Morgan is the Sweetest! // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

The old nursery rhyme that girls are made of "sugar, spice, and everything nice" was most definitely written about Morgan. This little one holds such a special place in our hearts after her session. She is so genuinely sweet and effervescent and we loved spending time with her!

Morgan is your average little girl in many ways: she loves singing, dancing, and princesses. And, don't get her started on Sidney Crosby! However, Morgan is unique and special in many, many more. She has an incredibly creative imagination and warm, pure soul. (She told Miss Lisa and I that we were her new girlfriends and that we would all go on a friend date to Target together soon - I just might hold her to that!) Morgan is also an incredibly strong girl. She was born with developmental delays and overcame everything to become a charming, independent, gorgeous young lady. She even has a yearly lemonade stand to help raise money for The Early Learning Institute and give back - what a HUGE heart this kiddo has!

I wanted Morgan's images to be very soft and pretty, creating a "princess vibe" through wardrobe, color palette, and retouching without being overly literal. I wanted her to feel and to look like a million bucks, and a fan blowing that lovely long, blonde hair around was the perfect addition. As you can see from the images, we had a day full of laughter and smiles, and looking at them takes me right back. I didn't realize when I selected that cupcake shirt from her wardrobe that it would be quite so fitting to her personality and the day we had together. Morgan is, undoubtedly, the sweetest.

Three words to describe the session: Cute, Whimsical, Pretty

(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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Movie Night with The Weiss Family // Pittsburgh Family Photographer

While I very much enjoy meeting new families and clients, there is also a special place in my heart for getting the opportunity to photograph friends and folks that I've known for a while. I met Leigh-Anne 8 or so years ago through a networking group when I was just starting to find my feet as an artist (I was still freelancing on the fashion/commercial side of the industry at the time). She has been a ray of positivity in my life ever since. She and her husband, Dave, own Airheads Balloon Art, a company that I've had the pleasure of collaborating with on some of my most memorable and standout portrait sessions: the AMAZING balloon rainbow, the adorable, oversized balloon dogs - all the work of these folks. They really know how to make an event special and how to bring your vision to life, and I was so excited to finally have the opportunity to return the favor a bit.

Finally meeting their children and getting to photograph them, as well, was such a trip. DJ, 13 years old, enjoys sports like most tween boys, but is also the epitome of a comedian/"class clown." His personality, jokes, and the faces he'd make had us in stitches. (You can see one such example below in his "football catch" image. It's difficult to hold your camera when you have tears of laughter welling up in your eyes.) Cat, 11 years old, has this sarcastic wit to her that is equally hysterical. She's currently in the middle of a "unicorn phase," and was sure to wear her snazziest unicorn shirt and horn. We also wanted to capture some images of her vibrant, eclectic style and disposition through some shots of her jumping and shakin' it. The family recently adopted a gorgeous rescue pup they named Noodles through Steel City Greyhounds. Noodles has become such a joyful addition to the family, so I insisted that Noodles be included and come to the studio, too.

One of the activities that the family really enjoys is staying home and having movie night together. As soon as I found this out, I was super inspired and knew that we could have a lot of fun and make some great images by recreating movie night in the studio. Leigh-Anne nailed the wardrobe, getting matching pajamas for the whole family (including a bandana for Noodles!), and I set up my lighting to mimic the glow of a television set. The session culminated in a popcorn fight for the ages - we all smelled buttery and delicious for the rest of the day.

I hope you enjoy these images as much as we did creating them!

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

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Over the Rainbow with Gianna + Arianna + Isabella // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

I am so incredibly fortunate that I get to work with kiddos as precious and loving as Gianna, Arianna, and Isabella. From the moment I walked into their house for their consultation, these little ones made me feel like I was their new best friend, and I couldn't get enough of their personalities or their hugs (my favorite!). Gianna, 7, was a miniature professional. She spent the whole session popping into her own poses and making us laugh hysterically. She's a spitfire and a comedian. Arianna, while on the shy side, is incredibly sweet. She is thoughtful, considerate, and, dare I say, "detail-oriented" at 6 years old? (She insisted that we be able to see her beautiful pink shoes in her images, and adjusted her dress accordingly.) Isabella, the baby of the family at 3 years old, is the most affectionate, snuggly little lady, with a twinkle in her eye and just a touch of mischievousness. 

On my "getting to know you" questionnaire, every client chooses three words that they would like to describe their finished images. After reading mom's selections of "artistic, whimsical, and colorful," and seeing the colorful decor in their home, I knew that this would be the PERFECT session to bring to life my vision of a super vibrant rain + rainbow-themed spring session. Of course, I enlisted my good friends at Airheads Balloon Art to work their magic and create this seriously awe-inspiring 7-foot balloon rainbow. It made for such a magical day for both the girls and myself!

A portrait session at POSE PGH is all about creating statement pieces and works of art for your home. Check out this gorgeous image wall that the girls' mama created with her prints! (She was kind enough to send me a snapshot.) The white frames perfectly offset the rich, luster prints and the darker brick wall. I am so pleased to see it all come together so beautifully, from a vision in my head all the way to cherished artwork.

On to the images!...

Three words to describe the session: Artistic, Whimsical, Colorful

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2017 Ambassador Preview: Coleton + Hadlee // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

Choosing Coleton + Hadlee to represent POSE PGH as 2017 ambassadors was pretty much a no-brainer. Not only are these kiddos GORGEOUS, but they are also full of personality (and full of energy, as I'd come to find ;) ). Coleton is a very athletic 5-year old and plays many sports. Mom told me that Coleton has "a smile that lights up the room," and I couldn't agree more - it was seriously contagious, made more adorable by his missing teeth! Hadlee, age 3, gentle and sweet, is a tiny fashionista who even has her own signature style, and she will seldom be seen without a matching bow in her hair. (The bigger, the better.)

Mom owns a dance studio (check it out here) and these kids loooove to dance, so I decided that we'd spend the session celebrating that. We paid homage to many classic dance scenes in cinema (below, you'll see Singin' in the Rain and Risky Business) and I created a custom dance step backdrop for some more freestyle shaking-of-groove-things. I finished the images off with a light vintage toning to match the color palette of Mom's home decor.

Here's a little preview of Coleton + Hadlee dancing the day away!

Three words to describe the session: Whimsical, Vintage, Pretty

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