Latest from behind the lens

Armstrong Farmsweddings

Armstrong Farms Westminster Preserve Wedding | Olivia + Shane

What happens when it rains and an ass shows up at your wedding ? You have the best day EVER and put all of it in the wedding photos !! Olivia and Shane were married at Armstrong Farms Westminster Preserve on a cool cloudy day - which is AMAZING in August! It rained off and on but it didn't bother us one bit - we had fun with umbrellas and snuck out after dinner for photos with dramatic clouds. Even Carrots the donkey got in on the action trying to snuggle with Shane during portraits. Armstrong Farms Westminster Preserve is a unique venue experience because your wedding day is not just one day, but a three day celebration!  Rehearsals typically take place on friday evening and you're welcome to host your rehearsal dinner right on site at the barn.  The farm house comes with it's own kitchen or you can have…
Amanda Wilson
January 11, 2022
Linden Hallweddings

Linden Hall Wedding | Maurissa + Brendan

I LOVED this wedding but never shared it before! No time like their 3rd anniversary to revisit happy memories!! The July weather was perfect that day for their Linden Hall wedding reception.  To honor their Saint Vincent College alumni status, they chose to host their ceremony at the historic Saint Vincent Basilica Parish in Latrobe, PA. We took photos in the garden and then celebrated their reception at Linden Hall - one of the most unique and best kept secret venues in the area! It's a gorgeous mansion high on a hill overlooking Fayette County. Their wedding was themed after the mad hatter and their cake wore a top hat and a pocket watch. They worked so hard to include a ton of small details from the cookie ROOM to the giant chess set for everyone to play with on the lawn. Maurissa wore two different dresses, one with a…
Amanda Wilson
January 1, 2022
Wedding Planning

Wedding planning on Pinterest

So I've been hanging around on Pinterest a lot lately and I have noticed some disturbing changes that I want to address. Pinterest has been a game changer for anyone planning ANYTHING from a wedding to a recipe to decorating your fantasy house. Wedding planning on Pinterest has been FUN. Like Whose Line is it Anyway - where all of the pretty things are possible and the prices don't matter. Even though this is my 16th wedding season coming up this year, I'm still excited to experience all of the events my couples are planning and see what surprises might be on the horizon for the new decade! It's the off season and I want to fantasy plan too - so I typed in "2020 wedding trends" and while a lot of pins and posts popped up heralding the coming of things like "wedding charcuterie" (OMG YES PLEASE) "the return…
Amanda Wilson
February 1, 2020
Adventure SessionsMaternity

Cook Forest Maternity Session – Leeona & Jimi

This couple is super close to my heart.  I've known them for years, even before they got engaged!  They are two of the most hard working, selfless, people I've ever met.  From their engagement photos sitting on a dock at sunset, to making silly faces with the kids on their wedding day, and all the hockey games, doggy play dates, and hilarious game night christmas parties in between - being their photographer and their friend is a big deal to me.  Their life together is just starting a new chapter, and I'm the one that gets to make the pictures to the stories they will tell their little boy one day.  Maybe when he is little, he will like to hear how Mama is really a fairy princess - but when he gets older, I want him to be able to look at these photos and see the LOVE.  The…
Amanda Wilson
May 29, 2019
LifestyleMilestones

Lifestyle Newborn vs. Studio Newborn Sessions

When it comes to a having a baby, there are a million choices to be made including whether or not you will opt to have newborn photos taken!  If you're lucky, the hospital you deliver at will provide an on-staff photographer who visits your room in the first day or so after your baby arrives to shoot some photos that you can purchase later. If you're very VERY lucky, this photographer is experienced and makes you feel at ease, does great work with those classy overhead fluorescent lights, you are feeling rested and someone was kind enough to help you brush your hair, and your baby is able to be in your room with you versus needing a little extra care in the nicu. Whether or not they opt for the photos in the hospital (fresh 48 sessions), many new parents will choose to do photos of their family after…
Amanda Wilson
May 14, 2019
Adventure SessionsEngagements

Adventure Sessions – for people who love the outdoors

Let's talk adventure sessions!  Have you scrolled through Pinterest and looked at countless wedding photos and portrait sessions and just felt like none of them really felt like YOU?  Let's talk about you - (or maybe me?) - you hate high heels, you don't own a single fancy dress that makes you feel great about yourself, you don't care what the kardashians are up to, and your perfect night "out" is a glass of wine on the back porch.  If you'd rather spend your weekend by a campfire or taking a hike with your dog instead of shopping in the big city - you are in the right place. I've got just the experience for you! What makes adventure sessions special and how is it different from a regular photo session? An adventure session is unique because it’s not just about photos, but about getting outside your comfort zone (or…
Amanda Wilson
April 13, 2019
Lingrow FarmWedding Planningweddings

Wedding Day Timeline planning; 4 tips to make your day feel as good as it looks!

Wedding day timelines, what are they? Why are they important? A wedding day timeline is basically a planned schedule of how events will unfold morning to end of the day at your wedding. And if you’re reading this saying to yourself, “oh no, we’re super relaxed we’re gonna go with the flow” then Honey, you need a timeline more than most people. Why? Because the flow of a wedding with a planned timeline is like the Mississippi, steadily moving in one direction but with a lot of calm flat water. A wedding without a planned timeline is more like the raging rapids rushing over the edge of Niagara falls.  They both might look great in photos, but one of them is a much more comfortable boat ride, if you know what I mean.  *wink emoji*  So let's start this list from the bottom and work up to my number one…
Amanda Wilson
February 26, 2019
PersonalWhat to do with your images

The power of pictures

Every client I meet whether it's for a wedding, a family portrait session, or even senior pictures, I always talk about the reasons why we are shooting the photos, the end result.  I want to actively discuss the purpose of why we are investing the time and money into making these photos together.  I pull out my leather albums, describe BIG images, and talk about framing services, and outfits.  But we don't talk about the REAL reasons, and I think it's time we did. When I urge you to print your photos, it's not a sales pitch, it's a crusade.  Like a lot of things in life, the power of pictures is not something we often appreciate until it's gone. Right now, in the age of instagram, snap chat, and smart phones - we are snapping selfies and photographing more of life than ever, but if the power went out…
Amanda Wilson
February 9, 2019
Engagements

Urban Expedition – Sara & Paul’s Pittsburgh Spring Engagement

I will follow adventurous couples anywhere!!  Sara and Paul are getting married this June at Lingrow Farm and while they are from the Pittsburgh area, they live out of state now.  For their spring engagement photos, they wanted to travel back to where it all began and visit all of the locations in Pittsburgh that were special to them and showcase the city they fell in love with.  From their first date in Lawrenceville, to the bridge they walked across to work every day, to the Children's Museum and the Point State Park, we had a great time playing tourists around town.  Our original plan had been to do their photo session in pittsburgh in the winter with all of the holiday lights, but mother nature decided it should be zero degrees that weekend!  So we waited.  Then we rescheduled for Easter and it looked like we might have snow…
Amanda Wilson
May 1, 2018
Behind the ScenesFor Photographers

Working from home – Real Talk

We've all heard it.  "It must be SO nice working from home!"  I cringe a little when that's the biggest impression people have of my job.  It's like telling someone who works in an office "you're job is sooo easy, all you do is type!" OR telling someone who works in a hospital "it must be soo nice to never have to go outside!"  Let's get real.  No matter what your occupation is or where you do your work, there are parts that everyone assumes are great, but might actually suck.  With career fields changing and commerce shifting from stores to online, more people than ever are working from home.  Contrary to popular belief, unless you have the flu, staying in your pajamas till 4pm is usually a sign that you may be overwhelmed and prioritizing everything and everyone else before what's best for you.  I've spent too many years…
Amanda Wilson
February 12, 2018

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