CAPTURING LIFE'S MOST MEANINGFUL MOMENTS
"Capture Every Moment As If It Were Your Last" Because Every Picture Has A Story To Tell.
Serving the Gorgeous Emerald Coast
Daily along the beaches of Destin, Miramar, Ft Walton/Okaloosa Island, 30A/ Santa Rosa Beach and locations between!
Beach Permitted and Insured!
* Panama City Beach, Pensacola, and Navarre Locations Limited to Deluxe, Premium, and Wedding Sessions on Saturday and Sunday Only*
*All Appointments Must be Booked Through Website*
NO CELL PHONE POLICY FOR WEDDINGS:
This is your Special Day! To capture the most beautiful images to document this incredible day, please instruct your guest to keep their phones put away during the ceremony. Your guests are there to witness and celebrate you, not to provide distractions and get in the way of the professional you have hired. There will be plenty of photo opportunities AFTER the paid professional has completed the session.
SESSION LOCATIONS
For beach sessions, if you have direct beach access where you are staying (meaning a condo/house on the beach that provides me an on-site parking space/parking pass to utilize), I come directly to you if preferred.
If you do not have direct beach access with available on-site parking for me, depending on where you are staying, these are the available locations for your session:
Santa Rosa Beach
Grayton Beach State Park - 357 Main Park Road
Destin
Henderson Beach State Park - 17000 Emerald Coast Parkway
James Lee Park - 3510 Scenic Hwy 98
Ft Walton Beach
John Beasley Park - 1550 Miracle Strip Pkwy SE
The Boardwalk/Okaloosa Pier - 1450 Miracle Strip Pkwy SE
Panama City Beach
M.B. Miller County Pier - 12213 Front Beach Road
Beach Pier at Pier Park - 17001 Panama City Beach Parkway
St. Andrews State Park Pier - 4607 State Park Lane
I also enjoy getting to photograph at non-beach locations. My favorites:
Eden Gardens State Park - 181 Eden Garden Rd - Santa Rosa Beach
Cerulean Park at Watercolor - 45 Watercolor Blvd W - Santa Rosa Beach
Barrett Square at Rosemary Beach
Camp Helen State Park - 23937 Panama City Beach Pkwy - Panama City Beach
Photo Gallery
IMAGE DELIVERY
A Sneak Peek of at least 5 images provided within 72 hours from the end of your Standard through Premium session and within 7 days for Wedding Photography.
THE LINK TO YOUR COMPLETED ALBUM of DIGITAL IMAGES FOR STANDARD THROUGH PREMIUM SESSIONS WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOU WITHIN 7-10 BUSINESS DAYS
(Example: Monday Session images delivered as early as the following Monday but by the following Wednesday)
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THE LINK TO YOUR COMPLETED ALBUM of DIGITAL IMAGES FOR WEDDING SESSIONS WILL BE DELIVERED TO YOU WITHIN 30-45 BUSINESS DAYS (DEPENDING ON CEREMONY SELECTED)
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HARD COVER PHOTO BOOKS OFFERED WITH WEDDING SESSIONS DELIVERED WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS AFTER IMAGES TO BE INCLUDED HAVE BEEN SELECTED (MUST MAKE SELCTION WITHIN 90 DAYS AFTER COMPLETED ALBUM LINK HAS BEEN DELIVERED)
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CANVAS PRINTS OFFERED WITH WEDDING SESSIONS DELIVERED WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 30 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER SELECTION HAS BEEN MADE (MUST MAKE SELCTION WITHIN 90 DAYS AFTER COMPLETED ALBUM LINK HAS BEEN DELIVERED)
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I PROVIDE TOUCHED UP DIGITAL IMAGES ONLY.
I DO NOT PROVIDE RAW, UNEDITED IMAGES TO CLIENTS.
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Payment Methods Accepted
Your Reservation/Retainer Fee is Paid at the time of Booking and goes through Square with the preferred method of Credit or Debit Card. (Your card information is NOT stored.)
The Session Balance Can Be Paid by Cash, PayPal @DeannaRMiller, or
Venmo @Deanna-Miller-20
Each Session requires a Non-Refundable Reservation/Retainer Fee (varies depending on Session selected) that reserves the date and time agreed upon when booking appointment and provides that I, as your photographer will not make any other reservations at any other location whether indoors or on the beach or accept any other clients for said date and time.
For regular Photo Sessions, your balance is due on the day of your Session and will be reduced by the required Non-Refundable Reservation/Retainer Fee.
(Example: $300 Session requires a $75 Non-Refundable Reservation Fee. The balance due on Session Day will be $225)
For Wedding Ceremonies, your balance is due 24 hours prior to ceremony.
About Me: "A Girl and Her Camera!"
I am Deanna Rhea Miller, Owner/Photographer. An original Texas girl, I spent 34 years in Middle Tennessee and have had some amazing photo adventures there and throughout my travels. While most people call a roof and four walls a home, to me, home is anywhere I am with my camera! If you took away my camera, you would take away the very essence of my soul!
In October 2020, I moved to Orange Beach, AL to help after Hurricane Sally - while commuting back to Nashville, TN a few days a month. In April 2021, a permanent offer was made, relocating me to Santa Rosa Beach, FL mid-May 2021. While I definitely miss the OBA/GS area, I am enjoying many adventures along the Emerald Coast! I have met and photographed some amazing couples & families and look forward to many more!
I have always had a love for photography, but sometimes life puts things on hold until the time is right. For me, that timing arrived in 2019 with encouragement from a friend & fellow photographer. Maybe it was a little later than planned, but it's never too late to set goals and do what you love to do! As the saying goes, "If the plan doesn't work, change the plan but never the goal!"
I am a girly-girl at times but love running 5k's to 1/2 Marathons, Football (TN Titans & TX Longhorns), Hockey (Nashville Predators), and Baseball (Atlanta Braves & Houston Astros!)
My camera goes everywhere I go, so when not "shooting" people, I love capturing nature, abandoned buildings, and rusty cars & trucks, finding beauty in things most overlook!
I am not one of those "Get the booking, shoot the shots, deliver gallery & done" type of photographers. I like to build relationships and get to know the individuals & families I work with before & during the session and build a bond that lasts beyond the shoot!
“It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter.” - Alfred Eisenstaedt
“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” – Aaron Siskind
The Experience
My goal is to make sure you come away with incredible images and lasting memories! While I do use Photoshop to crop and touch up images with a little "contrast here or shadows there", I don't often use presets or edit with background replacements. The beaches along the Emerald Coast provide such a natural beauty, doing so is unnecessary! However, I do love to experiment, so if you have interest or prefer your images be touched up artistically with a styled preset, I am more than happy to do so as I have discovered some pretty cool tools that I actually like!
Although most of my sessions are shot on the gorgeous beaches along the "Emerald Coast", I am not limited to just beach photography. I love the opportunity to do non-beach locations just as much. There are many amazing, natural backdrops to capture gorgeous images, whether it be Eden Gardens State Park or Cerulean Park at Watercolor in Santa Rosa Beach, the buildings & architecture of Barrett Square in Rosemary Beach, or even along Harbor Walk Marina in Destin.
I have my standard "go-to' poses and love to capture some of the candid, natural moments, but I also want to make sure to incorporate your ideas as well. This is your session, so bring your inspiration & ideas and let's make the most of it! Whether serious or fun, bring out your personality & let it shine! Don't be afraid of creativity and thinking outside the box!
I have managed to capture some of the most incredible images in situations that on the surface seem less than ideal. Families with children (and sometimes even uncooperative spouses) know that things don't always go as planned when trying to capture that perfect smile from everyone at the same time in that group photo. That is perfectly ok, it really is! This is where we get to see the genuine emotion and personalities, where the moments and memories are truly captured. So, relax - let them be who they are. No need to stress or apologize. Together, we've got this, and your images will be amazing!
I know from my own experience, there are women & men alike who prefer not having their photograph taken for a variety of reason, thinking they are "too this or too that". This is something I still sometimes struggle with myself. However, one day, the photograph you did not want to be in will be the only thing your family has left of you...TAKE THE DAMN PICTURE!
" When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls!" - Ted Grant
Frequently Asked Questions
Please reach us at deannarheaphotography@outlook.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Whatever makes you the most comfortable is appropriate! Many choose the khaki/white/navy combo, while others choose pastels (aqua, coral, etc.) Don't be afraid to mix it up with colors that complement each other. Some of the best images when choosing a color scheme is to mix it up with patterns & solids. Regardless of what you choose, it will be perfect!
When you are at the beach, so it can be a bit windy at times. Unfortunately, there is not much a photographer can do to minimize other than with posing and even that is not a guarantee to prevent fly away hair. Hairspray, hair ties, headbands & bobby pins can be a girl's best friend! Of course, an "up-do" or a cute hat is always a great solution to avoid the "fly-away" hair! For those who still want to show off their gorgeous long hair, aside from a ton of hairspray, a great option would be a long, side ponytail. (Despite what many think, Photoshop is not the "be all, end all" solution to eliminate hair fly-aways!)
Sunrise and leading up to Sunset are optimal to avoid the harshest lighting. Sunrise provides much softer lighting as it begins to rise. As for sunsets, which is my most popular request, depending on the cloud cover, the afterglow of the sunset provides incredible background color, from cotton candy-colored skies to varying shades of "fire"! Even a sky filled with storm clouds make for some amazing images! Sunset sessions should be booked 30 minutes prior to Sunset. Sunrise and sunset times in Destin (timeanddate.com) is a great tool to see the expected sunset for any day of the year.
I don't typically do sunrise sessions because of my other outside obligations. However, I will consider case by case on Saturday/Sunday only.
Absolutely! I love getting away from the beach scene from time to time. Locally, some of my favorite spots are listed at the top of my site in the "Session Locations" section. However, I am open to exploring/traveling to other locations/venues as well.
Kids will be kids and naturally can sometimes be cranky at session time. Try to make sure they've gotten their nap and a snack when considering session time. If they have a favorite toy that needs to accompany them in the photos to calm them, by all means bring it along. I have found that a stressful parent being harsh in trying to force/discipline a child into standing a certain way or smiling a certain way is not the best route. Allow them to be their authentic selves and we will get incredible images regardless. That is where the memories are!
Wrong. I use only the basic Photoshop tools by my choice, and I will not alter your appearance to make you look like someone you are not. You are perfect just as you are, don't try to change! My editing style is to keep your touched up images as natural as possible while smoothing out wrinkles where I am able. However, if you have been stressed & have a giant pimple between your eyebrows...that will be removed.
With sand on your feet & legs, the best option is to simply wipe it off with your hands or bring along a small towel.
As for the background, despite a crowded beach at times, the idea is to pose you in a way that eliminates background clutter or "blur" it out. I do not use Photoshop to do background replacements.
I keep completed albums for a period of 6 months. Once I send you the link to your album, I recommend that you go ahead and save/download to your computer or to a jump-drive.
Like almost every other photographer, we conduct photo sessions at locations other than the beach as well as indoor locations. The non-refundable reservation/retainer fee guarantees your reservation on the date and time agreed upon when booking appointment and provides that I, as your photographer will not make any other reservations at any other location, whether indoors or on the beach or accept any other clients for said date and time.
***Extenuating circumstances to be evaluated case-by-case.
Standard through Super Deluxe Sessions, your balance is due on session day upon arrival to the session location and can be paid by Cash, Venmo, or Pay Pal.
Balances for all Wedding Sessions are due 24 hours in advance and can be paid via Venmo, PayPal, or by the card of your choice upon receipt of an invoice from Square if preferred.
As part of the booking process, you are sent an automatic appointment confirmation. In addition, you should also receive an automated reminder the day prior. If you communicate to me the day of your session that you expect to be late, I can generally work around to push it back a little, depending on the time you have scheduled your session.
However, if there is no communication that you will be late and no response to my text or call after it is past 15 minutes of your scheduled session, I will depart and go home. If you choose to reschedule the no call/no-show appointment, you will be required to re-book and again pay the non-refundable reservation/retainer fee, with the same remaining balance due as the original booking.
The further in advance you can book, the better. The best option is as you are booking your accommodations, go ahead and book your photo session as well. I keep my calendar current with sessions already booked as well as any known personal travel dates blocked out. My calendar fills fast for peak season! So, the quicker you book, the better chance you will have to get on my calendar!
If I have availability, you can absolutely book a same day, "last-minute" session. I only do one session daily by choice, so once a client books, I block the remaining availability for that day, even in peak season with the longer daylight hours.
Contact ME - after viewing my website, if you still have que
Reviews and Photographer Credit
- Reviews are a valuable asset to me and although not required, are always appreciated! You can post you FB review by clicking the FB link at the bottom of this page or by going directly to my FB photography page @deanna_rhea_photography
- Please be sure to tag me/my photography page when posting your session images online! Again, not required, but certainly appreciated! @deanna_rhea_photography
Deanna Rhea Photography
Destin, FL, USA
DeannaRheaPhotography@Outlook.com 615-961-2455 If I Don't Answer Your Call or Text Right Away, I Am Probably In The Middle Of A Session And Will Return Your Call/Message As Quickly As Possible.
During the end of Daylight Saving (November to mid-March), Sessions limited to Saturday /Sunday ONLY
Mon | 05:00 pm – 08:00 pm | |
Tue | 05:00 pm – 08:00 pm | |
Wed | 05:00 pm – 08:00 pm | |
Thu | 05:00 pm – 08:00 pm | |
Fri | 05:00 pm – 08:00 pm | |
Sat | 10:00 am – 08:00 pm | |
Sun | 10:00 am – 08:00 pm |