Last week, I found unexpected joy in photographing Gabi and David at South Park. They’ve been married for a few years and wanted some updated photos, but I was surprised when they were looking to schedule an outdoor session in December. They love the outdoors and a studio session was not what they were looking for, so we scheduled and hoped for no rain.
I was worried about them being cold and miserable spending an hour outside in 40 degree weather (I tend to hibernate like a bear during the winter), but they didn’t seem to mind the cold and actually had fun with it! Maybe I should shake up my habits and get outside more during the winter?!
I had so much fun photographing this session and realized how silly I was to suggest waiting until spring. I was thinking that everything is cold and grey during the winter and that they probably wouldn’t like it if their noses and cheeks were rosy in the photos. But can anyone deny their charm in these photos?
The first three images in this post are in color, and I’m so pleased that the scenery at South Park offered lots of beauty and Gabi did a great job coordinating their wardrobe to compliment the winter hues. But some of my favorites form this session are black and whites.
These two started out a little shy—it takes a while to get fully comfortable with a camera pointed at you. But as they warmed up, the flirtation was so much fun to capture!
I will never tire of this set-up: updside down on the ground. Everyone looks stunning in it and the light is just right on an overcast day.
Gabi and David, thank you so much for the opportunity to document this chapter in your journey. And for opening my eyes to the joy of photographing portraits outdoors in the cold! Blessings to you!
Just finished this last wedding of the year, I’m happy to conclude 2016 with a beauty! Andrea and Andrew are a delight to photograph and their wedding was full of gorgeous details and sweet moments.
One of my favorites from the ceremony is Andrea and her Dad walking down the aisle.
And I had to include this sweet moment as they’re walking out of their ceremony. How lovely it is to see a happy bride and groom!
Andrea and Andrew had one of their first dates at a Pirates game and thought it fitting to hold their reception at PNC Park. It also made for some lovely scenery for their photos!
The bridal party had fun with this shot and even got into singing, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame!” This looks like it could be Andrea and Andrew’s very own musical.
Really love the contented look on Andrea’s face. What a sweet moment!
Their reception in the Lexus Club at PNC was stunning! It was a cold day, but that didn’t matter with the warmth that surrounded us at this joyful wedding.
https://www.captivatingimagery.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Web-Use.png00kmillerhttps://www.captivatingimagery.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Web-Use.pngkmiller2016-12-08 15:22:582016-12-08 15:22:58Andrea and Andrew’s PNC Park Wedding
So excited to share the newborn photos that I mentioned in my post about Sara and Nick’s maternity session. What a sweet little baby! And I love it that Sara kept it simple and swaddled him in a muslin blanket. No need for a coordinating outfit—he is adorable as is!
I love this shot of dad, baby and dog. This cute dachshund is learning to share laps and accept that he is no longer the center of attention. And props to Nick for being able to manage them both!
Oh, the sweetness!
Here’s their first family portrait:
I just love how this doggie is looking over the baby too!
I haven’t met a baby yet who didn’t love this basket.
Wrinkly baby feet are the best!
Congratulations, mama and dada! Blessings to you and your beautiful family!
There once was a boy and girl who shared a love for all things Harry Potter…then they fell in love and when their wedding day came, it was natural that they incorporated tons of Harry Potter details into their wedding. I wish I could share them all, but here are a few select favorites. To start, Emily’s bouquet was made of book pages by her mom.
She even had Hogwarts shoes. A close-up of these beauties to follow. But just look at that dress!
With Etsy, if you can’t make it, you can find someone who can!
This is the first I met Alan. And after warming up with a few photos, this one was the first hint that he would be a fun groom to photograph!
So lovely as her sister helps with the veil.
A bride and a beautiful view equals one breath-taking shot!
Emily and Alan had hoped to marry outside by the beautiful gazebo below Pine Community Center. Unfortunatley, the ground was soggy from the previous day’s rain, so they moved the ceremony inside and didn’t skip a beat.
And it was good that they did move the ceremony inside because moments after they said, “I do” the rainy skies opened up and poured. We were supposed to go to Cranberry Woods for photos with the bridal party after the ceremony and after talking it over, Emily and Alan decided to tough it out with the umbrellas I brought just in case. I’m so glad we did. After a 10-minute drive through a downpour, the rain lightened up and the scenery was stunning. I just love this shot of Emily walking over the bridge.
The trees made a nice canopy of beautiful light and kept us dry!
This image pretty much sums up what it’s like to be around Emily and Alan—delightful!
Here’s the wedding cake complete with a golden snitch.
And a favorite shot from their first dance.
Congrats Emily and Alan! Many blessings to you!
https://www.captivatingimagery.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Web-Use.png00kmillerhttps://www.captivatingimagery.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Web-Use.pngkmiller2016-11-17 14:12:402016-11-17 14:12:40Emily and Alan’s Wedding at Pine Community Center
A good friend of mine wanted to plan a photoshoot as a gift for her mom’s birthday. We had a beautiful fall day and four little ones ages 2 and under. This sweet family has really grown in the last few years!
We met in her parent’s backyard in Beaver County and stood in the shade of the setting sun.
Before the shoot we talked about the groupings of portraits for the whole family, individual families and some candids of the kids, because while it would be great to capture everyone smiling at the same time, it was not likely with a group this big and children so small.
I know the stress of wanting to get your children to smile for their photos. And I feel it keenly because my sons are some tough subjects to photograph being that they’re little boys who are constantly on the move.
This photoshoot didn’t produce that one shot with everyone smiling, but there are a few where everyone is looking at the camera. We’re documenting that day with the kids at those given ages and as moms and dads, we can recall when our child bumped his head fifteen minutes before the shoot or how our toddler would not budge on smiling for the camera. I remember my parents and grandparents reminiscing over the challenges of photographing me and my sister and cousins when we were little. It sweetens the memory and we have a lot more to talk about than perfect smiles on cue.
Aren’t these two above adorable? They were playing with sticks and I just really liked this moment as they were looking off to the side at their parents.
Such a sweet mama and baby!
For parents wanting to know how to coax some smiles out of their kids, I suggest three things: limiting the chaos behind the camera (for anyone not being photographed in the current shot, it’s best to be out of sight and not calling for the kids to smile – only one designated person should do that—which brings me to my next suggestion), having one dedicated person located at the side of your photographer to make funny faces and encourage the kids (although not necessary, your photographer can do this on his/her own as well), and lastly treats! I use candy with my kids. I figure that a photo shoot is an important enough event that having a little positive reinforcement to get my kids to cooperate is never bad. I even give them candy throughout the shoot. I don’t mind seeing my boys’ with lollipops in their photos. When my second son was born, I gave my oldest Smarties to chew on while our photographer did our newborn/family photos. You couldn’t see the Smarties, but you could see his smile! And that’s saying something even just a week after the huge adjustment of becoming a big brother! He’s probably smiling mostly because he was happily crunching on candy and I was happy to give him that reward for his cooperation.
https://www.captivatingimagery.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Web-Use.png00kmillerhttps://www.captivatingimagery.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Web-Use.pngkmiller2016-11-15 14:12:382016-11-15 13:45:06Three Generations Family Portrait
South Park—Pittsburgh Winter Portrait Session
/by kmillerLast week, I found unexpected joy in photographing Gabi and David at South Park. They’ve been married for a few years and wanted some updated photos, but I was surprised when they were looking to schedule an outdoor session in December. They love the outdoors and a studio session was not what they were looking for, so we scheduled and hoped for no rain.
I was worried about them being cold and miserable spending an hour outside in 40 degree weather (I tend to hibernate like a bear during the winter), but they didn’t seem to mind the cold and actually had fun with it! Maybe I should shake up my habits and get outside more during the winter?!
I had so much fun photographing this session and realized how silly I was to suggest waiting until spring. I was thinking that everything is cold and grey during the winter and that they probably wouldn’t like it if their noses and cheeks were rosy in the photos. But can anyone deny their charm in these photos?
The first three images in this post are in color, and I’m so pleased that the scenery at South Park offered lots of beauty and Gabi did a great job coordinating their wardrobe to compliment the winter hues. But some of my favorites form this session are black and whites.
These two started out a little shy—it takes a while to get fully comfortable with a camera pointed at you. But as they warmed up, the flirtation was so much fun to capture!
I will never tire of this set-up: updside down on the ground. Everyone looks stunning in it and the light is just right on an overcast day.
Gabi and David, thank you so much for the opportunity to document this chapter in your journey. And for opening my eyes to the joy of photographing portraits outdoors in the cold! Blessings to you!
Andrea and Andrew’s PNC Park Wedding
/by kmillerJust finished this last wedding of the year, I’m happy to conclude 2016 with a beauty! Andrea and Andrew are a delight to photograph and their wedding was full of gorgeous details and sweet moments.
One of my favorites from the ceremony is Andrea and her Dad walking down the aisle.
And I had to include this sweet moment as they’re walking out of their ceremony. How lovely it is to see a happy bride and groom!
Andrea and Andrew had one of their first dates at a Pirates game and thought it fitting to hold their reception at PNC Park. It also made for some lovely scenery for their photos!
The bridal party had fun with this shot and even got into singing, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame!” This looks like it could be Andrea and Andrew’s very own musical.
Really love the contented look on Andrea’s face. What a sweet moment!
Their reception in the Lexus Club at PNC was stunning! It was a cold day, but that didn’t matter with the warmth that surrounded us at this joyful wedding.
Lifestyle Newborn Session
/by kmillerSo excited to share the newborn photos that I mentioned in my post about Sara and Nick’s maternity session. What a sweet little baby! And I love it that Sara kept it simple and swaddled him in a muslin blanket. No need for a coordinating outfit—he is adorable as is!
I love this shot of dad, baby and dog. This cute dachshund is learning to share laps and accept that he is no longer the center of attention. And props to Nick for being able to manage them both!
Oh, the sweetness!
Here’s their first family portrait:
I just love how this doggie is looking over the baby too!
I haven’t met a baby yet who didn’t love this basket.
Wrinkly baby feet are the best!
Congratulations, mama and dada! Blessings to you and your beautiful family!
Emily and Alan’s Wedding at Pine Community Center
/by kmillerThere once was a boy and girl who shared a love for all things Harry Potter…then they fell in love and when their wedding day came, it was natural that they incorporated tons of Harry Potter details into their wedding. I wish I could share them all, but here are a few select favorites. To start, Emily’s bouquet was made of book pages by her mom.
She even had Hogwarts shoes. A close-up of these beauties to follow. But just look at that dress!
With Etsy, if you can’t make it, you can find someone who can!
This is the first I met Alan. And after warming up with a few photos, this one was the first hint that he would be a fun groom to photograph!
So lovely as her sister helps with the veil.
A bride and a beautiful view equals one breath-taking shot!
Emily and Alan had hoped to marry outside by the beautiful gazebo below Pine Community Center. Unfortunatley, the ground was soggy from the previous day’s rain, so they moved the ceremony inside and didn’t skip a beat.
And it was good that they did move the ceremony inside because moments after they said, “I do” the rainy skies opened up and poured. We were supposed to go to Cranberry Woods for photos with the bridal party after the ceremony and after talking it over, Emily and Alan decided to tough it out with the umbrellas I brought just in case. I’m so glad we did. After a 10-minute drive through a downpour, the rain lightened up and the scenery was stunning. I just love this shot of Emily walking over the bridge.
The trees made a nice canopy of beautiful light and kept us dry!
This image pretty much sums up what it’s like to be around Emily and Alan—delightful!
Here’s the wedding cake complete with a golden snitch.
And a favorite shot from their first dance.
Congrats Emily and Alan! Many blessings to you!
Three Generations Family Portrait
/by kmillerA good friend of mine wanted to plan a photoshoot as a gift for her mom’s birthday. We had a beautiful fall day and four little ones ages 2 and under. This sweet family has really grown in the last few years!
We met in her parent’s backyard in Beaver County and stood in the shade of the setting sun.
Before the shoot we talked about the groupings of portraits for the whole family, individual families and some candids of the kids, because while it would be great to capture everyone smiling at the same time, it was not likely with a group this big and children so small.
I know the stress of wanting to get your children to smile for their photos. And I feel it keenly because my sons are some tough subjects to photograph being that they’re little boys who are constantly on the move.
This photoshoot didn’t produce that one shot with everyone smiling, but there are a few where everyone is looking at the camera. We’re documenting that day with the kids at those given ages and as moms and dads, we can recall when our child bumped his head fifteen minutes before the shoot or how our toddler would not budge on smiling for the camera. I remember my parents and grandparents reminiscing over the challenges of photographing me and my sister and cousins when we were little. It sweetens the memory and we have a lot more to talk about than perfect smiles on cue.
Aren’t these two above adorable? They were playing with sticks and I just really liked this moment as they were looking off to the side at their parents.
Such a sweet mama and baby!
For parents wanting to know how to coax some smiles out of their kids, I suggest three things: limiting the chaos behind the camera (for anyone not being photographed in the current shot, it’s best to be out of sight and not calling for the kids to smile – only one designated person should do that—which brings me to my next suggestion), having one dedicated person located at the side of your photographer to make funny faces and encourage the kids (although not necessary, your photographer can do this on his/her own as well), and lastly treats! I use candy with my kids. I figure that a photo shoot is an important enough event that having a little positive reinforcement to get my kids to cooperate is never bad. I even give them candy throughout the shoot. I don’t mind seeing my boys’ with lollipops in their photos. When my second son was born, I gave my oldest Smarties to chew on while our photographer did our newborn/family photos. You couldn’t see the Smarties, but you could see his smile! And that’s saying something even just a week after the huge adjustment of becoming a big brother! He’s probably smiling mostly because he was happily crunching on candy and I was happy to give him that reward for his cooperation.