Sarah & Graham | Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers

Yup. A little more from Sarah & Graham. My intention was to put up a few photos from their portraiture and then bombard you with their fabulous reception at The Pennsylvanian but then I went and chose a ton of portraits. So the reception can wait till next week!

I love Mellon Park for portraiture because you can always find a space where the sun works for you. Outdoor wedding photography can be difficult for portraiture because it’s typically at a time when the sun is high in the sky, which usually causes shadowing and hot pockets of light in some areas while others are shaded (think standing under a tree with the sun right on top of it). But Pittsburgh has all sorts of gems of locations where you can get what you need. Mellon Park is such a place. The glow behind Sarah’s veil in this first photo is proof of that.

We also took a quick trip over to the Smithfield Street Bridge for a bridge shot, as you can see. This is probably one of our most popular photo spots ever. Fine by me…you can see why.

That’s My Girl | Fashion Boudoir | Pittsburgh

Did you miss Ms. Justine? You should have. She’s flipping gorgeous. I keep looking over her photos and I just love how colorful everything is. I think I like the green set the best because she had on a green dress with a green foliage background and those incredible green/yellow eyes just make that set pop!

We’re going to be doing a new shoot with Justine because….well…look at her. Ya know what I’m saying here? Can’t wait…gonna be a good one.

By now you should know who Justine is around the ‘Burgh but if you don’t or if you’d like to see more of her work take a minute to drop by her site or her Facebook page!

Featured | Style Me Pretty | Boho Boudoir Photography

Eeeeeee!!!! So. Excited. At. This. Moment. We have had the awesome pleasure of being featured on Style Me Pretty for some of our past wedding and engagement work BUT I am thrilled to tell you that my boudoir work has been featured for the very first time on SMP!!

Not sure if you remember the Boho Boudoir Session I did over the winter but it was a hit and SMP thought so too! Please take some time to drop by the feature today and leave a comment. Comments help to ensure my work gets featured again and again!

Very very special thanks to Justine Kolano of Beauty Justified for once again pulling off some incredible looks and to my very good friend Raemie Bachman of In The Kitchen with Raemie for being my styling partner in crime for the day! And of course to my beautiful client L…certainly could not have pulled this off without your gorgeousness, both inside and out.

 

 

Sarah & Graham | St. Paul Cathedral Weddings | Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh has so many glorious churches. They are so beautiful and so historic but I never tire of St. Paul in Oakland. It is one of the most majestic churches in Pittsburgh and the dramatic architecture, coupled with the light colored stone and many windows, combines to make the perfect equation for gorgeous photos. Good light + beautiful architecture.

I’m looking forward to sharing Sarah & Graham’s reception at the Pennsylvanian but for now take a look into their wedding ceremony. It was beautiful, touching, funny and very personal.

Straight Up Givin’ A Crap | Sevenly

Yup. Like the title? I am lovin’ it. Let me introduce you to my favorite charity organization: Sevenly. I got introduced to Sevenly thru Facebook and I have been following their causes ever since. What I love about their organization is that it’s fresh, simple and gives a very youthful spin on whatever cause it is they are working on for any given day or week.

OK…you tell me who isn’t giggling at this display of awesome geekiness right now? Huh?? Just try and not smile when you look at this shot:

Here’s how it works: every week Sevenly selects a cause, connects with that charitable organization and focuses on that particular cause for 7 days. I don’t know how they select a cause but they appear to be random and cover a huge spectrum of needs around the world. They set a monetary goal and every purchase made equals a donation of $7 for that cause. Thru social influence, purchasing of really and truly cool products (the trendy and gorgeous art that continues to come out is sooo awesome. I want to be that cool kid that wears their stuff) and building relationships with those that donate with causes dear to their heart, Sevenly is “straight up givin’ a crap” and I just adore this.

The art work alone is worth the purchase. For every campaign, new artwork is designed to celebrate and get the message out about that cause:

What I love most is that it is so appealing to a younger generation, which is the exact population that needs to be getting their hands dirty in doling out some love in the world. Why? Because they’re young and getting grounded in a feeling of responsibility towards generosity at a young age ensures a lifetime of giving….and passing on that culture to the next generation. Can’t go wrong with that, right??

As you can see from the photo below I purchased their Sevenly 3 Notebook Kit. I bought a few because I love having things like this around to give to people when they need a little “love boost”. I love this product because I am part writer/part photographer so anything writing-oriented is dear to my heart. But…let me tell you…my favorite part of my purchase was the free stickers that came with my package. Check them out!! I love them all! I swear I could wear any given one on my forehead everyday. Yes, I’m that dork. And I’m proud of that.

So if you have some time please stop by their site, blog or their Facebook page and catch up on what’s going on. I know you can’t donate for each cause but if you follow them I guarantee one will come across your screen that is near and dear to you and if you can find in your heart to give, then do. If nothing else, breathe in all that good lovin’ generosity filling the world and walk away with a love-filled hopeful heart. It’s a lovely reminder that the news stations have it all wrong. Our world is filled with beautiful, loving, inspiring, generous, touching, personal, awesome and kick-ass people.

Givers requested. Followers encouraged. Leaders wanted.

Ceci & Joe | Mellon Park Engagement Session | Pittsburgh

I know you remember Ceci & Joe. What a seriously fun day we had playing in the snow for the first part of their E-Session. We decided to follow that up with the complete opposite of that: sun, warmth and lots of green. We also did a darker more sultry set in the Strip and I’ll get to that next week.

For now, enjoy the love, giggles and sunshine.

Dripping with Femininity | Glamour & Boudoir Photographer | Pittsburgh

See how she just oozes femininity and sensuality? These photos are so sultry to me. A twist of the chin, a curve of the hip…it all comes together to project such a delicate balance of power and softness.

I recently attended a workshop in NY and I’m really excited to add a new element to my glamour and boudoir photography. Growing in this field has been a true joy for me….looking at where I started, where I am right now and the path of where I plan to go is a little scary, a touch intimidating…but wow…I have been and plan to continue to enjoy the ride.

I’ve been on quite a journey the last few months and it’s been quite invigorating (when I’m not curled up in the fetal position in the corner of a room rocking myself). It’s been a sort of re-awakening on so many levels: physically, emotionally and in a truly divine way, reconnecting with loving relationships that needed some TLC. Some of it has been scary and some has been totally thrilling. And watching it all come together to intersect into clarity has been humbling and reminds me to ever be grateful for what is in my life. If you know me at all, you know I am a true cheerleader for women finding their beauty within. To enjoy the process of finding out who they are, stretching their femininity and pushing themselves out of their comfort zone to truly wrap themselves in understanding of who they are and mostly to appreciate themselves: every wrinkle, every blemish, every dimple of cellulite. You are you and there is no one like you. No one. Embrace that and celebrate it. It has been wonderful bringing out the beauty of women; and I don’t mean beauty in the sense of what is viewed as beautiful. I mean their insides…I mean peel-the-skin-off-and-show-me-what’s-inside-beautiful.

What you may not know is that every time I help a woman bring out her raw beauty is actually therapy for me. Because we connect and we silently agree that you have just recognized a part of yourself you may not have known was there. I love that. Now I will also focus on my own power and beauty, inside and out, to meet the challenges ahead of me. Bring. It. On.

All powerful, awesome, vulnerable, sweet, fierce, rockstar women are invited for the ride. Gonna be a good one.