Tag Archive for: photography

Pittsburgh Children’s Portraits: Embracing the Mood of Your Photo Shoot

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Sometimes kids like this sweet little girl can be very serious when it comes to participating in a photo shoot. She was pleasant and didn’t seem to mind being photographed, but she just wasn’t feeling like smiling that day. It could have been the hot weather that made her sleepy, but despite the efforts of her family and myself, we couldn’t get her to smile. And as these things go, she probably smiled as soon as we left North Park! But I find these images which capture her sweet nature and thoughtfulness, can be just as meaningful—if not more, than a big cheesy grin.

little girl close-up

little girl pointing

This might be my favorite portrait of her from this session. Such a tiny sweetheart!

little girl sitting on a chair

As far as props go, I like using things that are functional and natural like books, chairs and bubbles. We used all three of those in this session!

young family reading a book to their daughter

Ah, the wonder of bubbles!

little girl watching bubbles

And in this last shot, I don’t think she was consciously posing, but I find it so endearing!

is she posing?

I’d love to hear from parents on your thoughts about smiling vs. serious portraits and what they mean to you!

Pittsburgh Wedding Photography: Sentimental Details Bring Sweet Moments

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When I first met with this happy couple, I was intrigued at how thoughtful they were in making their wedding plans. They were simple, but had so much meaning. This couple chose to marry at The Point, where they shared part of their first date. They met by a tree for a prayer moments before their ceremony and invited their closest family and friends to gather by the fountain to witness their ceremony—which was also broadcast on Facebook Live and later replayed for the guests at their reception.

the new mr. and mrs.!

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Spring Siblings Session: Timing is Everything

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I had the pleasure of photographing my nieces a few weeks ago while visiting my family in Central PA and these sweet girls and their mama were so ready for this photo shoot! That’s one of the many things that makes photographing little girls so much fun – they enjoy the process. Even the youngest enjoyed her time in front of the camera!

three sisters walking in garden

One of the challenges we faced was that their preferred location for group shots was an enclosed garden with limited access – think banker’s hours. While you can photograph portraits anytime of day outside, there really are just two ideal times of day: within an hour or two after sunrise or an hour or two before sunset. For this first set of photos, we didn’t have that option, but were blessed with overcast skies at 4 p.m.! Hallelujah!

little girls in the tulip garden

walking hand in hand in the garden

under a cherry tree

ring-around-the-rosie

The sun peeked out again toward the end of our time in the garden, so we ducked under this pagoda for softer light.

under a pagoda

After sunrise or before sunset, the light is softer and lower, which is beautiful and means less unflattering squinting and shadows. AND it’s more forgiving for the photographer because while I’m shooting in manual mode, I don’t have to make as many adjustments for the light and can focus on staying with my client and capturing emotion and personality. For their individual portraits, we were able to do just that at a public location closer to sunset.

children's portrait

on-location kids photography

And the following morning, just after sunrise, we did another mini session with this sweetheart who just turned one!

first birthday portrait

so big!

My talented sister is a blessing to her daughters in so many ways, but one way that she completely outshines any other mom I know is the birthday parties she throws. Just look at these handmade flowers for her littlest daughter’s first birthday party! What a fun backdrop for a few portraits in their own home!

birthday girl clapping

all ready for her party

Lifestyle Sessions: A Great Choice for Young Families

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I’ve been blessed to photograph this two-year old sweetheart since he was 4-months old and it has been a treat to photograph his family over the last two years. I love their desire to document their little guy’s development and that they’re not coming to the session with an expectation that he’ll want to sit and pose. Because when you’re two, you’re always on the move, unless your napping that is. I’ve learned with my own sons that it’s best to try and capture the moment rather than try to force a vision and I’m seeing more families opt for less stress and go for a lifestyle approach. I think you’ll see, it’s more authentic and so rewarding to get shots that show our child’s personality.

boy swinging at Avonworth Community Park

We met at Avonworth Community Park off of Camp Horne Road. It has a great playground for little ones to explore.

on the playground

This little cutie loved the swings, so we spent a good bit of our time capturing him swinging with his parents taking turns pushing.

on the swings

mommy pushing son on swings

And then he wanted his friend Mickey to swing too!

letting kids play during portrait sessions

He also liked this tree which had perfectly low branches for climbing.

climbing on trees with dad

While lifestyle photography aims at capturing moments, getting a family portrait is definitely on my mental checklist. It may not be posed and depending on the situation, I might have a stuffed Mickey Mouse on my head! It worked.

lifestyle family portrait

sweet in-between moments

close up of mom, dad and son

What a great way to start the morning!

It’s Nearly Springtime, That Means Wedding Season is Soon Here!

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I’m just a tad bit exited for the 2018 wedding season! After a few years of working for another great company photographing weddings while my children were little and needed more of my time, I am excited to begin offering wedding photography again through Captivating Imagery! And to kick things off, I’ll be at the Cavanaugh Bride Show in Cranberry today to say hello again to fellow vendors and meet new brides and their trusty sidekicks!

And just to reassure that this comeback to photographing weddings for Captivating Imagery isn’t a coming out of hiatus, here’s a smattering of some of the weddings I’ve photographed for the unmentioned, yet awesome, company I worked with for the last few seasons.

a grand entrance to their wedding reception

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wedding vows

kissing at West Park

bride and groom walking through Sewickley

bride and groom at Avonworth Park

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bride and groom on the field at PNC

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embrace after the ceremony

ceremony

bride getting ready

beautiful bride

dancing at the wedding reception