Caroline's Photo Session

It was a cold, windy, blustery day a couple weeks ago when we did this session.  It was one of my favorites though, because I had an opportunity to photograph my own cousin while we were on Thanksgiving vacation.   So it was great fun for me and very special.   Caroline, as you will see, is stunning in these photos!

Diane and Steve - Hartwood Acres

Last weekend, I spent part of a beautiful Sunday afternoon with Diane and Steve at Hartwood Acres.  The only time I had ever seen Hartwood Acres was at night during the Christmas season at the Festival of Lights, but on that particular Sunday I was able to enjoy it on an unseasonably mild and bright sunny afternoon.  The place is great!  This photo session was part of Diane and Steve's wedding package.  Doing an engagement session or a practice session is something I like to do because it helps the bride and groom get to know me a little bit more, just to experience how I work.  And it's very helpful for me so I get to know them as well.   As they look through the pictures from this session, they may see color filters, camera angles or poses they especially like and we'll take note of that and use those things in the wedding.  If there is a certain thing that needs to be corrected, we'll do that too.  So the 'practice' sessions are very important in preparation for wedding day!   Here are a couple from last week's session:

       

      

   

 

 

Church Doors

Architecture has always intrigued me.   A couple weeks ago, I walked through Butler with my camera and the doorway design of several churches caught my inquisitive architectural eye.  As a wedding photographer, I couldn't help but wonder how many happy brides and grooms exited those doors on their way to their reception celebration and honeymoon.   And I wondered how many countless people arrived and departed each Sunday morning in their pursuit of God and His Son Jesus Christ.   These are not just ornate wooden doors...  I think they represent much more than that.

Matt's Senior Photos

Matt was a great guy and a good sport.  Senior pictures are probably the last thing a guy wants to do, but he hung in there and made my job extremely easy.  We both shared a common interest in our love for hockey.   When you live in Western Pennsylvania, you HAVE to be a hockey fan... you know, the 2009 Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins?!   Matt, good luck on your senior year and all your future endeavors!

Sarah's Senior Session

Sarah is the drum major in her high school's band.  I could tell she has a bright future ahead of her.  We took two different days to get her pictures taken.  Both days were not the best as far as weather was concerned, but we had a good time anyway (she said that our photo sessions weren't as bad as she had thought they'd be...  I was glad I was able to make her feel comfortable with this!).  The photos turned out great despite the cold, damp and rainy days.   Whenever there are things out of your control, such as the rain, you just improvise and work with what you have!  And so we got creative and made it work, and I was real happy with the results.

Emma and Leo

These two kids were so much fun!  Emma was just the little model.  I think she loved every minute of getting her picture taken... and Leo was hilarious... he had me laughing the whole time.   What a character he was.  We spent about an hour at Alameda Park on an early autumn afternoon.  They both had a good time with this photo session, and so did I!    Check these out!

Senior Photo Session with Alexis

Last week I spent some time with Alexis and her mom to get some fun shots.  We found a couple places that worked great as backdrops.  The football field was fantastic... and the graffiti wall was super cool.   Graffiti can be an interesting thing... its on bridges, buildings, railroad cars... there are even websites and blogs about graffiti.  It is quite an expression of art in some cases.  In our case, someone else's expressions of 'art' helped to make our 'art' a little better.   Best wishes for your senior year, Alexis. Hope you like your photos... 

Christina and Matt

Congratulations to Christina and Matt!  I shot this wedding with my photography buddy Ken in Baltimore. The church was beautiful cut stone architecture with the traditional stained glass windows.  The reception was held at the historic Belvedere Hotel in downtown Baltimore.  So one thing I have in common with John F. Kennedy, Clark Gable and Douglas MacArthur:  we all spent time at the Belvedere! Both the church and the reception made for a very elegant affair. 

Kristin and Mark

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of photographing Kristin and Mark.   This couple was very easy going and a pleasure to work with.  My job is so much easier when the bride and groom know how to have a good time.  On wedding day and during the couple of meetings prior to the big day, I could sense that this couple had a deep sense of love and happiness toward one another - you could tell in their countenances! We took a few shots of the grooms family on the evening before the wedding, which was helpful for everyone, since many people had come from all over the country (I hope all the out-of-towners liked Western Pennsylvania and felt welcomed here!).   The wedding ceremony was held in a church where natural lighting was very good and it helped me immensely.   Also, the reception hall was beautiful, with lots of character.  (The food, by the way, was delicious).   Thanks for choosing me to capture the memories.   Congratulations, Kristin and Mark... I hope you like these and all the other shots we took on your special day!