Youngstown, OH Lifestyle Session: Sheri

I was first contacted by Sheri a few weeks ago. She is a fellow photographer and was looking for some new photos to use on her website. I'm always so flattered when I'm asked by another photographer to take pictures of them.

Sheri and I had actually never met before. Another reason I was happy to have her contact me. It was great fun getting to know her! I have no idea which ones she'll choose for her site but here are some of my favorites from the session. Which ones do you like?











Sheri told me that turquoise is her favorite color and I could certainly tell by how much fun we had in front of this turquoise wall!










A big thank you to Sheri for choosing me. I'm happy to have met you and am looking forward to lunch after things calm down a bit!

Cheers,

Youngstown, OH Little People Session: Antonio

I had the pleasure of once again photographing this cutie patootie. Antonio does some modeling so his mom is always on the lookout for new photos of him. Once you see the images you'll know why. He's a natural and so stinkin' cute!!! It's been fun watching him grow up. At this age kids change so much from year to year.

Check out some of his adorable images.



I *heart* dimples!



















Such a cutie!!!



Check out these holiday cards featuring Antonio!
Front


Back



Front


Back


I only have a few openings left for family portraits with holiday cards so if you're interested you'll need to book ASAP!

Cheers,

I hear this a lot

I'm writing this from Baltimore where I just finished my last wedding of the season (which was FAB. stay tuned for pics). While getting breakfast this morning I ran into one of the guests from yesterday's wedding. She was super nice and came over to tell me how much she enjoyed seeing the pictures I had done. (I did a slide show at the reception with some of the images from the day.) She told me she was a newlywed and just got married in September. Then she confided in me and told me how disappointed she was in her own images. She told me how the photographer hadn't posed anyone for the formals at the church, she told me how timid she was in getting fun, action shots at the reception, and she told me how she didn't capture the creative portraits of the wedding party or the couple. She told me how she wished she would have had someone like me photographing her wedding.

I hear this a lot and it always breaks my heart. Your wedding is a one-time-can't-go-back-and-redo-it-if-you-screw-something-up kind of thing. You never get that day back. After chatting with her a little more she finally confessed that she had been speaking to another more expensive photographer but chose to not use him because they didn't want to spend the extra money. She regretted this decision and said, in retrospect, she would have gladly spent the money to get the kind of photos (and peace of mind) that she was hoping for.

I'm not advocating that everyone needs to go broke hiring their photographer. You should most definitely have a budget for your photography and stick to it. But if you're on the fence about spending a little extra or saving a few bucks maybe your photography isn't where you want to skimp. Think about it. There are really only a handful of things you walk away with from your wedding day. In my opinion the top three are: your marriage, your gown, and your photography. In 20 years that's what you'll have left. No one will remember what you ate, what the cake looked like, or even how the venue was decorated (unless they're looking through your wedding album, of course).

Youngstown, OH Wedding -- Wes and Helene

I had the pleasure of photographing Wes and Helene's wedding on 10.10.10. The ceremony and reception took place at the incredible Stambaugh Auditorium and was a beautiful mix between Christian and Jewish traditions. The decor was fabulously done in white and silver by my friend, Paris Kriech. You might remember Paris as he is the one who decorated my FAB new studio! It was an awesome day!!!

Helene and Wes, I am so happy for the both of you! One look at you and you can tell how much you are in love! Thanks for letting me be part of your day.

Here are some favorite images of their day:

Getting her hair did! Before...


...and after. Gorgeous!



Helene's gown looks gorgeous back lit!



Love these next few that Brian captured.






Some moments caught during the first look.






Some on-lookers



Walking down the aisle with Dad and Mom.





The Chuppah



Married!!



The decor





The girls.



The boys.



I *heart* headless people!



Cheers,

Youngstown, OH Engagement Session: Mark and Maria Part 2

For part two of Mark and Maria's engagement session we decided to head to the Healing Gardens at St. Joseph's hospital. This is another special place as Maria's dad helped to do much of the fundraising necessary to make the gardens happen. It is a beautiful and tranquil place! He should be very proud!

It was a gorgeous day. Perfect temps and blue skies and once again we had a ball. Taking pictures of these two is easy. They love to smile! See for yourself.











I love it when couples get a little silly.



Peel-y trees



Healing hands






I love this image. They look like they're ready to take on the world!



Cute!












I was told that Mark has a knack for taking pics of himself so I handed him my camera and this is what he did. Not bad!


Cheers,