Matt Adcock

Quote: Originally Posted by jesmcan Happy wedding day today traceyfranzel! Can't wait to see your pics I shot her wedding! Yep, pretty amazing day!!! (The royal wanted to move the wedding off the beach in fear of rain... I said nope to that tom foolery. Did it rain? Nada! Photos Coming soon! Congrats Tracey and Brent!

Quote: Originally Posted by indy_chic First Sunday in April ?? Yes, this is correct. Daylight Saving Time in Mexico begins at 2:00 a.m. local time on the first Sunday in April. On the last Sunday in October areas on Daylight Saving Time fall back to Standard Time at 2:00 a.m. The names in each time zone change along with Daylight Saving Time. Central Standard Time (CST) becomes Central Daylight Time (CDT), and so forth. The state of Sonora does not observe Daylight Saving Time. I just got of the phone with one of our clients who planned a 4:30 pm start time on March 29. Little did she know, at 5ish, its dark. She has sent our invitations for 4:30 and now will be changing her start time to 4pm. Point is, most hotels recommend a ceremony start time based on their best interest. This usually involves a total lack or concern as to the appropriate time needed (if photos are impt for you) after the ceremony. We usually recommend to start your wedding 45 minutes to 60 minutes prior to the scheduled sunset, depending on wedding party size and post ceremony photo expectations. While every client has different needs, the time frame of 45-60 min prior to sunset will always serve your best interests (in our opinion) for the best light available---vs no light. Good luck planning, I hope more March brides see this! Saludos, mateo

Quote: Originally Posted by giraffexx Matt - I LOVE your work!! Amazing photos. Super muchissimas gracias BOO HOO, today we have less daylight! Uggh, at least the weather is so nice this time of year and the upcoming months are dreamy... water gets colder though. Viva Mexico!

Quote: Originally Posted by jwilke5 Thanks for posting this, Matt! I wasn't aware that there was a difference between the dates for Mexico vs. the US, so I was planning my wedding date based on the US schedule for 2010. Luckily, I just checked and DST ends in Mexico on 10/31/10 so I am still okay (just barely). Thanks again =) Wow,we get lucky and have the entire month of October in 2010 as daylight savings YEAY. I hope this info can help those out there keep an eye open for potential problems that might occur while planning! Saludos mateo

I just thought I'd post this here because most North Americans are too familiar with the extended daylight savings which I believe falls this year at 2am on Nov 2. How nice it is to get a few extra weeks in April and an extra week at the end of the summer and start of fall. IF you are in Mexico, this time change falls on the last Sunday of October (OCT 24). We are falling back early here. Nearly every year, we have clients who overlook this difference between the USA / Canada vs that of what is observed in Mexico and somehow, plan their ceremony to start too late and end up with a night time wedding. If you are looking for that sunset wedding, we recommend that you start at least 45 minutes to 1 hour before the scheduled sunset to make the most of that time. Also, this means that traveling in the same time zone (ex: from Cancun to The Central time zone in the US) actually means 1 hr difference in time, however only for a few days. We discuss this and more details about your ceremony start time and provide sunset calendars all on our Seasonal Guide Page on the del Sl blogsite. Soon, the fall equinox occurs... Short days, wonderful temps here in Mexico, breezy nights and strong wind during the days LOVE the weather now! Not loving the loss of light Cheers, mateo

Quote: Originally Posted by amybermuda Gorgeous pics! Thanks Matt I would have picked there had it not been so much easier at other resorts to plan. Thanks for the nice comment about our photos Bummer it was tough to plan there. I wonder what they could have done differently or if you have any suggestions (in case they are listening) as to how they can woo more guests. We really love it there. I needed to add, not only does Ceiba have a killer dock location, but there beach is also a great spot for weddings as well and they have multiple reception locations that are indoors / outdoors as well. Hopefully, we will get to spend a few nights there soon enough so we can work on our commercial folio of images of the location... As they say: coming soon eh? Saludos, mateo

Quote: Originally Posted by soltamargo Loved this wedding!! such an intimate affair.. Vanessa, thanks SO much for having us there., Matt definitively enjoyed the feeling of being part of your family and Steve's friend for one night. I'd say what attracts us to most of our clients is that we publish so much about our lives on our website and keep contacts after wedding dates with MANY of our clients. We travel all over the place and for sure call old clients when we are in their town, meet up for coffee, have a cold beverage, enjoy a good hug. Making friends with our clients is as impt as making photos of them This is such a small world and it seems like daily, I'm reminded of the 6 degrees of separation between something familiar and recent in our lives Saludos! mateo

Quote: Originally Posted by ask9999 question for other Ceiba brides-- I tried several times to email Nayeli today and it bounced back. Has anyone else encountered this problem? THanks, Ari Nayelli is NO longer with Ceiba. Please direct all your inquiries to Denise. Email Denise Courtney Wedding Coordinator & Groups Manager Ceiba del Mar Spa Resort Phone. 52 998 872 80 60 Fax. 52 998 872 80 61 The Ceiba del Mar Spa Resort - A Riviera Maya Luxury Hotel This place is really a beautiful boutique hotel. Not surprisingly, the staff is superb and the location speaks for itself. We were recently shooting a small wedding (5 guests) really 7 because Sol and I were invited for dinner with the Bride and Groom, her mom and dad, and her little baby girl. She is a BDWF bride and actually recently posted her review here on this thread. Direct link to her photos: 09.19.09 Vanessa y Steve | Wedding at Ceiba del Mar | Photos by Matt and Sol Just for research sake... Here are a few more events there.. Visualization when virtually planning takes you a LONG LONG way... Vincent | Stephanie and Shane Sol | Teresa and Joe Sol | Victor and Julie One of the PRIMARY benefits Ceiba has is its beautiful pier location. This is the perfect spot for dusk weddings, private dinners and small receptions. I'm almost sold that one visit to this spot and you will FALL IN LOVE...like we did... wow, its amazing. Here are a few images... First two are the pier location... LOVE the turquoise waters that the RM is known for! Here is a view from one of the Penthouse suites...Vanessa is our model With such a tiny wedding, we highly recommend the end of the pier (no under the palapa because lighting is difficult underneath when its bright outside... also why we recommend dusk light. You can see how beautiful the dusk light is here...just wowser! Hope this helps visualize the spot!

HOLA Barcelo Lovers We too love this hotel and are always bummed to hear about outside vendor policies. Since some time has passed since their July Ultimatum about Photogs and Videographers, I was wondering if anybody had any experiences to share... Can you please post your thoughts in this thread: http://bestdestinationwedding.com/fo...ml#post1030892 Muchas Gracias for taking the time to share. matt

I was just wondering if there are any follow up experiences from brides who have been dealing with the run around / sneak vendor in / red tape process to get the photographer into the hotel. The fee system, although no longer available, made things legitimate vs trying to get in under the radar. I just know that everybody sleeps better at night knowing things are taken care of. Any thoughts on the happenings with this hotel lately? Anybody want to share your experience with this new hotel policy recently? Anybody had any good or unforgettable experiences from www.fotocaribbean.com.mx that they would like to share? Reviews Please!

Quote: Originally Posted by Gail Also, I used del sol photography and sol's sister does make-up. she recently moved to mexico. she did my make-up for ttd and was inexpensive Yep, del Sol is now offering Makeup! Sara, Sol's sister is now taking reservations for her services... I've put info about her on our website. She is a near twin match to Sol, so its kinda crazy seeing them in the same room Email for samples of some of her past brides cheers and thanks for the plug Gail! mateo

ON CUE, last 2 nights there was a North Wind that brought the temps WAY WAY DOWN. We enjoyed mid high 70's and evenings of low 70's recently. This makes for beautiful days and even more beautiful evenings!!!!!

Quote: Originally Posted by sunitam De sol pricing can be found at: delSol Photography Both Elizabeth and Del Sol are amazing.. Thanks for the kind words, we love our job in a big time way! Elizabeth is amazing too... She is a dear friend of ours and someone to trust behind the camera, no doubt. Our pricing has changed --same rates--(actually simplified the format) so the link no longer works. We actually try to figure out what our client's expectations are prior to sending them prices, because for us, its a little bit more about "HOW MUCH". I know I know, pricing is impt. So is making sure we can meet your expectations. Nonetheless, we have hired a full time studio manager to answer all our inquiries (usually same day if not within 24 hours) who then sends out a detailed questionnaire so we can actually see what we are up against and outline ALL of your expectations. Then, we recommend the coverage needed based on your information. So, vs clicking on that link for pricing, just send email to our studio manager, por favor. saludos! mateo

Quote: Originally Posted by nicitica Sunita, Which did you end up choosing? I looked into Del Sol, but they are super duper pricey. In Chicago i could get a great photographer for $3,000 - $4,000, so it seems crazy that they are charging more than that. I thought Michael Maurus's site (cancun-weddings) looked good, but I just saw a post from a very unhappy bride. I only need a photog for a few hours and would love someone great and afforable. (don't we all?) But we aren't in Chicago We are actually here risking our necks in hurrican zone, swine flu infested, drug lord invaded, police corrupt Mexico! HA, jk. Our prices are set because the demand for our services. Simply enough, we work nearly 150 events every year. If we lower our prices or give super discounts, we kill ourselves which leads to burnout... Sorry we weren't the right fit for you.

Quote: Originally Posted by Tlseege I actually will be "sneaking" onto a Sandals property in early November. I won't lie, I'm nervous about it, but hopefully everything will go okay. The original goal was for me to stay at the resort, however it is booked! So the bride has paid for me to stay elsewhere and have a day pass. So my assistant and myself will be coming onto the property early in the morning. Completely dressed as beach goers. I will NOT be bringing very much equipment with me, as it truly isn't needed. So I will have one lens on my camera and then one lens on my backup camera which my assistant will take in. The bride knows the risks, but hopefully we will be happy "guests" to her wedding. Whats the worst that could happen? They call the federal immigration employees and have you escorted off the property as a violation for not having the proper working permits, etc.... Of course, we live in the Riviera Maya and deal with the same issue... resorts here that DO NOT allow outside photographers... yeah, we have been sneaking in some of them but that gets old, after they start to recognize our faces... especially if they show up to expos and see our photos and start to put faces to names... There is one hotel here that actually checks papers to make sure photographers are legal to work.... I have no idea about Jamaica. What I can tell you is that ALL of these places with the strict "NO OUTSIDE PHOTOGRAPHER" policy do so for a reason. While we HATE HATE HATE it, I understand that at the end of the day, they have a working business relationship with the on-site photographer shop. So, what that means is that there is income being lost when a bride sneaks in a photog. Just put yourself in the place of that business owner at that local photog shop. Most of these hotels are small, so you can bet your bottom dollar that they are keeping an eye out for every single event and seeing who the photographers are. If it were me owning that hotel photo shop, I'd be PISSED in a big time way... But, its not me, so I guess you have to play your cards with whoever that is and see what happens. Our policy is this: We ask the bride to speak with the hotel and see if outside photographers are allowed. Often or not, there is a FEE that can be paid to secure this.... hell yeah, what a piece of mind to pay that fee and not stress that what you are doing is 1. illegal because you have no permit to work in the country and 2. the hotel photo shop gets their $$$ dinero... which, at the end of the day is what this is all about... IF there is no fee to override this policy, I'm not risking my A$$ to work there... no way jose! So, you decide (or roll the dice) as they say! Good luck MATEO

Quote: Originally Posted by Jananaz Really? HD underwater? The equipment must be nuts! How do you waterproof it? Inspired by fairytales. I like that. What girl doesn't want a fairytale wedding. Me personally... The Little Mermaid is my favorite movie, so an underwater TTD would have fit right in Underwater brings an entire new element to the TTD. While everything we know has existed "topside" up to this point, its mostly been fine art fashion photographers producing these type of images... like Howard Schatz...We draw our inspiration from these amazing artists. The challenge comes in trying to get the same results with every day normal people (like me and you)... Non trained models who just don't do this every day as if just another swim... add wedding dress and some often cold water, a time frame to execute on the spot...This type of work is providing to be so very difficult...let the challenge begin! The equipment is mind blowing. We are using the 5d Mark II with the Aquatica housing. Mind you that link is to buy the housing ONLY... sheesh, the cost on this gear will give you a hernia. Then add the cost of the camera body and A killer professional lens as well as the glass ports and cables for the housing and HUGE compact flash memory cards.... wow, talk about a down payment on a new house! If you ever wondered why we charge arms and legs... Not to mention we started using UW flash too! Our plan actually requires 2 more, and usually 1 or 2 assistants to make this shoot happen. We are now using UW breathing SCUBA gear during our sessions in order for me to concentrate more while shooting. Here is a photo of my first test session with Sol. Mind you, I was using 3 flashes and was in about 8-10 feet of water. Out of hundreds of photos, I only figured that 4 or 5 were worthwhile... She admitted how hardcore it is to tread water and go under and repeat over and over and over... its hard work! ... But the results are MIND BLOWING! The risk is worth the reward as they say.... Here is a shot of our underwater breathing rig I was using... This helps because holding our breath has worked for past sessions, however the need to concentrate only increases our ability to nail that shot. By the way, waterproofing is not always 100%. Housings do flood and the risk to damaging 10k of gear at one session can take a bit out of the backside, if you know what I mean... of course, we insure our gear but at a premium... Fairy tale, magic, dream like, out of this world.... we hope to get you there!

Quote: Originally Posted by Mandiland Hi ladies! I am so torn on the "sand whales" that are in the ocean at the El Dorado Royale that we might fly to Mexico just to check it out. I read many reviews on here and on Trip Advisor saying that the resort is beautiful and not to let the sand bags keep you from having your wedding there, but we are very nervous. What does everyone think? I think that there are a ton of other resorts that don't have beached sand whales on the shoreline. 1. There has been much debate that these whales actually harm the ebb and flow of the coastline. Erosion is a natural thing and I've seen local beaches here in Playa actually disappear and then come back with gusto. Problem is, the infrastructure for environmental support and govt action can be kinda weak....So nobody does anything about it. 2. If you are concerned about the view, I can promise you that you will stare at those thing (like I do when I visited EDR some 15 times or so) and just shake your head. Afterall, your paying for the most majestic view of the beautiful Riviera Maya coastline.... You decide

Well, its tough to say because its pretty unpredictable here. We have been here for 3 years now... Its different every time it seems. Rain is possible, the tropics are known for it, although they say (who knows who they are) but rainy season is in the summer months, june - july... It is still hurricane season, so there is always a risk of a big party pooping storm, I have seen this before, especially on Oct 19 (hurricane wilma). Weather is still super hot during the daytime, 85degrees, hot and humid. Breezy and nice. Towards the end of Oct, the weather starts to cool down a bit. We have more on our blog about the weather and planning the start time of your ceremony: del Sol Seasonal Guide Good luck and congrats on your location choice! Viva Playa!

Quote: Originally Posted by Tlseege I hear this is an AWESOME restaurant in Playa... Alux Cave, Playa del Carmen - Restaurant Reviews - TripAdvisor Yep, this place kicks major tail We have done several photo sessions there and also had somewhat of a rehearsal dinner there. A few things. 1. This is a cave environment, 100% underground. They have set up a lounge in many different rooms. 2. There is a dance floor area... can be nice for a party. 3. Menu isnt 100% my fav... Prices are expensive too. 4. They often have big tours. 5. No air condition and sometimes stuffy due to poor ventilation Just another suggestion... Try Yaxche (maya cuisine) We were just there a few nights ago. Air conditioned + they have an outside patio. Great atmosphere. Playa del Carmen Restaurant Serving Mayan, Mexican, Seafood, and Vegetarian Dishes - Yaxche Maya Cuisine Restaurant Playa del Carmen Mexico Cheers! matt

Quote: Originally Posted by Jananaz Incredible. Breath-taking!! What a beautiful cenote too! lol I always wondered what those little fishies swimming in the cenotes looked like and now I know Thanks all for the nice comments We just did another video yesterday with a TTD.... This one is going to be exciting and can't wait to share. We are now shooting HD video UNDERWATER.... lots of exciting happenings from del Sol in the TTD arena... Fairytale and out of this world (or under it) are the primary motivation... More soon! mateo

Quote: Originally Posted by keni03 you are amazing. These are some of the most angelic TTD photos I have ever seen, I need to get more information from you :-) Do you work in Cancun also, or just more south in the the riviera maya? Keni, We just did an Expo in Cancun and yes, do travel there for work (its only 45 minutes away from our home). But, for this kind of photography, we have locations available only south of Playa del Carmen. We have about 5 or 6 that we go to, all with special deals from land owners who allow us onto the property. We pay the price they ask and they let us go to town Here is our TTD category on our blog, for more research. It has been our goal to set he bar with this style of photography. We have invested arms and legs into our equipment and take it into holes that most photographers would cringe at... Cheers & super thanks for the sweet comments! mateo

Susan Stripling is an awesome photographer in NY. She photographed my proposal to Sol. Those photos can be found here (Proposal Pics). 2 days later, she photographed my sister's wedding. Originally from FL. Moved to NY 1 year ago or so. She's won tons of awards. She teaches workshops to other photographers. She is a talented children photographer (she has 2 girls) and is very awesome at what she does. Hope that helps! mateo

We are humbled by ALL the kind words... brides & photogs! Thanks for extending your feelings We are SO motivated to try and set the bar for outstanding imagery. This year, we have stepped it up a notch. We have made frivolous investments in some new underwater lighting gear and UW camera and housings, also some underwater breathing setups...kinda like SCUBA system, but less cumbersome. We need to concentrate when shooting UW as holding our breath gets super old and difficult when done over and over and over and over... All these investments are meant to push our own envelope to the next level! Consider us dreamers living vicariously though the art form... More imagery to come soon! abrazos to all!

thanks for the nice words I really loved this session. We have a few more with similar results coming soon, from another world

Just wanted to post up a few more del Sol weddings from this great hotel! Jennifer & Gregg For those of you thinking about an elopement with only bride & groom, here is Eva & Un's Wedding, shot by Vincent. Hope that helps get the feel for the property! cheers, mateo