Pittsburgh Senior Photographer

September 17, 2020 by Lexi Shapiro in session

It has felt beyond incredible to be back in the studio these past few weeks with all of you and your babies. And, no matter how big your babies get, they will ALWAYS be your babies. With that being said, here is the second of two of my pre-COVID session, post-COVID-induced-blur blogs!

I don’t get to photograph “big kids” very often anymore, but when I do, it’s a special treat. I started my career only photographing teens and adults. Believe it or not, I had never even really photographed a child until about 5-6 years ago. So, when I get to photograph someone older, it kind of feels like visiting your hometown after you’ve moved away to a different city.

Mikaela is an incredible young dancer. She came to me to create some images for her that highlighted her dance abilities, but with that fashionable twist I put on things, so that they could help her segue into modeling. I love working with dancers, because they have incredible flexibility and awareness of their bodies, and I love to work with that and mold it into more editorial poses that highlight that without being “dance pictures.” We spent a magical few hours in the studio listening to some of Mikaela’s faves like Prince and Ariana Grande. (Definitely a fun little reprieve from Baby Shark. Hahaha.) I am so proud of what we created and how wonderfully Mikaela posed and slayed it.

To top everything off, Mikaela was just recently signed MMG-NY! So, you know what that means…

SNAPS FOR MIKAELA!!!

Three words to describe the session: Simple, Fun, Stylized

(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 lead to the creation of different images.)

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Monochromatic Magic // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

POSE PGH

September 04, 2020 by Lexi Shapiro in session

Wooooo, boy. 2020. What a year, guys!

This is my first blog post in the green phase (…a sentence that wouldn’t have made any sense to me a year ago). Like a lot of you, I went through a bunch of stages throughout lockdown and the following months. There was the “drinking wine in my pajamas and doing jigsaw puzzles all day” phase. That was followed by the phase where I felt helpless and disconnected, so I did everything I could to be a helper to others and to reach out to people with love and support. Then, there was the phase that I’m still in: the “girrrrl, get your butt in gear” phase. No more wine day-sipping (sad face). No more pajamas all day (double sad face). After losing months of time, I am so excited to be back to doing what I love, even if it means putting on real clothing. Haha. Right before the pandemic hit us hard and we shut everything down, I had two sessions that I love love loved. Unfortunately, they were directly followed by the wine/pajamas/puzzle blur, so I never got around to blogging them. Now that I’m back in the studio and creating a ton of images that I’m excited to start sharing soon, I wanted to be sure to give these sessions their due.

We had such a fun day at the studio with Luca, Michael, and Alessia creating this series of images. Mom’s personal style skews more towards modern/streetwear and she was looking for some simple, classic black and white images to display in her home. That combination made my heart sing when I heard it. I decided to photograph the session on a black background and use some moody lighting to help elevate things and pump up the drama. For the first look, I chose a more casual, streetwear-centered wardrobe, while we got a bit fancy with the second. (I always like to have that variety and range in wardrobe for a session. A lot of times, our first intuition for a portrait session is that we want to get dressed up for the special day ahead. While that photographs beautifully and will make for adorable images, it can take us by surprise just how much we also love and end up gravitating towards images that are photographed in casual looks.) We mixed up the posing with some hard and soft (I’m a sucker for a “serious face” group portrait) and included some sweet poses to better show their adorable bonds as siblings.

I was so SO impressed with just how well these three kiddos took direction. Luca instantly understood everything I asked of him and nailed every pose. Alessia is so young and precious, but listened like a little adult and did amazingly. I was most blown away by Michael - what a ham! A lot of the time, the fellas won’t be as “into” the portrait session as the ladies, but Michael couldn’t get enough. HE directed ME and had multiple important wardrobe pieces that he wanted to be sure he was photographed wearing.

This one left me craving more black and white sessions. If you want some beautiful black and white portraits of your babes on your wall, please get in touch!

Three words to describe the session: Simple, Classic, Stylized

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Maggie is 100% Adorable // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

POSE PGH

September 24, 2019 by Lexi Shapiro in session

I love donating portrait packages to auctions that benefit charities and other good causes. For the past several years, this has included an annual donation to Gemini Children’s Theater’s Royal Ball, which supports their ability to provide performing arts opportunities to children and their families in Pittsburgh. Fostering children’s passions and arts education is SO important. I’ve loved the art of photography ever since I was teeny tiny, and I’m so fortunate that I was surrounded with the support and resources to follow that passion.

This year, my tiny client via this auction win was (newly) 2-year old Magnolia, or Maggie for short. Maggie’s mom was just about to have a younger sibling (how exciting!), so this portrait session was this cutie’s last hurrah as an only child and a fun, special day for her to remember. Because of this, I decided that we would photograph the session on a bright pink background, her favorite color. Maggie is utterly full of personality, impish and upbeat, but simultaneously sweet and gentle. She also likes some pretty rad music, such as Lizzo, Brandi Carlile, and Paul Simon. Coming from a family that loves and plays music, Maggie also enjoys playing all of the various musical instruments in her house.

I have SO enjoyed getting to know this lovely family, and I can’t wait to watch Miss Maggie grow up. A couple of days after I delivered their prints, Mom delivered a healthy, beautiful baby girl. So, a HUGE “congratulations” to all of them, including Maggie, who is going to be a fabulous big sister!

Three words to describe the session: Cute, Simple, Fun

True Blue // Pittsburgh Family Photographer

POSE PGH

May 24, 2019 by Lexi Shapiro in session

This session was for another wonderful family that came my way courtesy of a charitable auction donation. I truly treasure the ability to give back to the city that has given me so much however I can, and donating my services to charity through auction packages is a fabulous way to do so and to meet so many new, fabulous people.

Little Annie, 3 1/2 years old at the time of our session, was a bundle of energy and cuteness. She picked out her favorite green princess dress to wear for her images, and danced and twirled the time away. Annie has gorgeous blue eyes, and I love that I was able to capture her literal “wide-eyed innocence” in her solo portrait. Baby Charlotte had the most adorable little smile, and you could really see the beautiful bond between the sisters during our time spent together. Charlotte definitely admired Annie and wanted to keep up with her, while Annie clearly adored Charlotte and was a loving big sister, holding her hand, guiding her, and snuggling her tightly. Mom and Dad mentioned potentially stepping in for a family image, and you knoooow my thoughts on this: DO IT! So, we created a lovely family image, as well.

As per usual, I aimed to match the family’s decor. Their family room is filled with darker blue tones and off-white. In order to create images that would still pop a little bit on their walls, I photographed the session with more contrasty, bright lighting and a white backdrop, but pulled everything back in post-production to be warmer and softer. When choosing the wardrobe, particularly for their group image, I chose tones of blue and gray, with a color pop of dusty pink for the baby. I love the harmony of how the colors all mingle so nicely.

Three words to describe the session: Simple, Classic, Sweet

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The Muppet Show, Starring... Koraleigh! // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

POSE PGH

December 21, 2018 by Lexi Shapiro in session

One of the best parts of being a photographer is really getting to know the families that I work with, building a relationship with them, and watching the kiddos grow up and the families grow in number. I had the honor of photographing Kellan for his first birthday last year, and now, it was his little sister, Koraleigh’s turn for her 1-year portrait session.

This Mama comes up with the MOST FUN birthday party themes that really get my creative juices flowing. When she told me that Kora’s party theme was going to be classic 70s Muppet Show, I was over the moon and instantly started brainstorming as to how to incorporate that in a modern, sophisticated way. The first thing that came to my mind was the “Mahna Mahna” song and The Snowths, so I decided to make them out of paper and put the baby right in between them to recreate the skit. And, of course, the most iconic imagery from The Muppet Show is Kermit doing his opening monologue on stage, in front of the luxe, red curtain. I snagged some gorgeous velvet fabric to make a tiny version for Kora to sit in front of, and we put her in fuzzy, green pants. (I shifted the color of them to be more “Kermit green” while retouching the images.) It was as if she knew her role, and while I was photographing this set, she kept doing her “SO BIG” arms, and it looked like she was most definitely hosting the show and excitedly introducing a guest.

I’m so grateful for the relationship that I’ve built with this family, and I cannot wait for the next party theme and creative challenge!!!

Three words to describe the session: Cute, Simple, Colorful

(We left this one in, because it was just too funny + adorable!)

Red, White , and Blue with Sam + Claudia // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

POSE PGH

December 27, 2017 by Lexi Shapiro in session

I want to start this one off by saying that I hope you all had the most wonderful holiday, whether that was Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Festivus - whatever. I hope that it was fabulous and that you got to spend some quality time with your loved ones eating way too much food! I have unfortunately been pretty sick for the past few weeks and fell behind on a bunch, including my blogging, so I'll be playing catch-up a bit. I felt this session was the perfect one to share heading into the New Year - pretty lights, shimmery party outfits, and joyful, little giggles!

I was totally overwhelmed by just how adorable Sam, 2 1/2, and Claudia, 1, were when I first met them at their gorgeous home. Respectively post- and pre-nap, they were personable, curious, and a joy to be around. I knew that we would have a wonderful session together.

In their questionnaire, Mom told me that creativity was "welcomed and encouraged," which is totally music to a photographer's ears! I decided to take this opportunity to play around with some more creative lighting for a portion of the session, incorporating some vibrant colors (for vibrant kiddos!) and playing around with motion blur. In order to also keep the session simple + sophisticated, I photographed the kids in classic white tee/denim outfits on the black backdrop for a sleek, editorial feel. We kept blue as the thematically dominant color throughout in order to match the gray/blue color scheme of the family's home and unify the three different sets of the session. Lastly, we got to incorporate the blankets that the babes sleep with - their most cherished, fuzzy possessions! (Whenever possible, I jump at photographing little ones with their favorite stuffed animals + loveys. Those images tend to hold such sentimental value with time.) Keep your eyes peeled for the first image, where Sam is making the most hilarious "model face." It cracks me up every time that I see it.

We had the super colorful images from the first set printed on metallic photo paper as wall art for their home and HOLYYY COW, I loved them SO much! The colors absolutely jumped and danced off of the paper. I'll be sure to share a look at these on social media soon - I just had to print a few samples for myself from this session, too!

Three words to describe the session: Simple, Artistic, Sophisticated

K is for Kellan // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

April 12, 2017 by Lexi Shapiro in session

I LOVE when I get to photograph the littlest of the little, and Kellan's one-year session was no exception! Sir Kellan was having a classic Disney Robin Hood-themed first birthday shindig, so we planned out some imagery and props that would match the theme and could be displayed at his party. (Mom made and styled the props, and did such a wonderful job!) I love the aesthetic of photographing white-on-white, and I knew that doing so would really emphasize his beautiful brown eyes and adorable little rolls. Then, when we added in the more colorful wardrobe and props, it really made everything *POP*.

It's funny how a child's unique personality shines through, even at such a young age. Kellan is very serious little man, but I did manage to capture some smiles and giggles, too. (He definitely has his "Blue Steel" face perfected, though. Watch out, ladies!) And, like most almost-one-year-olds, everythinggg goes into the mouth for a trial run, including the lovely, and apparently delicious, orange "K" prop Mom picked up for the session. It couldn't have gotten any cuter!

Three words to describe the session: Cute, Simple, Colorful

Paint it Blue with Rodolfo + Mariana // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

February 15, 2017 by Lexi Shapiro in session

When I first met 9-year old Rodolfo and 7-year old Mariana, I was struck with just how spirited and independent they both were. Like most brothers and sisters, while they are similar in many ways, their differences abound. Rodolfo loves sports, particularly football and soccer, and has a penchant for superheroes and Star Wars. Mariana is the exact opposite: if it involves dance, American Girls, or princesses - count her in! I really wanted to ensure the Editorial session was customized to suit both of their individual personalities and was fun for everyone. I focused a great deal on posing with this session to do so: Rodolfo was my handsome Ralph Lauren model, photographed mostly from a lower angle to make him appear more elevated and dignified. Mariana was an adorable princess for the day, fan in her hair, twirling, posed to emphasize her joyful energy. I knew that going with a mostly blue color palette would be mutually pleasing and I was inspired by the fact that Dad works with paint to create a fun, Jackson Pollock-esque custom paint splatter backdrop. I had such a wonderful time working with these great kids, and I even got to brush up a bit on my (minimal) Spanish:
Mariana es preciosa y Rodolfo es gracioso!
Muchos gracias por venir a verme!
(How'd I do? Was that way off? Haha.)

Three words to describe the session: Modern, Artistic, Simple

Light It Up Blue Christmas (Kristina + Carly) // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

December 19, 2016 by Lexi Shapiro in session

While I'm incredibly grateful for every client, sometimes an inquiry comes in that just makes me feel especially honored that THIS family wants ME to be the photographer to capture their special memories for them. This was most definitely the case with Kristina and Carly's family.

Carly is an uncommonly independent 9-year old girl. While she may be shy at first, once you get to know her, you see her fun, bubbly side (she has some excellent dance moves), and conversing with this girl is like talking with an old soul. Carly is patient, nurturing, and an amazing sister. Kristina, at 12-years old, is the big sister. A lover of music, she is gentle, warm, and full of life - enviable qualities for anyone. Kristina also has severe autism. While this, of course, changes the dynamic of the sisterly bond and family, this absolutely does not define them. In this family, I see such an abundance of love and positivity in the face of adversity. These girls both inspire me in their own way, and I feel truly blessed to have met them.
(Light It Up Blue is the annual campaign by Autism Speaks for autism awareness.)

Based on the three words that Mom selected and the color scheme/decor of their home, I wanted the images to have an almost Calvin Klein, classic feel to them. But, I also wanted to inject some fun, and I won't lie - I was a little nervous about this session. I hold myself to such a high standard, and I wanted to ensure that these girls, this family, received the same experience that everyone does, that everyone enjoyed themselves, and that they left with an abundance of beautiful images to cherish. In hindsight, my concerns were obviously for nothing. We had a wonderful time together, playing with snow for our wintery theme, singing songs, and making memories. (I may or may not still be finding pieces of snow around my studio.) We even managed to grab a quick image in front of my record wall backdrop for them to use for their annual charity walk to raise money for autism. I'm so glad that Kristi's Rockers will have this image for their event this year. Rock on, guys.

The icing on the cake of this experience for me was coming home one day to find this email:

Lexi,
I just want to thank you for an amazing experience for my girls! You were so kind and patient working with Kristi and I'm so happy I didn't let my fears stop me from booking the session. I know Kristi isn't the easiest client, but you made it so relaxed and comfortable for all of us.

And for Carly...she often takes the back seat to Kristi's special needs, but you managed to give her the day she needed. She had a fabulous time and loved every minute of bringing out her inner super model! The details from the snacks, music, and the relaxed studio were perfect.

We will cherish the day and the photos forever!

Michele, Kristi and Carly

Before I start to tear up again, I'll get to the images...

Three words to describe the session: Simple, Pretty, Classic

Flying High with Pilar + Leo // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

July 12, 2016 by Lexi Shapiro

For those that haven't come to POSE PGH for a session before and are unfamiliar with how things work, I'd like to share a bit with you. Our focus is always on the individual child/family. We don't want things to be cookie-cutter and formulaic. The whole point of portraiture is photographing a person in a way that encapsulates them and their personality in the images. We firmly believe in giving you a custom session that fits you and your children. Each booking begins with a questionnaire that helps us get to know you better. We take your answers and develop a creative vision for the session: What colors are your decor? What personality traits or interests do you want to highlight? What sort of imagery are you drawn to?

My favorite question that I find most revealing in the questionnaire is "What three words would you like to describe your finished photographs?" (Don't worry - it's multiple choice!) Moving forward, I'll be including those three words in my posts about individual sessions, to help you better *feel* the session, rather than just "see" it.

Pilar is an outgoing, spunky 6-year old with a flair for the dramatic arts, who can absolutely dance circles around me. Leo is an adorable, silly 4-year old with a love of planes, who makes some of the greatest facial expressions I've ever seen. This brother-sister duo was such a joy to work with during their Editorial Session. (We'll be rolling out the "Editorial Session" and providing you with details soon!)