SNOW!!!

Anybody hear about a little snowstorm this weekend in Pittsburgh? Now that my power’s back on, I thought I’d share a couple shots I took on Saturday… starting with my fiance Mark in front of the house…

…and the back porch…

And then Mark took a whole series of me. I think I like this one the best…

Once I was done shoveling, I went for a quick walk while Mark finished up. And found a winter wonderland in the alley by our place!

That guy in the background was watching me take pictures. I’m not so sure he was excited I took one of him

As I walked back, I passed our neighbor attempting to get home after being stranded at work all night (in the pic above where she’s driving the final leg down our street). It took her hours to travel a route that normally takes 10 minutes, and she had to stop and shovel her car out, periodically along the way!

Later that afternoon since the power wasn’t on yet, we decided to walk to Kuhn’s for some groceries. Look at how beautiful the light was!

(how handsome is Mark!!) I detoured us down to my winter wonderland to see how the sun was treating it…

Answer: It was GORGEOUS!!

There were a LOT of people walking around downtown, a surprising number really. The shoveled part of the sidewalk was wide enough for only 1 to cross so periodically we had to jump in the snow piles to let someone else through. I have to admit I really appreciated the community feel, though. Everybody was so friendly and alert!

On the way home, we had to walk in the street because some folks hadn’t shoveled their walkways yet… so we stuck to the main roads…

And what more romantic way to spend a freezing cold night than cuddled up in front of the fireplace, playing scrabble!!

I hope everybody is staying warm and safe!!

Love this!!

I think Ellen is hilarious. Granted, I find a lot of things funny- I’m not much afraid of laughing. But Ellen, she’s fall over, wet-your-pants, tears coming out of your eyes funny!! Anyway I found this spot from the show which cracked me up, and I thought I’d share. Maybe I could use a new chair in my office… can you picture me processing pictures in this thing???

I hope you’re all keeping warm!

2010 Promotion: Save $250!! {wedding photography}

I’m in a good mood! Did I mentioned I’m recently engaged to be married myself? The excitement of planning my own wedding might have something to do with my bubbly mood… Anyway, I’m feelin’ it’s time to spread the love… so have decided to offer a promotion::: Any new 2010 brides-to-be who book my photography services between now and March will receive an additional $250 OFF my normal rates! Plus, I’ll take complimentary photos of your engagement ring, so that you can share with your friends and family who aren’t quite so near! Interested? Let’s talk. Can’t wait to see your rings!

And now, on a personal note… Since Mark surprised me with some flowers yesterday…

…I decided to grab a couple of pictures of my engagement ring featuring the blooms…

and why not one on the back patio?

I hope everybody’s enjoying the wedding planning process… Looking forward to meeting you!!

Pamela

Happy New Year!!!

I hope everybody enjoyed the holiday festivities and you aren’t having too much trouble settling back into your normal routines! Mark and I appreciated the quality time with our families, both Pittsburghers and out-of-towners. One of my favorite gifts was this little toy mouse that the family cat Canon received. Despite it being filled with catnip, I don’t think Canon was too sure about what that little mouse was up to!

I’m keeping busy with album designs and print orders over these next couple of weeks, but will be posting some more once things ease up. Wedding season starts up again in April, so I have a lot to share with you beforehand and only a couple of short months to do so!

Be well in 2010,

Pamela

Tonya and Kelton’s Oakland engagement session

I hope everybody’s having a wonderful holiday season!!!! I know I’m enjoying the cookies, the presents, and the sleeping in. I could get used to this!

In the mean time, I’m excited to share some of my favorites from Tonya and Kelton’s photoshoot. We met up at Pittsburgh’s Mellon Building on a brisk day this winter for their engagement photos… and they brought along their adorable little dog Peanut for some pictures, too.

Enjoy!

We started off at the Mellon Building. It was a bit dirty on one side, so we just avoided that side. These guys warmed up pretty quickly!

I love this next shot of Kelton. As you know, I am a huge black and white fan, so I converted this one to b/w also for your pleasure

It was late afternoon so we had some gorgeous sunset light to play with…

…which of course also meant we could create some beautiful silhouettes!

Peanut was so excited to join us, we could barely keep him still for some pics! Still we ended up with some great shots; here’s one of my favorite close-ups.

I love this next one- Peanut peering back at Tonya and Kelton, sneaking in on a private moment. Just like kids! Ha!

Since autumn had passed and with it most of the leaves on the trees, we were pretty excited to find this beautiful red backdrop out near Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning. Love it!

This next shot is one of my favorites from the session- Tonya will be such a gorgeous bride!

Of course we had to use some of the tall weeds scattered around the Cathedral… if only we’d realized that the ground was a bit damp before heading in!

Love the look Tonya’s giving in this next one. Totally playing it up for the camera! Haha!

And of course Kelton had to show off for the camera, too…

Before wrapping up, we hit a pretty church on 5th Avenue for a couple of photos…

Love the personality in this next one!!

Tonya and Kelton, I had a wonderful time with you both. Looking forward to shooting your wedding next Labor Day!!

Until then… friends and family of the bride and groom can access all of the images from the engagement session here. All prints are 50% off for the first week, in this case until next Sunday evening, January 3 2009. (You will see the discounted rates directly in the price list online when you attempt to buy an individual image. After January 3, the rates will automatically return to their normal level.) If you have any questions, just let me know, using the contact form on my website. Enjoy!

Lauren and Michael ~ a LeMont wedding up on Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington

I’m excited to share some beautiful pictures from Lauren and Michael’s November 28 wedding! These guys chose to have an intimate ceremony and dinner at The LeMont on Mount Washington. Talk about a room with a view! They hired me not long before the big day, for basic coverage of the ceremony and a photoshoot of the newlyweds. Michael is a photography-lover like me (check out his website here), and so we ended up with two things that only made the photoshoot work out beautifully: gorgeous light (the right time of day!) and plenty of time (2 full hrs set aside for just the two of them!). Of course we didn’t plan the weather, but really lucked out on that one, too (yay!). We didn’t have to use the full two hours for the photoshoot, but having that cushion really helped these guys relax and enjoy the session… and now we can all enjoy the beautiful images that resulted! It helps that they are obviously in love and unafraid to show affection with each other…

Anyway, we started off at the LeMont, gearing up with flowers and rings before heading out for the shoot. Thanks to Torin for all his help on the big day!!

~Pamela

We started off in the restaurant entryway with some shots framed in the doorway. Torin grabbed this great candid of Lauren from outside the door- love it!

It was a short hike up to my favorite Mt. Washington spot, where we braved the slight wind for some gorgeous images in front of the city. Love this first one!

Just down the street there was a little pathway into the sun that I just had to use- I absolutely LOVE this image, the way Lauren’s dress is picking up in the wind, their body language leaning in toward each other, the soft sunset light…. Just perfect!!

I thought the fence was pretty cool so we took some from a few different angles around there, working with the glare whenever possible.

Love the quiet emotion in this one, especially with the fence separating us. It’s like they have their own private moment there.

I just love Lauren’s expression in this next one!

Despite the brisk temperatures, Lauren was an absolute trooper for the whole shoot. It helps to steal a little of her groom’s warmth, too… I loved the emotion in this next shot.

And how about that gorgeous gorgeous light! I picked this particular shot because I think the wind picking up the groom’s suit tail is a beautiful touch.

I had fun with the urban look in these next one, lying down on the ground for just the right angle. Ha! I applied a special treatment to it as well, to highlight the grungy area in contrast to the fresh beauty of the bride and groom. Love it!

And time to button up before continuing our walk down the street!

This building was adjacent to the LeMont; I just loved the shadows of the trees lining the wall.

How about the warmth of the sunset here! I love the way Lauren is peeking up into the lens..

This next image is my favorite of the day- what a perfect sunset moment, elegantly framed by the winter trees!

Got a couple of the beautiful bride…

(How about the light in that last one??)

And a couple of the handsome groom… (and I mean that completely objectively of course!) Michael had a particular talent for posing with the right expressions. Very suave professional like.

Loved the sunset light casting bride and groom shadows

And then back in the warmth of the restaurant, how about this photojournalistic style shot in the hallway!

Of course had to use that mirror for a couple posed images, too…

We got a couple in front of the windows of the room, overlooking the city…

…and then Michael and Lauren shared their vows with their families present.

Love this cake-cutting shot with their families looking on!

Michael and Lauren, I wish you both the best of luck in everything! Be sure to take lots and lots of photos in Italy- I can’t wait to see them!

Friends and family of the bride and groom can access all of the images from the shoot here. All prints are HALF OFF for the first week, in this case until next Saturday afternoon, December 26 2009. (You will see the discounted rates directly in the price list online when you attempt to buy an individual image. After December 26, the rates will automatically return to their normal level.) If you have any questions, just let me know, using the contact form on my website. Enjoy!

Parker – a beautiful baby boy in Pittsburgh!

This little guy is positively adorable. Such personality- he wanted absolutely nothing to do with the camera, and made that pretty clear! Check out this one- HA!

But we kept plugging away, and ended up with some great images of Parker. Of course I have to share some more grumpy faces, too, cause they just crack me up! Enjoy a few of my faves…

Love this next one, using the window light to highlight him!

Seriously, how adorable is that hat.

This next pic is one of my favorites I think. Just love the inquisitive expression and the windblown-looking tassels. I decided to add a little texture to the image and show both versions here so that you can see the difference… and then I did the same thing with the picture right after (which is my other favorite image!)… Thoughts??

I love that he’s looking up into the light on this next one- it’s practically angelic!

Super cutie finally decided to chill out for the camera, and started flinging his limbs all over the place as fast as he could! I’m thinking future track star here. Anyway I caught a couple of smiles in the midst of all that action, which I think are (yes, again) adorable

I guess we tired poor Parker out, cause that pacifier was the only thing relaxing him by the end. Whatever it takes, right? I loved that his right arm is tucked in there nice and cozy.

And this might be odd, but I am so in love with baby’s heads. They are just so amazingly soft yet resilient, just perfect sweetness, you know? I always love grabbing one or two of these pics…

Finally… even though this particular shoot was just of Parker, I grabbed a couple of quick shots with his parents, too. I really like this tender pic with mom over by the window. Beautiful!

Parker’s friends and family can access all of the images from the shoot here. All prints are 30% off for the first week, in this case until next Thursday evening, December 17. (You will see the discounted rates directly in the price list online when you attempt to buy an individual image. After December 17, the rates will automatically return to their normal level.) If you have any questions, just let me know, using the contact form on my website. Enjoy!

Pam and Todd – a River Walk engagement session in downtown Pittsburgh

Lovin’ these shots of Pam and Todd on the River Walk on Pittsburgh’s North Side! Lucky for us we had a delayed autumn this year… how about these gorgeous colors in the leaves!

Check out those LEGS!

Love the city backdrop, too!

It’s fun framing couples with trees and of course Pittsburgh’s famous golden bridges. You can see the convention center in the background of this shot.

I think this next one is my favorite from the session!! Love it!!

We got some beautiful afternoon light, which of course I had to play with a bit…

I just love both of their expressions in this next one!

I think they had a pretty good time playing with each other, as you can tell in these next couple…

And gotta share a fallen leaf shot. Look at how genuine those smiles look by the end of the session, I love it!

Pam and Todd, I’m looking forward to shooting your wedding next July!!

Until then… friends and family of the bride and groom can access all of the images from the engagement session here. All prints are 50% off for the first week, in this case until next Monday evening, December 14. (You will see the discounted rates directly in the price list online when you attempt to buy an individual image. After December 14, the rates will automatically return to their normal level.) If you have any questions, just let me know, using the contact form on my website. Enjoy!

Molly and Frank – a Pittsburgh wedding!

Enjoy some of my favorite pics from Molly and Frank’s wedding in November! These guys had a very touching church ceremony in Molly’s hometown of Ambridge before celebrating with all their family and friends out by the airport. It was a beautiful day!

Much thanks goes out to the talented Christina for her help!

We’ll start off with a couple of getting ready shots… I loved the light in this next one, coming through Molly’s dress…

And how adorable is this next shot of one of the flower girls playing next to the bride!

What a beautiful bride, positively radiant!

Then it was off to the church for the big moment! While the bridal party was lining up in the back, Christina grabbed this great shot of one of the ring bearers, the groom’s nephew. Adorable!

As always, I’ll share one ceremony shot before moving on to the group pics. I particularly liked the detailing on the runner, with their monogram painted on (and look how great of a job the flower girls did!)…

Look at all this awesome light as we left the church!! I had to grab a shot since I knew it would be gone by the time we hit the park!

Molly and Frank requested pictures at a little park in Sewickley, so off we headed. This next shot is one of my favorite of the group pictures, although it’s a bit hard to see the details in this small format.

These two groomsmen graciously climbed up in the tree for the photo, but then had a heck of a time getting back down…

It was pretty funny

Gotta toss in a detail shot of the beautiful dresses and simple clutch floral arrangements…

And how gorgeous are those necklaces?? Molly had them custom made for her bridesmaids. I love the ribbon detailing!!!

My assistant Christina grabbed this great candid moment while I was grabbing group pictures. Love it!

Since light was fading fast, we only had time for a handful of pictures of the bride and groom… They did a great job working quickly! I’m sure their newlywed status helped with the whole showing affection thing.

These last two might be some of my favorites. Since the light was basically gone, we got a little creative with composition and spotlighting. Gorgeous!

Time for the party!! Loved the red curtain framing the cake, very elegant.

And how about the emotion in this mother-son hug at the end of their showcase dance! That off-camera lighting is just lovin’ this moment!!

I always love listening to the toasts at the reception. All three of Molly and Frank’s toasters gave some touching ones…

And of course gotta share a quick shot that Christina took of Chris and Tracey… These guys married just this October in a beautiful ceremony in Munhall. I love seeing my previous couples out at the parties!! Yay!

Congrats guys!!!!!

Here are some of the talented people who brought it all together…

• Reception Site: Pittsburgh Airport Marriott
• Ceremony: Good Samaritan Church (Ambridge) with Father Terry O’Connor
• DJ: Mark Zini
• Bouquets and Church arrangements: Valerie Brooks
• Centerpieces: Parkway Florist (Greentree)
• Makeup:  Tracy Bukoskey
• Hair: The Hair Gallery

Friends and family of the bride and groom can access all of the images from the wedding day here. All prints are 50% off for the first week, in this case until midnight on Saturday, December 12. (You will see the discounted rates directly in the price list online when you attempt to buy an individual image. After December 12, the rates will automatically return to their normal level.) If you have any questions, just let me know, using the contact form on my website. Enjoy!!

Atarah and Greg – an engagement session in Pittsburgh’s strip district

I’m excited to share some of my favorite images from Atarah and Greg’s engagement session! I had a wonderful time with these lovebirds frolicking around the Strip District, despite the less-than-stellar Pittsburgh temperatures.

Gotta love a little graffiti wall

It’s easy to see the special connection these two have, particularly in the loving gaze they share in this next shot. I just love it when couples warm up enough to share it with me!

The buildings in the strip district are so cool, I had to include this next one in a couple of pics…

Does this building look familiar? Atarah saw some photos from Megan and Allyn’s engagement session and loved the images taken in the strip district, so we decided to do something similar for her own shoot…

I think these last two are two of my favorites from the session. Check out the devilish look these guys are giving each other…

…and then of course gotta love Greg checking out Atarah in this last one! Hot!

Atarah and Greg, I’m looking forward to shooting your wedding in April!!

Until then… friends and family of the bride and groom can access all of the images from the engagement session here. All prints are 50% off for the first week, in this case until next Tuesday evening, December 1. (You will see the discounted rates directly in the price list online when you attempt to buy an individual image. After December 1, the rates will automatically return to their normal level.) If you have any questions, just let me know, using the contact form on my website. Enjoy!