One of the Best Decisions I Ever Made for My Business

Upon reading the title of this article, you might’ve thought that one of the best decisions I ever made for my business was something to do with photography. Maybe it was a specific lens, a specific camera, or a specific way of shooting – and while all of those things are important (and were peppered with both good and bad decisions along the way), one of the best decisions I ever made was this: hiring someone to do my taxes.

Sounds simple, right? Maybe too simple to actually make a good blog post?! ;) But there’s so much more to it than just outsourcing your tax return. I realized a couple of years into my business that there are certain things I’m just not as good at doing as others (like filing taxes!), and that I needed to let go of my controlling tendencies. I realized that trying to do everything myself was taking me away from what I loved most: telling people’s stories through my lens!

“It only takes one small root of bitterness in any area of your life to suffocate the blessings and goodness in that area...”

One of my main goals as a photography business owner is to love on and encourage others through what I do. But who was I encouraging and loving on while doing my taxes (which really only made me angry, frustrated, and upset)? Actually, I was doing anything BUT loving and encouraging others, which could’ve started to bleed into my communication with clients, into my creative ability, and could’ve turned a business I love with a passion into a business I resented. It only takes one small root of bitterness in any area of your life to suffocate the blessings and goodness in that area, and then to slowly start to bleed into other areas. (See Hebrews 12:15 for reference).

So my question is this: what bitter roots do I have growing in my business (or in my life) that have the potential to suffocate my passion, or what I’m being called to do? Are you going to allow that bitter root to keep on growing? Or are you willing to do what it takes to cut it out so you can better do what you were created to do?

As a side note, this blog post in no way, shape, or form is meant to downplay where anyone is in his or her journey. Sometimes, you just have to do difficult things in a particular season in order to grow and learn. But if you have the opportunity – let other people help you. Whether it’s outsourcing your photo editing, hiring someone to do your taxes, or bringing an assistant along to your sessions, don’t be afraid to seek out the help you need in weak areas – your weak areas could be someone else’s strengths, and could give someone else the opportunity to use their passion and strengths.

Lulu + Ricky: University of Pittsburgh (Oakland) Engagement Session

Lulu and Ricky (or "Lucky" if you were to refer to them by their couple name!) are two of the most successful, yet humble people I have ever had the privilege to photograph! These two met in August of 2011, both as new Economics PhD students at the University of Pittsburgh. Considering Lulu is from a small town in China, and Ricky from Cleveland, their meeting was meant to be (or shall I say - very Lucky! ;) )! After getting to know each other through studying together, in the spring of 2012, Lulu and Ricky officially started dating. Now, they both teach classes at the Pitt and have offices that reside directly beside each other!

There are a few things that stand out to me about this sweet couple, the first of which is their favorite date. To get an idea of who a couple is to photograph them in the most accurate way possible, I sometimes like to email a few questions before our session together. One of my favorite questions to ask is: "What was the BEST date you ever had together?" To which Lulu responded: "There is no one BEST one, but rather a bunch of them. If climbing the Great Wall can be considered as a date, it's definitely one of the great ones." I mean, how cool is that?!

One more thing that stood out about Lulu and Ricky is their love for each other. Another question I love to ask is: "If you could sum up your relationship in three words, what would they be?" To which Lulu replied "Happy, diverse, intellectual. Ricky's answer is 'I love Lulu.'" I mean, seriously?! How sweet is that?

When it comes to photographing these two, they were absolutely amazing and caught on to the whole process so fast! We started off at the Frick Fountain in front of the Henry Clay Frick Fine Arts Building and then worked our way around to the Cathedral of Learning and finished our session at the Mellon Institute with these two in their PhD caps and gowns. Lulu's mom was even in from China and makes a little guest appearance in one of the last frames of this blog post - she was the sweetest! 

I'm so thankful to have meet you two, Lulu and Ricky! Congratulations again on your engagement - we pray all the best for you two!

How to Choose Outfits for Your Engagement Session

You're engaged - congratulations!!! Now comes the next step - engagement photos! One of the most frequently asked questions I receive as a Pittsburgh engagement photographer is: what should I wear for my engagement photos? While there's no cookie-cutter answer (because style varies from couple to couple), here are a couple of suggestions for choosing the best engagement session outfits to represent yours and your husband-to-be's personalities!

1. Choose something you feel comfortable in!

Comfort is key while having your engagement photos taken. Being comfortable in your clothes will translate to comfort in front of the camera!

2. Don’t be afraid to go for something a little upscale!

It’s not often you and your husband-to-be have your photos taken, so dressing up can be a fun way to celebrate the occasion! One of my favorite options to recommend for dressy clothing (without having to buy something to expensive) is Rent the Runway. They have dresses of all styles that can be rented for just a fraction of the purchasing price!

3. Don’t be afraid to accessorize.

For brides – adding a scarf, necklace, or hat can be a great way to add some additional visual interest! For grooms – bowties, ties, watches, and pocket squares can do the same! For the photo below, Becca wore a statement necklace and an adorable pair of red shoes that are complimentary to Dave's bowtie and checkered shirt! Their outfits were some of my favorites to date because of the thoughtfulness they put into using such a variety of accessories and colors!

4. Coordinate colors, but don’t match.

It’s important to balance each other out. In the photo below, Jeff and Trina are wearing similar colors (navy) but have some tans, light blues, and pinks thrown in the mix to balance them out! (The photo above is also a great example of color coordination!)

5. Pick something that represents YOU!

Whatever you wear, don’t forget to throw your own style flare into your photos. This could mean wearing an outfit from your favorite designer, purchasing a dress from your favorite store, or incorporating a hobby/career theme into your session! Trina and Jeff, shown below, incorporated Jeff's long-time love of firefighting into his photos.

Timber + Zack: McConnell's Mill Engagement Photographer

I love when couples incorporate unique elements of who they are into their engagement photos (See this link for tips for choosing a unique engagement session location), and Timber and Zack's engagement session was no exception. These two are Missouri born-and-raised and met when they were twelve years old - but didn't start dating until just a few years ago. They both wanted a location that reflected their love of the great outdoors, so McConnell's Mills was the perfect fit! They also chose to incorporate Zack's truck, as well as a few bullets (a nod to Zack's love of hunting) for the ring shot! Congratulations on your engagement, Timber and Zack!

2016 Best of Engagements: Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers

Engagement sessions are my favorite way to get to know my couples. This year, so many of my couples had such unique ideas for incorporating their personalities into their sessions! Check out some of my favorite engagement photos from this year below: