Farewell

The events over the last few days have been pretty emotional. The entire city of Pittsburgh has mourned the tragic deaths of Officers Eric Kelly, Stephen Mayhle, and Paul Sciullo.

I can't begin to imagine the depths of grief that their families feel. This photo I took of Stephen Mayhle's young daughter Jennifer leaving the memorial at the City-County Building is a photo I hope to never have to take again.



It's a poignant reminder of the risk that police officers assume while protecting our communities.

Joe

The Fog

Funny weather yesterday here in Pittsburgh. It was warm and a little rainy, but the rivers are still a bit cold which made for some interesting fog on the Ohio River. It was fun shooting these scenes because it was almost like I had the city to myself. The only other living thing I encountered was a very nasty-sounding Rottweiler that was guarding the marina in the shot below:


Joe
www.joeappelphotography.com

DJ E-Z Lou

Unless I'm shooting a wedding, I can be found at home most Saturday nights. My nights of pub crawling and dancing in clubs are long gone. Call it a function of having kids, or maybe I'm just getting old - whatever.

A few Saturday evenings ago I was at The Smiling Moose Lounge on the South Side of Pittsburgh to photograph Lou Ortego, a.k.a. DJ E-Z Lou. Instantly I was transported back to the 1980's as Lou spun hits from The Clash, The Cure, and Depeche Mode while kids danced or hung out sipping beer and smoking clove cigarettes.












Here's a link to a slideshow with more images.

So if you're in the mood for a night of dancing and carousing 1980's-style be sure to check out DJ E-Z Lou's show on Saturday nights.

www.joeappelphotography.com

Squirrel Hill Fire

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

Another Album

I liked the design of the last album so much that I got one as a studio sample. This is a 12x12 FinaoONE album with an Armour cover with "Suspicion" leather back and spine.

The photos don't really do the Armour justice, it's a photo printed on metal and it shimmers as you look at it. Way cool.

Give me a call if you'd like to see it and the rest of the albums I offer from Finao and Asuka. Contact info is on my website.









http://www.joeappelphotography.com

For Those About To Rock...

We salute you.

Talk about a dream assignment, I got to photograph AC/DC tonight. The band that provided the soundtrack to my misspent youth.

I was leaning on the stage while I shot these!











http://www.joeappelphotography.com

New Album

I just got an album from Finao for a customer and thought I'd post some quick photos of it. A 14x14 Finao ONE album with SilkTones! cover - I'm really blown away by it.



Here's the spine:


The customer chose the creased print option, so the spreads are an expansive 14" tall by 28" wide.





The leather spine in "Drifter" really compliments the "Lion's Gate" silk brocade. What a super book of memories of this couple's wedding day.

"I see fireworks every time we kiss."

Give the groom Kirk credit, it had to be said. He delivered the line with a straight face, too:-)

PNC Park is far from an ordinary place to get married. But I've got to say that the staff were really helpful, the guests had a lot of fun, and there are many great places to take photos. Especially if there are fireworks!

Now, if the Pirates could only manage a winning season...

Stormy Weather

We've had some pretty strong storms around Pittsburgh lately, and yesterday was no exception.

I was with Vanessa and Warren, with their wedding party in tow, at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts shooting some formals during the cocktail hour of the reception as a heavy storm blew in. With one eye on the front rolling towards us I shot a couple of group photos when we decided it would be best to go indoors.

We were walking into the building when I looked up at the sky and was struck with just how dramatic it looked against the yellow of the building.

Luckily, we had time for a couple of shots before the rain came.