Captivating Imagery: Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer and Professional Photography Services

When I meet with prospective wedding clients in Pittsburgh, I’m often asked about my style of photography. I know this is a question that brides are encouraged to ask when reading wedding websites or magazines. And while the intent of the question is good, it is often answered with a few words that don’t hold a lot of meaning for most brides and grooms. What they want to know is if the photographer is a comfortable fit for their style. I think this is an important conversation because often a couple might want to define their wedding photography by a familiar phrase without considering the visual end result.

I’ve recently decided to turn the tables when it comes to this topic during consultations. I ask brides and grooms if they could have any type of wedding photography, what would it look like? This question can be daunting because it requires a bride and groom to describe the images they’re naturally envisioning when they think of their wedding. Sometimes preconceived notions will influence their response. For example, I often hear couples say they prefer a photojournalistic style because they don’t feel comfortable with posing. That can be very accurate in some cases, but I don’t think a pure photojournalistic style is a good fit for all couples. And I’m not knocking wedding photojournalism—many of my colleagues are excellent wedding photojournalists and I have a lot of respect for their talent. But I think the fact that wedding photojournalism has been such a mainstay in wedding photography over the last few decades, it has clouded the way brides and grooms describe what they want their wedding photography to look like.

One small caveat before I move on: I operate in a semi-photojournalistic mode throughout the majority of the day because I prefer not to interrupt the flow of the day and find wedding photojournalism to be the perfect response to the need for telling the story of the day. But my strength in photographing weddings is composing flattering shots and working with lighting. That means I need to interact with the bride and groom in order to do what I do best and that’s a major break away from pure photojournalism. So to make sure there is room for me to work with brides and grooms on their day, I ask that couples set aside a minimum of one hour in their day. During that time, we create lots of images that often show up in clients’ wedding albums and on their walls. When you’re paying to have a photographer document your day, it’s important to make sure there is enough time for photography in your wedding schedule.

Getting in front of the camera can be intimidating, but how much more intimidating is it when you don’t know what to do? I recently attended a workshop with Jerry Ghionis where he covered posing and evoking emotion. I have to say I’m a big, big fan of Jerry’s. I love how he interacts with his clients, making them feel comfortable and keeping things light and fun. On top of that, his portraits at weddings are mesmerizing. Anyway, Jerry mentioned that when he meets with brides and grooms, they often clam up at the thought of posing. He noticed a disconnect when they would get excited about his images, but not realize what goes into creating them. With help from his second shooter, Jerry might introduce some creative lighting, then guide couples into a natural pose. He’s completely respectful with brides and grooms the fact that it is their wedding day, yet his approach allows him to create images that convey their love in a way that makes them really shine. I learned a lot during the workshop and look forward to implementing some of what I’ve learned in the upcoming wedding season.

If you’re looking for a wedding photographer, here’s my best advice: 1. Do you like the images you see in the photographer’s portfolio? 2. Talk with the photographer about his/her approach for documenting the day. If the photographer’s approach makes you feel comfortable and you like his/her portfolio, then the choice is easy! My purpose is not to say that one style is better than another, but just to help brides and grooms who are planning their wedding to know how to find their best match for wedding photography.

Over the next month, I’ll be looking back at weddings from the past season to get a good sense of where I’ve come from and where I’m headed as a wedding photographer. I’ll be taking notes and sharing some favorites along the way. My wedding season starts at the end of this month, so this is where I dig in and get ready to make the most of it!

I’m not a Pittsburgh wedding planner, but as a photographer I do have some advice to share.  I learned a new tip from my local post office when I was mailing my Christmas cards the other day and I think it’s worth sharing, especially for anyone getting ready to send wedding invitations. The return address for cards and invitations should go on the front of any envelope at the upper left, just like it does for business mailings. This is contrary to what I was taught about how to address an envelope for friendly correspondence.

So when I went to the post office with my Christmas cards with the return addresses on the backs of the envelopes, a mail carrier told me that because the mail is sorted by machine nowadays, that it could mistake the return address on the back as the destination address and your carrier could deliver your mail right back to you. And that could be very frustrating with timely mailings. It seems odd that this could happen given that your mail carrier could just flip the envelope over and know what to do, but she told me that it has happened and is likely to happen more frequently in the future as mail carriers will be less and less likely to check individual pieces since the machine sorting has changed the way they work.

After a few quick searches online, I didn’t find anything to back this up, but I think it’s worth changing how I address any friendly correspondence in the future. I already had my Christmas cards addressed when I dropped them off and so far none of them have come back to me. I can only imagine how frustrating that might be if they did – especially since I waited until the week before Christmas to send them. Anyway, as a wedding and portrait photographer in Pittsburgh, I figured I should share this in hopes that I can save someone out there from that frustration.

‘Tis the season for engagements and if you’re hoping for a ring and you’re anything like me, you probably already have an idea of what you’d like your wedding to be like. After my husband proposed, I was checking venues for dates within a week. Now that I’ve been in the wedding photography business for a few years, I’ve seen a lot of things that have worked really well and others that haven’t. If I could go back and change something about how I planned my wedding, my biggest regret is not hiring a wedding planner, but that’s a post for another day. In the next week, I’ll be looking though weddings over the past year and compiling a list of great ideas to share. So stay tuned!

Have you heard of the new University Center in Oakland?  Ok, this isn’t an ad, but this beautiful new venue prompted me to post a Oakland venue review as part of my Bride’s Guide.  Oakland is a popular setting for many Pittsburgh weddings, with the surrounding college campuses, beautiful churches and parks.  For a long time, this college town was more limited in reception venues, but the University Club is definitely a stand-out in my opinion.  I photographed a corporate event there in the fall.  However, I don’t have any photos that really show the beauty of this venue, because my assignment was mainly what we photographers call “grip and grins” or informal group shots of guests at the event.  So you’ll have to check out their site to get a sense of what this place looks like.

It seems that lots of brides and grooms nowadays are planning for their ceremony and reception to be close-by to save time in their busy day and also to keep it simpler for guests.

Now there are a lot of gorgeous churches in this neighborhood: Heinz Chapel (photographed above), St. Paul’s Cathedral, Bellefield Presbyterian Church, just to name a few.  Other reception venues include: The Twentieth Century Club, the Concordia Club, the Pittsburgh Athletic Association, or St. Nick’s Cathedral Room, as well as the local hotels.  These venues have the catering covered from linens through glassware.  Other unique venues include Soilders and Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum, Carnegie Museum or Carnegie Music Hall, and Phipps Conservatory.  These venues might require more planning, for instance, renting chairs and collaborating with outside caterers, etc.

Whew!  There are more Oakland reception venues than I thought.  And that’s just off the top of my head from my experience in photographing events at these locations.

One last consideration if you’re planning for an Oakland wedding: there are plenty of great locations for the photography within walking distance.  Can you tell I’m a fan of Oakland weddings?  Check out a few of the great Oakland locations in the photos below.

For creative portraits, a good location can really set the mood and provide a backdrop that suits the couple’s style.  From time to time, I’ll be listing a few favorite locations for brides who are still in the planning process.

My first recommendation is a park that has a bad rap, but is actually quite stunning.  Highland Park is tucked right above the Pittsburgh Zoo and is best-known as a shady scene.  I wouldn’t recommend going there after dark, but the beautiful fountain and landscaping is very attractive for photos of the newly married couple.

Here are a few shots at the park:

If you like the feel of this park, but are not keen on the location.  Mellon Park is only a few minutes’ drive away and offers formal gardens and a smaller fountain.  Mellon Park is currently under construction with an art installation in the walled garden which was slated to be complete this fall.  It should be in full splendor in time for the spring and summer of 2010.

If your gown buttons down the back, save your mom or bridesmaids from fumbling with the little buttons and loops by tucking a crochet needle into your accessories bag.  What a great idea!  But I can’t claim it as my own, I just picked it up at a recent wedding.