Winter Mini Session at Phipps for Andrea D’Alessandro and her large family
Winter Mini sessions in the City.
Andrea D’Alessandro presented me with a special challenge that day: to photograph her extended family of fifteen. They did a great job of dressing in one style and the children were incredibly cooperative, so we had plenty of time to create a few of all family portraits, photos of just the kids, every family individually and even a fun time running around for the little ones.
And of course, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens are gorgeous in any weather and any season, even when the skies look menacing.
Winter Mini Session at Phipps - Mother and Daughter
Winter Mini sessions at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, PA.
Mother and daughter were wearing navy, beige and burgundy colors, perfect with the remaining golden fall foliage in the background. They both looked gorgeous and were incredibly easy to work with.
Winter Mini Session at Phipps for Zach Reed and family
Winter Mini sessions in the City.
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens look gorgeous in any weather and any season, even when the skies are threatening with rain any minute.
Love how Zach’s family played with the earth colors in their outfits. I personally have a weak spot for light dresses combined with cowboy boots. So fitting for winter and just gorgeous!
City Mini Session for Crela Frye and her family
Mini sessions in the City.
Some shoots look better in black and white. Pittsburgh’s signature yellow bridges are spectacular but sometimes you just want to focus on the emotions, not the surroundings and thus black and white perfect.
Winter Mini Session for Victoria Detweiler and her new husband
Winter mini sessions.
Victoria Detweiler booked a session for all her extended family but it was so cold that day that the rest of the siblings chickened out.
I always say that the brave and stoic get it all. Victoria’s session turned into a romantic shoot with her new husband who went along with any idea I came up with on how he could say “I love you” to his young bride in a silent photograph.
I wish all the happiness in the world to this sweet and beautiful couple.
Fall Mini Session for Shannon Brady and her family
Shannon Brady wanted this session to be an 8th birthday present for her elder son. Love how they thought through all the little details of their outfits and how naturally they settled into suggested poses. We got quite a lot of color into the background on that cold November day.
Fall Mini Session for Briana Honrath and her family
It was pure joy photographing Briana’s family: 2.5-year-old daughter Aurora, husband Marc, his mother Pat and two friendly labradoodles Leonardo and Arnold. It was mostly chaotic but also organized, if you know what I mean. They certainly came well-prepared for the shoot and I just love the results of our mutual efforts.
Fall Mini Session for Casey Platt and her family
Casey was looking for family photos with her husband and her two little girls: 2-year-old Ella and baby Olivia. As always with photo sessions involving young children, we went along with the girls’ moods and impulses. Thus having given up on ideal backgrounds or elegant poses, we captured plenty of genuine smiles, hugs and kisses. The images below were Casey’s favorites.
City Break in Savannah, Georgia: October 2021
I’ve always wanted to visit Savannah, in fact since childhood when I read about it in a few books, but when we moved to America, there have always been more famous sights to see: New York City, Grand Canyon, the Niagara Falls, California, Pacific Northwest, the Great Lakes and so on - a very long list of all the beautiful national parks and cities in the US
City Break in Washington DC: October 2021
I finally have time to go through our vacation photos! Here are a few from the city break to Washington, DC, back in October 2021. We just wandered around our favorite spots: the French bakery Paul, the National Mall, and a couple of hidden gardens we keep discovering with every visit.
We visited the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. I think it opened just recently, so we were curious to see what was inside. The Soviet Union/Russian section was really well-represented and we learned something new as we’d hoped. We had a very interesting conversation with one of the volunteers who all but gave us a private tour of the features in the astronaut suit.
And the crown jewel of the Washington, DC, visit was the hockey game at the Capital One Arena. The Washington Capitals played the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Caps lost… at least cameras were allowed and both Dmitry and I clicked away during the pre-game skate and even the game itself.
Family Studio Portraits
“We really liked the pictures, very nice. Thank you.” ~ K.M.
Family Studio Portraits for Ryan, Mason and Keira Scott
“Thank you for the beautiful pictures! I am enjoying them all!! I would love to schedule again outside!” ~ Elise Scott, mother
“Thank you so much for the pictures. They look stunning!” ~ Ryan Scott
A Fall Foliage Family Session for Aizhamal
“I loved the photos - beautiful and natural at the same time.”
~ Aizhamal I.
Mini-Sessions: Casey and her dogs
“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”
~ Roger Caras
Family Mini-Sessions: Jessica, Dan, Max, Luca and Lila
“They are so great! Thanks so much for your beautiful work.”
~ Jessica P.
50th Wedding Anniversary and family photo session for Carol and Mario
Happy 50th wedding anniversary to Carol and Mario! What a wonderful way to celebrate the day with all the children and grandchildren.
10th Wedding Anniversary in Pittsburgh: Stacy and Dae
Stacy and Dae have a special connection with Pittsburgh, so it was only natural that they came over to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary.
We spent an hour capturing their feelings for each other and the city vibes and colors and these were their favorite portraits from our session.
Rebecca’s Family Mini-session
“Beautiful. Thank you so much.”
- Katie G.
Bushra and Saad - wedding portraits
“Thank you they turned out really nice!” ~ Bushra H.
Bushra and Saad, congratulations on your wedding, and best wishes for a happy life together! It’s been an honor to capture your portraits. May the love and devotion you share today grow stronger every year.
Portraits on the go: Artists Palette of Death Valley
I always look forward to using my camera on our trips, and not only to capture the memories of the beautiful places we visit. It’s a great opportunity for practicing quick reaction to a photogenic situation, focusing fast, and choosing your composition before your family loses patience and runs away to the next point of interest.