Check out the current edition magazine Pittsburgh Wedding Essentials which features a few of my photos in an article about fall weddings.
Fall in Pittsburgh is a great time to have a wedding. The trees changing colors can offer a spectacular backdrop and the temperatures are usually a lot more comfortable than the middle of the summer.
Congratulations to Allison and Brennan for having their photos chosen for the article. They did a great job planning and decorating for their wedding. The weather meant that they had to change some plans on the fly, but they handled that so well that I don't think anybody really noticed.
It was such a lovely wedding that I made my own copy of their album (look back 4 posts). Give me a call if you'd like to see it.
http://www.joeappelphotography.com
The Burton Hirsch funeral home caught fire early on Saturday morning. Nobody was inside (no, no corpses either) and by the time the fire department got on scene the fire was too involved and deep in the structure for them to safely go inside to fight it.
So they let the building burn for several hours, making sure that none of the nearby buildings caught fire.
Lots of residents of Squirrel Hill spent time watching the fire. Including these young guys. I saw the hats and the snow and knew that there was a photo. All I had to do was find the right moment and angle.
The blaze finally got to the point where firefighters were able to put it out using aerial ladder trucks.
http://www.joeappelphotography.com
I shot my last wedding of 2008 on Saturday and I'm pretty excited about the images.
You can get four seasons in a single weekend around here and the season du jour was WINTER!!!
Allison and Jeremy were such good sports and really into the idea of being out in the cold and snow for a photo session - poor Allison was rethinking the wisdom of open-toed shoes after a few minutes! They've totally earned their honeymoon in Hawaii.
Springwood is a beautiful setting for a wedding - I've got some shots from a fall wedding in the galleries on the website - and the grounds are just as wonderful when covered in snow.
Inside is quite beautiful, too. The place is decorated for Christmas, so there were lots of strings of lights which give off a really soft quality of light - perfect for a portrait:
Check out the catchlights in their eyes - there's a thousand little dots of light!
What a great way to close out the year. Thanks Allison and Jeremy.
Joe
It's been two weeks since one of the most exciting election nights I've ever covered.In both 2000 and 2008 I was at the IBEW hall on the South Side for the Democratic party election night shindig.What a difference in atmosphere.2000:
2008:
I find it a privilege to be able to document in pictures the day when a couple enters into marriage. Family is the most important thing we've got and a wedding strengthens and enlarges those ties. It's a day filled with emotions and beauty and I approach it with reverence as well as a sense of humor.
My way of working is unobtrusive. After all, it’s your day and you are the center of attention. Couples are often surprised by the many candid moments in their photos given the fact that they really didn’t notice that I was taking their picture.
That's the essence of photojournalism. It's a philosophy and a way of working, not just a style of shooting pictures. I tell clients that once they become used to my presence they'll find that they and their guests will go about their day without being concerned that their photo is being taken. That's when the best "moments" reveal themselves.
As a photojournalist it’s my job to tell the story of your day. From the time you prepare, to the ceremony, and through the reception I’ll be there to capture the memories you will treasure forever. In addition, I’ll work with you to get those important portraits, and photos of the wedding party and your family.
Unlike many photographers who claim to be wedding photojournalists, I am a working photojournalist. I do it every day and have been since 1992. My work appears daily in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and has appeared in many magazines and newspapers including: Rolling Stone, USA Today, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Palm Beach Post, the New York Daily News, the ABA Journal, Highlights, Motorcyclist, Road Racer X, Sport Rider, Super Street Bike, and many others. My photographs have received recognition and awards on the state, local, and national levels.
