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.