Tag Archive for: session

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

Studio Bridal Session Contest Results from the Pittsburgh Bridal Show

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Thanks to everyone who stopped by my booth yesterday at the Pittsburgh Bridal Show! It was such a great day! I love meeting brides and getting to know about their weddings. If you happened to enter my contest for a free studio bridal portrait, I’m ready to announce the results. And the winner is….(drum roll, please)…Jessica Dishler! Congrats Jessica!

Here’s a glimpse of my booth at the show:

Pittsburgh Bridal Show Studio Portrait Contest

Pittsburgh Maternity and Newborn Photography: Babies and Bellies

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Over the last year, I’ve had the pleasure of photographing some fantastic maternity and newborn sessions here in Pittsburgh. These sessions are a real treat as a photographer because it is amazing to work with expecting moms and their little bundles of joy. I love to witness the miracle of pregnancy and babies. So I’m excited to share this slide show with images from some of my favorite sessions. I will soon be updating my portfolio and packages pages with information about maternity and newborn sessions, but I didn’t want to wait until then to share this slide show. If you’re in the Pittsburgh area and interested in a maternity or newborn session, please send me a message!

If you’re interested in a maternity or newborn session, here are a few things to keep in mind. Timing is everything. The best time for a maternity session is in the third trimester, between week 32 and 36. The timing for newborn sessions is even more crucial because it’s better to photograph newborns while they are asleep. And you can only count on them to really sleep soundly during their first two weeks. I know that is a short time-frame, especially considering a mom needs time to recuperate from giving birth and adjusting to life with her baby. But if you can make it work, a newborn session within the first few days of life is so worth it! It’s best to contact me at the beginning of your third trimester so that we can start to talk about scheduling and preparing for your maternity and newborn sessions.

My introductory rate for each session is a $150 sitting fee. A web gallery with a minimum of 25 images will be available within two weeks of the session. There is a required purchase of $350 worth of prints or other products from the web gallery for each session.

Pittsburgh Engagement Photography Session with a stop at Mt. Washington

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Back in May, I tagged along with Alex Jones, commercial photographer extraordinaire, for a Pittsburgh engagement session with Jonnie and Jim. We started out at SteelGate Studio for a few traditional portraits and then headed to Mt. Washington to catch the sunset and the downtown night sky. While Mt. Washington is one of those common hot spots for portraits of brides and grooms, it takes on a totally different feel at night. And I love it! But first, let’s take a look at some engagement photos in the studio. Not long ago, studio portraits were a standard for engaged couples—think newspaper announcements. Now, the trend is on-location photography, and while I’m a big fan of going on location, I can really appreciate the ability to create beautiful lighting in the studio. So here are a few studio portraits to start things off.

Pittsburgh wedding photographers session in the studio
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Engagement session at Highland Park

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Andrea and Jonathan are getting married this August, so we spent a recent Sunday afternoon/evening at Highland Park for fun engagement session. The weather was perfect after a short mist of rain and we made the most of the setting sun.

Here are some of the keepers from our session:

Black and white portrait

This railing at the reservoir is a favorite spot for portraits and this is a stunning couple.

Engagement ring

My thought about this engagement ring shot is: if you have a good backside, show it off!

Passion

From above

These two were taken from above, on a wall by the stairs to the reservoir.

Sweetie

They brought their sweet little girl along for a few photos. She was loving walking hand in hand with her mom and dad.

The family

This is one good-looking family!

Kiss

I’m drawn to flirtatious and passionate images.

Under the bridge

I also like to set up what looks like everyday scenes.

Portrait/landscape

Sometimes landscapes inspire me too.

Creative edit

This is an example of what I call a creative edit, beyond the usual retouching with an emphasis on graphic elements.

Pretty

Handsome

Andrea and Jonathan, I’m looking forward to your wedding. Thanks so much for a great session!