100 at Thunder in the Valley

Friday afternoon I went to Johnstown PA to do some photography during Thunder in the Valley. I had a great time and met several cool people. In the process I did some photography for "100" and filled in some ages I was missing.

I've also been working on a new project, but I'm unsure as to whether I'll post the photos as I shoot them or wait until the collection is finished. I'm still mulling it over but for now here are some new portraits for 100.

Katelin's Senior Photos

If yesterday's shoot with Katelin is any indication, senior photo season is going to be fantastic this year. I had so much fun working with Katelin and shooting her senior photos. We hit a lot of cool, new locations and the weather was perfect. What also helped make the shoot spectacular was that Katelin brought some great outfits that really popped. Wardrobe is so important and she really put a lot of time into making sure she had a good variety of colors and styles.

I don't usually post this many photos from a senior session, but I had a super hard time narrowing down my favorite shots and finally just decided to post a bunch of them. I was also playing around with some textures and think it's a pretty cool effect for the right shots.

I was also playing around with Animoto and made a short teaser video with the shots so check that out too.

Weddings at The Hayloft in Rockwood

I noticed that I get a considerable amount of "hits" from people researching weddings at The Hayloft in Rockwood, PA. I shot Aaron and Kristina's wedding there in October of 2006 but I haven't had a chance to work there since then. It's a really lovely place for a wedding and I wanted to post a few photos from that event. As you can see, it's easily one of the most picturesque locations for a wedding in Somerset County.

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Krysta & Bill's Wedding

Yesterday Sharon and I were once again in the Pittsburgh area shooting Bill & Krysta's wedding. We started the day at Krysta's grandmother's house in Elizabeth, PA before moving on to the ceremony site. The ceremony was held at the gorgeous Boston Waterfront in Boston, PA. We lucked out and had great weather for the outside ceremony and for portraits before finishing up the day at the Wendel Inn in Pittsburgh. The reception was so much fun with a big crowd which really got into the evening's events. The day was perfect and we had a fantastic time working with Krysta and Bill!

Ellen & Ron's Engagement Photos

This afternoon I had a crazy engagement session with Ron and Ellen. The weather was beautiful all morning long, but about 20 minutes before they arrived the sky started to darken. Just as we got out of the cars at the first location is began to rain and a minute later it was pouring with major wind. We sat under the covered bridge for 20 minutes or so until the worst had passed by and then headed for what we hoped was a dry area. Fortunately we lucked out and found that town was beautiful... for about 30 minutes. Then, sure enough, the clouds rolled in, the thunder rumbled and it started to rain(you can actually see the raindrops falling in the last shot). We lucked out and were able to shoot between showers, but it was certainly one of the more eventful engagement sessions I've had this year.

I'm not Wal-Mart

I'm not Wal-Mart Photos.
I'm not Sears Portraits.
I'm not Olan Mills.
I'm not the Picture People.

I think every one of those studios has their place in photography. But they're just not me. Several times a week I have potential clients call me about setting up baby/child portraits or family portraits but they want them shot in a studio in front of fake backdrops or featuring large, fake studio props. As much as I hate to turn away business, I have to tell them that I'm not that kind of photographer.

I think photography is about capturing memories. I don't want to make your child "Say Cheese!" I don't want to pose your 1 year old beside a giant number 1 and squeak a toy to make them look in my general direction. I want to photograph real people being natural. I don't want to do fake.

I want to take your families photos beside the old oak tree that's been in front of your house for decades or the lake you fish at every summer. I want to take your children's portraits on the playground or in their rooms. I want to capture you being comfortable and natural and having fun. Those are the photos you want to hang on your wall and those are the photographs that are going to mean something in 10 years.

Most photographers call it lifestyle portraiture. I call them relaxed portraits. So if you want great portraits, then give me a call. I'll make sure you look your best. I'll even "do some photoshop". Don't be mistaken, the photos will look amazing and will be completely professional with rich colors, great lighting and natural poses and smiles. I just won't do it in front of a faux autumn background and giant foam props. Oh, and I won't make you all dress the same either.

Just say no to cheese.

New Road Trip this October!

I have to say that I've never been much of a "vacation person". Spending a week at the beach or Disneyland or some such activity just doesn't appeal to me. But this spring, when we made our first road trip, that all changed. Perhaps I have ADD and just don't have the patience to spend an entire week doing the same thing, and if that's the case the road trip was the perfect alternative vacation for me as every couple hours we were doing something different. I had the time of my life in April and ever since then I haven't been able to stop thinking about doing it again. And this October, that will be happening.

We'll be leaving sometime around October 7 and returning the following week. I'm still ironing out the exact details but I have many of the stops planned already. We have stops planned in New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Among the highlights of the trip so far are the TAPS headquarters (the guys who make Ghost Hunters on Sci Fi) in Warwick, RI, the Lizzie Borden House/B&B in Massachusetts, the various spots relating to the witch trials in Salem, whale watching off the coast of Gloucester and Martha's Vineyard. We'll also be visiting several places written about in Stephen King's novels and stopping by his house in Maine (I know the odds are 10,000 to 1 that he'd actually be out but it sure would be cool to say "hi"). Another highlight of the trip for me is going to the town of Danvers, Massachusetts, which was the onetime home to the Danvers State Hospital and the site where Session 9 was shot. I'm admittedly quite obsessed with that film and think it's one of the best horror movies of the past 15 years, so seeing where it was shot will be an absolute thrill, even if the hospital itself has been demolished.

By the way, I'm writing this blog entry using ScribeFire, a Firefox plug-in. It's super easy to use and I owe many thanks for my friend John Setzler for talking about it in his own blog. One of the cool features of ScribeFire is the ability to embed YouTube videos so I'm going to give it a whirl and post the Session 9 trailer. The trailer kind of stinks, but if you haven't seen the movie and you enjoy horror films, you must check it out.

So, that's the trip so far. If you have any suggestions on other places to visit just send me an email.

Jenny & Aaron's Engagement Photos

The other day I had a chance to shoot Jenny and Aaron's engagement portraits. I'll be shooting their wedding last month so it was a lot of fun to work with them this week and take advantage of the nice weather. I'm sure their big day is going to be a lot of fun!

Carolyn & Scott's Wedding

Yesterday Sharon and I were back in Pittsburgh, shooting the wedding of Carolyn and Scott. The heat yesterday was brutal but everyone toughed it out and everything went wonderfully. We started the day at Carolyn's parent's house (btw, her parents are two of the nicest people I've ever met) before moving on to St. Sebastian's and then to the Doubletree Hotel for the reception. Throughout the day, I think Scott and Carolyn laughed and smiled more than any couple I've ever worked with. I had an amazing time working with everyone and we made it through the 90+ degree temperatures unscathed.

Help me, help you

Over the past few years, I've donated various services and products to local charities. It's always a very rewarding experience and I've met some terrific people, both those who help organize the events and those who bid on the items.

Due to my hectic schedule, I don't get to spend as much time in the community as I'd like, so these types of events help me feel as if I'm doing something to give back . That said, I still have some difficulty in finding new organizations to which to donate.

So, if any of my blog readers know of worthy causes that are holding fundraisers and need items to auction off, please contact me and let me know a bit about the group/charity.

Amy & Noah's Engagement Photos

Amy and Noah were a blast to work with and a super-cute couple. They even brought their little dog along for a couple shots, which I always think is fun. I definitely can't wait to shoot their wedding!

Julia & Dan's Engagement Photos

Yesterday I had a the unique experience of shooting engagement photos for two sisters and their fiances. My first shoot was with Julia and Dan. The couple got stuck in some Pittsburgh road construction on their way in so we got a bit of a late start but it worked out great because the next session was for Julia's sister Amy and Amy's fiance Noah. We shot a bit outside the studio and then I took both couples to some cool spots in and around Somerset. We even did some group shots, so it was definitely a fun experience. I'll be shooting the weddings of both sisters later this year and I can't wait to work with them again!

Julia and Dan were so sweet and so warm, I just had a great time working with them. I know their wedding is going to be amazing and I can wait to be a part of their big day.

Congratulations, Class of 2008!

Yesterday I went to a graduation party for two of "my" '08 seniors, Whitney and Melanie. I had a great time seeing them and their families again. Both young women are terrific people and have just been tremendous fun to photograph and get to know.

I also wanted to take a second to congratulate the class of 2008 and especially the graduates that I had a chance to work with. I hope you all have a fantastic summer and bright futures.