Category Archives: Brilliant

Joana, James, and Julia family portraits

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At the tail end of 2014 I was asked to style for a family shoot for one of my favorite island bloggers, Joana of MYSEASTORY.  Anyone who has met this Portuguese hotelier turned blogger and who has seen her lovely photographs, can see she she has a great eye for color and composition.  Chanelle from Brilliant Studios, and I set out to capture

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As some of the photographs were intended to be used for a holiday card sent to far away friends and family, we decided to give the “Greetings from Turks and Caicos” a literal go!  This map mural at Ports of Call is a great photo opportunity.  We started very early to get even sun exposure on the mural but a hot spot had to be quickly remedied with a makeshift scrim of cardboard boxes found in a nearby dumpster.  Julia must have thought it quite strange, me holding this floppy, uncooperative flattened box as high over my head as I could reach!

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Now that we had demonstrated the where, it was time to demonstrate the who and the what, and what Turks and Caicos is most known for is the beach of course!

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This family is lucky to live a few steps from a gorgeous stretch of Grace Bay Beach.  I love this palm tree framed boardwalk with thick mariners rope swags.

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Their daughter Julia was just on the verge of walking, such a special time to document!

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Look at that smile below, can’t you just hear the giggles?!

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Joana had found these adorable reindeer antlers, which needed the distraction of singing “wheels on the bus” to try to keep on Julia.  I love capturing these natural moments with parents, those sweet looks of adoration.

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As you can see Julia was far more keen to have a nibble on those antlers than to wear them.

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As her husband James headed to work, we finished the session with mommy daughter time.

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It was important to Joana to capture a few of Julia’s favorite toys, as well as her nursery.

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This is one chic baby room!  And I can’t take an ounce of styling credit for the above still life, that was exactly as it looked when we opened the door to Julia’s room.  That’s Joana’s color and composition talking!  Each item unique and special; from the art to the toys and books.

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What a nice morning!  Thanks for letting us be a part of cherishing this special time with baby Julia.

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Island Life & Times I-Pad Magazine

The Caribbean's only I-Pad Magazine

The Caribbean’s only I-Pad Magazine

Anyone who has ever had a substantial conversation with Andy Mann recognizes that this is a guy who has a real passion for the Turks and Caicos Islands and is a virtual idea factory when it comes to owning and operating his business.  So when he hinted at “something big” in the works last year I pressed for more info and he divulged his latest “brilliant” brainchild.  I nearly couldn’t believe my ears; an interactive cutting edge I-Pad magazine filled with jaw dropping images and video footage illustrating an insider’s guide to the Turks and Caicos.  Amazing and ambitious idea indeed. . . . so ambitious I thought at the time that I wasn’t quite convinced it could or would come to fruition.
Image from Island Life and Times facebook page

Image from Island Life and Times facebook page

I attended the launch party in October and could not have been more impressed; the photography, the stories, the insight, the interactive navigation.  This is one cool, contemporary read.  I am extremely proud of Andy and his entire team, I spent that evening feeling very fortunate to work alongside these fine folks regularly. 
Image from Island Life and Times facebook page

Image from Island Life and Times facebook page

If you have an I-Pad and you haven’t seen any of the four issues as of yet, you are missing out!  Read about it here, download it here, did I mention all this awesomeness is absolutely FREE?!  Go!!

Driftwood Tree Wedding Arch at the Gansevoort

Image by Brilliant via Pinterest

Image by Brilliant via Pinterest

On August 3rd Tropical DMC contracted us for our driftwood tree arch for a wedding ceremony at the Gansevoort Turks and Caicos.  Deep purple is not a palette we see that often, Adriana and Philip you pulled it off beautifully!  See the rest of this gorgeous glam wedding on Brilliants blog.

Ian and Arielle’s Beautiful Burlap Wedding

Arielle & Ian's beautiful burlap wedding, Images by Craig Bruce from Brilliant

Arielle & Ian’s beautiful burlap wedding, Images by Craig Bruce from Brilliant

On May 25th I was contracted to give the standard Nila Destinations bamboo wedding arch an elegant upgrade without departing from the couple’s nuetral, earthy color palette.  Burlap draping was the perfect compliment to this gorgeous understated wedding.  Louise from Nila created chic tablescapes using burlap runners, driftwood, and simply laid white cala lilies, succulents, and large leaf and greenery stems.  I absolutely love the cascading wild bouquet and can’t get over how adorable this couple is!  Though it rained, they didn’t let it rain on their parade!  Please read a full post and see many more images on Brilliants blog.
Burlap draping for wedding ceremony arch

Burlap draping for wedding ceremony arch

If you have fallen for this beautiful burlap arch for your wedding day, please contact me! (maximum arch dimensions 8′ square)

Wedding Shoot Inspiration Boards

Well Read Rustic Concept Wedding Inspiration

 Here are a few lovely little inspiration boards I created for an upcoming project I will be collaborating with brilliant on.  Last November Brilliant welcomed two new members to their team of talented photographers; South African born Chanelle and Craig of Segerius-Bruce Photography.  This couple, who clearly have a penchant for travel, have spent the last dozen years perfecting their craft in the UK and beyond.  Chanelle comes from a freelance retouching and graphic design background, working for such clients as the renowned  Mario Testino.  Their skills speak for themselves when you see their work.  I am thrilled they have packed their bags and moved to the Turks and Caicos Islands and am delighted that we will be working together on upcoming photo shoots, both real and  . . . . well, wonderfully realized until some adoring couple breathes life of their own into them!
Caribbean Boheme Concept Wedding Inspiration
 We hope that these shoots will inspire our clients to let their imaginations run wild when it comes to individualizing their weddings.  The Turks and Caicos Islands have so much more beauty and enchantment to offer couples than our stunning beaches and blue water.  We will be highlighting some of these lesser known gems in terms of locations, local flora and fruits, themes and ideas that reveal the many facets of these islands.

Row to Romance Concept Wedding Inspiration