New Home for the Blog

Earlier this week I transferred all of the posts in this blog to my new blogsite at joeappelphotography.com. From now on I'll be posting to that site.

The response to this blog has been really tremendous. I can track the number of visitors, etc. and the growth has surprised me.

For this reason, I felt that the direction to go for my web presence was to combine my website with the galleries, pricing info, and client area with my blog. Since I've committed to keeping the content fresh it seemed natural to move in this direction.

With that, I encourage you, dear reader, to bookmark, subscribe, or just make a habit out of visiting my new WordPress blogsite.

If you're a client and are looking for your gallery, it's still there. By clicking the link to Portfolio and Pricing on the menu bar of the new site you'll be taken to the familiar gallery website where you can click on the Clients button.

Thanks again, please continue to read. I welcome your comments and look forward to sharing my photography with you.

Joe

Article from Seattle Bride Magazine

Here's an interesting article from Seattle Bride Magazine. An amateur photographer shot side-by-side with a pro all day at a wedding and compared results.

Joe

Jamie and Gavin II

Jamie and Gavin have just had their first kiss as husband and wife and are recessing down the aisle to the applause and cheers of their friends and family. Gavin is even wiping a tear from his eye. It was a beautiful moment.

Nothing says "I Love You" quite like a face full of birdseed. I prefer bubbles because they gently pop when they alight upon your skin. Rice and birdseed are more like a blast of rocksalt from Granny Clampett's scattergun!

After the pelting was over and the birdseed removed from hair, clothing, and etc., we went to the center square in Monessen for some photos.

It was a lovely day and I was happy to have been there to photograph it.

Joe

Jamie and Gavin

It's been a fun summer. I've said it before, but I'm blessed to have the privilege to photograph the weddings of some terrific couples.

Last Saturday we journeyed to Belle Vernon, Monongahela, and West Newton to photograph the wedding of Jamie and Gavin.

This is Jamie. She's a fun person to be around. You can tell by looking at the picture, can't you?

These are Jamie's friends. They're fun people, too.

I love doing shots of the bride getting ready. It's always an atmosphere of energy and anticipation. A little food, a little wine, and everybody is happy and ready to head to the church (or wherever the ceremony is to be held) for the wedding. Nice.

This photo was taken in the back yard of Jamie's parent's house in Belle Vernon. Who knew that part of Western Pennsylvania looked like the south of France?

Jamie's dad's grapevines are in the background of the photo above. In fact, he made the wine that was served at the reception. It was a very nice personal touch.

I've got some fun posts planned from this wedding. In them I'll talk about the dangers of birdseed and bouquet toss safety;-)

Joe

Jenn and Craig II

My wife and the kids and I just got back from a short vacation. It was great to get away to see some old friends, enjoy some good food, and swim in the ocean. It was very refreshing, so this morning I was eager to continue editing Jenn and Craig's wedding photos from last weekend. There are plenty of wonderful photos, here are a few:

The reception was at the Crowne Plaza Pittsburgh South. The staff was organized and attentive and the food was great (thanks!). It was a nice room that anybody in the South Hills who is looking for a venue ought to consider.

Craig is an avid hunter, so he pulled out the head lamp when he went for Jenn's garter. It made a reappearance later in the evening during the dancing.

I loved the cake topper - a capital G in pink rhinestones.

Not only did the baker do a great job with the cake, but the strawberry tuxedoes and wedding dresses were pretty cool, too.

I'm looking forward to Jamie and Gavin's wedding tomorrow. As always, I'll post some favorites from that wedding as I edit.

Joe

One from yesterday

I'm of the opinion that the location is secondary in importance to the attitude and spirit of the couple when it comes to formal photos. I've taken formals at classic locales such as the Mellon Institute, Mt. Washington, and Phipps Conservatory. Those are great places for photos, but I've also been to miniature golf courses, and yesterday's location - a cemetery.

Jenn and Craig were married in Jefferson Hills and had their reception at the Crowne Plaza in Bethel Park. So we stopped at Jefferson Memorial Cemetery for photos on the way to the reception.

It's a great place with scenic vistas, plenty of trees for shade, and a peaceful atmosphere that you'd expect.

I've photographed wedding formals there before, so I was glad when Jenn and Craig said that they wanted to go to Jefferson Memorial Cemetery. All we needed was some decent weather. Yesterday, it looked like we were probably going to get rained out but we got lucky and the sun kept shining!

Check back for some more photos as I continue to edit this wedding and Nicole and Ryan's from last week.

Joe

www.joeappelphotography.com

Heinz Chapel

I have an affinity for Heinz Memorial Chapel. My wife (she's the Pitt grad) and I were married there. Our wedding was on a Friday evening in October - the same weekend as the University of Pittsburgh's homecoming.

The timing couldn't have been better. Just as we were walking down the aisle at the end of the ceremony, a massive fireworks display for homecoming was set off. We all stood on the stairs of the chapel and took in the light show. Of course, I didn't deny it when asked if we planned the fireworks.

Here are a few photos from Nicole and Ryan's wedding at Heinz on Saturday evening:

Nicole in the dressing room downstairs before the ceremony:

Gothic grandeur in the nave of the chapel:

A photo in the archway on the stairs leading up to the choir loft is a Heinz Chapel classic:

The architecture of the place lends itself to black and white photography:

We had a lot of fun with separate photo sessions for the boys and girls before the ceremony. I'll post some photos from those in the coming days, so check back.

Joe

Walking on a Wire

Nik Wallenda crossed the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh this evening on a wire the diameter of a nickel suspended 200 feet above the water. He made the 1,100-foot trip in 25 minutes.

My family and I watched the event from the deck of the RiverQuest Explorer. It was great to be out on the river to watch Wallenda's death-defying walk. A big thanks to executive director Karl Thomas.

It was a unique event that we'll remember for a long time.

Joe

Playtime

An outdoor wedding can be a lot of fun for kids, especially on a beautiful day.

Amy and Chris had a great idea for their wedding at the Succop Conservancy in Butler County - they brought a couple of big tubs filled with toys for the kids to enjoy on the expansive lawn of the estate.

It's not too often that I get to pull out and dust off my skills as a sports shooter, but the kids were having a great time.

It's a good idea to bring a change of clothes - you don't want to play football in a tuxedo!

That sort of thoughtfulness is an indication of what a kind couple these two are.

Joe

Amy and Chris - Part 2

If you read the last post, then you know that it rained during Amy and Chris' wedding last Saturday. But, if you looked on the bright side (which happened to be the other side of the pavilion) there was a rainbow.

While they were waiting to be announced before dinner, I saw Amy and Chris sharing a quiet moment together:

Amy told me that she and Chris were at an environmental event at the Succop Conservancy last year when she turned to him and said that had a vision of them being married below the willow tree by the pond. Fast forward to June 20, 2009, and her vision became reality. Nice.

Joe

Amy and Chris

There are so many beautiful photos from Amy and Chris' wedding last night, but so far this one taken early in the day is my favorite.

The wedding was at The Succop Conservancy, an old estate near the Butler County Airport that is managed by Butler County Community College. It's just across Rt. 8 from The Mansion, where Mackenzie and Matt's wedding reception was the week before.

The grounds and house provided a fantastic scene for the wedding.

Of course, the weather is always a factor when you're planning a wedding outdoors. At around 8:30 it started raining buckets. Kudos to Amy and Chris for going with the flow (sorry, couldn't resist the pun) and continuing the dancing!

Credit goes to the Conservancy staff for braving the torrential downpour to put down the canvas walls on the pavilion so that the party could continue.

I'll be posting more photos throughout the week as I continue to edit. Thanks again Amy and Chris.

Joe

By request: More Photos from the Engagement Party

Hi Ritambhara!

Here are a few more photos from the engagement party at the Pittsburgh Hilton Garden Inn at Southpointe a couple of weekends ago.

The groom-to-be and his brother:

The bride-to-be arrives:

The couple make an offering of rose petals and cash:

As part of the ceremony, the mother of the groom-to-be gives her future daughter-in-law gold bracelets:

It wouldn't be an engagement party without an embarrassing childhood story delivered by the groom-to-be's brother:

Joe

Mackenzie and Matt - Part 2

I've finished with the proofs of Mackenzie and Matt's wedding from last Saturday. There were a lot of really wonderful images to choose from.

Today I'll post a couple from the ceremony. Later in the week I'll share some more from the reception.

The ceremony was at St. Richard parish in Richland Twp. I've written before about modern churches, and how I'm a traditionalist. But one thing I like about a modern church is that you can usually find an angle to get a view of the bride and groom from the side or front - something that is not often possible with the traditional cruciform layout.

This church posed a challenge with a blue stained glass window directly behind the altar. Added to that, the tungsten lighting that illuminated the front of that altar where all of the action took place, large windows on the side of the church and skylights all really kept me on my toes!

A challenge to be sure, but the combination of the big window with its red and blue sections, and the tungsten spot lights on the couple provided some really vibrant colors when shooting from the side:

Here's a view from the back of the church:

Lighting on the altar of any church isn't a problem when we're doing formal shots because I use flashes to light the scene. That is something that isn't possible during a ceremony, but if you take the scene as a whole there are some pretty interesting ways to interpret it and come up with beautiful pictures that are unique to the particular church.

Joe

Mackenzie and Matt

Here are a few photos from Mackenzie and Matt's wedding last Saturday.

The Mansion, south of Butler, was a great place to take pictures. Look at that room! The couple descended a grand staircase as they were introduced, then went straight into their first dance. A dramatic entrance, to be sure.

The checkerboard marble tile on the floor and the crown moulding in the round room provided some strong graphic elements that I really like in black and white:

Outside in the garden:

On the back patio:

In front of The Mansion:

This place is a photographer's paradise. In addition to the scenes above, there are extensive grounds with mature trees and a well-maintained lawn to photograph in. It also helps to have a terrific couple!

I'll definitely be posting more as I progress through the edit.

Joe

Abbe and Dan Part 2

Editing photos is a great activity on a rainy day. I just finished with Abbe and Dan's wedding from last Saturday.

As you can tell by the large number of photos in this post, there were a lot to choose from.

Abbe gets ready with the help of her sister:

Check out the angler-themed bedroom at Armstrong Farms' Westminster Preserve!:

Wedding crasher!:

Abbe and her dad, Tom, walk "down the aisle":

Cutting the cake:

Abbe and her dad, Tom, during the father/daughter dance:

Thanks again to Kathy Allen for letting us walk through the wheat field:

Check out that sunlight during the golden hour:

The sun sets:

Two outstanding weddings this past weekend. Looks like I'm going to be busy updating the galleries on my website with photos from these weddings.

Joe