Just another Satuday, with a prom and a bear...

This afternoon I shot "formal" photos for the Shanksville prom. I don't usually enjoy formals because they're boring, but I brought some samples of fun poses with me and most of the students really seemed to enjoy trying something different. I ended up having a great time and saw several of my '08 senior photo clients. It's hard to believe they're graduating in just a few weeks.

After the prom, I was editing the photos when the phone rang. It was my neighbor calling to say that there was a bear in her driveway. I grabbed my camera and rushed over to her house to find a medium-sized black bear sitting in her lawn, eating bird seed. The bear made short work of her bird feeder before heading back to the woods. I was within 20 yards or so and got some shots before it ran off into deeper cover. It's the closest I've ever been to a bear and I have to say, it was pretty darn cool.

Book early - Get 50% off on Senior Photo Sessions!

I've found the past few years that most seniors wait until August or September to have their photos taken. While I'm fine with that, it makes scheduling more difficult as the seniors are dealing with school and extracarricular activities and usually only have one or two free afternoons a week.

So, I decided to encourage some "early birds" this year by offering 50% off on senior photo sessions scheduled for May and June. Shooting portraits in May and June makes scheduling so much easier and, as an added benefit, the weather is usually great - much nicer than 90+ degree days in August.

Additionally, I have added some print and product collections which can save clients a nice amount of money over buying everything a la carte. Of course, if you prefer to buy your prints a la carte, you can still do that too.

I'm so excited for senior photo season for the class of 2009 to begin. I have tons of new ideas and will really be aiming to shoot fashion inspired images that look like they belong in magazines.

So remember, if you want to beat the rush you can save 50% off ANY session by booking your session for May or June. Feel free to call or email me to schedule a session or if you have any questions.

Bryant's Senior Photos

This afternoon I had the opportunity to work with Bryant and to shoot his senior portraits. I had a great time with him and his mom and I do believe Bryant was my first senior from Indiana, PA. He was such a cool guy and a complete natural in front of the camera. It was hard to pick out just a few photos from the blog as I has so many great shots, but these are some of my favorites.

Seeking Class of '09 Senior Spokemodels

I'm currently looking for spokesmodels to represent my senior portrait photography for the class of 2009. I want spokesmodels who are cool and outgoing to model for my website and myspace/facebook. I'm seeking 1 spokesmodel from each area school and a few have already been claimed.

Spokesmodels get a free 2 hour superstar session and 20 free wallet sized photos. The sessions will be shot in late April/early May. You must want amazing, fashion inspired senior photos, not boring, traditional stuff. I want to shoot photos that look like they could be in a magazine. If you're a member of the class of 2009 and interested in being a spokesmodel for Tony Urban Studios, please message me asap to see if your school is still available.

Krystal's Senior Photos

Yesterday I had my first "winter" senior portrait session. Krystal and her mom came to me through a referral and I had a blast working with them. We did some fun stuff in the studio before heading outside. Although there was snow on the ground, it wasn't terribly cold and the shoot went great. Throughout the shoot, I kept trying to think of who Krystal looked like and it wasn't until I started editing the images that it hit me - Denise Richards. Am I crazy or isn't there a pretty strong likeness there?

New Contests!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Now that the holiday is over I'm going to squeeze in two more contests before the end of the year.

Now up is Best Senior Portrait of 2007 and Best Engagement Portrait of 2007. Just email me with your votes and tell all of your friends to do the same!

Best Senior Portrait

Caitlyn


Whitney


April


Bradon


Melanie


Renae


Marianna


Ben


Olivia


Tracey


Lauren

Best Engagement Portrait

Luke & Laura


Erica & Jamie


Brooke & Eric


Krysta & Bill


April & Sean


Jennifer & Corey


Lauren & Randy


Erica & John


Ann & Norm


Rachel & Ben


Nicole & Tim


Lisa & Yaron


Jeremy & Liane


Brad & Danielle

Tracey in her coat

All year long I've wanted to photograph someone wearing one of those cool coats that have a faux fur lining around the hood, but whenever I saw someone with one, it never failed that I didn't have my camera with me.

As luck would have it, earlier this week I was on MySpace and I saw a photo of Tracey wearing just such a coat. I'd shot Tracey's senior photos over the summer and I immediately sent her and email telling her to come to the studio and to bring that coat. She happily obliged and this afternoon we had a quick session. As an artist, it's easy to visualize a photo, but executing it the way you see the image in your mind isn't always possible. Well, this was one time that I am happy to say that the photo I'd created in my mind came together perfectly in the actual image. Check out the last shot to see the portrait I've been wanting to make all year long.

Thanks, Tracey!

Tomorrow I'm shooting formal photos for "The Snowball", a school dance at Shanksville-Stonycreek High School. It will be the first time I'd covered such an event and I'm looking forward to it.

Senior photo season is coming to an end...

I'm setting an Oct. 30 deadline for new senior portrait sessions for the class of 2008. Due to school's yearbook deadlines, it won't be possible to shoot new sessions after that date, so if you've been putting off having your senior photos taken, please contact me as soon as possible to schedule a session. Also, because my schedule is so packed this time of year, I'm only booking 1 hour sessions. The 1 hour Basic session still includes unlimited outfits, unlimited locations and unlimited poses so we'll be able to get tons of amazing photos!

Kirsten's Senior Photos

Monday afternoon I met with Kirsten to shoot her senior photos. Kirsten brought along her boyfriend Ben, whose senior pics I shot a little while ago and who is also the cousin of Jake, whom I photographed earlier that morning. It's always fun to be able to photograph family/friends of clients and I had a great time on the shoot!

Jake's Senior Photos

Monday morning I met with Jake and his mom to shoot his senior photos. Jake's a musician and artist and had a lot of cool ideas and props to use during the shoot. I loved his enthusiasm and really enjoyed working with him. His band is performing in an upcoming show and as soon as I get some details, I'll post the info on the blog.

Braden's Senior Photos

Sunday afternoon I met with Braden and his mom to shoot his senior photos. I had a blast working with them. Braden is a great athlete and a standout baseball and basketball player and I was thrilled when he agreed to let me set one of his basketballs on fire for a killer sports shot.

The Walker's - Family & Senior Photos

Yesterday afternoon I headed to Central City for a combo photo shoot where I shot family photos for the Walker's and senior portraits for their eldest daughter. The shoot was so much fun as we went to locations that had personal significance to them and which made for some really cool backdrops. I don't market myself for family photos, so all of my work in that field comes through referrals and I have to say, I've really enjoyed it this year. I just might have to try more. :)

Lindsey's Senior Photos

This morning I met with Lindsey and her mom to shoot her senior photos. I had a great time working with them. It was my first morning session in a while so we were able to hit some different locations which don't usually work in the afternoon sun.

Ben's Senior Photos

This afternoon I met with Ben and his mom to shoot his senior portraits. Ben was such a cool guy and I loved working with him. We got some neat shots with him and the family pup and later he even threw on his coveralls and pulled out the sander and I photographed him with his classic Roadrunner. That car is going to be sweet when he has it fully restored!

Dustin's Senior Photos

Yesterday Dustin and his dad came by the studio for his senior portraits. They booked me for an hour in the studio, but I was hoping to get some outdoor shots as well but it started pouring down rain just as they pulled into the driveway. We still got some awesome shots inside and I had a great time working with Dustin.

Melanie's Senior Photos

Saturday I met with Melanie and her mom to shoot her senior photos. A few weeks ago I shot portraits for Melanie's cousin, Whitney and I really have had an awesome time working with their entire family. I might also be shooting a family portrait for them in a few weeks and I can't wait. Melanie was great to work with and I had a lot of fun on our shoot.

Haley's Senior Photos

Friday afternoon I met with Haley and her mother to shoot her senior photos. Senior pic season is winding down now that school is back in, but it's always fun to have a new senior to work with. I had a blast with Haley and am glad I had the chance to work with her.

Lauren's Senior Photos

Tuesday I met with Lauren and shot her senior photos. It was a lot of fun working with her and I might do another shoot with her later in the season with some of her sports gear. She also mentioned doing a family shoot some time in the fall, so I'm quite excited about getting to work with her again.

Olivia's Senior Photos

Late Sunday afternoon I met with Olivia and her mother to shoot her senior photos. I've photographed a few of Olivia's friends this year and as with them, I had a lot of fun working with her. I also think she has the greatest eyes of anyone I've shot this year - if you don't believe me just check out the first pic!

Josh's Senior Photos

Sunday afternoon I met with Josh and his family to shoot his senior portraits. Josh has a lot of photography himself and it's always cool to photograph someone who also has experience behind the camera. It was a great shoot and I hope to get to work with Josh and his family again.

Bridget's Senior Photos

Later in the day last Tuesday I met with Bridget to shoot her senior photos. She was referred to me by some fellow classmates and it's always cool to work with friends of clients. I had lots of fun shooting her portraits and I loved the great dress she wore for some of the shots!

Elizabeth's Senior Photos

I hope everyone had a terrific holiday! I'm still getting caught up on work and blogging as I've been swamped the past several weeks.

Last Tuesday I shot Elizabeth's senior photos. It was actually our second shoot, the first was a few weeks ago and we were rained out shortly after starting. I really had fun working with Elizabeth and we got some fun shots, including some in front of a grand piano!

Jennifer's Senior Photos

Friday afternoon I had the pleasure of shooting Jennifer's senior photos. We went to some new locations and a few regular spots and I had a lot of fun working with her. I even got a couple of fun shots of her and her boyfriend and with her car.

Whitney's Senior Photos

On Sunday I met with Whitney and her family to shoot her senior photos. It was raining when the session began so we thought we were only going to be able to do the interior locations and would have to save the exteriors for another day. Fortunately, the rain held off for the most part and we were able to do the entire shoot. I had such a terrific time during the shoot and really enjoyed working and meeting with everyone.

Hannah's Senior Photos

Friday I had the chance to work with Hannah and shoot her senior photos. Hannah's very fashion-oriented and brought some great outfits for the shoot. She was a lot of fun to work with and we hit some cool locations during her Superstar Session.

Josh's Senior Photos

Tuesday I shot Josh's senior photos. Josh is an artist and I had a lot of fun working with him and his mom. I even got a couple shots of him and his little brother before we wrapped up the shoot.

Josh was actually my second "guy" senior for the class of '08 and the last one I have booked at the present. I understand that most guys don't get into having their photos taken, but it's always nice to mix it up a little.

Tiffany's Senior Photos

Later in the day Sunday, I met with Tiffany (along with her mom and aunt) to shoot her senior photos. Tiffany is an amazing competitive paintball player for the Grassy Knoll Gunmen and we got some great shots of her in her paintball gear. We also did some "girly" stuff, much to the chagrin of her dad, and I had a terrific time working with her.

Brittany's Senior Photos

Sunday afternoon I had the chance to meet Brittany and shoot her senior portraits. Brittany is hoping to become a professional photographer and when she showed me some of her work I was extremely impressed. She has a great eye and I hope I can help her on her way to a successful career. During the shoot, I also shot a family portrait for her and her parents and I had a great time meeting and working with all of them.

Jessica and Jason's Senior Photos

This afternoon I shot senior photos for twin brother and sister Jason and Jessica. They were tons of fun to work with and it was really cool to work with siblings. Some of my favorite pics are below.

Lauren's Senior Photos

This afternoon I met with Lauren and her grandmother to take her senior photos. Lauren is actually from Virginia so I was quite flattered that she made the drive to PA to have me shoot her photos. Fortunately the rain held off and we were able to fit a lot of different locations into the 2 hour Superstar Session.

April's Senior Photos - 2nd shoot

This afternoon I met with April again to shoot the second half of her senior photos. We were rained out during our session last week, but we lucked out today and had great (if somewhat hot) weather. I love working with April and today we got even more cool shots!

Renae's Senior Photos

This afternoon I met with Renae to shoot her senior photos. I had a great time working with her and she took me to some great locations where she wanted photos. I loved the huge, old tree with their family's initials all over it! She's also a star on her school's rifle team so she broke out her .22 and we got some awesome shots!

Tracey's Senior Photos

Today I shot Tracey's senior photos. In the afternoon, it was pouring down rain and I thought yet another session would need to be canceled due to the weather. Fortunately, the rain passed by and the warm air dried things off and we were able to go ahead with the shoot. I had such a great time working with Tracey and her mom and love the shots we got. Some of my favorites are below.

April's Senior Photos

This afternoon I shot April's senior photos. She brought some fantastic outfits, but the rain came along half way through the session so we only got to use a few of them. We have another hour on Thursday (weather permitting) and I can't wait to work with her again.

Alyssa's Senior Photos

Sunday morning I met with Alyssa and her mom to shoot her senior portraits. We had been rained out for our first appointment but lucked out and had great weather. We hit a few new spots including a great park in Boswell and Alyssa was great to work with!

Marianna's Senior Portraits

This afternoon I shot Marianna's senior portraits. The weather has been crazy the past 3 weeks and forced me to reschedule several shoots, so it was nice to see the rain break and be able to get outside and do some shooting. Marianna and her mother Kimmi were so friendly and easy going I had a lot of fun working with them.

Do you want to be a Team Member?

I recently started an incentive program to help high school juniors/seniors earn cash, print credits and other cool stuff in exchange for referring their friends and classmates for senior portraits. I'm accepting only one Team Member from each school in the area. Team Members can earn up to $1000 in cash and $1000 in print credits. Send me an email to see if I'm still looking for a Team Member from your school!

New Year, New Senior Portrait Sessions

I had an incredible time last year shooting senior portraits for dozens of young men and women throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania and I'm hoping 2007 will be just as much fun. One thing I noticed about last year's work was that no one wanted pre-designed packages. To help give clients what they want, I decided to follow that trend and abolish portrait packages for 2007. Instead I'm offering 3 different session types. They are Superstar, Best Friend and Basic and I have a feeling that they're going to be quite popular as it will allow the seniors and their parents to get exactly what they want. Even in the basic package, I give the seniors a 1 hour session, 2 outfits changes and 2 locations. I think that's a pretty good deal considering the quality of my work and the time and attention I give my clients.

I remember when I had my senior portraits taken 10 years ago. My family wasn't wealthy so we opted for one of the more reasonably priced packages. Well, the experience was an eye opener. Instead of going to the photographers studio, we went to the high school. The photographer had set up lights and a backdrop in the music room and was shooting portraits there during the summer. He scheduled a different senior every 10 minutes. Needless to say, you were limited to one outfit. I walked in and was greeted with "sit on that stool". The photographer took 4 photos, each was pretty much identical except for the way I tilted my head. About 4 months later, the studio called to say the proofs were ready and they scheduled an appointment with us to view the proofs. The 4 photos were completely unedited/un-retouched (that was another huge fee), and my mom was given 5 minutes to place her order. She spent nearly $300 and I remember being so upset because in my mind she had been ripped off.

Now it's 10 years later and I have my own photography business. While I understand the costs involved in running a successful studio, I also know that every client deserves to be treated with respect and given options and that doesn't change if they're spending $200 or $2000.

Last new senior of 2006?

My senior portrait shoots have slowed down considerably the past few weeks. This is always the slow time of year as the seniors who wanted summer/fall pics already had them done and everyone else usually waits until spring.

Yesterday I had the chance to work with Kayla. We didn’t get to start shooting until about 5pm and this time of year that only left us with about an hour of sunlight, but we still managed to hit a few locations. Despite being rushed, I had a blast working with Kayla and wanted to share some of my favorite pics!

Olivia's Second Senior Portrait Session

A few months ago I shot some summer senior portraits for Olivia. We had a great time together and I knew she also wanted fall pics so this morning we had her second session. It was FREEZING cold outside but she always had a smile ready for the photos. She’s such a sweet girl and is extremely intelligent (I think she’s at the top of her class). And looking at her pics, I wouldn’t be surprised if she could be a model. Take a look and see what you think!