Pittsburgh Family Portraits: Riverview Park

June 13, 2017/by kmiller

Family portraits with kiddos this little keep me on my toes. They actually used to intimidate me before having my sons who have trained me well in the four years since I became a mom. However, I still feel that before every session with young children, I need to manage expectations, mine included as I know how it feels as a mom to want just one perfect photo of my boys at their best behavior in adorable clothing, with no distractions in the background and good lighting. Actually, I’m not sure most moms have put this desire into words, and even more unlikely those words, but I feel they want something along those lines.

Before becoming a mom, I would have disregarded this photo below. But now I know better to appreciate it. Isn’t this the way it goes sometimes? Wardrobe is carefully planned. Everyone is looking great and there’s just this one thing that isn’t working for this family – this little guy hates laying in the grass. Mom and daughter look great and Dad is trying his best to comfort his son, but it’s just not happening. But fussy baby boy and all, aren’t they a sweet family? And this moment is one that should make them smile someday—remembering what they did in pursuit of the perfect photo. It’s real life and this image was a part of the set in their gallery. We never did get all four of them to smile, or just look at the camera, while they were laying in the grass in this beautiful lighting, but how could I not share this sweetness?

There’s something I love about photographing one-year olds. I love how they can look into the camera with no inhibition and really just study it with no pretense for smiles. I have some portraits like this of my sons and they’re still some of my favorites to this day.

And then they get bigger and learn how to turn on the charm for the camera (when they’re in the mood to comply, that is!) and that is just downright charming.

For little guys like this one, a ride on daddy’s shoulders is a sure-fire way to get some good father and son portraits.

And this little sweetheart just did something funny that made her mama laugh and this was the embrace in the moments that followed.

We did get a couple of family portraits where everyone is looking at the camera and content to be photographed. And that’s a reasonable expectation when it comes to family portraits with little ones. The expectation of getting all smiles is sometimes a tall order, depending on the age and particular mood of the kids in that moment. I do share some things I’ve learned about trying to cultivate a positive environment for photo shoots on my Getting Ready page and it’s definitely worth checking out before your session. I’ll continue to add what I’m learning along the way because I want sessions to go well and understand all of the pressure that comes with getting ready for a photo shoot.

And here’s the moment where this little brother and big sister simultaneously shared in big smiles—as they were looking through this park bench! I’ll take it!

Pittsburgh Weddings: Sheraton at Station Square

June 7, 2017/by kmiller

I thought after having babies that I would never want to shoot weddings again. I even sold a bit of lighting equipment and my spare camera body (not a wise thing to do just a few months after having a baby). My world changed so much that I had some serious tunnel vision and I thought I’d just shift into photographing babies and kids, which I love! But I have to admit after starting up again last year, it is still so much fun photographing weddings so I’m glad to get back into it even if it’s only part-time for the moment.

Who wouldn’t want to get to witness the moment a bride puts on her gown and her mom and bridesmaids swoon?

And look at this loveliness? Weddings are full of so much opportunity for a portrait photographer.

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I think I mentioned that this is a part-time gig for now, so know that this is not a great overview of the day, just some hand-picked favorites!

If you’re from Pittsburgh, you know that last shot was from the Point. I also love walking along the paths that wind through the trees by the Allegheny River.

And I can’t get enough walking shots. Everyone should do these. It should be the next selfie, although not by yourself, that would be awkward.

And here’s one last fav in this quick recap. Congrats to the new Mr. and Mrs.!

Pittsburgh Weddings: Lingrow Farm

June 5, 2017/by kmiller

I’ve really enjoyed photographing weddings with George Street Photography this past year and look forward to the season ahead! This recent wedding at Lingrow Farm was a treat! There are a few things that really make photographing weddings fun and a sweet couple and a bridal party that likes to dance the night away are two of my favorites! This post hardly constitutes as a recap of the day, as I just went through and picked a few favorites. When my kids are in school and I have time to photograph weddings full-time again, I’ll be more thorough for sure! But for now, here are a few shots that caught my eye.

The ceremony was moved inside due to soggy grass from the rain the day before. So the aisle was a short one, but I love this shot of the bride as she walks through the door with her dad.

It’s a treat to see the parent’s faces when I’m up close to photograph part of the ceremony from the sides. I love how intently this mom is watching every detail of her daughter’s wedding vows.

And the anticipation on this mom’s face as she watches her son say, “I do!”

What a bright and cheery recessional!

It was a bright, sunny day, so we found some shade for a few portraits before their reception.

The entrance into a wedding reception can be daunting, but I think they did it with savior faire! Congrats and blessing to this happy couple!

Pittsburgh Newborn: Photographing Siblings and Baby

May 30, 2017/by kmiller

One of the toughest photo requests I get during newborn sessions, and one that I deeply understand the motivation for, is a shot with the baby and sibling/s—especially when there’s uncertainty about being able to hold the baby safely. There are lots of different approaches for this like propping them up between pillows on a couch or bed, or laying them side-by-side on the floor. But my favorite find during this recent session is when there are older siblings who can confidently hold the baby, to let the siblings interact and not really pose them at all.

Aren’t these children adorable with their matching blonde hair?! And then their dog even sat in for a portrait! Impressive!

When you have a larger family, I feel like a lifestyle session is really the best way to go. There is so much to photograph so why not capture the whole family in a free and lighthearted way?

I love using shallow depth of field to lead viewers to the main focal point, but with just enough detail out of focus to tell the story. It’s important for me to have everyone comfortable and feel part of the shoot before we break away to focus on just baby and parents.

And this little sweetie pie, stayed awake for the whole session and was so pleasant!

The kids were so great for this session, but they were naturally getting a bit restless, and we had one more family portrait in mind. And I love the result. Dads have a knack for embracing the chaos and this shot makes me smile to see big brother upside down. We have a photo like that too, when my second son was born. Maybe that’s why I like this one so much? Even though my oldest wasn’t into begin photographed that morning, I’m so glad our photographer captured our chaos.

And this last shot is a happy conclusion to this in-home newborn session. What a sweet and blessed family!

Pittsburgh Newborn Session: Real Moments = True Beauty

May 23, 2017/by kmiller

I’d like to be more like this mama—what I admire about her most is how at ease she is in her own skin. This session took place in their home a few weeks after this sweet bundle was born. A time in life when it’s easy to feel insecure or crazed from a lack of sleep and all of the anxieties that come with caring for a tiny baby. And she and her husband had just celebrated their fifth anniversary over dinner out the night before. How easy it would have been to let a special occasion like that slip by shortly after bringing their second son home? But this darling boy did great and barely fussed for his grandma while mommy and daddy got away for a bit to celebrate.

I just want to note that the images from this session have not been retouched. When I returned to work over a year ago (after a two-year break to focus on my family’s needs), I had a strong conviction to drop the retouching and emphasize natural beauty. So I changed my branding and session structure and I hope you agree that real moments like these are truly beautiful. My conviction came from looking back at photos of my own babies and regretting the retouching because it felt so unnatural.