundings are telling you. Keep it simple!

It's a treat to work with subjects who don't take themselves too seriously. Danielle and Brian kept things light; in fact, they kept us laughing with their random "Shallow" renditions. I appreciated the opportunity to get to know them and document such a special time in their lives!

WHAT TO EXPECT

Pretty soon you’ll find little posts about the shoots we do as a team. We’ll include what we loved about them and what challenged us. Hopefully you’ll find some useful tidbits that you can apply to your photography, whether you’re behind or in front of the camera.

-J