Why "Couture?" // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

"POSE PGH is modern, couture portraiture with a fashionable twist."

When looking at my images, it's easy to discern that they're modern and fashionable, but you might be thinking to yourself, "Lexi, what on Earth do you mean by 'couture???' "

Typically, the use of the word "couture" is reserved for clothing. But, couture clothing isn't just any clothing:
It's handmade, tailored to fit an individual. It's a labor of love, as a couture gown can often take hundreds of hours to complete. Couture is admired for its craftsmanship, its attention to detail, and its luxe, beautiful quality.

My favorite quote about couture is from Cristobal Balenciaga:

"A couturier must be an architect for design, a sculptor for shape, a painter for color, a musician for harmony, and a philosopher for temperance." 

When you bring your little ones into POSE PGH for a session, I become your photographic couturier, as I'm using my aesthetic, style, and knowledge to plan a fully-tailored session for each individual family.

There are SO MANY factors I'm considering when planning the session: What colors do your children love that will also look wonderful with their skin tones? What wardrobe colors will complement the background and prop colors? What creative concept can I dream up? How can I create props and/or custom backdrops for that concept? What poses will flatter this child? How can I merge the child's interests with Mom and Dad's style/aesthetic? How can I make it all match their decor to become beautiful wall art? Whew... and the list goes on and on!

The "couture" nature of POSE PGH doesn't stop with planning the session itself, though: I'm making custom music playlists for your time spent at the studio. I'm preparing your child's favorite snacks. I'm hand-making most of the props and backdrops we use. I'm retouching all of your images by hand (no presets or shortcuts).

Backdrop is all painted and ready for some cuties on Sunday! 💙 (I guess this is my "blue period?")

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All of these little details add up to epitomize what I feel is befitting to refer to as  a "couture portrait session," much like a luxurious gown is composed of many, individual tiny hand-sewn sequins.  

I can't wait to meet you and your children and get to work on your custom, couture experience!

Listen to the Music // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

Music is such an essential part of my process, inspiration, and what makes your session at POSE PGH special that I decided to devote a little blog to it today.

I've always felt a deep connection to music. My roots as an artist/writer were in music photojournalism. I spent many of my formative photographic years shooting concerts and interviewing musicians for an online music magazine. Once I transitioned into the commercial side of the industry (and beyond to portraiture), music continued to be an essential fountain of influence and creativity. I will sometimes conceive and envision a full session just from listening to a specific song or album. When I'm retouching, I definitely need the right music to set the mood, and I'll end up artistically retouching differently based on what I'm listening to. Lastly, upon completion, an image will sometimes represent a song for me. I may not have noticed or felt it while I was photographing or retouching it, but afterwards it will shout the perfect lyric to epitomize it. This is why on social media SO many of my images are captioned with song titles or lyrics - to me, they are a fundamental component of the viewing experience.

My personal genre of choice/inspiration is typically mid-60s through early 70s rock and roll, so you'll notice a lot of those lyrics popping up...

He ain't heavy, he's my brother. 💪🏻👶🏻

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You and I travel to the beat of a different drum. 💕

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And, Windy has wings to fly above the clouds...☁️

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✨ Blue jean baby queen ✨

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