Koren & Adam's Wedding, August 24, 2007

Well, as I blog about Koren and Adam's wedding they are enjoying themselves on their holiday in beautiful Italy! They wanted me to go with them to continue with documenting the beginning of their lives together, but I had to decline because I have a wedding this coming Friday that I simply couldn't miss! Next time then... ;-) Wow, it was HOT this past Friday for Koren and Adam's wedding! But everyone were absolute troopers and never complained once about the conditions while we were photographing. Actually, since it was so hot, I kept them indoors for a number of photographs that I created of them at the Airport Holiday Inn, where Koren and Adam prepared and then chose to see each other prior to the ceremony. Koren expressed to me that time for photographs was a priority for her - she had reserved and booked my services two years ago; that's how much she loves my work! - and that the decision for her an Adam to meet and be photographed prior to the ceremony "wasn't really a big deal" because "I see him every day any way." I thought that was a very good point to make as most couples typically live together prior to getting married these days, so the superstitions of the past really don't apply any longer. And they are just that; superstitions and not based on fact. Good thinking Koren, and something others may want to consider if photography is important to you. Think about it, a past superstition was replaced with a new tradition...and it is a really great gift for yourselves: adequate time for the creation of beautiful and memorable images of one of the most important days of your life! I sure hope this catches on! So, after we spent time photographing at the Airport Holiday Inn, we went up the street to Robert Morris University to the gardens where we completed the romantic and wedding party portrait sessions. The gardens there are one of my favorite places to create the romantic photos of my couples! I didn't torture them or the wedding party too long - did I mention that it was just unbelievably hot? So afterwards, we proceeded to the Fez for the ceremony and reception which was so meaningful for everyone that attended. It really was a beautiful day and I had a WONDERFUL time with everyone. Thank you so much, for choosing me as your photographer, for loving my work so much that you made it a priority for your day, and for having me document your precious memories! Here is a slide show of some of the beautiful images I created of and for Koren and Adam. ENJOY!!

Nikki & Chris' Engagement Experience!

Once again, I'm absolutely INSPIRED by the love I get to witness, capture and create from between the couples I have the great fortune to work with, and Nikki and Chris were no exception! I'll be photographing their wedding this coming Friday, August 31, 2007 and they wanted to be photographed together prior to their big day. It was a lot of fun to photograph the Engagement Experience for Nikki and Chris as they were playful, imaginative and adventurous throughout the shoot! They needed very little direction because their love for one another lead them to be naturally demonstrative towards each other - it was GREAT!! And, what was that word I used today Chris..."diache!"...meaning "wow!"? Yes...WOW! You both were beautiful subjects and simply a delight to spend the morning with and to photograph! Thanks for a wonderful morning shoot - I'll see you on Friday and I'm looking forward to creating beautiful images of you on your wedding! Best, Joanne ...oh, yes...enjoy the show...!

Shara & Karl's Wedding, August 11, 2007

Shara & Karl had a gorgeous day for their wedding! Both the ceremony and reception were held at the beautiful Pittsburgh Center for the Arts in Shadyside where the wonderful Joy Sato did her usual fabulous job helping to make the day run smoothly for Shara & Karl - you can see at least one of the many images I captured of Joy in action in the slide show! The outdoor ceremony was stunning and Shara & Karl couldn't have looked happier surrounded by family and friends. It really was a special day for them and I was so happy to be a part of it! Thanks for having me with you; it truly was my pleasure. I captured some tender moments between Shara & Karl with their family and friends, and created some beautiful portraits of Shara & Karl as well. I know everyone is anxious to see a sampling of the hundreds of images I created, so without further adieu...enjoy the slide show! My best, Joanne

Roof-top Shoot!!

Most of you know I'm a fairly busy person, well, this month has been exceptionally busy and it's only August 8th! I coordinated a Roof-top Shoot this month with a few of my most excellent fellow photographers here in Pittsburgh who are members of the Pictage PUG group that I lead on a monthly basis and we had a BLAST! Maria & Brandon are two of my clients - I won't say "former" because once you become my clients, you stay my clients - I want to witness your hair turn gray! As you can see, they are GORGEOUS; typical for my client base, of course...! ;-) Maria has modeled for the Element of Love seminars that Heather Lahtinen and myself offer and we'll be having her back with us on a regular basis. A HUGE 'thank you' and BIG hugs and kisses go out to Maria and Brandon for helping us out. They just celebrated their 1st wedding anniversary and we are giving them a beautiful gift of a book from this shoot when all the images come in! Without them, we'd have a whole lot of landscape photos! You are the BEST, Maria & Brandon! Any way, here are some of the images from the shoot; ENJOY! We started on the roof-top of a parking garage... ...we moved to the street next... ...then we found a great alley... ...a really dark, steamy hot alley... I wasn't kidding when I said it was HOT!! LOL Best, Joanne

International Fine Art Competition Winner!

I am proud to say that one of my Fine Art images won 3rd place HM in an International Fine Art competition through WIPI, Women In Photography International AGAIN! I am thrilled, to say the least! This is the second time I've won in an Art Competition through WIPI so I thought I'd share my winning images with you...they are the top two images in the series of seven images directly below. All the images were photographed at the same location: the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. They are part of a series of abstract architectural images I photographed and titled "Circle Game," and I'm sure you can see why I titled them as such. Let me tell you a bit about this process and these images... One of my first loves of photographing was abstract imagery. I enjoy it so much because it is a quiet, one-on-one experience (just me and my subject) and it challenges me to think and look at my subjects ("things" instead of people) with creative difference. DC is one of my favorite places in this country and it's not because of the politics or that it is our Nation's "hub." It's because the whole place is like a living museum! Everywhere you go around DC proper is interesting, has history and honor attached to it, and is pleasing to the eye. I like it because it is filled with culture, Cultures and a sea of people of many Nationalities, Nations, Races and Colors! It is one of the places I love to go to refuel my art and heart. So, shortly after the NMAI opened, I had to go see it and let me tell you, the experience of seeing the architecture, both outside and inside was a breathtaking experience for me! It replicates and honors all the important aspects of our wonderful Native American Culture and the beauty and peace of the Canyons and their early way of living, and so much more! I instantly fell visually under its spell! My proverbial "hat" goes off to the designers, architects and builders and to all involved in creating such a beautiful space! This series was meant to honor the "Spirit" of this most wonderfully spiritual and beautiful place and of the Native Americans. I do hope you enjoy the series and I'd enjoy your commenting on it as well. My best, as always! Joanne These images are Copyrighted and thus protected by the Federal Copyright Laws. They are not not to be copied or used in any manner or form without my expressed, written permission. To copy or use one/all of these images without my permission is a direct violation of the Copyright Laws for which I will seek legal recourse.

Leah's Floral Artistry at Mike & Bea's Wedding!

Mike and Bea had their family and friends contribute to their wedding day by providing the many beautiful details that made their day so special and beautiful, like the invitations, programs and flowers. It was a great blessing and these gifts were so special and ABSOLUTELY beautiful. Leah, a floral artist and one of Mike's cousins from Toronto Canada did a spectacular job with the flowers! You can contact Leah at her business: Elegance by Tridel Toronto Canada tele: 519.999.0888 email: trideljump@aol.com. Here is a slide show of Leah's floral artistry - the arrangements were truly breathtaking!

EXCITING NEWS!

I've been plugging away all week at all the necessary details involved in getting TWO new websites and a Pro blog ready to be launched!! They could be live as soon as today or tomorrow - I'm so excited! Here is an itsy-bitsy sneak peek of the splash page of the site... I'm going to miss my old site but may be keeping its format for my commercial/advertising and event photography...we'll see; haven't made that decision just yet. I've got to give it a visual once-over to see how that will work. So, with the onset of this exciting news, please feel free to comment here or to send me an email and let me know your thoughts. I'll be anxious to hear what everyone thinks about it! Looking forward to hearing from you! Best, Joanne

Beatrice & Michael, July 21 2007!

Beatrice and Michael...another wonderful love story! Eleven years of togetherness filled with tons of fun, family and friends and wonderful adventures. I'm telling you, these stories of love just keep getting better and better! WOW! It really is an honor to play such an important role in your lives! It was another day of perfection: the couple, the wedding party, the weather, the ceremony and reception sites, the details (made possible by family and friends) and the new Harry Potter book! Did I say Harry Potter? Yes, you read correctly; even Harry Potter's final book made it to the wedding by way of a stop off at Borders before the reception! I spent the day with Beatrice, Michael and their family/friends and we had a blast photographing all over Pittsburgh. Their ceremony was held at Heinz Chapel and the reception was held at Phipps Conservatory; two of Pittsburgh's most beautiful venues! Digby was a peach at Heinz and Bruce was so helpful and kind at Phipps. And, if you haven't been to Phipps to see the Dale Chihuly exhibit, it is definitely worth the trip - it is a must-do experience, both day and night; it is breathtaking. As I said, it was a great day; everything about it was simply perfect! Per usual, I created a ton of beautiful imagery from Beatrice and Michael's wedding, but it wasn't too hard to for me to create such great images because all the best ingredients were there: beautiful and cooperative people willing to have fun and enjoy themselves and beautiful settings. One of the things I liked so much about the images I created was the blue sky with puffy white clouds. The scenery simply put a smile on my face everywhere I looked! I'm so glad you chose me as your photographer Bea & Mike, and I hope you enjoy this brief slide show of your wonderful day! I created so many wonderful images throughout the day that I could barely decide which images to use and probably could have created at least three slide shows from the various images. In the end, I chose to focus on Bea and Mike completely. Enjoy! My best to you, now and always, Joanne

Ashley & Matt's Slide Show...as promised...

...you know, I'm amazed every time I look at the photographs I've created for my couples, be they recent images or weddings from years past; all the emotions; the tears of joy; there is so much meaning in these images from every wedding; so many important people; so many important stories... Each story of love is so beautiful and Ashley and Matt's story was no exception! Nor was the previous wedding (Charity & Mark), nor this past Saturday's (Beatrice & Michael). Honestly; I am so lucky to meet and work with all my couples and their families, then witness these most important stories and capture them for all time! Your love, your story is a gift! A gift that I get to create from. Are we all lucky, or what?! And although these snippet slide shows can't even begin to encompass the breadth of the emotions of the day, they are a wonderful teaser to keep everyone's excitement a bit "at bay" until all the images are released. Ashley and Matt, I hope you enjoy this little show of a few of the important moments and people from your very special day. Enjoy the show! My best, Joanne

Ashley & Matt, July 14, 2007

Wow...what a fun wedding! Who knew...Ashley & Matt have been going out together since they were fourteen and from what I witnessed, they are absolutely as CRAZY IN LOVE with each other as ever and I can only imagine that this is one of those loves to last for all time! How lucky am I to have been the photographer to document their wedding day?! They literally have grown together and their families have been melded together through the history of Ashley & Matt's love. What a beautiful story; what a sweet love. I had an absolutely wonderful time with Ashley, Matt their families and friends all day long. The Wedding Party was a blast; Ashley & Matt's families were so sweet and generous it truly was a perfect day! Thank you Mr. & Mrs. Schueler for taking such good care of me at dinner! Father Dennis, or Father "D" as he is affectionately called, of Christ the Light of the World Church was so much fun but truly delivered a beautiful ceremony for Ashley & Matt - I got some killer shots of him during the ceremony... Before we headed off to the Willow Room in Belle Vernon for the reception, we headed to Zolock Gardens to photograph the bridal party and Ashley & Matt. THE LIGHT WAS EXCEPTIONAL at the gardens and I created some absolutely beautiful imagery for them! Here are a few shots from the gardens... Matt doing just as I asked...giving Ashley that "oh yeah; I'm sexy" look and Ashley giving it right back to him! Then, Ashley alone, looking stunning in that absolutely gorgeous gown of hers from Anne Gregory Bridal Salon! Then, Ashley and Matt lost in each other's love... These two are made for each other! Here is a scene from their first dance... And then a few more of the sexy shots from later that night...I love this one because it is so mysterious... Sexier... Hot... Hotter...how about this one Matt?!!! ...or this one?... And the final one... These are the types of stunning and unique images I love to create and am able to create when working with couples who value my creativity enough to afford me the time to create them in. Ashley & Matt, thank you for loving what I do and for relaxing with me so I could shower you with my creativity. I had a great time with you all day and I can't WAIT for you to see all the images. With fondness to you both and to your families...Joanne

Charity & Mark's Wedding, June 30, 2007

If you recall, in March I posted a "Save the Date" slide show for Charity & Mark. This past weekend was their wedding and it was so special... Everything about the day was touching...the five darling nieces dressed as princesses, the ceremony, which was really one of the sweetest I've observed due to the story of how Charity and Mark's love grew (which was told so cleverly!), Jimmy's participation as the best man for his father and his speech which was so very funny, Charity's father having survived two liver transplants looking as handsome, proud and healthy as could be as he walked Charity down the aisle. It was a completely moving and lovely day and I was so happy to document and create from all that love and emotion! These are the incredibly important little stories, so intricate and so important for me to preserve for my clients. Charity, you were beautiful! Mark, dashing! It was an absolute honor to spend the day with you both and with your families. Thank you for trusting me to perform such an important role! My best to you, now and always. Joanne Enjoy the Slide Show!!!

Hannah & Matt's Wedding, June 16, 2007

Hannah and Matt had a beautiful wedding at the Westmoreland Country Club on June 16th. The day couldn't have been more perfect - blue skies, puffy white clouds, no humidity, a beautiful setting, a great wedding coordinator/florist: Allison McGeary and her team did a FABULOUS job (don't leave home without her!) and Jenny & Marco of Cana Videography recorded the splendor of the day - I can't wait to see the video! I loved the free-style shooting they did. Most of all, there was a whole lot of love from family and friends to surround Hanna and Matt throughout the day! Hannah is so light-hearted and fun-filled but easily became filled with tears of joy as she walked down the path to meet Matt on her dad's arm. I was teary-eyed myself as I was photographing her. And Matt's expression as he saw Hannah for the first time was priceless. I'm not showing those shots in the slide show though - they are too personal. Speaking of personal shots...Matt, there will be a few really special images for you from Hannah when you view them on line! ;-) Here is a little slide show tease from the day... Enjoy!

Kristin & Mark's Wedding, May 19, 2007

I have been having a wonderful time this season photographing my couples and their families and this past weekend was no exception! You will hear me say this again and again...and I do so because I am truly moved at every wedding I witness...the love and warmth that I observe and get to create my beautiful imagery from is simply a gift and I'm always so grateful that I get to do this for all of you. Kristin and Mark's ceremony was held at Heinz Chapel and their reception was held at Fox Chapel Golf Club (412.967.9081) where Joe made sure that everything was done to perfection. Kristin was beautiful dressed in her gown from Anne Gregory that was perfect, for her and Mark looked absolutely handsome as well! And the flowers - WOW! Rachel Check of Hepatica (412.241.3900) did an extraordinary job, and I mean extraordinary! It simply was a spectacular ceremony and reception made possible by the artistry of Hepatica and Joe at Fox Chapel GC. Everyone was so relaxed and seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves throughout the day. It truly was a day filled with warmth and love! Below is a slide show of the images I created from the many wonderful people, places and things throughout the day:

Michele & Chris' Wedding, May 05, 2007

Michele and Chris were married at Heinz Chapel in Oakland and their reception was at the Fox Chapel Golf Club. Their wedding was the first one at Heinz that day and Michele ran a bit late getting to the chapel - I thought Digby was going to go through the roof, but all went well after all and we even made it out of the church with plenty of time before the next wedding. Michele is so sweet and was absolutely stunning in her gown! We had a wonderful time going all over the city to photograph and the end results were spectacular! Here is a little slide show from Michele and Chris' wedding with a few examples of the beautiful imagery I created of them with all the time we spent together that day:

Busy, busy!

Wondering where I have been? Well, I'm wondering when life will ever slow down! Topic #1 that I'll be touching on soon... Any way, I was out of town all last week caring for my mother who had to have major surgery. I'll be blogging on that in the near future too, but needless to say, it was a difficult week. She is recovering nicely and hopefully will continue to but I spent four days with her in the hospital, never leaving her side which in the end I'm glad I did because I saved her life, no kidding; no exaggeration. More to come on that later...topic #2... Where am I now? Well, let's see...back in town last Friday; a 14 hour wedding on Saturday in which I created some spectacular images from...that I've yet to get posted...topic #3...; Sunday was my recovery day and I was preparing for the next event...flew out to Chicago on Monday, where I am currently at a conference and won't return from until Thursday...topic #4! Are we sure that cloning is still outlawed? I could really use another one of me, but perhaps that just might be too much for the world to handle!!! LOL! Or maybe we could request that some of those 48 hour days be standard so we could do all that we need to do! I'm going as fast as I can and will blog soon in detail about all of it, I promise!

Hannah, Matt & Gracie - April 22, 2007

I'll be photographing Hannah and Matt's wedding on June 16th of this year. Last Sunday, after my Saturday wedding, I photographed Hanna, Matt and Gracie, their dog! So, it was kind of an engagement portrait experience coupled with a "family" portrait session! Either way, it was an absolute GREAT time! Hannah and Matt brought "sexy" to the shoot, and I'm not talking about Gracie! Here is a slide show of some of the images I created:

Enjoy! Joanne

Joe & Maria's Wedding, April 21, 2007

Maria and Joe were married at the Calvary Episcopal Church in Shadyside and their reception was at the LeMont on Mount Washington. The day couldn't have been more beautiful! All the rain and cold weather we had previous in the week finally gave way to some of the most bluest, sunny skies I have ever seen on one of our fine Spring days. It infused our surroundings and everyone's mood with complete joy! Nothing like a little sun to make a wedding day spectacular! Maria, Joe, their families and friends couldn't have been sweeter and everyone spent a heart-felt day together celebrating Maria and Joe's love. It was beautiful to witness, capture and create from! Here is a little slide show from Maria and Joe's wedding that allows a brief glimpse into the beauty of the day:

It was a pleasure to be with you! Best, Joanne

Henne Jewelers and things to cherish...

I'm a visual person, as you all know, so consequently I'm always observing the subtle messages I see around me. I love the impact that images have on us and how they inspire us to think, or be, or feel. There are lots of powerful messages in images, whether they are in advertising or in our own family photos. This ad for Henne Jewelers caught my attention when I first saw it months ago. I felt it to be such a powerful message that I've wanted to share my thoughts on how it has inspired and excited me, so I'm finally taking the time to do just that. Before I do, I want you to know that Henne Jewelers is not paying me to endorse them in any way. I'm talking about them because their messages are clear to me. Take a good look at the ad... What do you see? I see a LOT of things... First of all, the message they are conveying is very clear to me through this ad: Henne Jewelers cherishes their clientèle and they want to be your "Jewelers for Life." Well, we share the same philosophy; I want to become your photographer for life! I don't know about you, but this is the type of people I would want to (and do) do business with because they get it! These are good people who have a time-honored service they proudly offer and have been providing as a family to their clientèle for many generations. That is really something! This means they care and they want you to come to them because they will take care of you and the heirlooms you purchase that you will likely pass down through the generations of your own family. In the ad you can get a sense of what those family heirlooms might be: your mother's or grandmother's string of pearls - I've seen many brides beautifully adorned by their grandmother's or mother's jewelery, specifically pearls, which are always lovely pieces for a bride to wear on her wedding day..."something old"...something borrowed, or given... And then, of course, there is the "something new"...the engagement and wedding rings; THE most important symbols that mark the beginning of your joining your lives and the creation of your new family; the family that Henne Jewelers wants to be a part of for all your life. They get it; and you can trust them. It's all right there in that one little ad. Amazing! The first thing that caught my eye in the ad is the photograph of Jack and Nancy Henne on their wedding day in 1966. You know; it is a photograph; I'm a photographer...it was only natural that I was drawn to that element of the ad first. Nancy has on a lovely necklace that I can only guess may have been given to her by Jack or perhaps it was a family heirloom. This one photo represents an important moment in Jack and Nancy's life and adds a personal touch to the ad: these are the people that stand behind their business, carry on the family business and tradition and that want to serve you well. What a great photo! There is one more thing to be "seen" that may be a little more subtly noticed in this ad... "Some Things are Cherished for Generations." Such as Henne Jewelers clientèle, the jewelry they offer, the family business they run and THE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THEIR WEDDING DAY! There you have it; subtle as a brick! I hope that point isn't lost on you, the viewer, and my clientèle too, as you view this most powerful and important ad. Your wedding photography is just as priceless as your jewelry! Quality photography will evoke emotion and will allow you to recall many of the important moments in your life forever, be it on your wedding day, a birthday, on your anniversary or perhaps on a typical day in your life. But, the most important point that I'd like to make here is that after your wedding day has long passed the only thing left to help you recall your memories are your photographs which you will be able to enjoy for many, many years and for many generations to come. In fact, next to jewelry, I don't think I know of any thing (not person) that is more cherished than wedding photos! Honestly! Quality photography by a professional, reputable photographer who cares about their clients and wants to be their photographer throughout their lives (and that statement sums up my philosophy and the type of person I am in a nutshell!) may appear to be expensive but if you look at it as an investment that will last you over the next fifty years, or more, you will understand that it truly is a priceless investment not unlike your jewelry. Hopefully both will be cherished, passed down for generations and enjoyed throughout your lifetime together! So, Henne Jewelers gets it! And they get a big fat A+ for this ad from me because I get it too! My hope is that you will be able to integrate these messages in your own experiences. And my wish is that you will allow me to become your photographer for life; it will be my honor and pleasure and I can assure you that I will cherish your wedding day as much as you do! That is how important you and your photography are to me. And while you are at it, go try on a few rings at Henne Jewelers too! You won't be sorry in either instance. Thanks for indulging me! Love, Joanne

Amani & Patrick's Wedding Slide Show!

Amani & Patrick's wedding was simply wonderful to photograph! There were many images that I enjoyed creating and seeing afterwards that were simply yummy! "Yummy" (or, sometimes I use "delicioso") is a word I typically use to describe an image I absolutely love! It can apply to the type of light present, or movement, or any particular element in an image I've created that inspires and excites me! I'm crazy for what I do, believe me!

It is no secret that I love creating images that have elements of blur in them. Blurring an image helps to add emotion, energy and dimension and helps to make a somewhat "typical" scene interesting. It also allows me to create special and artistic imagery from each wedding for my clients that really help to make their wedding stories special. You have to know when to use this artistic technique though because its interpretation can get lost on the viewer if not timed or used correctly.

A good example of my use of blur can be seen in the slide show where, while Amani was being helped into her dress by her sister and maid of honor, the movement of the taffeta that I captured at that time was one of those "yummy" images I love - it added excitement and anticipation to a scene that happens at every wedding! Another example is the image of Amani & Patrick recessing down the aisle once they were married - there is a TON of energy in this image and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!

Well, I hope you enjoy the anticipation, romance, love and laughter you will see in the show - it was a delight to bring all this joy to everyone!

As promised, click on the photo to enjoy Amani and Patrick's Wedding Slide Show!

Best, Joanne

Amani & Patrick, March 24, 2007

Amani & Patrick had a lovely wedding this past Saturday! Their Ceremony was held at the Sewickley United Methodist Church and their reception was held at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott. This was my first wedding of the 2007 season and I enjoyed every minute of it! It was a perfectly warm Spring day that was made warmer by the love from their closest family and friends. Amani was stunningly beautiful in her gown and her bridesmaids dresses were some of the most stylish I've ever seen and one of my favorite colors: brown! Patrick, the groomsmen and Amani's father wore ties and vests of the same brown color - it was perfect for the season; not too overpowering or bright. I had a wonderful time with everyone and especially enjoyed my time photographing Amani and Patrick alone at the Robert Morris University Gardens. It was a perfect place for us to stop in between the ceremony and reception and happens to be one of my favorite places to photograph brides and grooms! This is a series of romantic images I captured of Amani and Patrick. Enjoy! Amani running to Patrick...Amani almost to Patrick for the kiss...I LOVE this image!!The kiss...More kissing...what else!! I'll be presenting a slide show of Amani and Patrick later in the week, so stay tuned! It was my pleasure to spend the day with you Amani and Patrick! I look forward to creating your beautiful wedding story! Best, Joanne

Save the Date for Mark & Charity: June 30, 2007

Click on the image of Mark & Charity to view their "Save the Date" Slide Show!

Enjoy, Joanne

New Service Offered!

The Save the Date e-Experience is now included in some of the services I offer! CLICK HERE to view it! Or see the previous BLOG entry above for Charity & Mark's Save the Date e-Experience Slide Show! The Save the Date e-Experience is similar to the Engagement Portrait Experience I offer, it's just that now after I've photographed you, I create a beautiful slide show from up to ten of your images that can be presented to family and friends via the listing at my blog and a personal e-mail! It is a great way to let family and friends know how excited you are about your engagement and how much you are looking forward to sharing your wedding day with them! And, it's another piece of my specialty services that help you celebrate your love and upcoming wedding! Enjoy, Joanne

Element of Love Seminar: Maria

As promised, here are more images of Maria from the first Element of Love Seminar...



















This image was made with the natural occurring tungsten lighting in the hallway outside of our seminar room. Notice the background...Maria's natural pose, unbeknown to her, mimicked the piece of art on the wall. I quickly observed this and wanted to incorporate that piece of art within my photograph.

It is important to observe/be aware of and incorporate environmental ELEMENTS that exist around and in the backgrounds of our subjects into the pieces of art we are creating for our clients!



















What an adventurous woman Maria is!! She responded with complete enthusiasm at our request to lie on the sidewalk so we could photograph her!

Some of our participants during a shooting exercise:
One of our main goals was to support, inspire and motivate all the photographers who attended EOL so that after the seminar they could take the information and inspiration they received and carry that energy with them to create some positive changes in the work they are doing. Here is a shot of Heather (on the right of the rail) encouraging and directing some of the participants in a shooting exercise with our model Maria.



And here is yet another shot of Maria from the shooting exercise that I created:




















It was a GREAT day and we are planning another day-long seminar in the near future just on shooting! Stay tuned for more information on the next Element of Love experience!

Best, Joanne

Element of Love; I'll call it a SUCCESS!

Today was the launch of the Element of Love experience! WOW! Did we have fun!

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for such a great day and I was so impressed with everyone's enthusiasm, support and participation. A BIG "thank you" goes out from Heather and myself to Joy Sato of the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts for use of the facility and grounds.

And, to our attendees...I was so impressed with your enthusiasm and all that you shared. It was an honor to spend the day with you and we look forward to continuing to assist you in your efforts to be successful and are excited about building our connections with each other.

Another BIG "thank you" goes out to Maria from everyone! WOW, AGAIN!!! Was she the best model EVER or what?! Maria, you were GREAT! Here is one of the hundreds of fabulous images of Maria I captured during our photo shoot. Maria is one of my brides from 2006; I'm thinking there is another career in the making for her...wink, wink!

I'll be posting more images of Maria in the next couple of days after editing/processing and will be presenting more of my thoughts on the seminar's success as well. And, oh yes...one other person...my good friend and close colleague, Heather Lahtinen. It is a gift to know you and share in this most marvelous journey together with you. But wait! Two more people...Daddy and Karen...we couldn't have done it without your support. WOW Heather, are we fortunate or what?!

More soon...

Pay the love forward!
Joanne

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

Today is the day Love is celebrated! Let's be bold and daring and celebrate love EVERY day instead of just once annually! To everyone, everywhere... I wish that you all experience love today and every day in some small way, be it through family, friends, that special love in your life or an act of loving kindness that you may offer to someone who really needs it. Happiest of Loving days! Pay some love forward! BIG love, Joanne

Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Hepatica Floral Design, Dan & Trina...and me!

One of the things I want to do for the many vendors in Pittsburgh is to sing the praises of those who do a wonderful job for the couples we all work with. That is where this blog entry comes in... The good news is that most everyone I have had the pleasure to work with do a WONDERFUL job at making our clients wedding days special and memorable on each occasion, be it Bridal Salons, Hair Salons, Videographers, DJs, Caterers, Florists and the many beautiful Reception Venues around town. I will be doing my best in the coming months to visually highlight the remarkable professionalism, precision, timing and artistry of the many vendors here in Pittsburgh through the images I have created of the people, places and things that depict their creative work. For those I don't have images of to use in my blog, I will be writing a review. Call me if you'd like to talk about how I can help you promote your work! This blog entry has been created to highlight two special Pittsburgh Wedding Vendors: Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (CFA); a uniquely creative wedding and reception venue where Joy Sato will do her best to make your day perfect! Joy is a DELIGHT to work with and I have known her for many years; she will take good care of you! And, Hepatica Florist (412.241.3900, or hepaticapgh@verizon.net) a uniquely beautiful floral designer who strives for artistic perfection. CLICK HERE to view a slide show from Trina and Dan's wedding from June, 2006 where you will be able to view the beauty created for Trina and Dan by CFA and Hepatica. They did a BEAUTIFUL job! Oh, yes...don't forget...I took the beautiful photos! ;-) I LOVED Trina and Dan's wedding...and love them as well! Their stylishly contemporary personalities came out perfectly through their wardrobe and the many beautiful details they planned for their wedding. Trina's dress was beautiful and she looked gorgeous in it! It was definitely meant for her. That slight, off the shoulder strap denoted her unique and elegant taste that stood apart from all the rest and it fit her like a glove! And Dan couldn't have looked more handsome in his suit (I love it when grooms wear a suit; it is such a fabulous look!). But, he added his own personal(ity) touch to his suit with his stylishly colorful tie and his fun striped socks with the lips on them - nice touch Dan! Really, they did a great job and the wedding was one of my favorites from 2006! I'll be creating another slide show of just Trina and Dan's wedding in the near future. As always, it was a delight to create such beautiful images for everyone! Without further delay, enjoy the show! Joanne

Kelly & Larry, October 27, 2007!

I'm late in posing this, so let me just get this out there... ...after much sorting, reading, deliberating and an unforeseen and untimely delay, the lucky couple who gets to have me photograph their wedding free of charge as a result of the Knot Special Offer is Kelly and Larry who are getting married on October 27, 2007! I am thrilled to be able to do this for you! The hard part...not choosing all of you that participated. Gosh, it really was the hardest decision I've had to make, maybe ever! The couples that participated; the love stories you told; it all was so beautiful that you shared your stories and love with me! All that love is exactly what we should focus on every day. Forget about all that other "bad news" out there. Surround yourself with love and all the special people in your life every day. THAT is what truly is important. Thank you everyone for participating, for sharing your love and your stories, for your interest in my photography and for making the world a better place through your loving ways. It is an honor to have had you participate and to have gotten to know a little bit about you through your stories. For those of you were not the final choice if you'd still like the opportunity to work with me I will be happy to discount my services simply for your participation in this event. Call or email me for further information. I wish all of you the best that life has to offer, now and always. Fondly, Joanne

Down for the Count... :-(

Just a quick FYI... I had a little accident that left me out of commission over the holidays and consequently have returned to a mountain of work that I am slowly chipping away at! I'm all better now, so please bear with me as I move through the process of answering emails and phone calls; I'm going as fast as I can! The Knot Special Update will occur on Friday when the lucky couple will find out who they are!! Thanks for your unwavering devotion! Joanne

ELEMENT OF LOVE !

I am thrilled to announce a new venture with my colleague and close friend, Heather Lahtinen called Element of Love!

CLICK HERE to experience this wonderful opportunity we've created! We couldn't be more excited about sharing this with all of you!

For discerning couples seeking outstanding wedding photographers, Element of Love offers a uniquely special wedding photography experience. You now have the opportunity of having two professional, highly experienced, passionately creative, caring and personable photographers available to photograph your wedding, and Fine Art products you will receive with your experience. You will not find a wedding photography experience quite like ours!

For our fellow photographers, Element of Love is an opportunity where you can tap into our experience and success. Through private consultations, photography seminars and hands-on workshops, we will be offering you an opportunity to draw off of mine and Heather's professional experience where we will assist and guide you into developing your creative, technical and business skills. We believe very strongly in what we have to offer and look forward to helping others develop and achieve their own formula for success! Heather and I have very successful independent photography businesses that have brought us together as supportive colleagues and close friends. We share a passion for photography and when we are together talking about it, it's hard to get a word in edge-wise! Our shooting together started out as supportive and fun but then we quickly recognized that we had this tremendous "chemistry" while we were photographing a wedding - we knew exactly where to be and when to be there while shooting. It was like doing a dance that we both knew the steps to! As our professional relationship grew while photographing together on weddings, it naturally developed into a wonderful friendship. Upon recognizing that we had this great passion for photography/photographing weddings, this knowledge, experience and success, and this wonderful chemistry between us, we decided to combine our efforts to form Element of Love. We hope you will enjoy our new venture and that you will stay tuned for more exciting information on Element of Love in both of our blogs. Please feel free to contact us for further information!

Ciao!

NOTICE on the Knot Special Offer...

I've had some questions come up regarding the Knot Special offer, and also think there may have been a glitch in the emails that are being sent for consideration, so I'm indicating the most current information on the Knot Special below: For INITIAL information on theKnot Special offer feel free to email: theKnotspecial@joannebartone.com If you would like to be considered for the special offer, please send your photos and information for consideration as instructed in the previous blog entry to me at: joanne@joannebartone.com NOTE: The Knot Special offer is a Holiday offer for couples who recently became engaged or have yet to book their wedding photographer. If you are a current client of another photographer's, or a current client of mine and you have already paid either in full or have paid deposits towards your wedding photography, unfortunately you cannot be considered for the offer. If you have previously sent information for consideration to me at theknotspecial@joannebartone.com, PLEASE RESEND IT TO ME AT joanne@joannebartone.com THERE IS NOT MUCH TIME LEFT, SO LET'S GET YOUR INFORMATION IN TO ME ASAP! LOVE, Joanne

DECEMBER 25, 2006: FREE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY!

theKnot Special Emails accepted from December 25, 2006 through January 15, 2007 ONLY , so please hurry and get your information in to me as soon as possible! Happy Holidays! Yes, it is true; I'm going to photograph one lucky couple's wedding in either 2007, or 2008 FOR FREE! I LOVE photographing love! In my opinion, there is nothing more important or powerful in this whole world than love. And, I sincerely enjoy paying love forward by making my clients happy through my photography. The catch...and there is always a catch...is a little thing called "Artistic License" or "Creative Freedom"…and what it really boils down to is TRUST. This is MY dream; allow me to share it with you... I don't want to be limited in the time I have to creatively produce your photographs by venues that know nothing about the creative process of photography. Ever the trend-setter who boldly likes to take the road less traveled, I'd like to begin the process of moving my couple's attitudes, the wedding world (vendors) and wedding photography into the 21st Century by making the most important aspect of your wedding, the photography, THE actual most important element of your wedding! It is not good to try to dictate or control the creative process. It is a creative process after all! I So, long to work with a couple who is adventurous and bold enough to allow their photographer's needs to take precidence so she can be as creative as possible; no restraints or limits. I want you to trust in my ability as an experienced professional photographer and allow me ample time to photograph in the manner in which I feel will yield the most creative and beautiful images possible! I want to do more than just document your day. I want to plan your day together with you then CREATE some really interesting and artistic images as a result of that planning. My being able to do this for you will mean that you will really need to trust me. I'd like this couple to be strong enough to be willing to dictate their wedding day schedule to their venues based upon our plans for the day and that means that you will be willing to see each other prior to the ceremony for a few hours. You'll also need to be more on the "relaxed" side and be willing to be adventurous with me during the shoot as I request you to pose in some interesting locations! I'd like to approach photographing your wedding as a commercial editorial photo shoot. You see, 99.9% of all those great shots you are looking at in bridal magazines are created days and sometimes weeks prior to the actual wedding day (if there really is a wedding at all!) by commercial photographers who typically spend eight hours with models! Hmmmm...I feel another idea coming on here... So, I'm offering you adventurous, contemporary, un-traditional engaged types the opportunity to have some really fabulous photography FOR FREE by working with me in the creative planning of your wedding day photography! Does it sound like fun to you? It does to me! WHAT I WON'T DO: We’ll plan the day so I won’t keep you from your guests, obligations or from your fun. I won't be a dictator or one of those crazy, self-absorbed, inconsiderate photographers we've all heard stories about. I won’t place you in locations where you will get filthy but you may end up with a little something on you that you'll have to brush off. If you are not adventurous this won't be for you. WHAT I / WE WILL DO: I will ask you to be adventurous in our locations/poses, see each other before the ceremony and be creative with me! So, if you are worried about keeping spotless, this will not be for you! I will keep in mind that your ceremony is sacred (no, I will not be lying on the floor between you and the officiant during the ceremony...I have heard the craziest stories!). We WILL have FUN! And as a result of all this fun, you are going to end up with hundreds of BEAUTIFULLY ARTISTIC images from your day...and won't THAT be fabulous?!

If you would like to be considered for this crazy-fun special offer, here is what I will need from you: 1. I'll need your names; that would be you, the bride and groom. 2. Your contact information, including a day-time telephone number and email addresses. 3. The date of your wedding in either 2007 or 2008 - this must be an actual date. 4. The city, state and venue name/location for your church or ceremony and wedding. 5. A RECENT photograph of both of you together - PLEASE make these photos fun, sexy and as creative as you can! 6. Tell me your story: where/when/how you met, how long you've been together, where/when/how you became engaged, what are the things you love about each other (this means our gentlemen must actively participate too!), what have been your successes and challenges since finding each other, etc. Essentially, I want to know your love story! Share only what you feel comfortable sharing and remember that I LOVE love stories! Make it good but try to keep your story limited to one or two (at the very most) 8.5x11 pages. You can send your story in a Microsoft Word document attached to the email you will be submitting to me. This is what you'll receive if chosen: - 100% of my time, attention, enthusiasm and creativity, before, during and after your wedding! - A Photographic Service valued over $4,500 FOR FREE, based on my availability for your date. - This service includes wedding day coverage beginning with bridal preparations and lasting into your reception. - All of your wedding images will be available to you, your family and your friends in a secure on-line gallery with my professional lab, Pictage. - An Archived DVD of your wedding images suitable for you to print photos up to 8x10 in size. - An 8x8 Contemporary Fine Art Wedding Story Book. - A big fat hug and a sincere 'thank you' when we are done with the day and lifetime access to me as your family photographer! This is not a contest. I will make my choice based on your submissions and contact the lucky bride and groom on January 22, 2007! Okay, if you are enthusiastically interested and want to be considered, send your emails with your Word document attachments to me at: joanne@joannebartone.com SUBJECT LINE: the Knot Special, December 2006.

Emails accepted from December 25, 2006 through January 15, 2007 ONLY, so please hurry and get your information in to me as soon as possible! Have fun!

Ending of the 2006 Season!

Can anyone even believe it is December?! Wow! How did THAT happen? 2006 was a special year filled with lots of new beginnings, including some for myself! I simply need to express to all of my wonderful clients from my 2006 Season what a pleasure it was to work so closely with all of you and what a great time I had creating the thousands of beautiful memories for you week after week! Aaaaaaaand, I WAS VOTED ONE OF PITTSBURGH'S TOP PHOTOGRAPHERS! Thank you, thank you, thank you, most sincerely and from the depths of my heart for making my "Season" so bright and my "work" so much fun. You all are THE BEST! You'll hear me say this over and over again...pinch me; I can't believe this is my "job!" What a pure delight it is to do this for all of you. I am so grateful for you, for my work and that I can affect your lives so importantly. I've got a lot of work to do in this "off" season: completing wedding stories, re-designing my website and marketing materials, not to mention that I have a couple of things up my sleeve regarding my work that is coming up in the coming days, weeks and months! So, let me stop rambling on and... ...WISH YOU THE HAPPIEST HOLIDAY SEASON AND ALL THE BEST IN THE NEW YEAR! Joanne

RONNA & RICHARD, November 11, 2006

CLICK HERE to enjoy Ronna and Richard's Wedding Slide Show! I chose to have Ronna and Richard's Slide Show be entirely from their wedding ceremony because it was such a beautiful and profound event. Ronna and Richard's wedding was a sweet way to end my 2006 season. What a delightful couple; it rained and rained and rained all day long for their wedding but Ronna and Richard were so excited that it didn't bother them in the least bit. In fact, I don't think anyone really noticed it, well, with the exception of the photographers, of course! Yes, you read correctly, "photographers." My good friend and colleague, Heather Lahtinen was second-camera with me from preparation through the ceremony - you'll see her weaving her magic in the slide show ;-). My goodness I love it when Heather and I have the opportunity to photograph with each other! Our work is so similar in style and we are so passionate and INSPIRED as we create...but that is another story soon to come in another blog! She is simply a wonderful colleague, friend and photographer. Ronna and Richard's wedding ceremony and reception were held at The Twentieth Century Club in Oakland and once again it was an elegant affair, right down to the heart-shaped sugar cubes that were imported from Italy and adorned the coffee cups! It is always such a pleasure for me to be able to witness and record the planning and details that go into these very special events and the warmth and love that exists between family and friends during the wedding. It never ceases to amaze me how so many people are fortunate to have the love and support of family and friends and I am equally amazed and INSPIRED to be able to witness and record this profound love each time I photograph. What a gift! Ronna and Richard's wedding was brimming with people who loved and cared for one another and it truly was an honor to be in the presence of such wonderful people and energy! Ronna, her maid of Honor Michelle and all three moms were personally pampered by Marty and her staff at the "famous" Jacques Dessange, Paris Hair, Beauty and Wellness Spa in Shadyside where their hair, makeup and nails were adorned to perfection. Marty is a wonderful person and stylist and I recommend her spa highly, as I am a customer of the salon myself. After all that pampering the weather had to be "braved" and it was off to the Inns on Negley where Ronna and Richard prepared for the ceremony. I'll need to find out who created the floral bouquets and arrangements but I can tell you that Ronna's dress (which I was absolutely crazy about!) came from a funky boutique in NYC. I was thrilled that Ronna had the courage and creativity to express her creativity through her gown. What a treat it was for me to photograph it for her. The entire day was simply beautiful and wonderful, as are Ronna, Richard and their families. Thank you so much for having me with you, as always, it was a complete honor.

HEATHER & CHRIS, October 21, 2006

CLICK HERE to enjoy Heather & Chris' Wedding Slide Show! Both the ceremony and the reception was held at The Twentieth Century Club in Oakland and it couldn't have been a more beautiful venue for Heather and Chris' wedding. They had a heck of a time planning for their day initially; so many things seemed to get snaffued with the original site they had planned to use so it seems as if switching to The Twentieth Century Club was meant to happen after all! Michael Jacobs of Blooms Florist was the floral artist extrordinare! The flowers were gorgeous - you did it again Michael - WOW - the perfect touch! CLICK HERE to see a mini slide show of Michael's work and The Twentieth Century Club. And, can we TALK about DJs?!!! Okay, hands down, Jeremy Ganss is phenomenal!! Classy? Absolutely, BUT can this guy spin! And not just spin, but mix and spin and rock the house! Jeremy's technique had people on the dance floor all night! What fun! Check him out - he travels to Pittsburgh to do weddings all the time. So, I'm photographing details prior to the ceremony, details including the cake, and WOW (again) did the cake ever smell delicious! And it tasted as good as its scent! Heavenly looking, smelling and tasting - that's the kind of cake you want for your wedding! Heather will be getting me the name of the cake creator and where she purchased her dress soon so I'll update that information shortly. Congratulations Heather & Chris! You both are so much fun and so easy to work with. It truly was a joy to be with you on your wedding day and I'm so happy I was with you to record all your special memories! You are a beautiful couple in all senses of the word! I'll be in touch soon! You are going to love, love, LOVE the photographs I created for you! The following is an email I received from Heather the day following her wedding. She hadn't even seen any results from my photographing her wedding yet, but this is what she had to say... "Joanne, What can I say? Really, words can't possibly describe how amazing you are. I have not even seen the pictures yet, but I know they are going to be great! My guests asked me this morning how I found you. They said that you were wonderful and that you were moving around getting different shots and that they could not wait to see the photos. You are such a joy to be around and your calm demeanor is exactly what a couple needs on their wedding day. I can't wait to have you photograph our little "pinkies" some day! I am so glad that Chris and I have you to photograph our memories for the rest of our lives. With Love, Heather" When these little "gifts" of personal thanks from my couples come to me I cannot begin to convey what tremendous satisfaction it is for me to know how much happiness I can create for you through my photography. It is such a joy to be able to affect your lives in such an important way. What a gift it is for me to be able to witness your love at the beginning of your lives together!

ANNE & HARRY, October 14, 2006

CLICK HERE to enjoy Anne & Harry's Slide Show!

HEIDI & MARC, October 07, 2006

CLICK HERE to enjoy Heidi & Marc's Slide Show!

KATE & JAY, September 29, 2006

CLICK HERE to enjoy Kate & Jay's Slide Show!

CAROLYN & GEORGE, September 23, 2006

CLICK HERE to enjoy Carolyn & George's Slide Show!

LAURA & ERIC, August 26, 2006

CLICK HERE to enjoy Laura & Eric's Slide Show!

KATE & NICK, August 12, 2006

CLICK HERE to enjoy Kate & Nick's Slide Show!

ERICA & MATT, August 05, 2006

CLICK HERE to enjoy Erica & Matt's Slide Show!

KATHLEEN & COLIN, July 22, 2006

CLICK HERE to enjoy Kathleen & Colin's Slide Show!

JENNIFER & PATRICK, July 08, 2006

CLICK HERE to enjoy Jennifer & Patrick's Slide Show!

MARIA & BRANDON, July 15, 2006

CLICK HERE to enjoy Maria & Brandon's Slide Show! Maria and Brandon couldn't be sweeter as a couple and are absolutely crazy in love with each other - WOW! It was such a joy to capture their love and the love their families have for them and for each other. The whole day was brimming with sheer joy! Maria was stunning in her gown from ANNE GREGORY'S BRIDAL SALON and Brandon couldn't possibly have been more dashing in his tux; his tie was made from material remnants of Maria's dress! NATE SHERER and his crew provided their usual thorough video production services for the ceremony at St. Richard's Church and the reception at the Hyatt, Pittsburgh International.

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!

...and thanks for taking the time to visit! I am so excited to be sharing my work with all of you via my blog! Please bookmark this page and check back on a frequent basis as I'll be posting still images and slide shows from recent weddings and will have other information that I hope you will enjoy. Please check back on a frequent basis and don't forget to share this link with your family and friends! I will continue to update my blog with images and information from my weddings and will also add some of my observations, tips and tidbits! I hope you enjoy my work, my blog and feel free to communicate with me via email or posting comments. Warmest regards, Joanne