Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

November 27, 2020 by Lexi Shapiro in session

I hope that in these strange times you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday! I spent the whole day cooking and sipping wine with my pod, my partner and our three, beautiful kitties (wine was only for us, but don’t worry, turkey was shared with them) and passed out on the couch promptly at 8:30 PM. I have so very much that I am thankful for. We even had a little group text going with myself and all of my cousins, who still usually have our own “kids’ table” at our Thanksgiving gathering despite being in our thirties. It was nice to still be together in a way, even when apart. One of the things that I am most thankful for this year is you, all of you. This was the year that I was able to finally leave my part time job behind and focus exclusively on POSE PGH. You enabled that. I met so many incredible new families, and I am beyond excited for what the future holds for us.

This family, in particular, I feel so blessed to have gotten to work with. This session was my very first one back in the studio after the Covid shutdowns, and I could not have returned on a higher note. Madeline, 13 years old, and Emma, 9 years old, are gorgeous, talented dancers with good hearts and bright personalities. Their dad loves the song “Little Miss Magic” by Jimmy Buffett, and their mama was hoping to conceptually incorporate it into their Editorial Session as a surprise for him. (This song is such a gorgeous tribute from a father to his daughter. Highly recommend giving it a listen.) How fun! I love a good challenge! So, I listened to the song a few times and put on my thinking cap.

The three words that mom chose to describe the session for me were an absolute gift for an artist. Create something unconventional and artistic? Yes, please! I never want to go too literal - I want to feel the song and the lyrics in the images that I create, almost like miniature music video stills. The first lyric that really popped out at me was “She loves to ride into town with the top down, feel that warm breeze on her gentle skin. She is my next of kin.” From this, I envisioned the girls in portraits together bathed in warm, glowy light with their hair blowing in the breeze. Now, to bring in the “magic.” This one had me stumped for a little. How can I physically manifest “magic?” Aha! Glitter! Once that fell into place, it was off to the races for my brain. I immediately saw flashes of images of the girls with their hands covered in glitter, posed gracefully around their faces and leaps with glitter flying in the air (another lyric is “one day she's gonna learn how to fly”). I also wanted to create images of them spreading the glitter/their magic for others. But, these sisters have very different interests and personalities, and I always want to tie that in, too. Madeline is a teenager, now, artistic and into fashion, a fan of the horror genre. Emma is happy-go-lucky, crafty, and loves the outdoors. I wanted to show this duality through a visual yin and yang of sorts, with their magic being the element that connects the two. For Madeline, I wanted to go darker and more mature with a darker gray background and black glitter - a little more “witchy” on the magic scale. I wanted Emma’s to be light and effervescent, bright silver and rainbow glitter on a white background. I also included a final image of their glittery hands united to further emphasize that through their differences, there is a beautiful unity.

We ended up printing these in several different mediums that were perfect for the individual images. The glowy image of the girls together was right at home as an acrylic block portrait. The unified glittery hand image was soft and lovely as a canvas gallery wrap. And, the album we created from the full session is destined to become a sample for my studio, because I love it dearly. I am so, so grateful that I got to work with these Little Magic Misses and their wonderful Mama, and like Jimmy and their dad, I can’t wait to see what they’re “gonna be.”

Three words to describe the session: Artistic, Innovative, Unconventional

(All of my portrait clients choose three words from a list of how they'd like to describe their finished images. You can click on any of the three words at the bottom of this post by the little tag icon to see past sessions that chose the same word. You can also see how different combinations of words leads to the creation of different images.)

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Maelyn's Got the Look // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

POSE PGH

March 28, 2019 by Lexi Shapiro in session

Clients like 9-year old Maelyn and her mama are a reminder to me just how lucky I am. Not only have I been privileged enough to do what I love for a living, but I also get to meet so many amazing children and people that may have never come into my life otherwise. These two ladies have just been such an immense joy to work with and to get to know better.

On top of being ridiculously beautiful, Maelyn has such an incredibly pure heart, and once you get to know her a little bit and she opens up, she is such a feisty, little ball of enthusiasm, energy, and personality. When I arrived at Maelyn’s home for her in-home consultation, I was greeted by both Maelyn and her mama with warm hugs. I’m 1000% a hugger through-and-through, but those usually don’t end up happening until the session and until folks have gotten to know me a bit. But, not these ladies. I was literally welcomed into their home with open arms and it was the best. thing. ever.

I’m all about personalizing a session however I can and as much as I can. Maelyn’s mama is a super talented children’s clothing designer and runs her own online boutique, Avery With Grace. I wanted to ensure that we incorporated some of her lovely clothing into Maelyn’s wardrobe for the session, so I selected both a bright rainbow shirt and an adorable polka dot dress that she had made. Since we were photographing a Comp Card Session, I chose a variety of wardrobe: some dressier, some more casual, and some that was right in the middle. I also opted to photograph the session on a purple backdrop, as it’s Maelyn’s absolute faaaavorite color, and she was ecstatic about it.

Maelyn already has a signature look. Her family calls it “The Maelyn Look.” It’s a hauntingly gorgeous model stare that she can snap into and out of like a little professional. We chose to use an image of this look for her head shot on the front of the comp card, because it’s beyond gorgeous.

Three words to describe the session: Artistic, Innovative, Natural

This is what Maelyn’s finished comp cards looked like. Sweet and vibrant, just like she is.

2017 Ambassador Preview: Sydney + Claire // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

March 06, 2017 by Lexi Shapiro in session, published, ambassador

I knew long before meeting 10-year old Sydney and 3-year old Claire that we were in for a lot of fun together. These girls exude so much life and joy from every image taken of them, and I couldn't WAIT to get them in front of my own camera.

With a seven-year age gap between the sisters, I wanted to ensure that their Editorial session was not only enjoyable for all involved, but also that the concept suited both of them equally. After learning that the girls bond over their love of pretending to be kitty-cats together and that it's a favorite game in their household, I knew that would be a purrrrfect motif!

Shortly before the girls' session, I received a call from a reporter, Anya Sostek, with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She was interested in the unique way in which I photograph children and celebrate what makes them special, and she wanted to come observe a session at the studio. I said "yes," of course, and I chose this session because I just knew that she would have a good time with these two effervescent littles.

The article was featured in print in yesterday's Sunday Magazine.
You can read it online HERE.

Here's a sneak peek of Sydney + Claire's kitty-themed ambassador session!

Three words to describe the session: Fun, Innovative, Sophisticated

Queens for a Day with London + Noelle // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

September 27, 2016 by Lexi Shapiro in session

I was so impressed upon meeting 8-year old London and 4 1/2-year old Noelle. There existed such an obvious mutual adoration and respect between these sweet, bold, sisters who are both wise beyond their years. I wanted to give them a session that highlighted both their beauty and their brains with a slight bohemian vibe to match their personal styles. We selected wardrobe together that encompassed the many facets of their personalities, including a sweet girly look, a flowy bohemian number, and a schoolgirl homage. I developed a book motif for their Editorial Session to celebrate their intelligence, and away we went!

As with all of my sessions, the day is 100% about the kiddos, even down to the music we listen to while we're photographing the session (and, let me tell you, these girls have some great taste and have introduced me to some really fabulous artists, such as George Ezra - go listen to "Budapest"). I always strive for the children I'm working with to have a memorable experience and the BEST. DAY. EVER. It's a day where they can embrace what makes them special, unique, and beautiful.

Little Miss London loved the experience and has revealed herself to be somewhat of a natural model (please note the perfect half-smiles and eye-squinches below). And, Noelle has apparently since been practicing her "no-teeth smile" from Miss Lexi when Mom is taking snapshots of her.

I received this feedback from the girls' mother, Amanda, and my heart practically exploded:

"If you'd like your little to feel like queen for the day, Lexi is your girl.
What fun we've had!"

To borrow a line from one of my favorites: "That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
That's why I do what I do, and approach children's photography so differently from others, with such a focus on the individual child and treating them like royalty. Your kids deserve that treatment and that feeling, and I'm always so, so honored to give it to them.