Wedding Photography

Last weekend we had the pleasure of celebrating my lovely sister's beautiful wedding. As the curtain began to drop on the celebration, sitting next to Rob in my bridesmaid's dress, my thoughts turned for a minute towards our wedding shoot the upcoming weekend. I am always working, even when I am not. I am always thinking of our next job.  Rob on the other hand was very much enjoying the groom's homemade peach and apple pie moonshines that were, in Rob's words, the bomb diggity. I took a glance over at our friend David whom was quietly and thoughtfully documenting the children on the dance floor, when I was struck with the thought that we are so very lucky to do what we do as wedding photographers.  

A heartfelt thank you from the bride.

Weddings are such an intimate experience. Most people probably do not think about them that way since we often choose to share our wedding day with hundreds of our closet family members and friends. But it is a day we are not afraid to express raw emotion and share personal experiences and life stories.  As photographers, we document the countless hours of work, many drops of tears, the tremendous outpouring of love, and all of the activity and emotions that go into making a wedding a memorable experience. We are essentially invited to be a part of the family for the day. What an incredible honor. 

Burlap bouquets handmade by the bride's mother and a special ring box.

During my sister's wedding preparations, I made note of a few things to blog about-- items that might be helpful to any bride or groom that might stumble upon our blog.  My first word of advice is to choose a photographer that you trust.  Find someone whose work you honestly enjoy.  Look for comments and feedback from their clients.  Contact the photographer and meet for an in-person consultation.  Find out if you like them and want to work with them.  Never hire a photographer that you have trouble connecting with. They need to earn your trust and confidence. You are not just hiring them to take a few pictures. You are hiring them to capture and preserve the beginning of your new life. 

Congratulations to all of the Newlyweds!

-Erica

Nikki and Dustin's Rockabilly Wedding

Congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs who tied the knot this weekend.

Here's to a rockin' new life together!

Celebrate Our New Website With Us!

Robert and I are very excited to announce our newly redesigned website! Special thanks to all of our wonderful clients who have been a constant source of support and inspiration these past few years, and who continue to help us grow as photographers and friends. The testimonials that we received to include on the website were more spectacular than we could ever dream.

 To celebrate the occasion we will be offering 10% off all bookings made with us during the month of August! This offer is good on all of our packages including family portraits, pet portraits, engagement sessions, wedding packages and senior sessions. Thanks again for all of your love and support!

-Erica and Robert

Days Off Are For The Birds

When we are not busy with a job or other life obligations, we like to relax at home or take a short trip to one of our favorite places in the Pittsburgh area. On this weekend, our niece Michelle stayed with us. We kicked off the weekend with a trip to the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh and the National Aviary. At the Children's Museum, we learned how to use a loom, made stop motion videos, played with Rube Goldberg contraptions, played in the water, and did a few other things before heading to the Aviary for a special appointment.

On the way to the Aviary, we walked past the Allegheny Traditional Academy and noticed three doors with carvings of facial expressions above them. Obviously, we could not pass up a good opportunity for a fun photo. 

Our special appointment at the Aviary was with an African penguin named Tribby. We, along with a handful of other people, hung out with Tribby for about 30 minutes. We learned all about her species and had the opportunity to play with her, pet her, and get our photos taken with her. Word of caution from Robert: She can sense you giving her bunny ears and will bite you-- it does not hurt so might be worth it to you :)

When we asked Michelle what she wanted to do for the weekend, she said, "Take Freddy on adventures." So, on Sunday, we turned Freddy into a super hero (Super Freddy). We made him a cape from an old, red t-shirt and built a cityscape for him to protect and serve. We may have gone a little overboard, but the results are fantastic.

Sugar Gliders

In the world of pets, sugar gliders must rank among the top cutest critters. They are highly sociable, which means that we had the opportunity to photography not just one, but two of them. Meet Jace and Kovu!

We started the shoot in the afternoon. Being nocturnal animals, they were sleeping upon arrival. After waking up, they zipped around the room before being placed in a light box with some colored fuzzy balls to play with.

Even though they had fun with the balls, they were ready for a nap. We peeked in for a few photos while they were napping and lured them out with some sweet snacks. Sugar gliders have loads of energy (even when rudely awoken) and love to climb all over things... including their lovely owner.

We had a blast hanging out with these little guys and look forward to the next opportunity to photograph pets.