Tag Archive for: Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Presidential Salute Your Troops Gala

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As a Pittsburgh wedding photographer, I’m not often available to do event photography on weekends during the wedding season. However, I was surprised to find out about a recent gala hosted by the Pittsburgh Social Exchange and Mother, May I: the Pittsburgh Presidential Salute Your Troops Gala on Wednesday, August 17th at Jay Verno Studios. Events at Jay Verno Studios are always neat, so I knew this would be a treat, plus, I’d get to photograph some of our finest men and women in uniform and local and national celebrities in attendance. Did I mention this gala supports a worthy cause? Its mission was to raise awareness of programs that support the men and women who have served our country, chiefly Team River Runner which recently initiated its 16th chapter here in Pittsburgh. This organization supports wounded veterans by encouraging healthy lifestyles through water sports. To find out more, check out their website, but before you do, here are a few photos from the event.

red carpet event photography

For the first half of the event, I was on the red carpet, photographing guests as they arrived. There was excitement in the air as guests left their cars with the valet and walked up to the registration table. A local cheerleading troup performed and the incredibly talented and lovely Jessica Lee serenaded guests as they entered the studio. The buzz on the red carpet really intensified when special guest, Laurett Ellsworth Arenz arrived. She was crowned Miss United States in 1997 and Mrs. America in 2002, and is a motivational speaker and founder of the HEROS program.

Pittsburgh gala photography

Next up, I’ll be blogging about a Jewish Orthodox wedding that I’m really looking forward to photographing this week.

Callie and Brian’s Engagement Session

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Alex and I met up with Callie and Brian at their venue in the North Hills of Pittsburgh last week for a fun engagement session. Their wedding is taking place this September at the home where Callie grew up and I have to say, I’m really looking forward to their big day. We started out in the barn overlooking their reception site. This fantastic image is by Alex—we took turns on and off between shooting and holding diffusion up above them to soften the light.

silhouette of a couple

We stayed in one general location to save time because Callie and Brian were only in town for a very short visit. And sometimes it’s nice to simplify the number of locations. I think we settled into some nice shots because of it!

engaged couple leaning on a fence

They’re such a sweet couple. I loved seeming them flirt.

Pittsburgh engagement photography

Gotta have a walking shot.

on-location engagement session

If I had to pick a favorite, it would be this one for sure!

engagement photography

I just love how Callie is looking at Brian here. Judging by the sweetness oozing from this engagement session, I think their wedding will make me swoon.

bride- and groom-to-be portrait

Pittsburgh Wedding Photography at Cranberry Highlands

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Jenna and James are friends of mine, so of course I was thrilled when they asked me to photograph their wedding! They had a simple wedding at Cranberry Highlands with the ceremony in the pavilion and their reception in the ballroom at the visitor’s center. It was a gorgeous day on all accounts. The sun flooded the golf course so that everything just glowed and I don’t think Jenna and James could have been happier. This was partial-day coverage, so this blog post will be short and sweet. Here are some favorites from their ceremony. Note that the officiant used a Kindle—that was a first for sure! From a photography standpoint, I really liked it rather than seeing a handful of paper or a binder behind the bride and groom.

ceremony details

After the ceremony, we took some golf carts for a spin around the course for a couple of quick portraits. Then it was on to their reception for an intimate evening of dinner and dancing. With just six hours of coverage, we managed to fit a lot into a rather short amount of time. Because no two weddings are alike, I offer partial day coverage to meet a variety of needs. Partial day coverage can be booked as early as two months in advance of the date and includes two photographers and a disc of high-resolution images with permission to print them for personal use.

reception details and portraits

James and Jenna, congratulations on your marriage and many blessings to you!

Oh Baby! More Newborn Photography by Captivating Imagery

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Ten years ago, I would have squirmed when someone handed me a newborn. When a baby found its way into my arms, it would cry! I’m just pointing this out because I realized recently that I’m a whole lot more comfortable with babies and I think I have photography to thank for that. While I mainly focus on weddings, I started photographing newborns about two years ago. I have to admit that my first newborn session was pretty nerve-wracking. I could sense the nervous energy from the parents and the baby definitely sensed it from me. Poor thing!

My nerves didn’t have anything to do with what was happening behind the camera, but with everything that takes place in front of it: making the baby and parents comfortable, figuring out how to get the baby to sleep, pose, smile! That’s a lot of pressure when you’re not really used to babies. Add into the mix the feeding routine and the little surprises that come with taking off their diapers and that about sums it up. In the end, the newborn portraits turned out great! And since then, I’ve grown more and more comfortable with newborns and what I can do to make the process fun and worry-free! I’ve really grown to love photographing newborns and hope to have one of my own someday!

baby portrait in a hammock

This post includes some sweeties from recent sessions that I haven’t had a chance to blog about yet. This set shows some of the neat props I’ve collected along the way and have also found that it’s fun to coordinate with parents and see what we can come up with.

baby portrait in knit wool hat
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Evette and Jordan’s Pittsburgh Wedding Photography

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Evette and Jordan were married at Evette’s family home near Raccoon Creek State Park, about a 30-minute drive from Pittsburgh. We were tucked away on top of a wooded hill just outside of the park. It was such an intimate setting that it was easy to forget about the outside world. You might remember Evette from an earlier post on her studio bridal session. It was such a treat to photograph her wedding after spending some time with her at the studio. I’m crazy about her dress and it was a great indicator of the exquisite details to come at the wedding.

pittsburgh wedding photography

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