The 37th Frame

New Blog!!!!

2008-10-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

Enough with this old blogger site and on with a high tech blog whose main function is to show photos.....large.

robwitzel.com/blog- please bookmark and feel free to start leaving some comments. I know your reading this blog.

I promise to update regularly!!!

Gainesville Magazine- Fashion

2008-10-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

Thought I would expand on the blog and add some of the other stuff I do on a day-to-day basis. One of those duties is my roll as senior photographer (and editor) of Gainesville Magazine.

For our October issue we took on the issue of health and healthy living as seen through the eyes of the community. For our fashion piece we decided on "workout wear" and called upon experts in the area to model for us.

Enjoy!

Wedding- Sommer and Henry

2008-10-05T06:21:00.000-07:00

I might have found a new favorite setting for weddings, Winter Park. Sommer and Henry were married last week in this picturesque town just outside of Orlando. The hotel, church, park and reception hall were all within blocks of each other. Very upscale with a Florida twist.

The bride and groom were awesome and their wedding party was a mix of happy-go-lucky personalities. I had a great time.

The stained glass in the church was incredible.

Enjoy!

Once a Photographer Always a Photographer

2008-09-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

I thought this was just too funny to pass up. Now I am proud of my experience as a wedding photographer but once in a while people look at me a little funny when I say I have been doing this since I was a kid.

Below is a picture of me from today and the next one is me at a wedding back in 1985. I was tagging along with my dad who is also a photographer and as you can see, I was pretty happy to be there.

Some things never change.

Enjoy the laugh!

Me at 34 (just hitting my prime!!)

Me at 11 (wishing for auto-focus)

Wedding- Marisa and Joseph

2008-09-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

After six weeks without a wedding, Marian and I were excited for Marisa and Joseph's wedding last weekend. Such a great couple to work with, we had a great time and captured some wonderful moments.

We got to shoot at both of my favorite Gville venues- Baughman Center and Sweetwater Branch. Even though we go there often, it is fun to come up with new and fresh ways to approach these classy and picturesque locations.

We had the pleasure of working with Angela Renick and her talented staff at Avie. Angela is an amazing coordinator and she does not let even the smallest detail go by. What a talent she is!

Mike from Videotronics was there for the video and we had a great time catching up after not working together for some time.

I could go on forever but let's let the pictures speak for themselves.

Congratulations Marisa and Joseph!

Enjoy!!

Contest Winner!!

2008-09-01T08:26:00.000-07:00

Finally!

As you may or may not know, I am a member of the Wedding Photojournalists Association. The members are a hand picked group of wedding photographers who specialize in documentary coverage. It was not easy to get in and I have to reapply to renew every year.

OK, so they have a contest four times a year that spans the membership worldwide. Now I have had great success in contests over the years with the Hearst Award being the crown jewel. Well, after entering the WPJA contests for more than a year and only getting a 16th place entry I was starting to sweat it.

Not this time.

I placed 5th overall this recent quarter. That is with international entries in all (10) categories combined. I had a first place entry for humor and a second place in reception. You can see all the latest winners at wpja.com. I am happy to finally do well in this especially difficult contest.

The best part is I will have a gold medallion next to my directory link so when clients search for photographers they associate my name with the very best photojournalists in the group.

Here are the winners.

First Place-

This was actually a former bride, Cara, inspecting the tooling of her sister's dress. I cropped the bride's head off for maximum humor factor.

Second Place-

Just being in the right place at the right time. Quite a party going on!

Take Care!!

Fickle Fay

2008-08-22T19:40:00.001-07:00

Been dying to post something as we took August off this year (just too hot!!!). Even though I have not done any weddings or engagement shoots doesn't mean I am not busy. This has been Tropical Storm Fay week.......a very long week.

At the newspaper we were all set on Tuesday for a landfall near Gainesville. Well it is Friday and we just got our dose. It was a whole lot of nothing around here. Regardless, as photographers we were just foaming at the mouth to shoot. Nothing like being in the fury of a storm and seeing how people respond.

After shooting a horrible car accident today I decided to go out and find something fun and indicative of the community. Here it is. Enjoy

Pyle Family

2008-08-13T19:48:00.001-07:00

Funerals are never an event you look forward to. Marian and I were called back to West Palm this past weekend for the funeral of my best friend's dad, George Pyle. I considered it more of a celebration for a man that I have some of the fondest memories of while growing up. Rarely in your life will you ever find such a lovable person with a sense of humor that was just amazing. He was one in a million.

At the wake I brought along my camera and snapped a few pictures of the family and made some fun frames. Certainly not the ideal environment for photos but with everyone together and all dressed up I just could not resist. I hope everyone enjoys this selection along with the others that will be coming soon.

RIP George Pyle- Heaven is definitely a more fun place now that you have arrived.

Wedding- Jeremy and Brie

2008-08-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

Not to be cliche' but I think these photos were as hot as the wedding day. Actually it was overcast but oh the Florida humidity.

Jeremy and Brie are just a match made in heaven. They are simply every parent's dream of how they want their kids to grow up and who they want them to marry. It was a pleasure to be a part of their big day.

Got to work my 2 favorite venues in Gville- Baughman Center and Sweetwater Branch. They are just so picturesque and the people involved are very accommodating. It was great working with the experienced DJ crew of Solutions as well.

Never mind the weather joke, these photos are hot so grab a cold beverage and enjoy scrolling down.

Enjoy!

Engagement- Joseph and Marisa

2008-08-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

Marian and I had a great time at a new venue as we did this session at the Harn Museum at the University of Florida. Before I go any further, this is where I turn over all the credit for making this happen to Angela and Catherine at Avie. The happy couple had their heart set on this location and their immediate response was no.

Word for the wise, never tell Angela no. Her and Catherine worked the phones non-stop to make this happen and it worked. The staff of the Harn was extremely nice and I truly enjoyed adding a completely new venue to our belt.

I really enjoy these photos because they are so different and have such a contemporary quality to them. Hope you agree.

Way to go Avie and great job Joseph and Marisa!

Enjoy

Wedding- Chris and Jodie

2008-07-23T20:09:00.001-07:00

I have a super size blog post from Chris and Jodie's wedding a couple weeks ago. Their big day led to so many great moments as you are about to see. We have so many more overall images from this event it has taken us longer to get them edited but I promise they're worth the wait.

The happy couple wed at Grace United Methodist and we just loved it. Especially the green room! The reception was at Turkey Creek (amazing food!) and we were happy to see our old friend Cliff who was the DJ.

Classy event and even classier people!

Enjoy

Engagement- Chris and Jodie

2008-07-10T19:26:00.000-07:00

This is Chris and Jodie week for us as their wedding is Saturday. Luckily we had a chance for an e-session last Sunday. Chris played baseball for UF so it was a "natural" choice to start at McKethan Stadium. Everything was locked up so we just had fun with the surroundings. A few shots over at the Baughman Center proved a great finishing touch. Looking forward to the big day this weekend!

Enjoy!

Wedding- Adam and Tyrie

2008-07-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

It was another amazing weekend in Tallahassee for Adam and Tyrie's wedding at Bradley's Pond. Such a fun group and incredible vistas. We really had a great time and are grateful to be chosen as their photographers.

I cannot wait to get this entire event live so everyone can see the images (few more days). Here is an appetizer of whats to come.

Enjoy!

New Website!!

2008-06-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

As you might have noticed, we launched a brand new site yesterday and hope you enjoy the new look. It is never easy but I was just amazed at the vast body of incredible work that I had at my disposal.

Trust me, there is lots more work ahead to get everything perfect but I was happy enough to launch and you will see lots of polishing and additions in the coming weeks.

Could not be more thrilled that my friends (well sort of) Ken Block and Andrew Copeland of the band Sister Hazel allowed us to use their music. I think the tone of the songs match the mood of the site. These are Gainesville natives who celebrate lots of local interest in their music. I am a big fan!

Anyway, I am working hard on albums and should have some drafts ready soon for clients to look at. Thanks for your patience.

Wedding- Colin and Tiffany

2008-06-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

I find a great joy in funny images and this wedding was full of them. Colin and Tiffany have great personalities and even better smiles. They are going to have a great life together.

I documented their big day last week in St. Augustine. Everything was beautifully historic. This has been my third wedding in the oldest city this year and I think I am falling in love with the scenery.

There are lots of those "funny" pictures in this batch and I hope they bring a smile to your face.

Enjoy!!

Wedding- Jeremy and Erin

2008-06-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

Been slow on the blog posts lately because we are putting the final touches on a new website and catching up with album orders. Stay tuned for some great new posts.

I cannot wait for everyone to see the images we captured at Jeremy and Erin's wedding recently at the Gateway Grand in Gainesville. Such a fun and beautiful couple! I first snapped a photo of them at the wedding of Erin's sister Cara a few years ago and the camera just loved them. Some people just have that gift and these two do.

The staff at the Gateway Grand did an amazing job transforming the ballroom from the ceremony to a beautiful reception room. We were really impressed! It was a homecoming for our favorite DJ, Mike Collins who moved to West Palm but was back to put on a show for his friends, the B&G.

Enjoy!

Wedding- Dan and Ellen

2008-05-29T20:25:00.001-07:00

This is part 2 of our double header weekend. Ellen and her family are very special to us and we have been involved in many weddings together thus far. We instantly fell in love with Dan during the engagement shoot and just knew this would be a fun wedding.

Everyone faced some major hurdles getting this event in place. From our perspective it was perfect, every moment! Speaking of moments, here are a few to enjoy.

Kudos to the amazing staff of the Maison and Jardin in Orlando as they put together a beautiful wedding. They could not be nicer.

Weekend Off- Our Kids!

2008-05-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

No weddings, no engagement shoots and no consultations. Our first weekend off in a long time and we decided to take our kids, Kathleen and Ryan, out for a shoot in Hawthorne. Such adorable faces and happy-go-lucky personalities makes me questions why there is not more time for these photographs. We treasure the time we have!

Wedding- Jordan and Skyler

2008-05-27T07:45:00.000-07:00

Skyler and Jordan were part 1 of our double header weekend last weekend. Such a great couple they go together like butter on toast. I worked with Skyler at the Gainesville Sun for a couple years before she got really smart and enrolled in law School at UF. The ceremony was in the quaint town of Plant City and the reception was along the water of Tampa Bay at the Rusty Pelican.

Enjoy!!

Wedding- Eric and Pam

2008-05-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

Fun Fun Fun! This couple just radiates an energy that few ever could. Marian and I got to sit back and be the visual fly on the wall photojournalists while still having plenty of time for some creative portraits after the ceremony.

The wedding was in Jacksonville at the Ribault Club on historic Fort George Island. It was our first wedding there and we could not say how much we loved it.

Hope you guys got that Mustang cleaned off and we wish you the best of luck. We truly hope this is not the last time we get to photograph you.

Enjoy!!

First dance.

OK I admit I think he was sweating but maybe, just maybe, it was a tear.

Wedding started at 5:00. Time to do the fire drill!

Ouch!!

Wedding- Mike and Andi

2008-05-13T07:36:00.000-07:00

Mike and Andi had their wedding in St. Augustine a couple weeks ago and it was really one of our best of the year. By far the best part for us was the hour-long romp on a trolley with the bridal party. We had a blast cruising around the streets of St. Augustine and hopping off for quick shots. I just wish we had a couple extra hours.

Thanks to the happy couple for trusting us to just do our photojournalism thing without worrying too much about the token traditional shots. We really got a ton of telling moments and I cannot wait to put the album together.

This was just a perfect day!

We wish Mike and Andi the best of luck!!

Rob and Marian

Yummy!

Groom catches a ride.

Marian caught this King Street moment (can you say Abbey Road).

The Casa Monica really really rocks!

Gotta be one of the weirdest images I have seen of Christ. Great moment of the guys cutting it up though.

This is from our trolley romp through the oldest city.

Gotta love b&g jubilation.

Wedding- Zach and Ellen

2008-05-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

We knew we would enjoy working with Zach and Ellen right of the bat and everything clicked (no pun intended) throughout the esession and last weekend at their wedding. Both of us love Sweetwater Branch, especially when the ceremony is there, as we can just make a day of it. Claudia and everyone at Sweetwater did an outstanding job as usual and Marian and I had a blast.

Gotta give kudos to Marian on this one as she really rocked it in her coverage. I was really feeling good about my own captures but when I sat down and edited hers, I was really blown away.

Gotta give a shout to the groom, Zach, who served in Iraq recently as a member of the armed forces. I have the utmost respect for the brave men and women in the military who are doing the dirty work but also the most rewarding in the process. Politics aside, these folks are our country's true heroes.

Wedding- Thomas and Melissa

2008-04-28T21:03:00.001-07:00

As you can see this was a kick butt wedding for us. Thomas and Melissa were so cool and relaxed, it made our job easy. The ceremony was at the Baughman Center and reception at the Haile Country Club. As you can see the couple had a visit from Albert and Alberta which made for a great series of shots. All and all we got some great moments and some creative portraits. This is gonna be a fantastic album!.

Enjoy!

**If you read my blog you will know I do not overly gush about vendors but I am bending the rules to give a shout out to Allison Middleton who was the coordinator for this event. Doing weddings for many years I feel qualified to say she is truly amazing. She made the day so smooth and on track which is a rare thing with weddings. The special touches she made led to some of my favorite images of the day. Thanks Allison!

Wedding- Brent and Kelly

2008-04-16T05:27:00.001-07:00

This was one of biggest events of the year and it was first class all the way. Kelly readily admits she has been planning this since she was born.

It was our second Ginn Resort wedding and first at Hammock Beach. This place is a sight to be seen and if anybody is considering getting married there, you will not be disappointed.

Brent and Kelly are a great couple and could not have been nicer to us. We were hoping to hit a home run on this and I am happy to say we are still rounding the bases.

Guess who is playing those guitars???? (answer at bottom)

Enjoy,
Rob

Gainesville natives Sister Hazel ( a great great band if you have not heard them) Kelly went to school with them and they could not refuse her charm and determination when she asked them to play a set at her wedding. Andrew gave me permission to use the song "This kind of Love" on my upcoming new website.....AWESOME!

Engagement- Jeremy and Erin

2008-04-04T05:42:00.000-07:00

OK, so I have been burning out on the usual engagement locations in and around Gainesville so I decided to give downtown a try. The urban look is popular and lots of other photographers tend to shoot around that area. Hope to do more of these and find some other "hidden gem" locations in downtown g-ville.

I could not have asked for a better looking couple as they both shine in front of the camera. I especially liked Marian's idea with the fishing pole.

Enjoy!

Wedding- Peter and Meghan

2008-03-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

This wedding was a photographer's dream come true. We spent the entire day at the Goodwood Plantation in Tallahassee which is lined with some of the largest oak trees I have ever seen. We had not met the happy couple in person but I can say without a doubt they are some of the nicest people you could ever meet. Their personalities just shine and I think we captured that in this group of images. I could post a hundred more just as good.

Enjoy

Wedding- Paul and Dana

2008-03-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

Dana and her family have been great friends since we moved to Gainesville eight years ago. They were even in the hospital room when our son Ryan was born. We immediately took a liking to Paul and were thrilled when they asked that we document their big day.

The wedding was at the Herlong Mansion in Micanopy, a gorgeous B&B in a town that is truly one of Florida's treasures. The weather was perfect and everything flowed harmoniously. These pictures hold an even higher significance because of all the great people involved.

Good luck Paul and Dana!

Wedding- Sal and Nikke

2008-02-24T20:11:00.000-08:00

These two native Gainesvillians came home from Connecticut to share their big day in the basking glow of Florida with friends and family. That basking glow of the sun escaped us by rain not once but twice for the engagement session although the weather for the wedding last Saturday was about as perfect a day as any and the emotions of the day led to many strong documentary images. We really had a great time working with them and their trust in us to do our thing was refreshing and the results show. Here is sample:

Military Funeral

2008-02-07T10:59:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the unfortunate privilege of shooting the homecoming for Army specialist
Maj. Alan Rogers who died in Iraq last month from injuries received by a roadside bomb.

I have shot a few of these and they are never easy. I tried to avoid the typical casket photos so these are the two I came up with and they were published in the newspaper today.

God bless Alan Rogers and all others who are risking their lives so people like me can enjoy what they love.

Engagement- Dan and Ellen

2008-02-05T19:41:00.000-08:00

This was one of our best ever! We shot at the Thomas Center again but tried to focus on new angles and locations. Marian was on her "A" game with not only her shooting but really led the way with some fun poses. Dan and Ellen were up for everything we threw at them and the results show what a fun-loving personality they both share. This was truly a blast for everyone involved and they are going to have a great slide show at their reception. All I can say is good luck choosing one to enlarge!

Sweetwater Fashion

2008-02-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of the images I shot for the Gainesville Magazine fashion article in the December issue. The models were great, in fact, Nikke (the blonde), was the winner of the Miss North Central Florida Pageant that I had the pleasure of judging last year.

A Medieval "A" Faire

2008-01-29T21:27:00.000-08:00

I heard about the story at the paper and jumped right on board. The couple first met at the medieval faire and later online and now they were tying the knot on the Royal Chessboard.

As a photojournalist we always look high and low for the unusual and visual appealing. Even though this was not a contracted event for me, I could not pass it up (especially because we used it as a photo-only package in the paper). It was a blast to shoot and my only regret is I had to leave right after the ceremony in order to make deadline.

Thomas and Melissa- Engagement

2008-01-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

Greetings All.

Here is a peek at my shoot with Thomas and Melissa on Sunday at the University of Florida campus. The weather was terrible leading up to Sunday so I was a bit worried but clear skies prevailed and we made some great frames at the Baughman Center and the stadium.

Luckily the gates were open at the Swamp and besides the dozen or so people playing on the field, we were able to get some cool shots. The stadium is not always the easiest place to shoot so it makes me even happier to see these.

BTW- Kudos to Thomas for letting us cover him in moss!

Brent and Kelly- Engagement

2008-01-05T14:07:00.001-08:00

We did this shoot last week at Ginn Hammock Resort along Palm Coast, Florida. This is a great beach town between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach.

Brent and Kelly are a fun couple and we did lots and lots of walking around the resort and all it's great locations. As you can tell it is on the ocean so we got to take advantage of that as well. Here is just an appetizer to all the fantastic images we got.

Mike and Andrea- Engagement

2008-01-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

Washington Oaks State Park is located along Palm Coast, Florida and it is unique because of its large collection of oak trees on one side and a gorgeous beach on the other. Great location!

There were so many great images from this shoot I just wish I had more room here to post the rest. You can see how comfortable they were for the shots and it really shows. Looking forward to their wedding next year in St. Augustine.

Jeremy and Brie- Engagement

2007-12-30T08:43:00.000-08:00

I love this collection of images from our morning shoot on the UF campus last week. The happy couple were in town for the holidays and we fit this shoot into a very busy day for them. They are both Gators and wanted to have the images reflect some special places on campus. It was a gloomy day but the pictures are full of color and life.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-30T08:23:00.000-08:00

......and Happy Holidays! Hope everyone had great celebrations and time with family (and away from work). We had a great Christmas Day and I am loving my new Ipod Touch. We went down to Orlando for a couple days this week and stayed at the amazing Gaylord Palms (5-stars with all the trimmings!). MGM Studios was fun and I brought back this cool image from the light show.

Hope everyone has a great New Year!

Foggy Morning

2007-12-14T14:14:00.000-08:00

On my way to work today and thought I better shoot an image of all the fog that had hit the area. I stopped at the boat ramp on the way to Gainesville and found this guy getting ready to go fishing. Wish I could have hopped on the boat and gone fishing with him.

Justin and Jenna- Engagement

2007-12-08T17:38:00.000-08:00

These two lovebirds are getting married next year in Michigan and I am sorry to say I am not shooting the wedding. Regardless, Jenna is a stickler for details and found a great photographer for their wedding. How do I know this about her you might say? Jenna came to work at the beginning of the year at the Gainesville Sun as an online producer fresh out of college. Being in the photo department we worked hand in hand. Well she single handedly transformed our online website and approach to the web edition and multimedia to a futuristic level and has been promoted right out of the building and into the NY Times corporate office......and the year is not yet over.

We shot these at the Thomas Center in Gainesville a couple weeks ago.

Good luck Jenna!

Engagement- Jordan and Skyler

2007-11-20T18:44:00.000-08:00

Just a November jaunt through the UF campus but I am so happy with the gems we found and the great frames we made. Skyler was a news editor at the Sun with me for a couple years before leaving for law school (never hurts to know a good lawyer) and Jordan is an engineering student and is super cool. The shoot was lots of fun and Marian contributed some great second angles to add to the take. Hope you like it.

Engagement- Eric and Pam

2007-11-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

This was our second beach shoot of the day and we employed some new styles and poses. Engagement shoots are tough for me in that my strength is telling the story of the day as it unfolds not the situation of let's meet somewhere and take posed photos. In these cases I have always reverted back to my traditional style which is good for the shoot but produces stiff and boring results. Marian has been researching some innovative ideas that allow us to develop more stylized shots that are more journalastic but still posed. I hope you see the results in the upcoming e-sessions we post.
Anyway, Eric and Pam are such a great couple and they jumped right into the session (literally) and their comfort allowed for us to produce a great series of images. Check them out as they are fun fun fun-

Wedding- Jeff and Lauren

2007-11-18T05:10:00.000-08:00

Jeff and Lauren got married last weekend at Queen of Peace church with the reception at Sweetwater Branch Inn, both in Gainesville. I cannot say enough kind words about them. You can just tell that they make each other better and that is the highest compliment one could make. The images are great and this wedding was a ton of fun. I had to repeatedly pinch myself so I remembered I was actually working. The bummer is no more weddings on the books till February.

Enjoy!

Engagement- Paul and Dana

2007-11-17T17:48:00.000-08:00

OK this one is special. We have known Dana since we moved to Gainesville in 2000 and she and her kids are very dear to us. Paul is a great guy and a pleasure to be around. We are so proud that they found each other and as you can see their love shines in these images. Kodus to Marian who has been working hard to change the way we go about these e-sessions and the proof is in the pudding........here is the pudding.

Engagement- Zach and Ellen

2007-11-17T11:05:00.000-08:00

Zach and Ellen are getting married next April in Gainesville and we did the engagement session at the Thomas Center a couple weeks ago. We had a great time and cannot wait for the big day. The weather was great and we are always looking for new angles and ideas for one of my favorite locations. Here are a few images to share.

New Packages Are Here

2007-10-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce our new 2008 packages. While sticking with our theme of being budget friendly we have come up with a great lineup of new products and services.

Here are some new additions-

-New Collage Prints- Each package will include these hand designed prints showing the highlights of your big day.

-Disks Provided- You asked and we listened. Each of our new packages include a disk of either high or low rez images. They are your picture and you deserve to have them.

-Product Credits- Beyond wonderful images, you deserve all the wonderful mediums in which to display your photography. Use your product credit for albums, coffee table books, prints and even an Ipod Touch loaded with your images. Too many options to list.

-Bigger Better Albums-We are officially launching our new album line for 2008 and it includes our already popular Willowbook line but also Asuka Book and Graphi Studio. We have pegged these as the most popular, affordable and modern albums on the market. All books now start at 30 pages which should be a welcome addition from 18 pages.

-Extra Photographer- We now include a second photographer with most packages and that would most likely mean Marian. This means more great images and a smoother day.

These are just the highlights. Feedback is always welcome if you feel we have left something out.

For the clients we have met with or talked to, you are still locked into last year's rates although you might just prefer one of our new offerings. Please let us know if you have questions.

Engagement Season is Here!

2007-10-11T05:33:00.000-07:00

I read the newspaper this morning (who doesn't) and saw that the first real "cold" fronts are headed to Florida this weekend. So like a groundhog I am here to proclaim that it is time to start scheduling and shooting engagement sessions (the hip phrase is E-Sessions). Everyone should know by now that I hate bland and boring so Marian and I will be encouraging great ideas and themes.

Everyone always asks what to wear. My first response is always no mini skirts! Makes posing sort of a challenge if you catch my drift. Seriously, just be yourselves and wear something that matches your personality. Not weekend mowing the yard garb but you know what I mean. Try to avoid loud colors, patterns, stripes and try to wear complimenting outfits.

We are not there to photograph the clothes we are there to capture your personalities.

We look forward to working with every single one of our clients to insure amazing photography.

Matt and Candice

2007-09-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

This was a signature event for us this year. Great couple, great crowd and the Reunion Resort is a gem. Their engagement photos are just a scroll away on the blog. Marian shot video and I shot at least 10gigs worth of photos. Very mild day for the middle of September in Florida. I could shoot every event at Reunion! Here is a sample of the day.

A Little Pigskin

2007-09-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

I better post the first game of the NFL season before we get to week 3. This is the Jags vs Titans in Jacksonville. Bad day for the Jags who should have won. Gorgeous day on the sideline and it was a great way to spend a Sunday.

Welcome Marian!

2007-08-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

My wife Marian has joined the business full time and while she has been working in the background, now she will be a driving force in our success. Marian is a certified bridal consultant who spent ten years in the bridal industry, she makes the perfect compliment to myself.

Marian is a naturally gifted photographer and has already been helping as a second shooter. In addition, she has taken the reign for multimedia and will be in charge of gathering audio/video as well as editing and posting.

As soon as she finishes organizing and refocusing the business side she will be hitting the streets with a much needed marketing campaign. I have needed this for some time and I am so happy she has come out of retirement. Now I have the perfect partner!

Jeff and Lauren

2007-08-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

Can see you the personality from just these few frames? Some people have to try real hard to be spunky but not these two. Their wedding is in November at Queen of Peace Church and the reception is at Sweetwater Branch Inn. Cannot even imagine getting to document their personalities for a whole day.

Matt and Candice

2007-08-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

Very fun couple who are gonna have a grand event at the Reunion Resort in Orlando. This place is gorgeous and Marian and I have a great plan in place to provide some amazing photography. The reception is going to be a hoot. Check back to see their wedding photos. Did I mention it was about a 100 degrees when we did this shoot?

Lyzette and Salvatore

2007-08-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

Marian and I shot this wedding a couple weeks ago at the International Resort and Spa in Orlando. The couple recently dealt with some health issues that caused them to have a small wedding a year ago. This was the celebration they had in mind from the start and I was so glad to be a part of it. I was the photographer for Lyzette's son Louis Lorentz and Kim's wedding and her niece Ada and Nick's. They made us feel like part of the family and I think we captured the story of the day. There will be a multimedia piece coming soon. Enjoy!

Where's Rob?

2007-08-03T19:22:00.000-07:00

Wow, time has been flying by. We have been making huge strides in Rob Witzel Photography. Here are just a few items. Been getting an amazing amount of leads and consultation requests. Spent a few days with Smart Marketing in Naples and have a true marketing strategy in place. Completely restructured my office and organization thanks to my wife Marian. Am now working with the best wedding consultants in town. The list goes on and on. I promise to elaborate and post some new images from recent events ASAP.

Rob

2007-07-10T19:35:00.000-07:00

Jordan and Lauren were the perfect couple on top of being gracious and outgoing. What better couple than a pair of teachers that you wish you had back in school who live on a cattle farm and and have large and loving families. I could post hundreds from this one but enjoy these and I assure you the rest are great. Multimedia is on deck and I have a couple posts in my head that I need to hammer on the keyboard as soon as I can.

Multimedia Part 2- Travis and Jess

2007-06-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

This is our second multimedia piece and I can say it fits the couple's personality to a tee. Kudos to my wife Marian who put this together without attending the event. I hope you agree she did a great job. Let us know what you think.

Weddings Take Time

2007-06-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

I often hear the phrase "wedding photographers charge so much for just a few hours of work." While I agree the prices around the country have gotten way out of hand I do take issue with the fact I spend only a few hours with my clients.

For example: At a recent wedding I was booked for all day coverage but there is so much more.

Take a look-

Pre Wedding Emails- 3 hours.
Consultation- 2 hours
Producing Contract- 1 hour
Engagement Session- 2 hours
Engagement Production- 4 hours
Final Consultation- 1 hour
Wedding Day- 11 hours
Wedding Processing- 16 hours
Album Design- 6 hours
Multimedia Production- 8 hours

That is a total of 54 hours and a VERY conservative estimate. Don't get me wrong as I enjoy every second of it. Just wanted people to know the leg work that it takes to do things the right way.

Multimedia is Here

2007-06-12T08:11:00.001-07:00

Check out this audio slideshow from Chris and Stephanie Vail's wedding from March of this year. I see this storytelling tool as part of the future for wedding photojournalists. In the journalism world we are working hard to make multimedia the third rail if you will, along with words and photography. As you can see this is a very personal and touching way to tell the story of a couple's big day. Let me know what you think as this is just the first of many projects to come. Don't mind the low resolution as that will change once I get the video player on the main website.

An Elitist

2007-05-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

I have recently been named a member of the exclusive WPJA (Wedding Photojournalist Association) and I could not be happier. If you have not heard of this group it is an elite group of photographers (not elitist) :} that have been chosen based on their body of work and are featured on their site (www.wpja.com) for perspective clients.

What I appreciate most is their high standards for documentary photography and the ethics that true photojouralists strive to adhere to. Found moments are what we all strive for and posed moments are considered just what they are.....fake. Their policies are very much they same ethics that us news photographers fight for everyday.

Obviously I hope this brings in more work but I am more excited that referrals from them will be from clients who appreciate the style that I work so hard to produce. If you are considering Rob Witzel Photography for your wedding please take a moment to check out this organization.

The Mascots

2007-05-21T08:05:00.000-07:00

I shot a wedding this weekend for Brian and Kourtney LePlant who are former Florida Gator mascots "Albert" and "Alberta." It was such a great wedding as everything took place at Sweetwater Inn in Gainesville and the weather was perfect. Obviously when you have a couple who are lively enough to be the mascots of a major university they are going to make for a fun bunch. I can't say enough great things about their family and friends who made the event fun to be at all day. I don't remember even checking my watch. Few weddings go as smoothly as this one and I cannot wait to start editing.

Here is a photo of Kourney "diving" into her dress in one of my favorite rooms at Sweetwater.

Behind The Scenes

2007-05-05T06:44:00.000-07:00

After getting my first post up I have been busy getting this site ironed out. Some of the things I have added: on the wedding side I have a new section for client proofs. This is especially cool because I can post an entire event straight to my site and it plays in the cool slideshow mode. Speaking of slideshows I am desperate for royalty-free music for my site. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. On the editorial side I have added news page edits done at the Gainesville Sun just in case a hot editing job opens up.

Next on my list and it has been on my list too long now is the multimedia that I have done for some past events. I have many people waiting to see this stuff (including myself) just need to lock myself in a room for the weekend.

I will leave you with a photo I took at a recent house shoot for Gville Magazine. I love dogs so this is a natural.

Until next time!
Rob

The 37th Frame

2007-04-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

After hours and hours of sleepless nights and a few sore typing fingers, my masterpiece, this website, is finally complete.

Let the fun begin!