Mike & Ann - Visual Storytellers

Getting to Know Jamie & Gavin :: New York, New York

Ann — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:01:49 +0000

It was Paris, Summer of 2006. Their eyes discover one another at the bar. She thinks he is the most incredibly sexy man she has ever seen. For her, it’s love at first sight. He meanders his way through the crowd and buys her a drink. He is struck by her sophisticated elegance and remarkable beauty. She is attracted to his relaxed confidence, sense of humor and dreamy blue eyes. And they talk into the evening. They soon picnic in the park while lovingly gazing into one another’s eyes………

Ripped right out of a romance novel, right??? Well, sort of. This is the story of Jamie & Gavin, with maybe a little added embellishment by the author. Gavin didn’t actually buy Jamie a drink. You see, Gavin ordered the the drinks then realized he was out of money, thus having Jamie actually buy the drinks!! Hence the picnic that Gavin took Jamie on to make up for it. And, thus, a love of picnics and for each other began.

There are so many other things that Jamie & Gavin love, one being New York. It was only fitting that we did their Getting-to-Know-You Session there, in this great and fabulous city that they live in and love. Mike traveled up there during one of the many super-cold snaps we’ve had this winter. It was especially chilly!! They were such great sports, but I’m sure they were glad to get back to their apartment and warm up snuggling on the couch. Here’s some of our favorites from their Super Bowl Sunday session.

Thanks, Jamie & Gavin, for a wonderful afternoon hanging out in New York. We are so excited about your Palm Harbor White Chapel wedding and Bon Appetit reception this spring!

Check out Jamie & Gavin’s Story Page by clicking the link below.

Welcome to Our New Blog!!!

Ann — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:16:19 +0000

Welcome! And thanks for stopping by. This is our newly re-born blog and we are so very excited about it. It has only taken us about 3 years to get here, but hey, who’s counting??

I thought we should start off by introducing who is most important to us- our boys Brooks & Bryce- just in case you didn’t know by now! They are the reason we wake in the morning (literally, because they wake us up!!!) and they keep us really focused on what’s important. They also keep us exhausted, frustrated, confused, happy, thankful, amazed, amused and too many others to mention this evening!!

These are images taken by me of our boys over the last 3-4 weeks. I wanted to document their lives in an authentic way- unposed & unscripted- with the messes, tantrums, boo boos and even snot! They are growing up so quickly and I don’t want to miss a single messy moment. I may not like all that’s going on all the time, but I certainly don’t want any of it to go undocumented. And I’ll tell you this- tantrums are easier to photograph than deal with. Just keep clicking and they’ll eventually stop! It’s been working for me

Please leave a comment about the new blog, the boys, us or leave your favorite recipe. I could use a new dish these days!! There’s still more changes and updates ahead, so stay tuned for that and the new main site that we’ll eventually get to. You can also keep up with us on our Facebook Fan Page.

Have a great weekend! ~Ann

Getting to Know Lora & Lewis :: New York, New York

Ann — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:28:24 +0000

Lora & Lewis met a few years back through church in a round-a-bout way . The complete story is MUCH better when told by them! It seems that they sort of went on a first date without one of them not actually realizing it was a first date. Hmmmm, bet that was interesting! And well, after a couple months of dating, a breakup, some drama, and a wee bit of begging from one party to another, Lora & Lewis reunited and have been blissfully happy ever since. We are so thrilled that we have been invited to capture, document, and preserve their wedding day and love story for not only just them, but for also their children and grandchildren to enjoy one day.

We met Lora back in 2006 at Summer & Brandon’s wedding where she was a bridesmaid. We have also mentored her some in her own photography business, Lora Roney Photography. Lora has worked with us on a few weddings over the past few years. We feel blessed by her friendship and wish her and Lewis the greatest success in their marriage and business.

Mike traveled up to New York with Lora & Lewis for their Getting-to-Know-you session. They LOVE, LOVE, LOVE New York!!! Did I mention that they love New York? They wanted to get engaged in New York, but it just didn’t happen. There’s no better place to get to know someone than in some place that makes them happy and that they love. It was FREEZING up there last weekend, but they made the best of it galavanting around town and even having a snowball fight! It looks like Lewis may have one that one. Pssst- don’t tell Lora. They all had an amazing time and Mike really captured their love of each other and this wonderful city!

Thanks, Lora & Lewis, for inviting us into your lives and hearts. We are so excited about your Delaney Street Baptist Church ceremony and Sorosis Women’s Club reception next month.

Meet Baby Jade

Ann — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:27:25 +0000

Little Miss Jade came into the world just a little over a month ago to proud parents Keri & Patric. She’s already a world traveler as she started out in Switzerland and came all the way here to Orlando to be born. Keri’s parents live here, and she and Patric thought it might be a little easier having some family around to help with this new chapter in their lives. Smart move We’re glad you’re here! Mike was able to get some great maternity shots of these expecting parents about a month prior to Jade’s arrival. Keri looks great! (Then & now- motherhood looks good on her)

Mike went literally right around the corner to Keri’s dad’s house to document this new life at only 10 days old. So precious! We always feel so honored that people invite us in to document such amazing times in their lives. Thank you, Keri & Patric, for giving us such an honor. �Enjoy some of our favorites from the two sessions.

Married :: Richard & Lindsey’s St Augustine Wedding

Ann — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:29:12 +0000

We had the absolute joy of being in St Augustine a few weeks ago for Lindsey & Richard as they became husband and wife at Ancient City Baptist Church. Family and friends celebrated this “mixed” marriage at the White Room afterwards. What an incredibly fun and genuine group of people.

So, what do I mean by “mixed” marriage? Well, SHE is a Seminole and HE is a Gator. I suppose there are worse things and I suppose their marriage will survive these vast differences. Of course it will!!!! This wedding was so great. Richard serenaded his groomsmen and the girls danced in the street with their “junk in the trunk”. Although it was spotty weather all day, we never got wet and it made for some pretty darn amazing skies. The coolest moment about this day was unknown until we started looking through the images in capture-time order. At almost the SAME time, Lindsey & Richard are each looking at themselves in the mirror- at the St George Inn in different rooms. Isn’t that the coolest? I thought so.

I loved the details of the day and the classic colors. Lindsey looked amazing in her dress from Something Blue and her expertly done hair and makeup by Mike & Kiri with Mosaic Hair Studio. I’m sure Jay Neumark with Simply Wed Videography was able to capture an amazing day on video. Enjoy some of our favorites from their day.

Thanks, Richard and Lindsey, for inviting us into your lives. We are so honored to have been a part of your wedding day. We definitely need to go hang at Houston’s one night!

Another enormous thanks goes out to the extremely talented Joe with Joe Daylor Photography. We are forever grateful for you and all you do for us.

Check out Lindsey & Richard’s Story Page with all their slideshows and access to their full-image gallery by clicking the link below.

Happy 1st Birthday, Baby Leighton!

Ann — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 02:19:59 +0000

Back in December 2006, we celebrated & documented the marriage of Thomas & Christina in Ocala. It was an incredibly beautiful and emotional wedding for these high school sweethearts. Christina’s dad was witnessed crying for the first time by his two daughters. It was amazing. Even more amazing is that we were invited to capture the new life they welcomed into the world last January- Leighton Jessica Pestow- named after Christina’s sister Jessica.

Thomas & Christina have been our biggest fans and we have been so blessed by their friendship. Thank you!! Well, Miss Leighton was ONE on January 18th, so Happy (late) Birthday to you!! Here’s a few of our favorite images from her newborn session last year.

Tying up loose ends………

Ann — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 03:48:00 +0000

Well, it’s that time of year when I purge the office of last year and prepare for the new year. Yes, it takes a month to get started because it takes as long to wrap up the previous year! As I was going through stuff, I realized there were TONS of things that never made it to the blog. Some of the stuff is from a couple of years ago! Shame on me I’ve decided that I’m going to post a little here and there to get caught up. Oh yeah, and then there’s the whole name change thing. I guess we never formally announced anything. Oooops! In case you haven’t noticed, we are now Mike & Ann | Visual Storytellers. We are still legally Mike Buoy Photography, LLC. So not too much changed, but wow, what a difference it makes actually having MY name on there. Pretty cool!! Well, here’s a maternity session we did for Nick & Kenyarda, oh, about two years ago. Can’t believe this never made it to the blog!

We documented Nick & Kenyarda’s wedding back in April 2007 and then joined them on their journey to parenthood. Little Mia will be two this March. Really!?!?! Where does the time go? You’ll see her on the blog later this week. We have really enjoyed watching her grow as we captured her first year for her parents. Nick & Kenyarda are great parents and have become our friends. We look forward to visually telling their family stories through the years!

Here are some other favs from Kenyarda’s maternity session.

Baby Adaline & Big Brother Gage- 3 mo & 3 yrs

Ann — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:42:44 +0000

We have really enjoyed getting to know this awesome family. We actually stopped by Karen & Travis’ in Lake City on our way up to very cold Atlanta and Nashville a few weeks ago. The kids played, our dog barked, I was on the hunt for the lost PB&J’s, and Mike was able to capture some pretty amazing images of this family we’ve come to love so much! I don’t always get to meet our families and couples, so this was a real treat for me. I talk to everyone on the phone all the time and often forget that I haven’t met them since we do get to know everyone so well.

The most amazing part of this visit for me was watching Travis with his baby girl. This is a daddy that loves his family with the depth of his soul. You can just feel it when you’re around him and you can see it in his eyes when he looks at Karen, Gage and Adaline. �Baby Adaline had fallen asleep in the middle of her session, so Travis scooped her up and gently placed her in her swing in the main room. He then sat on the edge of the couch and just watched her swing and sleep. He had the most loving and content look on his face. It was so amazing to see! If I’d only had a camera……….we’ll, that’s another story Blog post at least!

Adaline has grown so much and is so stinkin’ cute! Look at those cheeks!! Here’s a few of our favorites from our quick visit.

Thanks, Karen & Travis, for letting us visit with your family. Hope to see you again real soon!

Married :: Molly & Asa’s Ocala Wedding

Ann — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:56:22 +0000

Our last wedding of 2009 really sent the year out with a bang- emotionally. I still tear up watching Molly & Asa’s slideshow and viewing their album. This beautiful Ocala wedding was steeped in tradition and love. LOTS of it. This is one of the most emotional weddings I’ve ever experienced. Both families were so gracious, kind, loving, HUGE Gator fanatics, and excited that Molly and Asa were bringing them even closer together. It was a true honor to be there and document this incredible day. I have absolutely fallen in love with both families, including the grandparents!

The day started with Molly and the girls getting ready across the street from Molly’s parents’ house in the same house her mom got ready for her wedding. Molly then made it to the house she grew up in to put on her Solutions Bridal gown before her First Look with Asa. The ceremony took place at the First Presbyterian Church of Ocala where not only Molly’s parents were married, but her mom’s parents as well. Three generations of Tri Delta’s married at the same church! Amazing tradition. The day ended with a huge celebration in Molly’s parents’ back yard. The same back yard where they celebrated their own marriage many, many years ago. The happiness and joy was contagious and the emotion was ever present. Asa now tops the list as one of the most emotional grooms we’ve known. I LOVE it! There’s just something so amazing and romantic about a groom that is so overcome by the love for his beautiful bride that he can’t hold it back any longer. We hope you enjoy these images and are as moved by them as we are.

So many wedding profesionals came together to make this an amazing day and experience for Molly & Asa’s wedding. A few are noted below.

Amazing florals by Petal Pusher Florist
Delicious food by Woodlea Gardens Catering
Yummy cake and beautifully simple design by Betty Cakes
Extremely talented musicians in One Flite Up band
Our incredible, yet injured, second photographer Jason Cannon

View Molly & Asa’s Story Page with all their slideshows and full-image gallery by clicking the link below.

Thanks, Molly & Asa, for sharing yourselves and your love with us. We wish only the very best for you and your families as you embark on this new and wonderful journey together!

Getting To Know – Evan & Nicole :: Sanford Session

Ann — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:08:40 +0000

People often ask us how we get our couples to do what they do in their Getting-to-know-you sessions. We don’t try to get them to do anything other than be themselves. Put people in an environment that they are comfortable in, and see what happens! �Most people have never been professionally photographed before and don’t quite know what they should do. We put Evan & Nicole in an urban setting, where they were most likely to be comfortable. See, they are both city people and hope to maybe live in New York one day and travel the world. Although Sanford is a far cry from a big city, it does have a very cool urban downtown feel with lots of unique architecture. So, we made it work and it turned out quite well!

Evan & Nicole have been together for a loooong time, and thus, are very comfortable with each other. They are best buds and have a playful banter with each other. When you’ve been together as long as they have, you sort of know that maybe �you’ll probably get married one day. Friends kept expecting Evan to pop the questions on this trip or that trip or on that “special occasion”. Well, it finally happened in New York on a beautifully soggy and rainy day while on a carriage ride. As Evan was down on one knee to proposing, Nicole was pretty much like “Are you kidding?? You’re getting your jeans wet! ” Hey, we do strange things in these situations.I asked the same thing of Mike as he knelt down in a lake and proposed! “Are you kidding?” The guy driving the carriage told Evan the ride was on him if she had said no. Well, Evan paid for the ride and a wedding is in the works! We are so excited

You can view Evan & Nicole’s Story Page with their Getting-to-know-You session slideshow and a guestbook design by clicking the link below.