Pittsburgh Photographer | CD Cover Session | Rachel Vere

Sunday afternoon I had the pleasure to collaborate with Rachel Vere on cover and inside photos for her latest upcoming CD release. We talked about a few different ideas, the type of music she writes (alternative-folk-rock) and just some general get-to-know questions. We were very fortunate, just as were started shooting the sky opened and the sun started to shine. It didn't last long, but we got our shots. Thanks RD and all the best for continued success!

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer | Day After Session | Chanelle and Chris

We spent Sunday with Chanelle and Chris doing a "Day After" session. They were married one month ago today (happy anniversary!!) but because of timing, weather and lack of light we weren't able to make very many casual portraits on their wedding day so a Day After session was a perfect solution. And oh, what a beautiful day we had in Pittsburgh, too!! We started in the Strip and ended downtown a few hours later. It was a great collaboration with everyone suggesting locations. Thanks guys, it was so much fun spending the day with you and thank you again for a great dinner, it was delicious! We'll see you again soon!!

Youza is that GREEN! Love it!!

Love my tilt shift lenses!

Those 1.2 lenses make for creamy and dreamy images

Bella Sera Wedding Photography | Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer | Melissa and Jeff

October 14th was my last wedding of the "season" and I could not have had more fun than with Melissa and Jeff. Their beautiful wedding took place at St. Benedict the Abbot Catholic Church in McMurray. Before the ceremony everything was going fine, Melissa was cool and calm, then Jeff's poem arrived and her tears started. Luckily she regained her composure pretty quickly and the ceremony began soon thereafter.

After the family formals at the church we went out for a few relaxed portraits of the wedding party at a local park. The day was quite chilly but the girls were real troopers, goosebumps not withstanding. The fall colors were in glorious splendor and we capitalized on it for awesome backgrounds. Melissa had a lovely cathedral veil that caught the wind a few times making for some excellent photo opportunities.

Their reception was held at Bella Sera in Canonsburg. At the start of the reception a slide show proceeded Melissa and Jeff's introduction. Looking around the room I noticed a lot of damp eyes as the images of the couple traced the major moments in their life.

Nick Borelli and his crew at Bella Sera did their usual outstanding job of pulling together all the details, including a wonderful late night "Pittsburgh" snack of sandwiches modeled after that famous Pittsburgh place that stacks fries and slaw on the meat, smelts and other hometown goodies.

But the dancing was the thing for the evening and the tunes just kept coming thanks to the excellent DJs, Max Phillips and Dreena Buckholt of Maximum Entertainment.

On a personal note, this was my last wedding working with Nick at Bella Sera as he and his wife are moving to Cleveland. So I must say, my friend, it's been a pleasure and an honor working with you these past three years. May you continue to succeed where ever the road takes you and Sarah. I will see you soon.

And Melissa and Jeff, thank you again for allowing me into your most special day. I will be talking with you very soon!

Below are a few of my favorites from the day...

Rosario's Wedding Photography | Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer | Nancy and Brian

On Saturday October 17th I had the honor to photograph the wedding of Nancy and Brian at the historic Old Saint Lukes Church in Carnegie, followed by their reception at the beautifulRosario's Banquet Center, also in Carnegie.

While Nancy was cool and collected early in the day, as the time approached her nerves started to show, just a bit. The ceremony, especially their vows, was very emotional. It was hard for me at times to keep shooting because even my eyes were tearing up.

By the time we went out for some special photos the nerves from earlier turned into pure joy. The weather was a bit on the misty side but Nancy and Brian were troopers and braved the elements. The result was a set of stunning photos filled with love.

It was the first time I had the opportunity to photograph at Rosario's. What a grand hall! The staff was exceptional and reception was delightful. Mark Zini of DJZini kept the party going with a great play list. Mark is one of Pittsburgh's best wedding music professionals.

Nancy and Brian, thank you for putting your trust in me to capture the moments of your day. It was a great honor and pleasure. I'll be talking with you very soon!

Here are a few favorites from their day...

Their first dance

Their first dance, close up

Mother / son dance

Father / daughter dance

Seven Springs Autumn Fest | Pittsburgh Photographer | Autumn Splendor

Sunday was the first (and maybe last) day I had available to enjoy the beautiful Pennsylvania autumn so Toni and I trekked up to Seven Springs for their annual Autumn Festival. After walking through the various craft booths (required) and taking a chair lift ride, we took a nice long walk through the woods. Of course for me no walk in autumn would be complete without lugging a camera, lenses and tripod, too. It was a throughly enjoyable time and the resulting photos were quite nice. Here are my three favorites.

For the geek minded, all photos were made with a Canon 5D MK 2 with a 24 - 105 mm F/4 L lens mounted on a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod with a large Manfrotto ball head. ISO was set to 50. Mirror lock-up option enabled. Exposure was about 10 seconds at f/22 for the water shots, 1/40th at f/5.6 for the dock. RAW files were burned, dodged, enhanced and processed exclusively in Lightroom 2. Photoshop was not used.

Mellon Park Engagement - Nicole and Mike

Thursday afternoon I took advantage of the nice weather with a beautiful engagement session for a super cool couple, Nicole and Mike. Originally scheduled for Friday, the weather forecast was quite grim so we switched the dates around, and oh my am I glad we did!

We started in the strip at Klavon's Ice Cream shop for a few retro photos (and a great ice cream treat!). Then we made our way down the strip for some fun shots. We ended the day at Mellon Park in Shadyside. The leaves were in full color and it was glorious!

Here are a few of my favorites from the day. Nicole and Mike, I hope you enjoy the photos and I can't wait for your wedding! Hopefully we'll have the same kind of day!

North Park Engagement Session | Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer | AnnaMarie and Brian

Tuesday I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with a great couple, AnnaMarie and Brian. Their wedding is next year, but we wanted to do a "get-together session" while the weather was nice and the leaves were at their peak. Anna's parents even came in for the session from their home in Cleveland.

We met at a beautiful tree in North Park I had found the day before, made a few nice photos with their "baby," then took off to explore the great areas North Park has to offer. We found a lot of neat spots and made some awesome photos! Here are a few of my favorites from the session.

Anna and Brian, thank you for a great day. I can't wait to photograph your wedding day!

Steeler - Brown's rivalry all over again! Anna is from Cleveland.