We're illuminare photography + cinematography and this blog/website serves as our initial meeting ground, allowing you to get to know us and our work a little better. While we have a portfolio section and frequently post blog highlights from our weddings and portrait shoots, we also keep the blog rolling with a bunch of various photos and videos that we do for ourselves when we're out just having a good time. We feel that it's important to share this side of ourselves and allow you to see who we are, how we work, and what we think is cool.
So sit back, relax and have fun browsing around! And if you feel that we'd be a good match for you, we'd love to hear from you!
Alright, this is a huge post but the topic requires it, it was all just too cool. Since Pensacola, FL was only about a 45 minute drive from Gulf Shores, Ann’s cousin David set up a group trip out there to catch one of the bi-weekly public practices that the Blue Angels hold at their base there. It was super cool. Then immediately following the show/practice, we spent a few hours exploring the aviation museum there, and still probably only saw 15% of what they had. Nevertheless, it was all totally awesome, check it out:
May 17, 2010 - 11:03 amDad - Bret, Ann is teaching you well about the art of photography. These pics are great. The only problem is that I told everybody we rented these down at the beach and had a little fun flying around. Some people parasail but the Rabbitt Family flys around in F-18 Hornets. Wait 'til you see the video.
Here’s an all encompassing view of our typical day on the beach. It was almost as if there was a rotation or a schedule because you’d be hard pressed to find the beach out front of the house lacking some of the family at any time during the day. Can’t blame us, right?
It was a gorgeous week with something for everyone going on.
This is a textbook scene from the week. Ryan: beer within reach, fishing pole set and ready…and his bird friend nearby. No idea why, but they were buds.
And for many, chilling out was all that they wanted to do:
But I can’t sit still, so luckily there was a group willing to go all out with the Frisbee. I’ve got to admit, I arrived with my Frisbee skills severely lacking. I haven’t been practicing enough I guess… but we fixed that. We were ready to go pro by the end of it all. Ann got some stink’n awesome photos of the action:
This is the “Yeah man, I totally caught that” look.
And then…by wondrous achievement, celestial alignment brought the entire group together for several group photos. I’m still amazed that it even happened. How do you submit stuff to the national archive?
And then there was this… that instantly made the hot tub seem a little less appealing. Good thing he was just kidding.
Day 1, Gulf Shores, lots…and lots..of family. I gotta say, when this family gets together, it’s an unbelievably good time. There was great food, some intense poker playing (which I came out of unscathed, miraculously) and of course, the karaoke/rock band set-up.
Well, as you can see from the picture above, as the night wore on the karaoke got..well…old. Now I thought they did pretty good, but none the less, we all took the hint and hit up the hot tub on the balcony. It was the first of many nights that ended with everyone hanging out there. What a wonderful invention.
May 13, 2010 - 8:52 pmcathy rabbitt - love all the pictures, especially the last of the karaoke shots!! of course maureen was plugging her ears since i didn't have the microphone..............JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!
May 14, 2010 - 6:48 amDad - I can't wait to see the rest of the pictures. These are great shots. I have already started working on the movie version but will need more pics. The one with Maureen holding her ears....classic.
So just this last week Ann and I took a week off to head out to Gulf Shores, Alabama with a bunch of family. We’re big fans of road trips, so we opted to drive out there. The first day was mostly done late at night and in rainy weather, but the second day allowed us the freedom to stop and enjoy some things we normally wouldn’t. We got a bit of down home relaxing in a small town just outside of Dauphin Island (the place that a week later would be in the news with reports of tar balls washing up on shore, allegedly from the oil spill making its way inland). We saw a bunch of prep for a parade and a festival going on near a little harbor, so we decided to pull of the road and check it out. There was a ton of stuff going on with most of the locals getting together to bless the ships, have some great seafood, and compete in a gumbo cook-off.
Heading out from there, we made the short 20min or so drive to Dauphin Island to catch the Ferry across the bay. Along the way, Ann got this awesome photo of a flock of birds as it passed over an oncoming car. Almost freaky, huh?
Getting to drive up and ride the Ferry across was a great way to wind down from all of the driving, giving us a chance to get out, stretch our legs and of course take some pictures!
(Don’t get your panties in a bundle, this is a natural gas rig, no oil spill from here!!)
The guy in the photo above worked on the ferry we took. We talked to him for the whole ride across, and he really become the personification of the whole area for us. He had just come down from Minnesota to work on the ferry a few weeks prior, but now due to the oil spill heading this way he was expecting to be layed off and jobless within a month or so, as passenger ships cannot continue operating in it. We never exchanged names, but just by hearing about how this situation has impacted his corner of the world really gave us a personal connection to it all.
A few days after Alicia & Dan’s wedding we headed back out to the park where they were married and made good use of an awesome field there. We also went over to the coolest little town, a favorite of theirs called Wentzville . As is the norm when out with a bride in groom in full attire, people driving by honked, hooped and hollered to show their support. But this time we even had a few people who called them out by name as they drove past! Yup, mini-celebs, right here.
Congratulations you two, it was great to be a part of!
Bret and I are so excited about April & David’s engagement photos, that I just had to post one as a sneak peek, even before I finished them up. We can’t wait to share the rest!
by Bret
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