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▣ Outtakes . .
I'm not one to share embarassing photos of myself, but this one made me laugh out loud. Dana grabbed this one of me at Lindsey & Chachi's wedding on July 24th. We were shooting at the columns at the Mellon Institute after their wedding at Heinz chapel (if you remember that was the HOT saturday when it was like 98 degrees)! They were such troopers wading through the sweltering heat and Heinz Chapel has no AC.
I wish I could have a contest to come up with the best caption for this photo! I look very concerned - as if I've just discovered a bomb or a deadly hissing King Cobra.
*** scene ***
My hands are saying "everyone stay calm, I've got this under control" but my eyes looking the other way say "heeeeeeeelp!". And then there's Chachi whose body language blatantly says "AHHHH!! A DEADLY HISSING KING COBRA!!" And Lindsey - like "it's my wedding, snake - I'll smite you with my flowers." And the wedding party looks on, worried in the background...
Actually I have no idea what we were all so worried about in this picture, other than it was very very warm out. Their wedding went smoothly, everyone had a fantastic time, and the photos turned out awesome! I'll be finished editing them today and have them online this afternoon!
There are a few other things I've learned from this photo: 1. That is my favorite shirt. And looking at it now, it does nothing for me. 2. My comfortable shoes are so god-awful ugly, I had to crop them out. 3. Extreme humidity is bad, bad, bad for my hair. 4. I don't know if it's my 'action stance' I'm in, but those extra miles I've been jogging just might be paying off! 5. Beware of assistants who steal your camera and snap your picture :-)
Happy Thursday everybody !
3 Comments added to this post ▣ August
August has arrived with all of its sweet summery sunsets!
And just one day late, this is the august calendar photo of the month taken at Hills Creek State Park, Pa on our trip there last year. This was the same trip where Sean was sitting outside the cabin at the campfire with my Dad and what wandered up next to them at the fire? A skunk! They ran for the cabin and no one got sprayed, but it could have been a close call!
I had planned on shooting the sunset reflecting in the lake and set up along this old log, but it turned out the colors were even better after the sun dipped below the horizon for the next half hour of dusk until it was completely dark.
On the book for this month are seven weddings including my cousin's!, a bunch of senior portrait sessions, an engagement session at a winery (I can't wait to shoot that!), and our annual family weekend trip! 1 Comment added to this post ▣ My big fat 101 update | Pittsburgh Zoo
Ok. So the blog-a-thon was a FAIL.
Let's move past that and do a big 101 update post - I really have been trying to balance work and personal time and not lose sight of my goals! This is just a little recap of what I've been up to over the past few months from May till today.
22. Visit the Pittsburgh zoo and new PPG aquarium - completed 5/25/10
This was sooooooooo awesome! I haven't been to the zoo in a couple of years and when I was there it was winter time before and only a few exhibits were open. This time was a once in a lifetime experience, we got the chance to go behind the scenes at the zoo! Sean's mom, Sean's sister Nikki, Aunt Lori, the cousins :-) , and my sister Ashley all went together.
This was the first new friend we made, Louis, the giraffe !
We got to go behind the gates and signs actually into the back of the enclosure and fed Louis carrots. His nose was covered in stiff hairs and his tongue was black - why? Because giraffes use their tongue to pick teeny little leaves and vegetation to eat the same way we would use our fingers. So since giraffes spend a lot of time with their tongue sticking out, their tongue is black so it doesn't get sunburned. Cool adaptation!
Also, Louis has a girlfriend in his enclosure.. well - he has a girl giraffe he would like to be more than friends with but at this point she's concerned that if they take their relationship to the next level, she might lose him as a friend so she's playing it cool for a while and poor Louis is stuck being a guy friend.
Ashley & Nikki - hereafter referred to as "the sisters" hanging out with the penguins and polar bears.
I love seeing the kids at the zoo getting close to nature - the world is so big - check it out!!
One of the cousins enjoying Dip N Dots after she ate all her lunch and giving her new pal Louis the stuffed giraffe a ride in her stroller. I hadn't had DipN Dots for like a decade since before the last time I went to Idlewild or Kennywood, it's so long I can't remember. All I can recall is that there used to be a Dip N Dots stand near the pool and the big raft water slide at Idlewild. We had strawberry banana and mint chocolate chip at the zoo and it tasted just like I remembered.
We got to check out the new addition to the elephant house and see the baby elephants! I tried some different post process techniques here - what's your favorite and why?
(Regular capture color)
(Dramatic black and white)
(Sun baked sepia)
A few more animal friends we met at the zoo: skunks, gators, beavers, and a tiger with a meat popsicle. Besides taking care of the animals, the zoo staff also maintains all of plant life beautifully showcasing many species.
This was my FAVORITE part of the whole day. We got to go inside the bear enclosure area - ! Never in my life would I have imagined I would be nose to nose with a black bear. I've seen them in the wild, hunted them with my camera, photographed them at great distances, and searched for them on long drives. This was one of those breathless WOW moments. We met a bear named Susan who had been hand raised by humans before she came to live at the zoo, and we got to feed her peanuts. Peanuts in the shell to be exact. She would only eat one peanut at the time because she would grasp the peanut with her lips gently shell the peanut with her tongue and then spit out the shells before eating the peanut. Every single time. I really wished Sean could have been there. This was totally wild. To hand feed a black bear.
This is Sean's cousin, 'shiny penny', feeding Susan the bear.
Before we left, Susan the bear had her paw through the bars and was happily munching peanuts. I reached out and touched her paw, feeling the curved claws and bristly fur. (The fur on their head is soft like a dog's face, but the hairs on their body and legs are stiff to protect them as they move through the brush). I know this is going to make me sound like a crazy person, but I don't care. For a minute I held the bear's paw between both of my hands and looked into it's eyes. It was a breathless kind of wow moment.
We had a great time at the zoo, eventually I got past my speechlessness about the bear - I wish my Dad could have been there. He would have loved seeing the bear. It was once in a lifetime.
80. Go to the drive in movie at least 3 times - completed 7/2010
This has been a fun one to cross off. There is a drive in near us that's been there all my life and I feel somehow responsible to go as much as I can so another old hometown landmark doesn't dry up and disappear. I haven't been able to get any decent photos of these trips because it's always last minute, in the middle of the night, and I never remember my camera. But so far we've seen:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> MORE TO COME LATER >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
5 Comments added to this post ▣ Weekend Update on Wednesday
It's the lunar module!!!! No just kidding - it's actually a lookout tower. Over the weekend Anna and I had the huge privilege to document Scot and Aimee's wedding at the Penn Scenic View near Somerset, PA. I won't give away the details, but there was a scenic view, an ice cream sundae bar, bluegrass musicians, a first look !, salmon on the grill, a lake with an island, and goldfish the size of poodles. In short, we got there early and stayed late :-)
After the last song, Anna and I went up on top of the hill to check out the sky. I had an idea - I remember back when I met Scot and Aimee for the first time we talked about how cool it would be to get fireflies in their wedding photos. And wouldn't you know, after a week of 90 degree temperatures, we had a refreshing rain on friday and then saturday was comfortably cool - this also meant no fireflies to be found anywhere. So what was the next best thing? The stars :-) I didn't want to disappoint - so we spent about an hour on top of the hill at the lookout tower after the wedding doing some long exposures of the glittering night sky. Since we were far away from the lights of the city, the the stars were extra bright. For this shot with the lookout tower, we used a technique called 'painting with light'.
Then it was a 2 hour drive home - but it was nice - we rolled along the turnpike going over the day and our favorite shots. Aimee & Scot - if you're reading this - I hope your breakfast on the beach was perfect :-D Have a great honeymoon!
----------------------------------------------------------- Sunday after a long sleep in, Sean and I hung out for the afternoon and went to Jerry's Custard for 'dinner' ;-) The flavor of the week is BANANA :-) !!!
Starting to tomorrow I'm going to try to blog five weddings in five days to try to start catching up on blogging - stay tuned and cheer me on with comments!
4 Comments added to this post ▣ #94 Camp in a Yurt - Complete!
If you remember back to January, I posted my list of 101 in 1001 which is a To Do list of 101 goals to be completed in 1001 days. I'm a big list maker so this was right up my alley and I can say proudly that I've actually been checking some things off - and using the list as an excuse to actually DO stuff!
For instance, I completed #94 Camp in a Yurt over the past weekend and it was an awesome experience!
First things first - what is a yurt? Well - yurts.com says The Yurt is a modern adaptation of the ancient shelter used by Central Asian nomads for centuries. The compact shape of the yurt and combination of lightweight members in tension and compression mean that the structure is highly efficient in maximizing strength while minimizing the use of materials.
Translation: It's a perfectly round tent made of heavy waterproof materials stretched over a lattice wooden frame with a domed roof. Originally devised to be taken down and packed on camels over long journeys by nomadic tribes - the western and "modern" version are semi-permanent structures that use few materials, have low impact on the soil, and can be removed without a trace. Also - it can be cooler and more luxurious than an expensive hotel room. Especially if you like to be close to nature and stare up at the stars. :-)
This was the yurt we stayed at courtesy of the PA State Parks - check out their website for info and reservations by clicking here. And I can say it was nicer than most hotels I've stayed at. There are several state parks in PA with small colonies of yurts. These happened to come with a fantastic lighted deck, outdoor fire ring with seating, and all the furniture you would need. We were just a short walk from the brand new shower house where the hot water was heavenly!
This was what we saw when we unlocked and opened the door to our "tent". Each yurt comes with an electric cooktop, an apartment size fridge, cabinets, a desk area, a kitchen table with chairs, a chair, 3 single bunks and a double bunk. This one even had lamps! This definitely did not qualify as a tent in my book. The coolest part for me was the plexiglass dome at the peak of the roof that you could pop open and use to vent hot air out. It was a skylight during the day filling the space with natural light. And at night a portal to the stars :-)
The time and craftsmanship put into these dwellings was exceptional. They really paid attention to the details.
Since the yurts are available spring, summer, and fall - there is a small heater built into the divider wall that does a great job of keeping the place toasty if it's very cold out or if you forget to close your dome at night (warm air rises remember).
Even the beds were sturdy and beautifully constructed. Equipped with mattresses and pillows. It was better than a hotel for me and immaculately clean!
The yurts had a great view of the lake and it was a short walk to the water.
The sun was bright and we fished some before dinner time. Sean caught a nice trout that was hanging out under that log in the water. We threw him back :-) I caught a bunch of goldfish sized bluegill and sean caught a small bass.
My sister helping cook dinner on the campfire - making goofy faces. She drove in from college and met us for a day. Miss you, Skip :-)
Sean pulled over on the side of the road so I could go wandering off and take pictures of these blue flowers. I think they might be some form of Larkspur? I could be wrong..
All in all a great trip! Lots of hanging out, exploring, fishing, taking pictures, and cooking on the campfire.
To give you an update, here are some other things I've crossed off my 101 list!
#1 Shoot a destination wedding completed 4/30/10 (more to come soon)! #30 Back-up ALL the 2009 photos in external hard drive completed 3/31/10 #59 Update the layout of my blog completed 4/6/10 #75 Get a fancy camera strap completed 3/11/10 #90 Get an eye exam completed 3/11/10 #91 Personal goal completed 1/25/10 #95 Go fishing completed 4/24-25/10 we've been fishing quite a bit lately! #99 Put a face to my name on my website completed 2/5/10
Good so far - hopefully I can keep up this pace!
3 Comments added to this post ▣ April
I'm a little late posting April's calendar image - I've been working on updates to the site! As you can see, the blog looks a little different today! We've changed up the layout and added some new features. I have lots to blog about - now that this is done I can cross it off my 101 list!
Finally the leaves are coming out - I love green.
1 Comment added to this post ▣ February
February. This is the next photo on my calendar. The groundhog also saw his shadow so it's 6 more weeks of winter.
If any of you are surprised by that - you are clearly not reading this blog from somewhere in Pennsylvania.
Also THANK YOU for all of the wonderful comments and emails we've received on our engagement! Aside from the 17 comments here, I've gotten over 25 emails of happy thoughts! It's been wonderful :-)
Now we just have to buy a house and plan a wedding. No sweat, right?
2 Comments added to this post ▣ yes
After five years - my best friend asked me what I was doing for the rest of my life. Whatever it is, we'll be doing it together cause we're getting married !! :-) :-)
I feel so lucky :-) 21 Comments added to this post ▣ You gotta have friendsSean and I are packing up and heading out for a quick trip this weekend. So I will be out of email contact and have limited cell phone service until monday - but I'm taking the laptop with me so I keep on trucking. I've been enjoying my January - it's like the summer vacation of wedding photographers. It feels good to be home, to answer emails in a timely fashion, to take apart and reassemble the working parts of my business in a way that is more efficient and neat. Speaking of which - I am in the process of redesigning my website and plan to follow that act with updating all of my printed materials.
It's nice not to be a million photos behind. I've completed 5 albums since christmas and have Anna working on one too. I'm starting another this weekend while we're away and will have all of Megan & Jon's wedding images finished and ready to post when we get back on monday!
I even have time to stop for a coffee with a good old friend now and again :-)
And because everything is better with photos - these are two twin sisters who I've known since high school. At long last everybody is back home again. It's good to catch up :-)
0 Comments added to this post ▣ 101 in 1001
A fresh take on the future.
I've been wanting to make one of these lists for a while now, (they were all the rage a few years ago). I'm late to get on the bandwagon as usual. The beginning of a new year feels like the time to get organized, regroup, plan for the year ahead. I thought 2009 went pretty well for the most part, but now I want to refine. Take what I do and do it better. Be more efficient, be more creative, be more effective, be more aware, be more organized, BE. DO. LIVE. And I want to communicate more and better. So say hello!
Here's how the list works. You come up with 101 goals that you want to accomplish in 1001 days - it can be grand and difficult or something simple. The biggest rule is NO WAFFLING OR BEING WISHY WASHY. Things have to be clearly worded. Vague-ness = being chicken. That's something else I want to do for 2010 - take a page out of Jean Luc Picard's captain's log and boldly go where no one has gone before. Will I accomplish all of these goals? I dunno, some of them are pretty far reaching - but like dreams - looking up keeps you headed in the right direction.
1 0 1 in 1 0 0 1
Start Date: January 6th 2010
End Date: September 12th 2012
And now, because everything is better with pictures - here's some shots from this past summer's fireworks night at Saltsburg Canal Days. That's the old grist mill on the right and the vendors were set up along the old canal walkway.
2 Comments added to this post ▣ 2 0 1 0
Happy New Year everybody!
I actually thought about posting a 'Best of 2009' post for the end of the year. But that feeling only lasted about 37 seconds. I opened my master folder of all the photos I've shot this year and checked the file size. It contained 26,964 photos.
Which roughly averaged means I shot 73 photos per day, or 1 photo every 30 minutes all year long. Actually I thought it would have been more than that.... but I guess when you figure in sleeping and driving with both hands on the wheel it all works out about even.
So what could I show you to represent a year's worth of work? For the first time - this year I've released a 12 month calendar of images I've shot all over Pennsylvania. Cool, huh? :-) I'm proud of it, and when you do sort through 27,000 photos you find a lot of hidden gems.
If anyone would like to purchase a calendar, they are on sale for $28.57 each. They are 12x18" in size and each page features on large and one small color photo. The front cover is a poster size image. I realize this is a little pricier than a kitten calendar you can pick up at the bookstore and I've wracked my brain trying to figure out how to make it cheaper. They cost me $21 each to make, and because it's an odd size and has to be shipped flat the cheapest I can ship it is $5.95 - then you've got that good old sales tax and *poof* we've arrived at $28.57. Every time I say it I have this " wuh wah waaaa " game show loser feeling. But I thought I'd put it out there just in case anyone was interested and might still like to get one.
If you would like to purchase a calendar, please email me at PhotosbyAW@aol.com .
Also - on the first of each month I'll post the calendar photo of each month here on the blog - so without further ado - here is January. Happy 2010 everyone - here's to good health, good friends, and great adventures in the new year!
1 Comment added to this post ▣ 4th of July - pricing changes
This past weekend was the 4th of July - (these photos are from the Canal Days festival which was actually in June - I just didn't have any other fireworkds pictures to go with this post). July 4th marks the peak of summer and the halfway mark to the year. We spent the 4th camping out in the backyard with hamburgers and a big campfire - long live the Staycation :-) The halfway mark of the year is a big milestone for wedding vendors especially. By July 4th you've pretty much booked all the weddings you're going to book for that year and it's tme to look ahead to next year! That means analyzing everything so far and coming up with the refined game plan to start fresh for 2010. I've really wanted to branch out into some new directions for next year and so I've cut back on products and services that nobody ordered - out with the old and in with the new! Such as - Indoor studio style senior and family sessions. The last time someone called me and said I want to take a picture of myself,my child, my senior, my family sitting up straight on the little stool in front of a washy background, looking into the camera and smiling - was 2 years ago. There's been a gradual but dramatic shift in photography and what consumers are looking for. Everyone that calls me is looking for a documentary, photojournalistic, lifestyle, relaxed, FUN session and photos that are REAL.
Praise the lord.
The more traditional roots of photography were kids in patent leather shoes sitting on the box in front of the velvet backdrop in a cramped studio room with the photographer and mom and sometimes grandma and dad too waving the stuffed bunny and begging for a smile - bribing with promses of trips to the toy store, ice cream, you name it. As a parent - you were exhausted by the end and the pictures were usually "hmm that's cute." As the hassle goes on - you start out having your kids photographed twice a year when they're babies and by the time they're in grade school it's once every few years. Everyone knows that old adage about how the oldest child has the biggest photo album, the thickest baby book, the most finished scrapbook pages - and the youngest was lucky if they got pictured with the older siblings. Why? Are we bad parents? NO! Because the thought of dressing and pressing 3 kids and wrestling them into carseats and trying to keep them all awake and happy and not get kool aid on themselves on the way to the portrait studio - followed by trying to keep them quiet and happy in the waiting room - then working your tail off with begging and bunnies - just to get one crooked little half smile - makes your knees quiver and your brow sweat and your skin turn a little green. I know - I've been the bunny waver.
The one thing about those portraits was that it never told a story - the best it did was say "this is what my son/daughter looked like at age 3". There's so much more a photo could tell you, why not seek photography that's more than a sit and smile portrait? Invite your photographer to a day at the park or into your home for a few hours to capture your family in REAL time. You'll have images to look back on that say "this is the shabby green tutu my daughter wore around the house for a whole year when she was three and refused to take it off" or "this is my son hysterical with joy running through the sprinkler water on the lawn" "this was the time they tried to put doll clothes on the cat" "here he is stomping around the kitchen in his dad's boots".
I realize fireworks photos don't have much to do with this post - except that its July 4th-ish.
Other than taking the indoor studio-style sessions of the pricing page, I've also increased my wedding coverage fee - but I've thrown in an incentive! (If you met with me to discuss your wedding before July 4th you are still able to receive the 2009 pricing). Everyone booking a full day of coverage for their wedding will now not only get a free engagement session, but a Rock the Dress session as well. What is that? Have you heard of a Trash the Dress session? It's like that - but with less danger to your wedding gown. I'll talk about it more in a later post. For now - be glad that photography has moved in this direction where professionals are standing by at the ready to make REAL lasting memories of all the little moments that make up life. Call me for a summer session ! I'll bring the bubbles and the sparklers - you just bring yourselves. And maybe some giant slices of watermelon :-)
3 Comments added to this post ▣ Olivia 2010Here it is - the official kick off to 2010 seniors. Now i have to explain something about the way computers and colors work. You may have noticed that the photos posted here look different, maybe not as bright or tinted in some way. Unlike your public service announcement, you may need to adjust your set. Why? I've switched from PC to Mac to improve my workflow and output production. And I'm loving it. The only side effect is that the two generally don't speak the same language. Digital photos are recorded and stamped with a color profile - think of it like a dialect of a language. So that when any display or printer opens it - they read the color profile code and that tells them what colors to show in the image. Now that's all well and good if we could universally decide on what language we were going to speak, but we all know that's a big dream. I can assure that all of images are still glowing with intensity and warm colors in reality - and every product is printed to highest quality. But things here on the blog are going to look a little different to you PC users. If you have access to one - check the same photos out on a Mac and you'll see what I mean. It's like translating a beautiful love song full of emotion and inuendo that was written in english into chinese. You still get the basic idea - but some things get lost in translation. So without further explanation - here's Olivia :-)
I loved her sundress - American Eagle ! She was also very brave and trusting to wander out into the high grass,but I knew it would be worth it!
Livi is such a beautiful girl and a fantastic soccer player - and I think she looks like Jasmine Star for those of you who know who that is (she's a photographer). Best of luck, enjoy senior year, and I'll see you on the soccer field!
0 Comments added to this post ▣ Stephanie '09
**UPDATE** 2 sessions still available for Sunday the 7th at Lingrow Farm - 10 am and 3 pm. And the weather looks GREAT! :-) Call today!
With most high schools graduating this weekend, it's down to the wire to get senior photos done for 2009 graduates. We are also taking appointments for 2010 seniors! The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of seniors trying to check the last high school activity off of their list before stepping out into the future and beyond. This is Stephanie - we met up a few weeks back for photos at her home and some outdoor shots at Fox Chapel Golf Club.
Participating in Orchestra at school, she is very talented and played the piano and the violin for me.
After hanging out at her house, we headed over to the gorgeous grounds at the Fox Chapel Golf Club and took a golf cart for a spin around the green. We were searching for a willow tree which we never did find, but we made do with what we saw along the way. It was very cold though - one of those windy blustery afternoons. Steph was a trooper and SO beautiful! I cannot even tell you how much photoshop prowess I had to use to get all of her stray hairs that were flying everywhere under control in this image. We literally could have flown a kite and lifted off like Mary Poppins.
Here we were workin in with the wind !
Congratulations Steph! Have a great time at Notre Dame in the fall !
1 Comment added to this post ▣ Announcing!
Greetings! We are very happy to announce for the second year in a row - Family Portrait Day at Lingrow Farm! Here are the details and a few images from last year!
THE FINE PRINT * This event is hosted by Photography by Amanda Wilson and we are grateful that Lingrow Farm is allowing us to use their fantastic facility - HOWEVER if you have questions, need directions, or want to book a session please contact ME :-) There are a lot of friendly, hard working, talented folks out at Lingrow who are happy to share the grounds with us but are very busy making sure every wedding and event scheduled there is perfect, so please contact ME with all of your portrait day inquiries ! * This event is WEATHER PERMITTING - if it's raining we'll have to cancel and reschedule for later in the fall. * What to wear/bring? Almost anything! Wear whatever you like - earth tones and jewel tones look the best outside - just keep in mind that we will be outside so dress for the weather and keep in mind that while we're out we are very likely to sit on the ground, play in the grass, etc. As far as props - I want to see some creativity! (No ice sculptures though...) Fun ideas - picnic blanket, football, flowers, matching accessories, sunglasses, hats, fishing poles (no hooks please). I am currently on the hunt for a small sofa or armchair that is a really bright color to borrow and use for outside portraits. * Rules and Regulations - I LOVE KIDS and CRAZY FUN but I want everyone to be safe. The grounds are extensive and there is a lake so please please keep a close watch on your munchkins.
If you're interested, call for an appointment TODAY!
1 Comment added to this post ▣ Jared '09
An idle blog is the sign of good things in the making. Sorry I haven't updated recently, I've been really busy out there shooting! Just when I was about to throw my hands up and say GET ON WITH IT, SPRING. It did. And now there are lots of graduating seniors that need to be photographed and wedding season has kicked off in a BIG way. If you happen to see me out in the world, camera bag on my back, water bottle swinging from my belt, jogging past you with my car keys in my teeth - (possibly trailing a wedding party of 27 behind me) - just know that I would have stopped to say hello if I could remember where I was going. LOL! With 7 weddings this month, 8 senior sessions, 3 engagement sessions, 1 family reunion, and a bunch of other small projects. I'm burning through about 5,000 images a week. My hard drive smells like burnt toast. Or maybe like one of those bug zapper lights.
Anyway - this is Jared! He came out to Saltsburg last week for some rad (yeah i'm that old) senior photos with his guitar. I told him he was very lucky to have a mom that was cool with him letting do his own thing and have his session his way. The sunglasses were AWESOME. If you look closely in the mirrors you might catch a glimpse of Anna - my new assistant and a fantastic addition making us a Dynamic Trio. Keep your eyes peeled for our trifecta of awesomeness coming to a wedding reception near you. (We'll be the ones singing YMCA louder than Uncle Frank.)
The shades are so cool.
I now have a pair of sunglasses just like this.
P.S. Jared plays in a band so I couldn't help but get some rocking out shots.
2 Comments added to this post ▣ Pittsburgh Zoo visits Kiddies KornerKids get to do all the fun stuff. Last month the Pittsburgh Zoo made a visit to Kiddies Korner Nursery School in Apollo and I got to tag along for the day! Two students are selected each week to be the "Stars of the Week" and they get to choose an activity for the whole class. They chose to schedule a "Zoomobile" visit where teachers from the zoo bring the animals and the facts right into your classroom! They read a story about the ways different animals move and acted out the motions. They got to touch an elephant tusk, elephant hair, and wear a shirt made for a gorilla!
Here they are pretending they are clownfish (like Nemo!) who are trying to find food in a sea anemone. They loved the bubbles!
Aside from interactive stories, games, and songs, the zoo sent along three of it's small friends to meet the kids: a chinchilla, a turtle, and a very calm and friendly snake.
The kids decided that the turtle was able to move much faster than they thought she would and that snakes are not slimey after all. However, the definite favorite was the chinchilla which are nearly extinct in the wild.
Here they got to high five a gorilla and compare their hands to his.
It was really a great experience for the kids AND the adults! If you'd like more information about the zoo or would like to schedule a Zoomobile trip for your school or organiztion - check them out at the Pittsburgh Zoo Education Department ! If you'd like more information on Kiddies Korner and how your child can become part of the fun - check them out on the web at www.kkns.net ! Thank you so much for letting me spend the day with your class! 2 Comments added to this post ▣ Westmoreland Museum
Meet the staff of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art! They are proud to be celebrating their 50th anniversary this year and had me come out to visit and take a group photo for their annual publication. They were a great bunch tolerating all of my bad jokes.
I'll have the privilege to spend the evening with them for their annual gala event on May 30th! (Where I will probably subject people to more of my bad jokes). Yikes! 0 Comments added to this post ▣ 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 ▣ Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to all of you! We are truly blessed to have had such a wonderful year with old and new friends! We are proud to consider you all part of our extended family! We hope you have a safe and happy holiday :-)
We will be out of the office from Dec. 18th to the 29th - (with the exception of a wedding on the 27th) then we're doing portraits in the morning and afternoon on the 29th and then officially back to business as usual on friday January 2nd. 1 Comment added to this post ▣ Holiday NEWS!
Important holiday deadline information! If you're ordering photos from your session online, the deadline for christmas delivery is Monday December 15th at 6pm. You must place your order by then and have your payment in the mail. Since the postal service is moving a little slower than normal with all the christmas cards and letters to santa in circulation, please choose Fed Ex delivery to guarantee you'll have it on time. We will be out of the office from December 18th to the 26th, shooting the Mason-Bridges wedding on the 27th and then back to business as usual on the 29th.
This is baby James - we met him last week and did some christmas photos with him and his family for his very first christmas. He makes a pretty cute santa :-)
0 Comments added to this post ▣ Christine '09
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! This blog is so neglected lately it's going to need therapy. In short- I've given up on catching up. It'll happen when it happens. I've been spending my entire life either in front of the computer or behind the camera. We've been blessed to have at least one shooting gig everyday for the past 21 days and are booked every day for the next week including saturdays and sundays. I love the leaves, and I love my job but like incredibly dark chocolate (75% cacao!) too much of a good thing will give you a heart attack. Ok I'm not sure that there's scientific evidence to support death-by-chocolate but I once ate an entire cacao reserve dark chocolate mint bar and experienced mania and palpatations. MMMmmm. :-) I've been kickin in with some pretty awesome folks! Lastnight I spent the evening with the kiski area girls soccer team at their annual banquet celebrating another fantastic season of action shots. It's been five years since I started photographing them and the girls that I saw start as freshmen are now graduating seniors. Yikes. Oldness alert. As far as senior pictures we've met the Hartmans and their kids, braved the rain with Lauren, fought the wind with Marie, felt the onset of fall chilliness with Jess and Taryn, and had great weather for Christine! Christine is an AMAZING defender for the soccer team. We met up in Saltsburg last week for her senior session.
Besides being a student, and an athlete, Christine also participates in competitive archery (targets not bambi) and kicks major butt at it. If any of you saw the 1991 Kevin Costner rendition of Robin Hood, you know exactly what I was thinking going for this shot. And it shows how much I trust her!
I promise I will get back to blogging weddings ASAP, I've been letting the blog slip in favor of spending more time on getting people's proofs to them! I can't wait to tell you all about Kara & Tom, Sami & Josh, Bethany & Chad - and I can't leave out Jaclyn & Dennis's engagement session in which Jaclyn astounded me. She was practically rock climbing in high heels. She could be a charlies angel or a hollywood stunt woman. I was thoroughly impressed. I know the posts have been short lately, but I miss the comments! Say hello! 1 Comment added to this post ▣ out of office
Just a little memo that we are off the grid - flown the coop - got outta Dodge city! I am off to the undisclosed location of peace and tranquility and will not be available by phone or email until Thursday, October 9th. I apologize for any inconveniences - but sometimes right in the middle of the whole darn show you just to need to step back and take a breath. We had a fantastic time with Tom & Kara yesterday and will be spending next weekend with Sami & Josh!
So keep your eyes peeled! (after thursday that is) There's so much to blog about and just not enough time to get it all done. We've been hanging out with Emily, Brittany, Britta, Audrey, Natalie and Zack, Tom and & Kara, and a ton of awesome families! Have a great week!
1 Comment added to this post ▣ change is good
I've been making some changes around here because something BIG is coming. Several big things actually. As you can hear (for those of you with speakers hooked up) the sound no longer plays on the blog page. This is because we are in the verge of *gasp* VIDEO POSTS. Oh yes. I'm starting with this one - because it's never too late to change the world.
The Girl Effect. A non-profit organization investing in girls worldwide. 1 Comment added to this post ▣ Kickin' it papparazzi style
One of the things I love about this job is that you will never ever ever know everything. Just when you think you've got it figured out - ***Squibblybabblybooo!!*** they invent something new. Every new idea or new piece of equipment is just a doorway to more questions and more discoveries. No one really thought about flying until they started working on the first airplane. No one thought about flying into outer space and walking on the moon until they configured the airplane into a space shuttle. Just imagine where we'll be in the future? Weeks and weeks ago I went to Mt. Lebanon for a Shoot N Learn workshop with David Burke . Workshops are what creative professionals call it when we all want to get together and talk about stuff, play with stuff, and brainstorm about stuff. And by stuff I mean: aperture, white balance, screen resolution, digital noise, lightpainting, saturation, pixelization, the 40D, the 50D, the 5D, the D3, the 1DMark3, ISO, USO, USA, the histogram, and the handycam, f1.4 to 22, pocket wizards, magic wands, white lightening, and the Becker Blog.
So for the sake of discussion, we'll call it stuff.
One question I always get asked when I'm out shooting is "how much does your camera cost?" To give you an idea of the expense involved in participating in this business, look at the photo below. The little black 'thing' marked Transceiver that is attached to the top of the camera is roughly the size of an altoids box and costs $188. However, it only works as one of a pair - so that'll be another $188. The camera in the photo was at least $1200. The lens probably around $1400. If you will shift your eyes up to the photo above you'll see us all out in the alley behind David's sweet new studio. We were checking out the "artsy cement garage" - and by artsy we mean - crumbling, grafitti'd, and sprouting weeds. When you're a photographer you have to learn to see the character in all places and spaces. Resourcefullness is key. :-) Back to the cost of stuff - the umbrella on the stand $25ish, the black thingy in the umbrella on top of the stand $450+ for the flash unit, the stand intself maybe $45 to $75, and the little connecting widget that screws the flash onto the stand: $20+ and that's a pretty modest estimate. That's not even including all the batteries, memory cards, card readers, Gigs of memory, and flocks of RAM it takes to make all that stuff work together.
David is an AWESOME dude - I learned some neat time-saving tricks for getting my flash under control. Check out his website at www.davidburkephoto.com
Workshops are also a great way to network and meet new folks. Originally I was stalking around The Knot for their advertising prices and found Heather and loved her work and started blog stalking her. She shot with David at a wedding and talked about him on her blog and so I found his blog and started blog stalking him. Then I went to the last Shoot N Learn before this one and learned information that literally changed my life (do you know everytime you reach for the mouse and click it takes up 3 seconds of your life?). Shortcuts. *MWAH* At this Shoot N Learn I met Sandy and Peter. Peter thought he was being sly but I felt my photo-spidey-sense kick on. Here's the first shot:
Now lets see it TMZ style:
I see you.
We were experimenting with off-camera flash with diffusers under different lighting conditions. Fun stuff. I like this shot I got! I learned new things, practiced old things, and met some great folks! Thanks David for hosting another great event!
0 Comments added to this post ▣ Updates
Thursday morning when I stepped outside to find this guy perched on the tree a few feet from my porch. He likes to hunt the moles burrowing under the front yard. He's been hanging around all week, I hope I see him again.
THANK YOU to everyone who commented on the previous post for Syd and Jake! I spoke to the folks at Kiddies Korner and they told me that the Walk-a-Thon raised about $15,000 for the family! That's FANTASTIC!! If we all do a little, we can do a lot. Lots of catching up to do on this blog - we've been hanging out with Tim & Ashley, Brandi & Frank, Leah & Josh, Christa, Workshops with David Burke, and all the guys at the Bushy Run Battle Reenactment. Watch for new posts!
0 Comments added to this post ▣ small miracles
ATTENTION - YOU CAN HELP.
Meet Sydney, Jake, and Kate. Sydney and Jake are brother and sister and Kate is their cousin (best friend too). Last week I met these kids at their grandparents' house for a relaxed photo session in the grass. Please read this entire post and share it with your friends. These are amazing kids who could use your help. Please read on...
Jake is 5 years old, he is currently battling leukemia. Leukemia is a form of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. His weekly treatments involve painful spinal taps and many pill-form medications. He's exhausted nearly every day and can't enjoy playing outside the way most kids his age do on a daily basis. He will continue his weekly treatments for a whole year and then maintainence treatments for 2 years after that. The survival rate for his age group is 80%.
Sydney is 3 years old. She was born with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). People who suffer from PCD do not have functioning cilia in their lungs. (Anatomy lesson for those who don't remember from high school - your cilia are wavy microscopic hair-like little organs in your lungs that help keep dust, dirt and germs out of your respiratory system.) Most often cilia are damaged or killed by heavy smoking in adults. However, Sydney was born without functioning cilia to begin with. She suffers from frequent infections in her lungs, ears, throat, and sinuses. These constant infections can cause scarring, damage to her ears and sinuses, or even block her airway. Although there is a large spectrum of severity in PCD cases, aggressive treatment and lung transplants in the future will help her live a long and productive life.
This is Jake and Sydney's cousin and best friend, Kate. She is blessed with good health. You might remember her from Renee and Mufutau's wedding. She was one of their flower girls. I can't wait to watch these three kids grow up together :-)
What can you do to help these three amigos?
Sponsored by: Kiddies Korner Nursery School Where? Roaring Run River Trail, Apollo When? Saturday, August 16, 2008 Registration starts at 9:00 AM Walk begins at 10:00 AM Chinese Auction at 12:00 Noon Live Music, Refreshments, Kids’ Activities Event held rain or shine! Why? All tax-deductible donations will ease the financial burden for a family with a 5 year old son battling leukemia and 3 year old daughter diagnosed with a rare lung disease. . Who to Contact? Melissa Whitlinger at 478-4437 or sjwalkathon@yahoo.com For more info (including list of auction items), go to www.roaringrun.org, click their "events" link.
All participants are asked to bring their collected donations in the registration envelope on walk day. These envelopes are available at Kiddies' Korner and all Sprankle's Markets, or one can be mailed to you. Registration starts at 9:00 AM, and the walk begins at 10:00 AM. Participants will enjoy a beautiful walk on the trail, live music, refreshments, and plenty of activities for the kids. The Chinese auction has wonderful prizes, including Steeler tickets, Pirate tickets, and so much more. Auction winners will be announced at 12:00.
For more information, please call Melissa Whitlinger at 478-4437, email sjwalkathon@yahoo.com, or visit www.roaringrun.org and click on their "events" link.
How will donations be spent? Jake & Sydney's family faces a long and difficult road. Your donations will ease some of their burden. Funds will be used to pay for their frequent trips to the hospital, to help recover income lost due to missed days at work. Also to make home improvements such as converting their home to all hard surfaces, and installing special filters on their heating and air systems.
YOU CAN HELP RIGHT NOW! We can't make it to the Walk-a-thon next weekend because we'll be with Leah and Josh shooting their wedding, so we've devised another way to help. For every person who comments on this post between now and midnight August 16th we will make a donation to the family on behalf of each one of you. If you do attend the Walk-a-thon there is a chinese auction where you can bid to win a free photo session and a free 8x10 from us! If you are like us and are unable to attend the walk, you can make a difference right now by commenting on this post and sending it to all of your friends and asking them to comment as well. Just click on the green "comments" link at the bottom left of this post, fill in your email and leave a few words of support for Jake and Sydney and their family. It's that easy.
"One hundred years from now, - Unknown
50 Comments added to this post ▣ one giant leap . . .
Last week was the annual Apollo Moonlanding Festival ! We had a great time ( I was the one sweltering in the Scoobie Doo costume ) ! I have new respect for all the professional sports team mascots out there: the pirate parrot, the penn state lion, smokey the bear, tony the tiger, and all the folks down at disney who spend the entire summer tourist seaon or the sports season trapped inside a faux fur coat. Last year I wore a Clifford the Big Red Dog suit. Maybe for next year we could have a human character? You know, one without fur. Like Hannah Montana, or the Little Mermaid. Everyone wanted their picture with Scoobie and it was really cool to be IN pictures for once. Almost unheard of for photographers. The best part of the whole week was the fireworks display on Friday night. I asked permission to stand on top of the roof at Smart Start Education Center and they were nice enough not only to let me - but they went with me and brought friends! The climb up there was nothing short of a circus act, but the view was worth the risk!
It was SO COOL to be up there looking down on all the people milling around and all the rides lit up. Next to Saltsburg Canal Days, this is my favorite home-towney carnival of the summer!
I saw the Brunermer family from last fall having fun on the rides!
The Johnston's and the Shirley's were out as well! I love running into friends that started out as clients! Aven was enthralled by all the lights and sounds and the people at the carnival!
Aven with his Dad.
If you were there you know how good the food was every night. Funnel cakes, deep fried oreos, pulled pork sandwiches, and sloppy fries. I wish summer lasted 6 months.
0 Comments added to this post ▣ swamped
WOW! What a fantastic week! To sum it up - 3 senior photo shoots, 2 fabulous weddings, and some very exhausted photographers.. Congratulations to Jill & Patrick & Jenny & Collin !! We'll be back and blogging about all the details soon, but for now, we are swamped. And it's awesome :-)
Saw this little guy last week at the park desperately trying to fly. If you're in the area, don't forget the Apollo Moonlanding Festival kicks off tomorrow!
1 Comment added to this post ▣ new blog
Finally! We've joined the real world and managed to get a blog up and running. Thanks to John at Heritage Web Solutions for his patience, creativity, and expertise. Especially patience - I was the typical woman asking him to change colors back and forth and nudge things around. "What if we moved the couch over by the window? Yes, just like that! Well . . . unless we put the couch on that wall and the entertainment center in front of the window. . . No, no I like the couch by the window. What do you think?" I should also thank him for not laughing at me when I wanted things "bluey-purple" or more "purpley". Followed by: "What about red?" I am please to report that our family portrait day at Lingrow Farm was a big success and I'll be posting more images soon!
1 Comment added to this post |
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3614 Rt. 819, Saltsburg, PA 15681 • Phone: 724-875-9809 • Email: PhotosbyAW@aol.com • ©2007. All rights reserved. |
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