Pittsburgh Wedding Photography at the Meyernick Center

September 28, 2011/by kmiller

Janna and Joshua were married on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend at the Mayernick Center, about a 20-minute drive from downtown Pittsburgh, and the word I think best describes their day is joy. As a wedding photographer, I get to see a lot from the beginning of the day to the end, from behind the scenes to the moment when all eyes are set on the bride and groom. And I love that part about my job. Each wedding has a different vibe and the variations that come with each wedding can really fuel my creative energy. And sometimes there are weddings that remind me of my own or what I would do if Brad and I could do it all over again. In some ways Janna and Josh’s wedding really reminded me of mine and I really enjoyed being a part of it.

Pittsburgh Center for the Arts Wedding Photography

August 5, 2011/by kmiller

Katherine and Robert were high school sweethearts who went their separate ways after high school and fatefully bumped into each other at a grocery store years later. As her mom put it during a toast, there was something different when they got back together. There was no doubt they were meant to be together. And they made it official last Saturday at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.

Katherine had her hair done at Studio Booth, a posh salon in East Liberty, and finished getting ready on site at the venue.

Oh Baby! More Newborn Photography by Captivating Imagery

July 28, 2011/by kmiller

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!

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.

Katie and Dan’s Uniontown Wedding

July 18, 2011/by kmiller

Katie and Dan were married just over a week ago in Katie’s hometown of Uniontown, Pa., about an hour outside of Pittsburgh. Alex and I photographed this happy couple’s engagement session in Pittsburgh this past fall. And it was great to catch up with them again when we met a week before their wedding to go over the details and schedule of their day. When it came time for the big day, everything went smoothly and Katie was at ease and, might I mention, simply stunning. Here are some of the details we found while she was getting ready.

The portrait of Katie in her robe (above) is by Alex and she is lit by the window light from her childhood bedroom. It’s not often that we get to photograph brides in the homes where they grew up, so this was a really special moment. And here she is, standing by her front door.

Katie and Dan were married at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Uniontown. I really like the style of painting at the front of the sanctuary there. It reminded me of something you’d find in an Alphonse Mucha opera poster. Although, it might be hard to tell in this composite—it’s tough to choose what goes in this blog, so I’m covering the ceremony in one fell swoop. Also, I’d like to note that Alex and I work together throughout the day and his work is scattered all throughout my blog. We each go into the day looking to capture certain moments and its always fun to find moments like the one below of Katie just minutes before she walked down the aisle.

Pittsburgh Wedding at Saints John & Paul Catholic Church and the Andy Warhol Museum

June 2, 2011/by kmiller

Lauren and Brandon were married two Saturdays ago at Saints John and Paul Catholic Church in Wexford, Pa., with a reception at the Andy Warhol Museum. It’s been a busy few weeks, so without further ado, here’s a recap of all the fabulous details. We started at Lauren’s family home where the ladies were getting ready. Lauren wore a lovely Pronovais gown with veil that was handmade by her mom and grandma for her mom’s wedding. It was truly gorgeous and the perfect compliment to her gown.

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Lauren found these awesome Calvin Klein heels and knew she had to have them!

Lauren and her bridesmaids had lots of fun making the finishing touches.

Lauren’s bridesmaids wore these green shoes with their little, black dresses.

And here’s Brandon, the handsome groom.

We photographed the guys in front of the church. They shared a lot of camaraderie and Brandon’s smile was infectious.

The church had lots of great places where I could duck out of the way and get interesting angles of the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Alex keeps post in the center aisle which is great, especially when it comes to unexpected kisses.

After the ceremony, we headed to downtown Pittsburgh for some on-location portraits. Note the flowers by Reed and Petals —I’m digging the bridesmaids bouquets.

Then we headed to the Warhol and stopped along the North Shore on our way. These next few images are some magical moments caught by Alex.

I’m pretty excited about this next image. I love the Pittsburgh skyline and love to use it as a background for portraits even in the middle of the day!