Tara Marie Photography

Brad & Courtney - Engagement

2012-01-19T08:30:00.000-06:00

Tasting & Touring, Desert Plantation, St. Francisville

2012-01-18T11:30:00.000-06:00

Come join us at St. Francisville's Desert Plantation on Sunday, January 22 at 2 pm - 5 pm for Tasting and Touring! Taste Heirloom Cuisine's gourmet dishes, take a tour of the beautiful Desert Plantation, and come hang out with me! I'll have all my album samples and several portrait samples available for viewing. The tasting & touring is a great opportunity to visit in a laid-back setting and get to see a beautiful, historical plantation in the Tunica Hills near St. Francisville at 411 Desert Lane, Woodville, MS 39669. Please come enjoy this nice day with us!

Imaging conference, continued.

2012-01-16T07:57:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, I had the privilege to meet another pregnant photographer from Denver in the hotel lobby. We both nearly had a cat-fight over who got the first scrambled eggs in the continental breakfast, but after scarfing down our first servings decided that we could get along after all.
Meeting people, seeing the new products on the market, and especially gleaning info from other successful photographers make the snoring roommate, booming club music at night, and expensive convention food worthwhile.
But, no matter how much I'm learning, I realize more every day that nothing can compare to any time spent with my husband and little girl at our sweet home. :) I can't wait to hug and kiss them when I get home. I hope that you can learn to appreciate your loved ones as much as I have lately
TM

Imaging USA- New Orleans - a national photography conference

2012-01-16T00:33:00.000-06:00

Today was the first full day of Imaging USA, a national conference held by Professional Photographers of America. I wasn't planning to go originally, but since it was in New Orleans, just two hours from my house, and since I had a friend to ride and room with, why not?
These conferences consist of multiple lectures to choose from during time slots throughout the day, depending on what you want to learn about. Here, there is also a large trade show with over 100 vendors sporting their photography-based products, from albums to online hosting, from credit card processing to websites.

I learned a tremendous amount early this 7 am morning from a young couple out of Nashville, Zach & Jody Gray. I was impressed with their passion for not only weddings, but for the Lord and for the institution of marriage as a whole! I took a ton of notes during the seminar (but this could have been slightly coffee-induced) and feel like I was able to internalize a LOT of applicable info from them.

My 2nd favorite part of the day was the 2nd-line entrance to the trade show grand opening at 11:00, complete with Mardi Gras umbrellas and a live jazz band. That's mostly because I find south Louisiana's culture fascinating, and others' lack of understanding of it amusing. Here's a picture of some of us who actually know what a 2nd line dance is- some of my local photographer home-chicks.

Tasting & Touring, Desert Plantation, St. Francisville

2012-01-09T11:13:00.001-06:00

Alicia & Chris- from last year

2012-01-06T18:02:00.000-06:00

I was looking back through the 2011 pictures and realized that I never posted Alicia & Chris's beautiful wedding at Grace Episcopal Church in St. Francisville. The church in itself has a rich historical background, and is also surrounded by one of the oldest and most beautiful live-oak covered cemeteries in the area. It may be weird, but I like to go just walk around that church and cemetery, especially in the spring when the azaleas are blooming. It's very close to the Mississippi river, and I like to imagine people being able to hear the church bells from the river back in the days when the river was a main source of transportation.

The reception was at The Victorian, another beautiful wedding and reception venue in St. Francisville where I've photographed multiple weddings and receptions. The April weather was wonderful, and Chris & Alicia are a beautiful couple. They're now expecting their first baby, and I'm so excited for them!!

Erika & James - Wedding

2012-01-05T10:48:00.000-06:00

Amber & John - Wedding

2012-01-04T10:36:00.001-06:00

Stephanie & Joe - Engagement

2012-01-03T12:37:00.000-06:00

Tasting & Touring, Desert Plantation, St. Francisville

2012-01-02T13:24:00.000-06:00

Cristen & Landon, Wedding, The Bluffs, St. Francisville Photographer

2011-12-19T15:55:00.000-06:00

Cristen Wilson and Landon Blades's from Kentwood, Louisiana had their wedding in St. Francisville at The Bluffs on October 1, 2011. The flowers were done by florist Edin Logan. The rest of the pictures can be seen here.

The Seymour Family

2011-12-02T15:23:00.000-06:00

Some of you may recognize Cristina and Bryan. Tara shot their wedding back in July. Here are some of their pictures from their Christmas family mini-session! -CB

The Dawson Family

2011-12-02T11:14:00.002-06:00

The Dawson Family had their portraits done recently. They came reppin' LSU, and their pictures turned out great! The dogs were also ready for their close ups! Here are some of my favorites. _CB

Caitlin Bridal

2011-12-02T11:14:00.000-06:00

Caitlin and Brett got married this past Saturday. It was hard to pick just a few favorites from her bridal session.There were so many great ones! Below are some of my favorites! - CB

Ashton - Senior 2012

2011-11-30T12:06:00.000-06:00

James Bond - Senior 2012

2011-11-28T13:11:00.001-06:00

James is a senior at Silliman Institute. He had a lot of great pictures from his shoot. Check out some of my favorites below. -CB

The Simpson Family

2011-11-28T12:58:00.001-06:00

These are some of my favorites from a Family Portrait session, Tara did recently. It was at Milbank Plantation in Jackson, La. -CB

2011-11-23T16:07:00.001-06:00

The Tara Marie Photography Black Friday Sale! Sales begin at midnight Thursday and run through cyber Monday midnight.

This weekend only, you can get the following prices on these awesome products. Check out through our Black Friday Sale gallery to get the sale price.

CD of your pictures- $135
A family, engagement, or bridal portrait session CD- $135 plus tax ( Normal price is $175 and will increase in 2012)
Do you know you're going to want a CD, but your pictures aren't online yet? Check out under the "Black Friday Sale" gallery, and we'll send your CD for when your pictures are ready.

Beginners Photography Workshop Registration- $110
Our next beginner's photography workshop is January 22nd. The normal price is $125. This makes an awesome gift for someone! We can send you a gift certificate or this if so desired.

25% off all prints 11x14 and larger. Everyone's 2011 gallery is currently online again for this weekend only, and this is the opportunity of the year to decorate your walls with the pictures you wanted. Check out through your own gallery, and use the coupon code "largeprints25"

Family or Engagement Portrait Session gift certificate- $89 This is a 1 hour family or engagement portrait session with 1 8x10 and 3 5x7's for only $89. The prints alone cost more than that! Get it for someone else, or use it yourself.
(up to 10 people/pets. Have a large family? 11+ people/pets is $115)

Custom Christmas Cards & Invitations

2011-11-18T12:39:00.001-06:00

Did you know that we can design custom Christmas cards for you? Or, custom invitations? Some customers who have done the custom Christmas cards from us have had feedback from their friends & family who received the cards, saying that, "Yours was the best Christmas card of the year!" What a compliment!

If you'd like us to turn your pictures into some custom Christmas cards or custom graduation invitations for you (or any other sort of card you can come up with), just shoot me an email or give me a call and either myself or Callie will design something just for you.

Here's a little brochure with the sizes we offer.

Tara

Charles - Senior 2012

2011-11-11T13:43:00.001-06:00

The Heiser Family

2011-11-11T13:39:00.000-06:00

Dawn and Alan - Trash the Dress

2011-11-07T15:22:00.000-06:00

The Tetzel Family

2011-11-07T14:52:00.000-06:00

The Foster Family

2011-11-02T13:03:00.000-05:00

Tha Babin Family

2011-11-02T12:35:00.000-05:00

Amber - Bridals

2011-10-31T12:29:00.000-05:00

Senior Rep Cards

2011-10-28T13:08:00.000-05:00

These are our Senior Rep Cards and a sample of the 3X3 cards we have available for purchase!

Curry Allen - Model

2011-10-26T12:18:00.000-05:00

Curry needed some modeling head shots, and this was a really fun, different, challenging shoot for me. Dawn LeCoq came to be my lighting assistant (the same Dawn that I've done 4 photo shoots for!) and we had fun finding different poses and trying to keep from making Curry laugh during his serious face poses. Here are some of my favorites.
Tara

Tiffany and Derek - Engagement

2011-10-26T11:58:00.000-05:00

Erika - Bridals

2011-10-24T10:28:00.000-05:00

What to Wear! (by Callie)

2011-10-13T11:36:00.001-05:00

11:05 AM

by Callie
Tis the season for family portraits! And the big question is, "What do we wear?" It seems like everyone has trouble on what the best thing to wear is. For a while there everyone had the family portrait of everyone wearing white button up shirts with either jeans or khakis. Now the trend is moving towards more of a coordination theme instead of matching. I really think that these non-matchy family portraits turn out so much better. When everyone is wearing the same thing, it seems like family members lose their personality in the picture. By not requiring everyone to wear the exact same thing, the picture seems more like a realistic shot of the family.
The best thing about not matching exactly is you probably already have something for everyone at home.

So where to start? The first thing is to pick a color palette. Choose a few colors that go well together. Some popular ones I have seen are: Pink ,Grey and Navy, Yellow and Grey, fall colors such as browns, oranges and reds. Or, you could choose one color and look for different shades of that color that go together. Another idea is that one person can wear a print, and then you can pull everyone else's outfit colors from that print. Basically, you'll want to look like you go together but that you are not twins.

Next, consider the style and season. For this you need to decide whether you want your pictures formal or informal. You don’t want one person in jeans and someone else in a formal dress. Also, everyone should be dressed for the same season. When everyone has the same style, the pictures make more sense.

Something else I've seen that I really like is to use layering! It helps draw interest to the picture. Accessorize with scarves, jewelry, vests, etc. Big headbands for little girls are definitely in style right now. When you add accessories, it helps pull everything together and everyone looks more polished.

To sum it up, think about the color palette, choose your style, consider the season, add on some layers, and you're done!

Tara's take on what to wear - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly...

Here are of my favorite examples from some of our recent shoots...

Below are some links for outfit inspiration!

http://www.danielleneil.com/blog/what-to-wear-for-your-family-portrait-session/

http://rebekahjanephotography.com/photography/what-to-wear-fall-family-photo-shoot/
An easy way to find ideas is to google "what to wear for a family shoot" and look at the images!
Happy Planning!
CB

Landon & Cristen- Wedding Preview

2011-10-10T14:56:00.003-05:00

Baine and Amanda - Wedding

2011-10-10T13:18:00.000-05:00

Baine and Amanda's sunset backyard St. Francisville, LA wedding was probably the prettiest and most unique wedding I've seen since Ann Marie and Ryan's in 2009 in Spicewood, TX. The girls and guys all wore Toms shoes. Am I the last one to know that Toms makes high-heel shoes?

I loved the barn in the background, the lights over the backyard tables, and the entire wedding itself. After posting the facebook preview of these pictures, I learned that Brother Terrell, who performed the ceremony, also married my husband's parents. How neat is that!

To enter the ceremony, the guys all canoed across the pond from the deer camp where they got ready. Then, as their exit, Baine and Amanda canoed back across the pond with sparklers lighting the way.

A Monday Morning Thought

2011-10-10T12:16:00.001-05:00

Tara
Last night I watched an (at best) interesting cartoon movie called Guardians of Ga'houl. Regardless of the lack of character building and the strange comparison of an owl to Darth Vader, there was one line and thought that I thought was worth taking home. The baby owl said "Dreams are what make us who we are."

I was thinking this morning about what my dreams are. It's been a long time since I set any big long-term goals for myself. I've actually accomplished many of my goals in the past 5 years, so it's definitely time to think big again.

Here are some that have not been done yet that I'd like to do:
Go to New York and witness/participate in a fashion photo shoot for a day
Go lobster fishing in Maine
Visit every national park in the US.
Train a horse from start to finish (I'm working on that one with my horse Tex.)
Master making bread (I suck at baking, especially bread. I can't tell you how many loaves of "bricks" I've baked trying to make bread.)
Get good at cooking some Italian foods
Visit a beautiful, non-touristy part of Italy
Visit another 3rd world country

I'll have to continue thinking about these goals and add to them as I go. But I do think it's very important to dream big. Without dreams, what do we aim for? What are some of your big goals?

Tara

Jason and Amanda - Wedding Preview

2011-10-05T13:00:00.000-05:00

Cristen - Bridals

2011-10-05T10:50:00.000-05:00

I had the honor of shooting Cristen & Landon's wedding this weekend at The Bluffs in St. Francisville, LA. Cristen and Landon's wedding was unique in that they did the small ceremony with around 40-50 people in attendance at the Bluffs Chapel, followed by a sit-down dinner at the Bluffs Clubhouse restaurant. But, in two weeks, on Oct 15th, they're having a huge porch-party at Cristen's parents' house in the country in Kentwood.
The wedding pictures will come soon, but in the meantime, here are some of my favorites of Cristen's bridals. We took them in the small, quaint Bluffs Chapel, which is the same place where I took Sarah Soldat's bridals a couple years ago. I can't say enough about the beauty and nice light inside this chapel! I really like Cristen's layered tulle dress with the black accents- it was so flattering with her dark hair.

A note from Callie, Administrative Assistant and newlywed!

2011-10-04T15:37:00.002-05:00

Callie Beall, Administrative Assistant at Tara Marie Photography

Callie and Tara's sister, Sara, who came to help work, babysit, and clean house one day a couple weeks ago. (Apparently only redheads are allowed to work here.)

Hey Everyone! My name is, Callie Beall, the newestmember of Tara Marie Photography. I have been married now for a little over 5months! I know 5 months of marriage doesn’t seem like a long time but when youare looking back from now to your wedding; a lot goes on between then. Lifegoes on, and you get caught in the everyday shuffle. Since I have been workinghere I have noticed a lot of brides going through some of the same weddingplanning stresses (BUDGET) that I had to deal with; so I thought I would offera little advice from the viewpoint of a recent bride.

I spent almost a year planning my wedding/reception, and it lasted maybe 4hours. I really did love planning my wedding (I sometimes even have weddingplanning withdrawals). I spent many hours on wedding blogs, getting ideas forthe flowers, the cake, make-up, hair, songs to dance to, how to decorateeverything, etc. Most of us (brides) drive ourselves crazy to make sureeverything is perfect. And for me, a recovering people pleaser, it was easy toforget what the day was all about. Believe me, there were several times that Igoogled places to elope to. But I wanted our family to be a part of it, so Ikept on planning. And honestly, my wedding was the best day of my life. Thevows were said, the cake was cut, the dances were danced, and everything wentperfectly. Every once in a while, I like to look through all of my weddingpictures to re-live the day. And every time that I do, I get caught right backup into the emotions of it all over again. And right about then, is when yourealize how important your wedding photographer was.

Every bride has their top priorities (where the money is going) when planningtheir wedding. My top two were the venue and the photographer. Lately I havenoticed, a lot of people don’t think that the photographer should be a toppriority. But what a lot of people don’t think about is, when it is all saidand done the only thing that you have after the wedding day is the photography(well, you probably will have some leftovers and leftover wedding cake isamazing btw). And of course, everyone wants a photographer at theirwedding and for them to take pictures of everything. Not everyone realizes howimportant that person is though. So I just wanted to give a few pieces ofadvice to consider when choosing a wedding photographer.

I spent a lot of time flipping back and forth between wedding photographer’sblogs and websites. I chose someone based on their website, without meetingthem in person. I really recommend that you meet your photographer in person. Ithink it can help ease some of the worry knowing that your wedding photographeris excited to be there and passionate about photography. The pictures that Igot from my wedding are great. But one thing, I did not think of, was making alist of pictures that I really wanted to have from my wedding for myphotographer. There were a lot of shots I assumed I would get from my weddingthat I didn’t. So make a must-have picture list. The biggest piece of advice isto make your photographer a top priority!! Everyone is on a budget, believe meI understand this. To cut costs at my wedding, I borrowed a dress, and we cutall of the flowers from the gardens at my wedding venue. I worked involved my family. I meanmy mom was definitely VIP (she played florist and coordinator for the day).Sothere are some places, you can cut costs. But photography is definitely not theplace you want to go cheap. Because five months later, when your husband isworking nights and you’re feeling sappy, all you have are the pictures(situation may not apply to all, but you get the idea). Pick a photographer youlove. Pick a photographer that loves what they do. My wedding day meant so muchto me and I am so glad that I had a photographer there to document it. I neverwant to forget things about my wedding, and the pictures are my tangiblememories of the big day. CB

Heather and Jordan - Engagement

2011-10-03T11:37:00.000-05:00

Amanda Hebert - Bridals

2011-09-29T14:46:00.000-05:00

The last photography workshop- A recap

2011-09-27T13:46:00.001-05:00

The last photography workshop on September 11th, 2011, at the Victorian of the Felicianas in St. Francisville, was wonderful. I thought it was the best one yet. It's always nice as a teacher to be able to review your lesson plans and come up with ways to make things better. This time we did sort-of a "photography scavenger hunt," using different settings on the camera, and it was fun! I hope that all 15 or so attendees came away with a better understanding of their cameras and also some factors that will help them take better pictures with any camera.

One of the ladies actually brought her daughter-in-law to be our model, and she did a great job. Here's my favorite picture from the workshop.

Thanks so much to all the people who came from across the river in New Roads, LA, and all the way from Vidalia and Pineville, to take the workshop!

I owe a HUGE thank you to Emily Folk, Kaylynn Clark, and Jenny Tetzel for helping with the workshop in so many ways. (and, they're all three wonderful friends to have, too!)
TM

Dawn and Alan - Trash the Dress

2011-09-26T12:55:00.000-05:00

Believe it or not, Alan and Dawn's trash the dress session was done in the town of Central, Louisiana! It's not a place I would have ever imagined there being a beautiful white-sand beach, but we found one, thanks to a friend of mine who pulled some strings for us to use her aunt's private property. Many mosquito bites and lots of hiking later, this is what we came up with (or at least a few of them.) Dawn and Alan have been throughout my time working with them the most adventurous couple I've ever shot, and are always willing to do anything I come up with. Dawn, I haven't forgotten about that airplane shoot! TM

Fall Family Portrait mini-sessions in St. Francisville! Sept 25th, Oct 9th, Nov 6th 2011

2011-09-15T12:56:00.002-05:00

We are doing three sets of fall family portrait mini-sessions! Get your Christmas family portrait done in time to order your custom Christmas cards and prints.

September 25th, 2-6:30 pm - PLANTATION setting- at the Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, LA

October 9th, 2-6 pm- FARM setting- at Highpoint Acres, in the country between St. Francisville & Jackson, LA

November 6th, 2-5:30 pm- FARM or PLANTATION setting (depending on demand)

You'll get a 30 minute family portrait session with online viewing & ordering, 1 8x10, 3 5x7 prints, and one digital file with printing rights, all for $75 (up to 8 people/pets). Just the products included are worth over $125. This is a deal that you will not want to pass up.

Pre-registration and pre-payment are required to save your time slot. To reserve your space, write us an email at tara@taramariephoto.com, or give me a call at 225-634-7229.

Additional person/pet: $25 each

Tara Marie Photography 225-634-7229 www.taramariephoto.com

Phone/Email hours (8:30-5:30 M-F) Shoot/Meeting hours (M & F 7:00-5:30,Tu & Th 2-7:30, Sat 1-5 in St. Francisville)
See what's new on the
Tara Marie Photography Facebook Page

Alexis and Michael - Engagement

2011-09-14T11:52:00.000-05:00

Cristen and Landon - Engagement

2011-09-12T15:19:00.000-05:00

Cristina and Bryan - Wedding

2011-09-12T14:48:00.000-05:00

Erika and James Allen - Engagement

2011-09-12T14:34:00.000-05:00

Dawn and Alan - Wedding

2011-09-09T15:36:00.000-05:00

Rebekah and Bradley - Wedding

2011-09-09T14:53:00.000-05:00

White Linen Night in St. Francisville- come visit!

2011-08-26T12:21:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow night from 5-9 pm, Callie from Tara Marie Photography will be set up inside the St. Francisville Inn, 5270 Commerce Street, St. Francisville, LA,(225) 635-6502, for the annual White Linen Night festival. Come visit with her about your senior portraits, fall family portraits, and your wedding photography! We'll have all of our album and canvas samples on display. Also, we'll be drawing for a free portrait session!

Come visit us and explore our beautiful historic Louisiana town!

Beginner's photography workshop- September 11th, 2-7 pm, St. Francisville

2011-08-09T13:43:00.001-05:00

Do you have a new "fancy" camera but need to learn how to use it? Check out our Sunday afternoon Beginner's Photography Workshop on September 11th, 2011. It's designed for people who have digital SLR cameras (the "fancy" digital cameras) but want to know how to use them better.

Register HERE.
Sunday September 11th, 2-7 pm, $125 ($95 for your 2nd person)

During the three hours of the workshop, Tara will cover the basics of how to take better pictures. This includes learning to "see" better pictures, understanding and using your camera's capabilities, learning about some equipment that can make your photos go from good to great, using the best lighting situations, choosing locations, and how to use a few very basic Adobe Photoshop tricks to make your pictures what you want them to be. You will also take home a booklet of all class notes to review after you go home. We will stop in between each section of classroom time to do a hands-on activity to practice the concept that we just learned.

During the last two hours of the workshop, all class attendees will move outside and photograph actual people outdoors on the grounds of the beautiful Victorian of the Felicianas.
This is an opportunity to apply what you learned in the classroom setting during the previous two hours. Tara will show you how to find locations, see and use available light, decide when to use flash, how to frame a picture, pose your subject, and avoid common mistakes, and then she will give you a few assignments to practice. You will get time to practice taking better pictures, ask questions, and brainstorm with fellow attendees.

Cameras are not required, but you will learn more if you have one there in front of you. You will benefit most by bringing a digital SLR camera (one that will let you change lenses and has at least controls for shutter speed and aperture.)

A light snack will be provided.

Questions? Call Tara Morris 225-634-7229 or email her at tara@taramariephoto.com

Brittany and Chris's Wedding at Desert Plantation

2011-08-03T10:55:00.000-05:00

Tara
Brittany and Chris Mabile tied the knot at Desert Plantation in Woodville, MS (just across the border from St. Francisville, LA) on May 21st, 2011. The Magnolia, Mississippi couple traveled down to Desert Plantation for their destination plantation wedding, and it was a perfect fit. The wedding felt so feminine and shabby chic, which is what Brittany explained she wanted when we first met. I especially liked the streamers around the ceremony site- they blew in the wind and created a whimsical feel during the entire ceremony. Additionally, the pink paper lanterns and mason jars added a neat feel to the party. My very favorite, though, was the light, papery-feeling skirt of Brittany's fitted dress.
Brittany and Chris opted to do the "first look," which is a special time of them seeing each other before the wedding. No one was around except me, and they had the chance to conquer their nerves a little and talk to each other before being in front of everyone for the ceremony. It made for some wonderful on-location pictures around the plantation.

Everyone seemed to have a great time (including myself) and enjoy some really tasty and beautiful food by Heirloom Cuisine, and the sparkler exit topped it all off.

What to wear for a photo shoot

2011-07-28T10:18:00.000-05:00

This is a question I get ALL the time- "Do you have any suggestions of what to wear for our engagment/family/senior photo shoot?"
I myself am DEFINITELY not a fashion diva. I live and work in the country, and most days I'm doing pretty good to get my makeup on and throw on jeans and a nice shirt with my "dress" crocs. (So if you're coming to visit me, you may want to call first if you're hoping that I look decent!). Even when I dress up, I often have just two or three outfits that I wear over and over, because I'm horrible at picking new ones. When I do need new outfits, I call my sister to come over and "style" me.

Luckily, I now have a new assistant who is in training now, Callie (who happens to be the sister of Emily N., my other assistant, not to be confused with Emily Folk, my album designer/lighting assistant/2nd photographer). OK, if you have all the Emilys sorted out, let's continue with Callie. Callie will be taking her sister's place in August, and I've heard (and seen) that she is quite the fashion expert! She always wears the cutest shoes, and anytime Emily has a cute shirt on, she explains to me that it actually belongs to Callie. I'm hoping that in the future, Callie will be able to put together some sample outfits here on the blog for everyone to see, because you certainly don't want me to try! I just like to photograph pretty outfits.

But for starters, a small google search helped me find some links to other photographers' blogs who have done a great job of showing what to wear. Another source that I like to use is Pinterest. There, you can actually see outfits that other people have picked out and "pin" them to your fashion board if you'd like.

Although I'm awful at picking out clothes, I CAN tell you from previous photo shoots the Good (what looks good and photographs well,) the Bad (what tends to look kinda bad and is more difficult to balance in a photo) and the Ugly (things that are just plain unflattering and should be avoided.)

The Good:
*Complementary colors.
*Accessories, like scarves, necklaces, cool shoes, umbrellas
*Ruffles, textures, and anything else that can make the outfit have a little more dimension (or is it dimention?) in the picture.
*Dresses! For some reason, dresses seem to make every girl look her best.
*Your favorite jeans.

The Bad:
*Multiple neon or pastel colors. Please don't make me show you the family picture I did a few years back in which all the family members wore a different colored pastel shirt with jeans. Oh boy.
Once, in Texas, I did a group photo shoot for a local chamber of commerce of around 20 people, and they were all told to wear neutral colors. Well, one lady didn't get the memo, and she wore a bright pink shirt. Guess what was the first thing that caught your eye on that picture?
*All white. This is just a preference of mine, because the "white shirt picture" is a traditional engagement and family picture, and I dislike tradition without purpose. Not to mention, it's quite difficult to properly expose white clothing in photos. I feel like the "all white" can make your photos look just like the next person's pictures.
*Loose, wrinkled t-shirts (or anything wrinkled, for that matter.) Wrinkles DO show in pictures, and loose t-shirts are generally unflattering. I do like, however, the fitted, cool t-shirts on seniors!

The Ugly: (things to avoid)
*If you feel like your arms are larger, cover them - avoid sleeveless shirts.
*If you are well-endowed on your top half, cover those girls up a little! Avoid strapless anything, because it can sort-of make you look like a push-pop.
*If it's a windy day, avoid flowing shorts skirts or dresses. I don't particularly want to see your underwear!
*Showing too much skin. I like to take some flattering pics, but I want to produce something you'd be proud to send your grandmother.

As a rule, bring at least 2-3 different outfits, wear a little more makeup than you normally would, and fix your hair.

For the record, I've included a few pictures in this blog of some of my FAVORITE outfit choices that people have used in their shoots.

Here are some helpful links with pictures:

http://www.eddaphotography.com/blog/2009/10/fall-family-fashion-guides-ann-arbor-family-photographer/

http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/family-photo-shoot-clothing-top-tips-and-giveaway/

http://kidsstuffworld.com/2009/11/what-to-wear-for-family-portraits/

http://www.dulcephelps.com/blog/category/what-to-wear-wednesday/

http://sheilacarsonphotography.com/what-to-wear-family-2/

Hopefully this helps! If you have specific questions, give us a call on a day when Callie is here, and I'll bet she'll be happy to help you out.
TM


Emily Folk, Trey, & Festus

Beginner's Photography Workshop

2011-07-27T12:11:00.000-05:00

The beginner's photography workshop has been scheduled! We will be meeting on September 11th, 2-7 PM. The workshop has been reorganized into a more extensive lesson to help attendants get the most use out of their digital SLR cameras (the kind with the exchangeable lenses). The deadline to apply is September 3rd, so reserve your spot now!
To see pictures taken at the last workshop, visit the Tara Marie Photography - Photography Class group.

Amanda & Jason Engagement- Jackson, LA. St Francisville, LA Wedding Photography

2011-07-20T13:17:00.000-05:00

Amanda and Jason (and her droopy basset hound, Daisy) joined me in Jackson for an engagement shoot. They were all three hilarious! I was very happy with some of the pictures they helped create. Their props that they brought made a lot of good pics, too.
Funny story- a few days after we took these pictures, I met another photographer who was talking about passing through the tiny town of Jackson and seeing another photographer (Matt). It was me!

Some of my favorite recent work that seems to be stuck in my mind...

2011-07-14T16:03:00.002-05:00

To be honest, I've felt like I've been stuck in one big artistic brain fart for a few months. It's been all work and no play for the most part. I'm not complaining about work, because it pays the bills. But what keeps me going and inspired is anything NEW, interesting people, neat things. Monday night I went to our Baton Rouge Young Professional Photographers (an informal facebook group) meet-up at the Chimes East, and finally was able to beat the funk. Just rubbing noses and sharing meals with other people who are so humble about their awesome work is very inspiring to me. I'm not much of a group entertainer. When in a group situation, I much prefer to mingle, talk one (or two) on one with people, ask questions, and listen. It's how I've learned SOO much of what I know about really anything, but especially photography.

After I got home, I wrote down into my "brain dump" notebook about 3 pages of ideas for new things. Then, sometime the next day, I (for some reason) began thinking of some pictures that I think are worthy of displaying as something I'd be proud to do again, versus the plain old things I've been doing. So, here they are. Maybe one of these days I'll get brave enough to post some of my pages of ideas that I write down at midnight or when I've had too much coffee at 6:45 am.

There is a lot wrong with this image- The background is a little too dark for the dark-haired family, it would have looked cooler as a wedding party shot instead of a family photo, it could have used a bit more interesting lighting. But regardless of its imperfections, I just can't forget the concept of this shot in my head, and want to do more of it.

This one reminds me of something that would be in the back seat of a taxi. But, this was under a well shed at Rosedown Gardens. It makes me want to try this again in a car, with some shiny-ness around.

And this one- I asked the girls to clap like they were in a gospel choir (thanks to Zack Arias for the idea) And, as white as they are, they all did it with no questions asked. Truly, all of these girls had a great time at the wedding, and seemed to actually enjoy being in the wedding (which is a rarity these days.) I must admit, if anyone except my best friend or sister asked me to be in their wedding, I would say NO if at all possible! This shot just captured the intimate fun that was had that day.

I will try to continue posting my own blog posts, and choosing MY favorite pictures from what was done.
TM

Amy and David - Wedding

2011-07-13T13:04:00.002-05:00

Cynthia and Kevin - Trash the Dress

2011-07-04T10:34:00.000-05:00

Alicia Ponsock - Bridals

2011-06-30T13:34:00.000-05:00

Amber and John - Engagement

2011-06-29T13:12:00.002-05:00

Cast your vote and win....

2011-06-27T10:00:00.001-05:00

So, here's the deal with Dawn's St. Francisville, LA bridal portraits- her fiance, Alan, wanted a "picture of her by a tree." So, that's what she initially chose for her 16x20 mounted print that comes with the bridal session. However, out of all the pictures we took that day, I disliked the tree pictures most, because they looked like everyone else's bridal pictures! I thought there were some MUCH better prints to choose from.

So, I called Dawn and told her about it, and she agreed cheerfully that I could help her choose the large portrait to display at the wedding. I narrowed it down to 7 to choose from. So here's where you come in:

Which one would you have chosen???
Which one do you think I chose? (If you saw it at the wedding, no cheating!)

There will be more on choosing a wall portrait later this month in my email newsletter (Sign up for that on the left side of the blog), but for now, cast your vote! On next Tuesday (July 5th) I will randomly select a person who gets the right picture that I chose for a free 11x14 print of their choice.

Keleka and Chris Family Portraits

2011-06-24T12:37:00.003-05:00

Liz and Warren Wedding

2011-06-23T12:31:00.000-05:00

A typical Tuesday for me - St. Francisville Photographer

2011-06-21T11:23:00.001-05:00

6:00 sleeping
6:20 Josh jumps on me and says "Are you gonna get up?" (I mumble "I don't know")
6:40 Josh drags my legs off the side of the bed, and since my lower half is heavier than my top half, it forces me to stand up. I go get 1/2 cup of strong coffee with loads of sugar & cream.
6:47 Josh says "I got to git." (interpretation- I must go to work now.)
I say a slurred "Noooooooo, stay five more minutes and talk to me." But as I start talking to him, he walks out the door.
7:00 My coffee kicks in and I finally wake up. Make the bed, read my bible, head to the garden. Pick vegetables and let the chickens out.
7:45 Come in and get a shower
8:00 Get June up, dressed, and give her milk.
8:25 Take June to the babysitter
9:00 Get back to the house, start a load of dishes in the dishwasher
9:15ish- eat a bowl of cereal at my desk while checking emails- reply to as many as possible, write a few, and make Emily's to-do list for the day.
10:15 Begin editing, phone calls, put batteries on to charge
11:45 Get a snack and walk outside, make a phone call or two
12:00 Continue working
1:30 Get some lunch
2:00 Editing, phone calls, check emails again, uploading, etc
2:30 Wish I had a fountain diet coke machine closer than 12 miles away (the closest store is 12 miles.)
3:00 Get some water or tea instead, and keep editing, trying to push through the tiredness
4:30 Get ready and loaded for the photo shoot
5:00 Leave for the 5:30 engagement shoot
5:30 Engagement shoot
7:30 Hurry home to get the purple hull peas I picked this week, then drive to my in-laws house to scarf down leftovers and watch White Collar, my favorite (and only) tv show, while shelling peas. We don't have a TV. More on that later...
8:00 Play with June for 20 minutes before she goes to bed, begin watching White Collar
9:00 Stay there while Josh watches Covert Affairs- continue shelling peas.
10:00 Get June out of her bed at the in-laws' house to go home
10:15 Feed the horses & chickens, talk to Josh for 15 minutes
10:30 Load the dishwasher, clean the kitchen, or some other sort of housework.
11:00 Lay in bed and read Pioneer Woman's blog.
11:15 Fall asleep

Rebekah Bridals - St. Francisville photographer

2011-06-19T14:15:00.017-05:00

Rebekah's bridals were taken at Afton Villa gardens in St. Francisville, LA. Afton Villa gardens are all that is left of what used to be a plantation. Loads of people visit the gardens in the summertime. In my opinion, Afton Villa has the best oak alley entryway of anywhere I've seen in St. Francisville. The azaleas are gorgeous in the springtime too.

Jessica Baranco Bridals - Desert Plantation, St. Francisville photographer

2011-06-17T14:02:00.026-05:00

Jessica and Ryan's wedding was this past weekend, so we're now allowed to post her bridal pictures with her awesome dress. It was SOO lacy and feminine. I feel like I'm becoming a wedding dress fanatic. My favorites are the ones that are a little bit different. Of course, each one is different, but I really like the ones that have something special that makes them stand out. I think my favorite part about this one was obviously the lace, but also the way the lace silhouette stood out against the wood floor at Desert Plantation.

Daniel & Katie - Wedding. St Francisville Wedding Photographer

2011-06-15T13:38:00.016-05:00

These two young people were soooo cute and adventurous! It's not every day that I get to photograph such young and energetic subjects. Their wedding was at Kiroli Park in West Monroe, LA. One EXTREMELY interesting note- this is MY wedding dress!!!!!! I had forgotten how much I LOVE it!! I'm so glad Katie wanted to wear it for her wedding.

Bethany Fisher, LSU dairy, St. Francisville photographer

2011-06-14T12:13:00.003-05:00

Many people know that I actually hold a degree from LSU in Animal and Dairy Science with a minor in Journalism. My purpose was to be an agricultural journalist. But, life has a way of pointing us in different directions, and I wouldn't want it any other way. Bethany's photo shoot was the closest I've come to using that Ag Journalism degree in the last 5 years. She is the assistant manager at the LSU dairy and is graduating with her master's degree this July. And crazily enough, Bethany and I also both got our undergraduate degrees at Southern Arkansas University. We had met each other once or twice before she moved to Baton Rouge. She wanted a few graduation pictures that incorporated her cows and the dairy.

I loved her outfits for this! The whole shoot portrayed how I feel about the LSU dairy, and about Baton Rouge in general. The dairy is ironically near downtown Baton Rouge, very close to the LSU campus, and you can see the campus in the skyline from the pastures. You can easily be "out on the farm" in your poop-covered overalls, change clothes, and be at a ritzy restaurant within minutes. It's one of the things I loved about living in Baton Rouge when I lived in the city.

The LSU Dairy farm does tours throughout the year, and they also have a field day for schools to tour the dairy so that kids can learn where we get milk.

Congrats on your achievement, Bethany, and all your experience you got by working on the dairy. TM

Kayla & Tim - Hemingbough Wedding, St. Francisville Wedding Photographer

2011-05-28T13:32:00.005-05:00

Kayla saw my booth at the bridal show at the Victorian last fall, and after a short meeting, they decided that they'd love to have me as their wedding photographer. What I REALLY like about Kayla and Tim is that they're so great for each other. They're both outdoor enthusiasts, both have environmental-related jobs, and they are both quite photogenic! I can only imagine that their kids will be gorgeous.

I thoroughly enjoyed their wedding. It was a mixture of people from Pennsylvania and Louisiana, and apparently, Louisiana weddings can be a bit wilder than the ones in PA....

Jessica and Ryan - Engagement portraits, St. Francisville photographer

2011-05-27T12:11:00.002-05:00

Alicia and Chris - New Roads Engagement session, St. Francisville photographer

2011-05-26T10:59:00.002-05:00

Amanda & John David, St Francisville Family Portrait, St Francisville Photographer

2011-05-24T11:05:00.005-05:00

Brittany Allen - Bridal portraits, St Francisville Photographer, St. Francisville Wedding, Desert Plantation

2011-05-23T10:58:00.003-05:00

Brittany's bridal pictures were taken at Desert Plantation in Saint Francisville, Louisiana. Well, actually, Desert Plantation's address is in Woodville, Mississippi, but it is so close to St. Francisville that it can be considered one of St. Francisville's plantation homes. It is just across the state border. Brittany and Chris's wedding was also at Desert Plantation this past weekend, and was gorgeous. What a fun and beautiful place to get married! I hope you enjoy these pics. TM

www.desertplantation.com

How to help your photographer get great wedding pictures

2011-04-20T11:38:00.003-05:00

How to help your photographer get great wedding pictures:

While editing a LOT of wedding pictures lately, I've noticed a few trends. There are a few things that should have been a little better, had I informed the couple more about things they could have done to help me. There are also some that were AWESOME because I was able to be prepared for the moment. I'm sure I'll be adding to this list as I learn more. These are in no particular order, and are not targeting anyone -- these are things that have regularly happened with many of my weddings.

Always tell the photographer beforehand about any "surprise" or other details that you'll be doing, such as dancing down the isle, busting into a hip-hop dance, releasing butterflies, the second line dance, etc. Lighting needs to be planned for capturing those moments.
Inform "Aunt Susan with the Camera" that THIS is your wedding photographer, and that although you appreciate her enthusiasm of taking pictures, to please stay out of the photographer's way.
Communicate with the photographer about special details you've done for the day, such as the six-pence that is taped into your shoe, the buttons from your mom's dress around your bouquet, and your grandma's ring you'll be wearing.
Communicate with the hairdresser/makeup artist that you MUST begin pictures at the appointed time, so they need to be done with hair and makeup 15 minutes before that time.
Begin your "sunset ceremony" 1 hour before the actual sunset. The light will be perfect for pictures before and after the ceremony. Avoid taking pictures between 10 am and 2 pm if possible.
Plan to stand for your ceremony in a ground-level, visible place. If all of your bridesmaids and groomsmen are crowded around you during the ceremony, it makes it very difficult to get pictures of YOU.
Plan to begin pictures at least two hours before the ceremony. If you aren't doing the first look, I like to have at least 45 minutes with each side of the wedding party, plus 30 minutes of set-up time before the ceremony. If you want to do family pictures and getting-ready pictures before the wedding, begin pictures at least 3 hours before the wedding. If you want to do pictures away from the location, make sure to consider travel time (for the photographer also) before the wedding.
See each other with a "First Look" before the ceremony. This isn't for everyone, but if you want some extra-great pictures of yourself on the wedding day and you don't want to miss your reception, this is the way to do it. If you don't see each other before the wedding, it leaves all pictures of family, the entire wedding party, and the bride and groom alone to be taken after the ceremony, usually in that order for me. (See #13)
Do a "Trash-the-Dress" or "Day after" session. This is when you get dressed up again and do an entire 1-2 hour portrait session by yourself, in a no-stress manner, on a day after the wedding, or right after the wedding. Many of my super-small weddings end in a portrait session, and those are always the best pictures.
Stand proportionately at the altar (make sure the two of you and the officiant are centered). It's a simple little thing, but makes a big difference in those pictures of your ceremony. Also, if possible, make that center isle at least 4 feet wide.
Stand outside gazebos! Gazebos are pretty. But, when you're underneath them, more often than not, your lower body is well-lit by natural or surrounding light, while your head is shaded by the roof of the gazebo. In other words, the photographer can usually get a great picture of you from waist down, but your face will look like mud. Also, when you try to put the whole wedding party under the gazebo, it often crowds the picture and can block pictures of YOU. Additionally, gazebos are generally UP from the level the photographer will be shooting from, which makes it extremely difficult to get pictures without roofs and posts coming out of your head. Did I mention standing OUTSIDE the gazebo?
Make a simple list (no more than 20 items), using first names, of group family pictures that are essential.
Be patient!! I try to keep all after-ceremony pictures under 30 minutes so you can enjoy your reception (see #8) but often the bride and/or groom get impatient after taking so many pictures and want to hurry and get to the reception. This makes it very difficult to get the most important pictures of the night- the ones of YOU, minutes after you tied the knot.

Cynthia & Kevin, Baton Rouge Wedding

2011-04-12T11:53:00.002-05:00

Cynthia and Kevin's wedding ceremony, March 20th 2011, was my first to do at the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge, LA. What a beautiful location! My favorite shot of the entire day is the one of Kevin and Cynthia on the staircase. The natural light in the Old State Capitol, along with the color, details, and architecture, are breathtaking and make for the perfect setting for a formal wedding. Jordan of Southern Chic Events was the wedding coordinator for the day, and I really enjoyed her professionalism, the schedule she gave me in advance, and her ability to handle anything that came up. The reception was at the LSU Faculty Club, which happens to be probably my favorite reception venue that I've shot at recently. I don't know if it's a favorite because of the windows on opposite sides that let in lots of light, or maybe the balcony where I can get lots of shots from above, or maybe it's the outdoor porch where people can relax and still see all the action inside, or maybe it's just because it's on the LSU campus. Or, maybe it's because the food is truly fabulous. Whatever the reason, I LOVE shooting receptions at the LSU Faculty Club!

A list of some of my favorite unique things about this wedding...
1. Cynthia's dress
2. They did the "second line" dance.
3. A cookie bar
4. They had a "signature drink," the rainstorm, which was what they drank on their first date.
5. The faculty club (see above.)
6. The food, provided by the faculty club
7. Plenty of time to take the "before" pictures in a separate location

The girls and guys pictures were both taken near the Hilton hotel in downtown Baton Rouge, where the girls got ready. The guys' were quite entertaining while taking their pictures. We are also planning a trash-the-dress session with Cynthia and Kevin to be coming up soon.

Thanks to Danielle Aucoin for being my 2nd photographer at this wedding, and for also covering their rehearsal dinner while I was shooting Amanda and Joel's wedding!

TM

Amanda & Joel at Forrest Grove Plantation, Denham Springs, LA

2011-04-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

Amanda Dedeaux and Joel Lanclos got married on March 19th, 2011, at Forrest Grove Plantation in Denham Springs, LA. Amanda chose black, white, and red to be her wedding colors. I loved the detailed bridesmaids dresses and the black and white accessories, including the bride's cake. The groom's cake was really neat too.

This was an afternoon wedding filled with family, friends, and dancing. Forrest Grove Plantation deserves applause for saving the day by pitching in and covering the chairs at the last minute!

Sometimes (actually, most of the time) something unexpected happens at weddings. For this time, it was something unexpected on my end!! When the ceremony ended and the reception began, the daddy/daughter dance was next up. Amanda and Mr. James began dancing slowly to "Butterfly Kisses," when all of a sudden, the music changed to a hip-hop song, and they both began to dance to a choreographed dance! It had everyone in the crowd rolling. The songs changed two or three times, and then ended back on "Butterfly Kisses." I was laughing hard, but was also so touched that a daddy and daughter could have such a fun and close relationship.

The junior bride seemed so pleased to be in her dress that matched "Aunt Birdie's" dress!

Thanks again to Emily Folk for being my 2nd photographer at this wedding.

TM

Jennifer Palmer. Senior 2011.

2011-04-08T12:44:00.000-05:00

Jennifer is a senior at Centreville Academy. She took her senior pictures in and around Jackson, LA. There are so many places to take pictures there, and things to see, especially if you're into history. Thanks to Jennifer for being so adventurous, and also to her aunt and Caitlin for helping with lights!
PS I must give credit to Kirk Voclain, a fabulous and nationally-known photographer from South LA, for the pose of Jennifer sitting in the alley with her leg up.

Boudreaux and Thibodeaux done went down da bayou and got hitched...

2011-04-06T08:10:00.000-05:00

A note to update all readers who are not from Louisiana: In Texas, many people tell "Chuck Norris" jokes. In other states, people tell redneck jokes. I don't know what other types of jokes people tell in different areas, but here in Louisiana, we tell Boudreaux Thibodeaux jokes! The only one I know is this:

Boudreaux and Clarence Thibodeaux lived across the bayou from each other, but there was no bridge across the bayou. They hated each other tremendously, and every day would come out to the edge of the bayou and yell at each other. Boudreaux would always say at the end of the yelling spree, "If we ever get a bridge across this bayou, I'm gonna come over there and whoop you, Clarence Thibodeaux."
Then, one year, the state of Louisiana came through and built that bridge! Boudreaux couldn't wait. As soon as that bridge was finalized and opened, he put on his boots and told his wife, Clarice, that he was walking over to whoop Clarence.
Not five minutes later, Boudreaux came walking back up their oak-lined driveway. Clarice said "Oh sha, honey, I thought you were going to whoop dat old Clarence Thibodeaux." Boudreaux replied, "Da sign on dat new bridge said 'Clearance, 8 feet.' Clarence didn't look dat tall from dis side of da bayou."

Ha ha ha. OK, I'm a very bad joke teller!! But that should give you an idea of why this wedding was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! If you have time to kill, google "Boudreaux-Thibodeaux jokes."

On March 11, 2011, Morgan Boudreaux and Adam Thibodeaux had a short and sweet ceremony at the Lamar Dixon chapel (beside the Lamar Dixon Expo Center) in Gonzales, LA, then moved the party to the Gonzales Civic Center for the rest of the night. Some details that stood out most to me about this wedding were 1. The entire wedding party danced down the isle for their exit, 2. There was an authentic Boudreaux-Thibodeaux shack built at the entrance of the Civic Center, 3. There was a fabulous live band, 4. The number of people! There were people everywhere, thanks to the nature of large South Louisiana families, and 5. The favors from the reception were custom-printed camouflage Boudreaux-Thibodeaux beer can koozies. Of course, there was lots of good Louisiana cajun food, too!

One new thing that I'm liking about some of my recent weddings is that brides have begun to incorporate some color into their wardrobe on the wedding day. Morgan wore the most fabulous LSU-purple heels, with a six-pence taped to the inside. Her bouquet was lined with the buttons from her mother's wedding dress. I also particularly liked the custom hanger that her wedding dress hung on, found on etsy for $25. It was a gift from one of the bridesmaids, and was such a neat detail to incorporate into the pictures.

Another detail of note- Morgan's maid (or matron?) of honor, Sabrina, did a wonderful job of helping coordinate all of the bridesmaids, the limo, etc. When there is no wedding coordinator, it's important for someone besides the bride to step up and help. Sabrina deserves a trophy for her help that day!

It was a nice mix of traditional classy Louisiana wedding mixed with the fun nature of Boudreaux and Thibodeaux.

One of my most memorable moments from this wedding was when Morgan's dad saw her in her dress for the first time...

Many thanks to Emily Folk for being my lighting assistant and capturing a few pics at this wedding!

TM

Kayla and Tim Engagement

2011-04-06T07:43:00.000-05:00

Kayla and Tim picked Tara Marie Photography because of the many country-style sample pictures Kayla saw at the bridal show at the Victorian. I am truly a country girl, complete with the horses, miscellaneous farm animals, and living in the middle of nowhere, so country pictures really do prick my heart. On the other hand, there is something about the city that fascinates me. I lived for 2 years in an apartment in Baton Rouge while in school. The first year I HATED it. But then, after I began to get out and make some friends, I began to realize the perks of living in the city. The grocery store was only 5 minutes away, versus the current 45 minutes to Wal-Mart! I could walk to Izzo's Illegal Burrito, my all-time favorite place to eat in Baton Rouge. And my friends were only a short drive (or walk) away at all times.
Recently while driving through downtown Baton Rouge at 8 pm on a Friday, I realized that the city at night makes me think about all the people who are working to keep things rolling while the rest of us sleep- the nurses, factory workers, lawyers putting in extra hours, janitors cleaning up our messes, security guards, and the rest. It's neat to think about....

Back to country life, though- I thank Mrs. Trudy, who is Tessie's mom, for letting us use her barn in Pride, LA for these pictures. I got to pet one of her cows before the shoot!

Publish Post

Keep an eye out for Kayla's bridals at Oakley Plantation in St. Francisville, and their St. Francisville Hemingbough wedding this last Friday!
TM

Melanie & Cam, Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, LA Wedding Photographer

2011-04-01T14:41:00.000-05:00

Melanie Doughty & Cam McDole tied the knot at the Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville, LA, on March 6th, 2011 (which happened to be two days after my 5 year anniversary, in the same town!). The Kansas City couple had a destination wedding with a small group of close friends on the front lawn of the Myrtles, under the beautiful oak trees that St. Francisville is known for. They then had a cajun lunch at the tasty Carriage House restaurant that is on the grounds of the Myrtles with friends and family.

The Myrtles is most known for being "one of America's most haunted haunted homes," but many people overlook the actual beauty of the house's architecture, as well as the beautiful grounds that are open for people to walk around and enjoy. It's a great location for small weddings like Melanie & Cam's wedding, rehearsal dinners, and also a nice place for portraits.

Congratulations, Melanie & Cam!

Mardi Gras CD Sale....

2011-03-04T18:09:00.000-06:00

Mardi Gras CD sale! You have until midnight Tuesday, March 8th), to celebrate Mardi Gras with us. $95 for a cd of your portrait session (senior, bridals, engagement, or family) (normally $175), or $175 for a wedding CD (normally $250). Note the name of the people in the pictures when making your purchase, and we'll get your cd in the mail to you within a week! You can also pre-pay for a CD of your portrait session- just note which photo session you want the CD of on your order. Order here.

Beginner's Photography Workshop, Sunday Feb 20th. Photography Class, St Francisville LA

2011-02-20T10:34:00.000-06:00

Did you get a new "fancy" camera for Christmas, but now you need to learn how to use it? Check out our Sunday afternoon Beginner's Photography Workshop on February 20th, 2011. It's designed for people who have digital SLR cameras (the "fancy" digital cameras) but want to know how to use them better.

Register HERE.
Sunday February 20th, 2-6 pm, $90

During the first half of the workshop, Tara will cover the basics of how to take better pictures, with an emphasis on photographing people. This includes understanding and using your camera's capabilities, learning about equipment that can make your photos go from good to great, using the best lighting situations, choosing locations, and how to use a few Adobe Photoshop tricks to make your pictures what you want them to be. You will also take home a booklet of all class notes to review after you go home and forget everything!

During the second half of the workshop, all class attendees will go outside and photograph actual people outdoors on the grounds of the beautiful Victorian of the Felicianas.
This is an opportunity to apply what you learned in the classroom setting during the previous two hours. Tara will show you how to find locations, see and use available light, decide when to use flash, how to frame a picture, pose your subject, and avoid common mistakes, and then she will give you a few assignments to practice. You will get time to practice taking better pictures, ask questions, and brainstorm with fellow attendees. Models will be provided for you to photograph.

Cameras are not required, but you will learn more if you have one there in front of you. Recommended cameras should have at least controls for shutter speed and aperture.

A light snack will be provided.

Questions? Call Tara Morris 225-634-7229 or cell 225-721-1313, or email her at tara@taramariephoto.com

Kristen and Jeremy's Wedding

2011-02-19T13:21:00.000-06:00

Kristen and Jeremy's Wedding, December 2010.

Rick and Samina's "Trash the Dress" photo session!

2011-02-18T15:29:00.001-06:00

According to Wikipedia, Trash the dress sessions are also known as the Fearless Bridal or Rock the Frock photo shoots. It is a trend that is growing in popularity and symbolizes the end of one phase of a relationship and the beginning of the next stage. It is an excuse to wear that special dress one more time before it is stored away. Not all couples choose to destroy the dress, but if you know you never plan on wearing it again, why not have a great time trashing it and making memories with your significant other. Rick and Samina had a great time simply not having to worry about keeping the elegant gown clean, and rolling in leaves. I want to build a fun photo shoot that best fits your personality, hobbies, and relationship!

Cakes made by Michelle Weller

2011-02-06T14:49:00.005-06:00

These cakes were made by Michelle Weller, creator of Confections by Michelle.
http://confectionsbymichelle.com http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1234471322