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▣ Pros and Cons of Photos in the Snow
This winter I've been getting a lot of calls and emails from folks who are interested in photos in the snow. They've been inspired by our particularly beautiful winter season of deeper snows and longer icicles this year. I agree - the morning of a fresh snow or an afternoon of dancing snowflakes is gorgeous - especially from my window with my giant mug of hot tea. There are some serious challenges that come with shooting photos in the snow. CONS
(By the way - this is Sam. We did her senior photos just before christmas. We met at a lake near Sarver and froze our butts off! She was already sick and I felt awful for making her stand and smile in a sweater while I had on my heavy coat and 2 pairs of pants.) PROS
Keep the Pros and Cons in mind when you schedule your session - if snow is your thing we'll be right there with you! Just make sure you dress warm and prepare to play in the snow for a short session!
1 Comment added to this post ▣ Andryka Kids
Every christmas for the past three years I've had the privilege to take the annual photo for the Andryka family christmas card. In the past we've set up a christmas themed background, we've done it in front of the christmas tree in the living room - and this year we decided to think outside the box. Actually, outside the house! We visited the local park where there was just a dusting of snow on the ground and found ourselves in a full scale white out in the first 15 minutes!
It was freezing cold along the river with the wind driving the snow at us. I'm sure we were quite a spectacle hiding in the van warming up and then sending one kid out at time and getting them all in position for the picture and then yanking their coat away and telling them "don't look cold!" snapping three pictures and sending them racing back to the van with their coats to tag their sibling for their turn.
If you look at the background you can get an idea of how hard it was snowing - we couldn't even see the river anymore! Instead of being upset we were thrilled - this was like special effects!
These kids get taller and smarter and cuter every year I see them! We had so much fun that day in the snow! We might not have taken the standard "perfect" studio portrait - but I think the photos this year tell a better story of how perfect it is to be a kid at christmas time.
Thanks for playing outside! 0 Comments added to this post ▣ Hunting Camp
As you've probably guessed by now after following this blog - when we're not working, we are pretty serious about the outdoors. We love to kayak, hike, camp out, cabin camp, truck camp, snowshoe, backpack, drive around lost, cook on the campfire, photograph wildlife, and look at the stars. We also hunt. I do believe that hunting is a good thing when it's done responsibly, safely, and with respect for the land, the wildlife, and fellow hunters and property owners. I used to hunt myself but now prefer to hunt with my camera instead. I never really warmed up to trudging out into 8 degree temperatures at 4:30 in the morning to stand next to a tree progressively developing frostbite in my fingers and toes as the day wore on. I have terrible circulation to my fingers and toes - I'm one of those people who is chronically cold. Even in July my feet are freezing. I don't notice so much anymore, you get used to it.
However, I've found my niche as the camp cook and keeper of the cabin/campsite. I love to plan recipes, shop for the food, pack it, cook it, etc. I also have a FoodNetwork obsession. In the past few years we've made pizza, ham BBQ, homemade bread, cinnamon rolls, turnovers, even pineapple upside down cake on the campfire. The best part is that when everyone else is out hunting for the day and the meals are prepped, I can spend the day wandering around taking pictures just for the fun of it.
Welcome to our humble and rented abode for the week. It's not much for four of us in a one room cabin - but it's got an apartment size fridge and stove, a table, and four bunkbeds. The bathroom is in a seperate building you have to unlock with a key - but it's got flush toilets and hot showers. No cell phone service anywhere. We've refined our camping habits to include air mattresses and just this year - my laptop. I bring it for work, but also for play - when it gets dark outside at 5pm there's really nothing to do until bedtime so it's nice to be able to put a movie on to pass the time. We watched Grumpy Old Men I & II and all of season 6 of MacGyver. We are MacGyver fanatics.
The day typical started with breakfast before 5 a.m. then the guys left and I went back to sleep till 8. (You can't take pictures without light you know, so you have to wait for the sun to come up.) I'd pack my gear and a drink and take off with my map and wander. I wandered almost 45 miles in one direction one day. I'd go up one side of the river until I found a bridge and then come back the other side.
The whole river is lined with camps on both sides. Some are luxurious, some are permanent homes, there's even a school bus up on blocks that has been painted camoflauge and converted into an RV. One thing they all have in common is that they all have a name. Naming your camp is a big deal - because the first thing you do is put a sign out front with the name of your camp on it. I've seen "Wife Dodgers" "Camp Susanna" "Red Rooster Inn". I liked this sign. Camps are special retreats for people and your camp sign has to communicate two things - 'Friends welcome here - everyone else stay the hell away from us'.
This shot was the day before thanksgiving. I was following deer tracks into an old orchard at an abandoned farm turned camp-shack along the river.
Funny story - remember when I mentioned that the bathroom opens with a key? Well day three or four that we were there I was watching them pack the truck in the wee hours of the morning and just as they locked the door and pulled away I realized that the bathroom key was not on the hook! I vaulted off of the top bunk and chased them outside in my bare feet but they couldn't see me waving in the total darkness. I ran back in the cabin and flickered the lights on and off hoping they would look in the rearview mirror and wonder what the fuss was about. Nope. This was dire. I was stuck there all day with no bathroom. I couldn't lock the cabin without the key - and I couldn't drive away to find a bathroom and leave it unlocked with all of our gear in it. I was stuck. Meanwhile two hours later and many miles away - Sean sat down in his hunting spot for the morning and felt something jab him from in his pocket and realized he had driven away with the bathroom key. He went to find the rest of the group and told them the situation and then hiked back to the truck and drove back to the cabin to give me the key. I was SO HAPPY to see him :-)
The nex to the last day we were there I had four hours to kill before it was time to start dinner. I hadn't seen anything more than a squirrell in two days because all of the wild wildlife was hiding from the snowstorm and freezing wind chills. I decided to visit the Double Diamond Deer Ranch for some up close encounters. Just so you know up front - these animals are cared for as family members on a private ranch that is open for visits by the public. They are NOT for sale, there is no hunting allowed, and they are never killed or sold for meat. These animals are loved and cared for just the same we care for our pets at home. I remember visiting the ranch when I was a kid and feeding baby fawns with a bottle. Now those fawns are grandparents! Aside from the brown white tail deer that we are used to seeing in our backyards, they also have albino and piebald deer as well.
I'm pretty sure this was snoopy sticking his tongue out at me.
I am not wrecked here, just parked. Although the roads were really bad a few days I was driving around. I got to practice my bad weather driving. - Shameless self promotion :-)
We had a few great snow and ice storms while we were there. Every pine needle on the fir trees had it's own tiny icicle hanging from it. There were still a few brave hunters that waded across the water to hunt on the other side.
The Double Diamond Deer Ranch is a great place to visit with your kids especially when the weather is warm! If you have any questions about these deer, you can Ask The Deer Lady and she would be happy to help!
3 Comments added to this post ▣ Beacom Family
Meet the Beacom family! We spent the evening at their house just before christmas getting some shots for their christmas card with their new baby. They were the lucky recipients of a gift certificate for photos at their baby shower!
1 Comment added to this post ▣ Ashley & Allan 11.22.08
If you wanted a hot night on the town - then Ashley and Allan's wedding was the place to be! They didn't let a little grey weather bother them when the morning of their wedding turned out to be chilly with light drizzle. After all - it was november and at least it wasn't a snowstorm! Ashley had her heart set on photos with the view of the city from Mt. Washington and we were determined to make it happen! I caught up with Ashley first thing in the morning at her Aunt's boutique in Irwin where she was getting her hair styled and her veil placed for her walk down the aisle. They didn't let a little rain ruin the mood.
Ashley met up with the rest of the bridesmaids at her other Aunt's house to have lunch, get dressed, celebrate and take pictures!
The colors for the wedding were black and light green and the bridesmaids wore white fur wraps around their shoulders. It was the perfect style for their city lights theme! The girls were absolutely gorgeus.
Ashley as she came downstairs to show off her gown for the first time.
Her flower girl wore a handmade white dress. She was a little shy but soo cute!
Ashley with her parents.
Allan looked handsome as he posed for a few photos in front of the church before the ceremony.
Hanging out with the guys.
The ringbearers overcame their shyness and made their way down the aisle - so precious.
Image by Sean.
This church was surprisingly bright especially for the time of year! It was a pleasant surprise and made photos even better!
The pews were decorated with white hydrangeas and tendrils of greenery.
After the ceremony we breezed through formal photos at the church and then hopped on the limo bus for pittsburgh. It was a race against time to get to Mt. Washington before dark - but then we were struck down by an event mishap. Traffic. Yep - we got stuck for almost 45 minutes in the parkway construction traffic. By the time we arrived up on grandview it was completely dark, windy, cold, and raining steadily. In spite of all that, they decided to give pictures a shot anyway. They had brought along extra long sparklers and the effect was awesome! If you look carefully you can tell how hard it was raining!
Out of the five or six shots we grabbed before retreating to the limo - this is my favorite. The city at night was the perfect backdrop.
Their reception was held at the Le Mont which offers one of the best views of the city from its glass walled dining room high atop Mt. Washington. The setting was elegant with black table coverings and lime green accents.
In the center of the room was the cake table with three amazing creations; the center wedding cake which they cut and the chocolate and strawberry groom's cakes on the side.
First dance.
Very sweet father daughter dance.
Apparently at every family function Ashley's Dad and her Aunt's perform a rendition of Free Bird. It's not specifically karaoke. More like Rock Band but with air instruments. Especially when the song kicked into the big instrumental at the end - they brought down the house. It was truly the greatest rendition of free bird I've ever witnessed in my life.
Even family members who've seen it a hundred times at reunions and birthday parties agreed - this was their best performance ever! I wish I could see the wedding video - it would win contests on YouTube!
For years Ashley's Aunt has talked about her red dress. Her red dress is an 80's bridesmaid dress that she always teased Ashley that she wanted to be in her wedding so she could wear the dress again. As the reception was nearing the end, it was almost forgotten until the DJ played "Lady in Red" and the crowd parted. When Ashley turned around this was her reaction:
They danced the whole song together modelling the infamous red dress. Puffy lace sleeves, backless, and with that hot bow on the butt. Wow. :-) Gotta love the 80s.
Congratulations to the new Dr. & Mrs. Allan Brown! It was an unforgettable night!
Salon: Profiles Boutique Ceremony: Church of the Immaculate Conception, Irwin Transportation: Elite Limousine Reception: Le Mont DJ & Video Services: Eventures
1 Comment added to this post ▣ Denise & Timothy 11.08.08
Denise and Timothy were married back in November in Harrison City, PA. Their wedding was an intimate family affair; Denise asked her sister to be the Maid of Honor and Timothy asked his sister to be the Best Woman. Father O'Malley, a relative of the groom, presided over the ceremony and Denise's close friend was the reader. Timothy's mom helping him get ready before the ceremony.
The ceremony was held at St. Barbara in Harrison City. The sanctuary is newer with a soaring wood beamed ceiling and beautiful stained glass behind the altar.
A quiet moment together during the ceremony - Image by Sean
Since their ceremony was late in the day in November, there was just barely enough daylight left coming through the windows for some shots with the vibrant colors.
It was cold and blowing outside and just getting dark, so we opted to make a dash to the reception instead of going outside for pictures. Looking back, I would gladly take the blustery 50 degree temperatures now.
The rings!
Denise and Tim sat at the head table while smaller round tables were set up around the dance floor for the family.
After dinner and the cutting of the cake, it was time to cut the rug on the dancefloor. Denise's nephew was the life of the party!
Eventhough it was already dark and there was no snow, their reception venue had a lighted outdoor gazebo and I couldn't resist the urge to add a little fairy tale magic with some post-processing effects. Denise looked like a princess!
Congratulations - and here's to a lifetime of happily ever after :-)
Ceremony: St. Barbara Catholic Church Reception: The Lakeview (Imperial Room) Salon: Hairstyling Etc, Apollo
0 Comments added to this post ▣ Best Friends, Sisters, and Senior Year
I always encourage seniors to bring along props to their session. And by props I mean anything from your trombone to your dog to your 5 best friends. Some of my favorite props ever seen at a session were #1 a kayak, #2 a garage band, and #3 a giant golden retriever! Last fall I met with Sabrina and Maria (best friends) at Sabrina's house for senior photos individually and together! Sabrina's sister also came along to hang out and get some fun shots.
Sabrina with her sister.
We had great color with the leaves just past their peak!
Best friends together!
Ths is Maria
We crawled through the barb wire fence to get into the overgrown field across the street from Sabrina's house.
0 Comments added to this post ▣ Marcoz Family
Meet the Marcoz family! Sean and I were lucky enough to have met them at Renee and Mufutau's wedding last May and then they invited us to visit them this past fall to take some photos for their christmas card. We hung out at the park and played in the leaves all afternoon.
They were great! 0 Comments added to this post ▣ Bethany & Chad 10.25.08
Flashbacks are fun - we really had a great year! Bethany and Chad were married the last weekend in October and it was a really classy fall bash. From their personal vows, to the bagpiper, to their glamorous reception, it was a day to remember. I met up with the girls at Bethany's house where they were just getting back from the salon. Chad had a boquet of fresh flowers delivered to the salon with a very sweet note :-)
Bethany doing her make up after putting the final touches on the girls' hair.
Halloween Bachelorette Bash! How cool!!
Bethany with her Mom before leaving for the church.
I loved their fall flowers.
They exchanged rings and then read their personal vows to each other.
When they were pronounced husband and wife, the rear doors of the church were opened and a bagpiper strode down the aisle and then led the procession out of the church.
The flower girls wore wreaths of flowers in their hair, so Josh decided to borrow this one while we hung around at the park for pictures. Image by Sean.
Their reception was absolutely fabulous, classy, personalized, and totally fun. Instead of a cookie table, they had a candy bar. Guests could help themselves to giant jars of candy corn, chocolate kisses, cowtails, taffy, gum balls, lollipops and more and take home their favorites in personalized bags. There were four signature fall-themed cocktails available at the bar, and two ice sculptures. Not to mention their chocolate frosted cake melted in your mouth.
Congratulations Bethany & Chad! We had a great time!
Ceremony: St James Church, Apollo, PA Reception: Royal Gatherings, Pittsburgh Mills Flowers: Leechburg Floral
1 Comment added to this post ▣ Senior sessions
In the interest of digging out of the "To Blog" folder, here are three senior sessions combined into one post. First is Lauren, when we tried to the shoot her the first time the weather was beautiful for about ten minutes and then the sky opened up into rain. She was such a trooper though and we hid in the car and tried to stick it out, but it kept right on raining so we had to reschedule. I think it was for the best! The second time we tried the weather was warmer and the sunlight was almost as beautiful as she was!
Definitely one of those perfect indian summer evenings. We had so much fun!
This is Nick, a very handsome guy who came with his whole family! His younger sister was a fantastic help to me holding my reflector when my assistant couldn't make it. I think she has a future in photography :-)
The leaves were beautfiul in October. It's almost hard to remember after 3 months of snow!
Nick with his siblings :-)
Jessica - the night we did her session was SO COLD! She was happy to wear her coat and hat - I felt like such an ogre asking her to sit in the grass in her soccer uniform. It was almost november out!
She has a great smile :-)
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And a serious side!
Thanks to all the 2009 seniors! I wish you all the best of luck!
1 Comment added to this post |
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