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

Jeanene and Joe - Part 2

I've been editing photos from Joe and Jeanene's wedding at The Morning Glory Inn on the South Side of Pittsburgh last Friday and wanted to post a few more to the blog.

There was a lot of laughter both during the ceremony (below) and during the formal session, which took on the tone of a Three Stooges episode!

Jeanene was stunning in her ivory gown. Her sister Melissa helped out as she got ready:

A beautiful bride:

The courtyard at night takes on an intimate glow as the party lights and candles provide illumination:

You'd never know that East Carson St. is just a block away. The atmosphere reminded me of some of the inns my wife and I stayed at during a trip to England.

Joe

Indian Engagement Party

For some reason I thought the engagement party at the Pittsburgh Hilton Garden Inn at Southpointe on Sunday would be a small, low-key affair.

Who knows? Maybe it was because I'd already shot two weddings this weekend and my brain wasn't fully functional.

How wrong I was. This was a huge event with hundreds of guests.

You can always count on two things at Indian weddings and the related events:

1 - There will be a TON of great food.

2 - There will be dancing.

In fact, once the ceremonies are over and the DJ starts spinning the bhangra beats the dance floor is immediately filled to capacity. Everybody is grooving - young, old, in-between.

And, folks, that's the way it should be!

Joe

The groom-to-be gets down with his buddies after the formal ceremony.

The couple exchange rings at the end of the formal engagement ceremony.

A group of ladies gather on stage to sing traditional songs to the couple.

Like I said, these guys know how to have fun.

Outstanding in Her Field

Wow! Two fantastic weddings this weekend.

I'm really lucky to be able to photograph the weddings of such great couples. It is truly inspiring. As the Reverend said at the wedding yesterday (I'll paraphrase): What the world needs more than ever is for people to come together, and what better way to accomplish that than the marriage of two people who love each other.

Armstrong Farms in Saxonburg provided the backdrop and as always owner Kathy Allen came through with a beautiful day.

Thanks Abbe and Dan, best wishes to you on your honeymoon!

I'll be posting photos from both of the weddings this weekend, so check back.

Joe

Jeanene and Joe

I had a great time photographing Jeanene and Joe's wedding at the Morning Glory Inn last evening. I'm leaving soon for another wedding, but wanted to post a quick preview of the fantastic photos from the wedding.

The cake topper that Joe picked out was a huge hit. Joe has red hair, so the Mark Zablow from Yes, We Cater modified it with a kumquat!

Here's the view from behind:

Funny!

Check back in a few days for more photos.

Thanks again, and congratulations Jeanene and Joe!

Joe

Kristin and Justin - Part 3

Here are a few more photos from Kristin and Justin's beautiful wedding:

If your wedding is at Heinz Chapel (click the link for a fascinating wikipedia entry), then you absolutely have got to walk over to the Mellon Institute for photos.

A couple of photos from the reception on the Gateway Clipper- things really got jumping!

GO PENS!!

Thanks again to Kristin and Justin for allowing me to photograph their wedding, and for being such gracious hosts.

Joe

Retouching

I've put together a web page to help clients understand the differences between an image straight out of the camera, a proof that has undergone brightness and color adjustment, and a finished image.

Here's the link: http://web.me.com/joeappel1/Site/Retouching.html

I plan on posting more examples in the future, so bookmark it and check back for some amazing transformations.

Joe

Kristin and Justin, Part 2 - Heinz Chapel

Here are some more photos from Kristin and Justin's wedding last Saturday. The ceremony was at Heinz Chapel, which is one of the most beautiful places in Pittsburgh to have a wedding.

Both the bride and groom went to Pitt, so the Chapel is a special place for them - Kristin even has her name engraved in one of the stones in the walkway between Heinz and the Cathedral of Learning.











Oakland offers lots of possibilities when you're thinking about where to take formal photos. I'm about half way through editing this wedding, and will post some photos from the formals session outside of the Mellon Institute. Be sure to check back for the photos in the next couple of days.

Joe