Florida's First Family // Tallahassee Magazine

Florida's First Family // Tallahassee Magazine

Tallahassee Magazine assigned us to photograph their First Family feature for the May/June 2019 issue, and it remains one of the most memorable editorial assignments we've done. The assignment was to capture photos of Gov. Ron DeSantis and first lady Casey DeSantis with their two young children at the Governor's Mansion for a story written by Pete Reinwald. As Tallahassee photographers, we've worked in a lot of historic spaces around the capital city, but the Governor's Mansion presented a unique combination of challenges: priceless interiors, tight security coordination, and two toddlers who had their own plans for the afternoon.

The Governor's Mansion is a photographer's dream and a photographer's puzzle at the same time. The rooms are full of rich wood, historic artifacts, and carefully curated details that previous families have added over the decades. But those same elements create tricky lighting situations. We brought Profoto lighting to give us control in the interior spaces while keeping the look natural and warm. The goal was to make the images feel relaxed and lived-in, not stiff or overly produced. When you're photographing a family with a 2-year-old and a 1-year-old, there's no such thing as a perfectly controlled frame, and that's actually what makes the pictures work.

Some of our favorite moments from the session happened on the patio, where the family gathered after the interview. The kids were exploring, grabbing oranges, doing what kids do. That's where the real personality came through. We kept our Canon lenses long enough to give the family some breathing room while staying close enough to catch the candid interactions. Editorial photography like this lives in the in-between moments; not the posed portrait, but the glance, the laugh, the toddler reaching for something she shouldn't.

Photographing inside a working governor's residence means coordinating with security teams, working within specific time windows, and being respectful of the space. As editorial photographers in Florida, we've developed a workflow for high-profile sessions in sensitive locations. You come prepared, you work efficiently, and you stay flexible when a toddler decides the session is over before you do.

This feature was photographed by The Workmans for Tallahassee Magazine and appeared in the May/June 2019 issue and was written by Pete Reinwald. The Workmans are a husband-and-wife photography team based in Tallahassee, Florida, and we work with publications across the state of Florida, in Washington D.C. and around the United States. You can explore more of our editorial photography in the archive, see more of our work across our website and connect with us on how we can best serve you!