Captivating Imagery: Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer and Professional Photography Services

Today is the first day of spring and I can not hide my enthusiasm about this.  Each time I hear mention of this on the news, I do a little dance.  And here are some photos to commemorate this long-awaited day.

This is the first photo I took at Mellon Park yesterday afternoon and it was a gift from God, I’m sure. I love photographing nature and often get caught in a trance, waiting for just the right moment when the bumblebee hovers over the flowers. This moment was within seconds of finding this hillside of blooms. I couldn’t believe that the bee stayed just long enough for me to compose, focus and adjust the exposure. Sweet!

This is the newly renovated walled garden at Mellon Park. I went there yesterday to scout the location for an upcoming engagement session for a bride and groom who are getting married this summer. It looks as though the garden renovation is complete and a dedication is planned for the spring – not sure of a date, though.

This is a beautiful park for on-location photography. It’s one of my favorites because I have a sweet spot for formal gardens. I loved The Secret Garden (movie and musical) growing up, but had never seen a formal garden in person until the summer I spent in London in my early 20s. And Mellon Park in Pittsburgh, captures some of the whimsy and romance that I grew to love about the gardens in London.

Even the gates have beautiful floral details.

This is the other walled garden at Mellon Park. The walls are falling apart, so I hope it will be a future renovation project. For now, it has more of a rustic charm.

This is from the daylily and daffodil garden. The little daylilies look so triumphant with the sun illuminating their form. I can’t wait until the daffodils bloom. They are my favorite flower – I carried a bouquet of daffodils for my wedding, just like I dreamt about as a little girl.

This bird was curious about me and my camera. I think the noise of my shutter clicking is what interested him.

Happy spring!

I mentioned a couple of posts ago, that Sarah and John were married in Texas in the fall of last year. For family and friends who were not able to make it to their wedding, they held a second reception in Butler on Valentine’s Day. It was a Sunday evening reception and it made for a special way to celebrate the holiday with their friends and family.

Sarah carried a simple and elegant bouquet of red and white roses.

Their cookie table did not disappoint. There were plenty of scrupmtious treats and it was tough to choose!

This sweet flower girl is signing their “guest plate,” a more functional alternative to the usual book.

Here’s the happy couple in between welcoming their guests to the reception.

It’s easy to see how Sarah and her little girl adore one another.

Sarah’s a natural beauty and looks stunning in her white fur stole.

They had all of the traditional elements of a wedding reception and were announced into the room, toasted by several loved ones, and shared a first dance and father/daughter and mother/son dances.

Did I mention that Sarah’s from Texas? Check out the cowgirl boots she’s rocking under her dress.

Their cup cakes were delicious. I usually don’t get a chance to eat cake, but when my job was done at the close of the reception, I couldn’t resist helping myself.

Thanks again Sarah and John! It was so much fun to photograph your Pa. reception!

I just heard from a friend, Ellen, who I met through Pittsburgh Filmmakers.  She was writing to let me know she noticed a photo of mine is on the front page of Filmmakers’ Web site and on the cover of their 2010 summer catalog which is also available on the site.  It’s the small photo of Ellen swimming in waves of light on the right of the site above the summer classes info.  This was one of those experimental projects that we just had a lot of fun with.  Here’s a larger version of the photo:

You can also check out our classmates photos on Flickr. This class had lots of great ideas.

As a wedding photographer, this project forced me to let go of my obsessions over making sure everything is just so.  For those who have hired me or are considering hiring me in the future, don’t worry I’m still meticulous about the details, it’s in my nature.

We were painting with light and there were lots of people involved in making this photo: strobe operator, light painters, and of course, the talent.  I was behind the camera and directing the scene during the 30 or so seconds the shutter was open.  So given the chaos of the process and the fact that it’s a Polaroid, I have come to accept that it’s not perfectly focused and that the multiple flashes cause ghosting of Ellen’s face as she made breast strokes while balanced on a coffee table.  It was so much fun and helped us all to remember some of the reasons we fell in love with photography in the first place.  Thanks to Sally Bozzuto who scanned in the Polaroids and submitted them for the summer catalog!

Sarah and John were married earlier in 2009 in Texas. For the family who could not travel to their wedding, they held a reception in Butler on Valentine’s Day. Here’s a glimpse of two favorites from this beautiful couple’s Valentine’s Day reception:

Sarah is such a beautiful bride and there’s more to come. Blessings to you and John!

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.