Everyone is ok here, Annie and James are fine.  Amber continues to work hard as ever and is in a plane way too often, but that’s life for now.

Being a Destin Photographer gives me the ability to shoot photography I wouldn’t normally get to shoot if I didn’t live on or near the water.  I love the sunsets, the brown pelicans, all the different kinds of boats and I just love Destin Harbor.  Anyhow, that’s what I’ve been doing.

Now, as a Destin Photographer I am always talking with my clients about where they’re staying, how long they are going to be in the area, have they been here before, what kind of food do they prefer, etc…I always like to let people know where the good spots are in my opinion.  I am typically not a franchise kind of guy and I have actually blogged about this spot before, but it’s been awhile and it’s totally worth bringing up again, so drum roll please…  McGuire’s Irish Pub makes Capture Destin for the second time.  I’ll tell you why shortly.   McGuire’s has some amazing burgers and a great appetizer called “boxties.” They are mashed potatoes with bits of cheese in them rolled in panko bread crumbs in small balls and then deep fried.  They are typically served with three dipping sauces salsa, guacamole, and horseradish.  It’s yummy!!  They also have an amazingly good hickory smoked prime rib that’s out of this world.  Want more?  They have a house drink called an Irish Wake, must have Irish Wake, also yummy!  Don’t drink and drive you might hit a bump and spill your drink.  No, seriously it’s strong and you need to make sure you’re the passenger if you partake.  Oh, I almost forgot one more of the great things about McGuire’s.  They have an upstairs seating area that is perfect for sunset and great views of the east pass and Crab Island.  Now for the why I am writing about McGuire’s again.  They have added a pizza place outside with the same bar drinks and great microbrewery beers as the main restaurant.  I have actually not tried it yet, but everyone that I have talked to about it has nothing but great things to say.  How bad could a pizza be with prime rib on it, right?

So, there you have it.  When you plan your trip, don’t forget to book your photography with TheDestinPhotographer.com or call me at 850-499-2213 to book your session.

Most of the last few days have been spent cleaning up Christmas and playing with my web sites Thedestinphotographer.com PerceptionsByMayer.com and my blog site CaptureDestin.com.  Being a Destin Photographer I am pretty much able to make my own schedule and get all the “stuff” done that needs attention on a daily basis, things like getting the kids out of bed and ready for school, dinner, laundry, Annie’s Piano, James weekly shot, groceries, playing with the doggies Blue and Lucy.  Even as the owner of my own business, there never seems to be enough time in the day to get everything done.  I do a fair amount of business in Destin and Panama City Beach with vacation rental photography but with the weather not being the greatest over the past month or so things have backed up a bit.  Over the past week I have been able to get back on track and I am feeling much better about where I am with the business.  Last year was my 5^th year and my best.  Thanks to all my current clients in the vacation rental industry and thanks to all my summer beach vacationers as well.  Hope to see some of you again this summer.

Me and my Bride

It sounds so cliché, but it seems like a month ago that Amber said to me, “You know your stuff if pretty good, how come you have never thought about doing this full time?”  She was talking about my photography and for a while every time we talked about it I would just shrug it off and say, “I could never make a living being a Destin Photographer.”  It  just didn’t seem real to me at all.  Well after many conversations about it, I of course took the leap and started my own business.  Amber is such a big part of why I am very comfortable in my business today.  I love her so much.  I call her my office manager because she takes care of all things computer and money and everything that makes the business run …then I just take calls and do what I love to do.  Beach Photography in Destin is booming and whether you are after studio portraits or just casual candid shots you have those options in Destin.   People from all over the country come to the Emerald Coast to enjoy our beautiful white sand beaches and there are plenty of reasons they come year after year.  They are the same reasons I took the leap.  The Destin area is full of fun things to do like fishing trips, water parks, music events, and sailing, jet skis the list goes on and on.  We have some of the best sun sets around and our food and some of our restaurants are award winning.  So if you have thought about coming to Destin FL and just haven’t taken the leap yet, let me encourage you.  Take the leap you will be very glad you did, it won’t be just a vacation – it will be a tradition.  See you soon!

Mt. Sophris CO.

Ok, this is my second time writing the blog and I have a feeling you guys may have to adjust to a totally different writing style hope you all like it.  Since the last blog we have been all over the country.  We had just gotten back from Vegas and then I am sure Amber had been somewhere before we headed for Co on the 18^th of Dec.  We stayed there a week and were supposed to be home on the 25^th.  So, we drove to a town called Grand Junction the night before our 6:30am flight to come home on Christmas day and as we were settling in for the evening Amber checks our flight status and finds out all flight out of Grand Junction, Denver and Vail had all been cancelled for the 25^th.  What there was to eat and open on Christmas Eve in Grand Junction was an Applebee’s so that’s what we had for dinner.  The 25^th we spent in the room of the Country Wine Inn, it was fine just not where I or Amber wanted to be on Christmas Day.  The flight home on the 26^th was uneventful and we were so glad to sleep in our own bed after 8 days away.  Next was Orlando, Amber had some business with Imagine Vacation Homes and our annual passes to Disney had 8 days to the expiration date so we loaded the kids in Caesar and headed south.  While there Amber worked and the kids and I headed to Animal Kingdom to let James ride Mt. Everest.  I thought I was ok with it and Annie was willing but hesitant.  First went through the tree of life with flick and then headed to the Everest Coaster.  We got on and while the coaster was moving forward I was fine then it climbed a steep hill and stopped.  Then came the backward part and it was all over for me.  We got off the ride and Annie shouted let’s do it again as I was trying not to vomit.  I guess she got over her fear of Space Mountain from a short year prior.    I didn’t share that the weekend was really overcast and rainy so after I almost lost my stomach we went back to the rental home that imagine vacation provided for us. The night before we left to come home Ambers clients and our family went to Arabian Nights a great dinner show that is perfect for families with kids.  We had a great time with our family friends Mike and Adam and we even brought some friends from Destin with us, it really was a great long weekend.   Ok we finished the Orlando trip got home Sunday evening and then we were home for 4 days and off to Dollywood yep you heard right, Amber has a client in Dollywood.  This time it was just her and I.   Uncle Rory and Aunt Lisa help us all the time, they are great and they helped out with the gremlins for a couple days before they were off to AL. with their Dad. In Dollywood Amber worked for 3 days straight and we had a day with David, Amber’s brother and Aleda his wife on Sat.  Then back in the plane we go come home Amber has a day to breath and then off to CO. she should be home Friday the 23^rd at 3:30pm but there is really bad weather in Vail the airport she has to leave from so hopefully things will be ok for her.  Vail is about an hour from Basalt where she is working so everybody cross your fingers.   

Great Cabin in Dollywood TN.

I have been trying to keep our home clean.  1284 sq ft is just way too small for our family at this point.  The office at Destin Commons is finally finished and I am planning on having it somewhat decorated before Amber gets home and I haven’t started.  I am so excited for Amber the business is really going well, things are hectic but everything will be fine.

On the photography front my phone has been ringing way sooner this year than last.  I already have about a week of photography booked for July.  The Destin Photographer is going to be busy this year.  As always I brought my camera with me on all the above mentioned trips so there will be a couple attached to the blog entry.   I have been doing more condo photography and HD videos as well so I may need some help this year.

On a Red flag day our family rule is that the children can get their feet wet and that is it.  The rip tides in the Gulf can be terrifying and hard to spot, but if you see the red flag – keep your children and anyone else in your party away from the water.  Instead of catching a wave or two, we all hunkered down in the sand and got some natural vitamin D while the children built sandcastles, dug their way to china and eventually started to bury each other and get as much sand as possible in every crevice – even their ears.  Bleh!  Thank goodness the Whales Tail at Seascape Beach has an outdoor shower that we can hose them off under before we let them climb back in the car.

Although Joe is a Destin Photographer – we didn’t really pull out the camera very much.  We both just wanted to enjoy the time with the kids and forget about work for a while.  Plus – it’s hard to worry about photography when you are trying to make sure your tan *or sunburn in my case, comes out even.

After the beach, we headed to the house, washed ten pounds of sand down the bathtubs and jumped in the car for a ride out to our favorite seafood restaurant – Old Bay Steamer on Okaloosa Island.  If your idea of the perfect coastal cuisine is a heaping pile of fresh steamed shrimp, crab and other tasty sea creatures – then Old Bay is by far the best spot to quench your craving.  A little pricey but worth every dollar…. the atmosphere is coastal casual.  Shorts, flip flops and just off the beach attire is just fine.  For those in your group that think sea creatures belong in the deep blue and not on the dinner table, there is plenty of other choices on the menu including fantastic steak, bbq ribs, chicken and pasta dishes.  Every meal comes with a salad to start that is very refreshing with a light citrus vinegrette.  There is nothing lacking at Old Bay Steamer except for the view – but to be honest, they really don’t need it.  During the busy season, prepare yourself for a wait.  With two floors and ample seating – there will still be a line out the door if you go during peak dining hours.

Baytown Fireworks show

We were so tired that we almost spent the last moment of 2008 on our couch with our eyes half open.  Neither one of us has been feeling very well the year has just been exhausting!  I managed to climb onto our kitchen counter and give Joe the “look” long enough for him to ask me what was wrong – so I told him:  I feel like we have so much to be grateful for and I don’t think we should be celebrating the New Year half asleep.  He agreed, we both took a shower to wake up and headed out to Baytown Wharf in Sandestin to meet some friends.  We had no idea what was going to be going on, in the past we have avoided the typical New Years spots and preffered a backyard bbq or something quieter with a simple escape to get home to bed soon after midnight.

As we walked towards Sandestin (we parked at Grand Boulevard) – we saw a tram coming our way in the round a bout, our driver was so nice he stopped in the middle of the road and let us onto an overcrowded bus.  My butt was against the door of the bus for the entire ride.  The driver let us know that it was absolutely okay to climb on the buss and to crawl back later when we were finished.  He was an excellent tour operator and I wish I had grabbed his name so I could steal him for our Seascape Resort tram operation in the Spring and Summer. 

We walked into Baytowne and headed for the band area – they hadn’t gotten started yet so Joe played with the boats in the lake that you can pay to play with via a remote control.

Bay Town

Baytown at Sandestin is a great escape from the realities of every day – it’s like walking around an amusement park filled with great restaurants and unique gift shops.  Now that they have added the ice skating rink and the ropes course – it’s really got something for everyone. 

My father was in town visiting from Houston so we decided to take him around Baytown for a nice stroll and grab a bite to eat.  The place was deserted and many of our favorite restaurants were not open yet, but we found Poppy’s Bar and Grill ready to steam up some seafood as soon as we sat down.  It was foggy so it took a while for my dad to notice that we were dining on the water – yes, the fog has really been that thick.  The food was okay – considerably overpriced, I think we paid almost a hundred dollars for two hamburgers, a fish sandwhich, a salad and nachos…. in fact, with tip it was $96 and change.  Next time we’ll just walk my dad around and go eat somewhere else – the food was barely mediocre and would have been worth half of that.

Joe snapped some really cool photos though while we were sitting around listening to some tunes played by a local artist on the outdoor deck.  Dad enjoyed the walk and didn’t complain about the food – but mostly it was just nice to relax in the quiet and enjoy the family.

The craft booths were interesting, the children conned us into some flashy toys that drove us nuts the rest of the weekend, but mostly we were just happy to be out on the weekend with the children – soaking up how lucky we are to live in a beautiful town like Destin, Florida. 

Since we were there to interact with the children, we didn’t bring in the heavy photography equipment, but only snapped a few candid pictures of little James with our point and shoot –  finishing off my dinner – and experiencing his first caveman meal.  He loved it, and for the first time – something actually satiated his appetite.  For nine years old, the boy can eat.  We are terrified of feeding him as a teenager – his college fund might end up being an appetite supplement for our checkbook in a few years.

Needless to say, the seafood festival was alive and well back on the harbor and seemed to pick up where it had left off years earlier.  Although we all strive for progress – sometimes a glimpse of our past is the best judge of just how far we’ve come.

Joe & Amber at BluePoint

Fay, Gustav, Hanna, Ike …. tis the season for Hurricane Parties!  We rarely make it out to the local watering hole these days but a few members of the family were visiting this weekend and tensions were high in the area with all of the looming storms so we decided to head to Blue Point for a few toddies. 

Destin is famous for it’s upper class nightlife choices, but Blue Point at Destin Commons is the most convenient and comfortable spot for us – considering it’s cental location and proximity to the Mid Bay Bridge.  Joe had the camera with him of course and made sure to grab some pretty hilarious snapshots of the “eyes fully open” crowd morphing into the drunk eye incoherent laughter ensuing non-presumptuous, yet extremely judgemental group that we are….  =)

Since Michael and Adam moved to Orlando about eight months ago, we’ve had laughter withdrawl and it was such a repreive to have us all together again.  The only complaint from the evening was Adam’s incensent need to pet his new Iphone – it’s sick people, he even sleeps with it.  Mark my words, the show INTERVENTION is going to be taking submissions for IPHONEAPHOBIA.  Who really likes to be that accessible and is high speed internet really necessary in public restrooms?  Okay, so I’m done ranting for now until my addicted friends end up with thumb arthritis from texting nonsense to other Iphone users who just want to hear the bing, blip or ping or something occurring on their overpriced, handheld lifekeepers.

Ahem.  So back to the important items – family.  Our second afternoon of labor day weekend was spent enjoying the pre-storm weather at McGuires Irish Pub.  Yumm-O as Rachel Ray would say – perfect atmophere, tasty house brewed beers and not to mention some of Destin’s finest culinary treats.  Irish Boxty’s (These very tasty potato and cheese fried appetizers) are our favorite.  Order the nachos and share – it could feed a small nation of bean, meat, and spicy cheese craving carnivores.  Since we dined for lunch we didn’t treat ourselves to steak, but the prime rib is indescribable and a must-have for visitors. 

Our last evening we spent at home with everyone filling the kitchen for homemade snacks and quesadillas.  Joe usually does a ghetto version by baking them in our conventional oven on a pizza stone but we got fancy this time and borrowed Rory’s quesadilla-maker in order to expedite the process.  We managed to munch down five pounds of chicken breasts, 6 pounds of shredded cheese, 3 packages of tortillas, two jars of salsa and 4 bottles of vodka without incident.  We ended the evening with a blast from the past movie favorite of ours – Friday.  Yes people, Destin’s finest were drunk at home, stuffed full of chicken and cheese and sprawled out on the floor laughing hysterically at old school crunk comedy.  Priceless.

Please note that we would prefer not to be judged based on the frank comments and life experiences that we share on this blog.  We are actually very nice, loving individuals who somehow influence each other to act heinously when spending too much time in small spaces together.  The excessive Vodka consumption is directly linked to the martini recipe guide that we were given by an unknown (or forgotten individual).  We are simply on a mission to make every martini in the book and then write a few recipes of our own for future publication and the funding of our retirement since social security will probably become an extension of welfare by the time we qualify and only those who have never paid a dime in taxes will be subsidized in old age by the government.

Destin Family Beach Photos

Many families that venture to the area want to bring a tangible memory home with them and having professional photos taken on the beach is a fabulous treasure for the whole family to share! By the way, just in case you were thinking you might take a little bit of our precious sugar-white sand – that’s illegal! So stick to photos and shells!

Professional photographers are available in the area and pricing ranges from a minor pocket pinch to some major investing – but we love PerceptionsByMayer photography. Joseph Mayer provides his services in the Beaches of South Walton and Destin area and charges a very reasonable rate and allows his subjects to use his photography for printing at their own leisure and even finds time to throw together a cute video presentation with music for his customers!