Tessa's First Birthday: Mellon Park Family Photography

Can anyone believe it's JULY already?! I feel like I blinked and June was over! If there's one thing that gets me excited about summer, it's the beautiful golden light, especially in one of my favorite parks in Pittsburgh - Mellon Park!

I met up with sweet little Tessa and her parents for her first birthday, to celebrate with a photo session! This little lady loves to walk, hug, and hold car keys, and just has the sweetest personality (and the cutest curly hair!). Below are just a few of my favorites from this family session!

Boehm Family: Hartwood Acres Family Photography

You've been waiting for it, and here it is! The third installment of Brielle's birthday pictures (year three) is finally hitting the blog! If you missed Brielle's first birthday or second birthday pictures, you should definitely go check them out because this mama has come up with the most beautiful props for three years of birthday pictures in a row! Though this sweet family moved to Ohio after our last session together, we were able to plan a session for a weekend they were already going to be in town for to keep the tradition going! And if birthday pictures weren't enough to be excited about, we snapped a few maternity photos for Lillia, who's pregnant with her third child (a boy!)!!

You all are always a blessing to photograph! Thank you for the continued memories and fun!

Garland Family: Hartwood Acres Family Photographer

You might remember this sweet family from their Cranberry Township park session last year! Their kiddos, Nate and Evie, are getting bigger and even more adorable as the years go on (how could these two get any cuter?!). We had a great time exploring Hartwood Acres Mansion and breaking out the bubble machine for some extra fun time!

Amanda + Jeff: North Shore Pittsburgh Maternity Photographer

Maternity sessions aren't something I do on the regular, but I am starting to love them more and more - especially with Amanda's classy downtown Pittsburgh maternity session! You might remember Amanda and Jeff from their gender reveal mini-session a few months ago (see it here!). 

For the session, we began on the North Shore near PNC Park, then moved our way to Allegheny Commons Park on the North Side where we encountered the most beautiful glowy (is that a word?) light (which complimented Amanda's pregnancy "glow" so well!). I am so thankful to have met these two and can't wait for you to see a few of my favorites from their session!

The E Family: North Park Family Photographer

This superhero, goldfish loving family did an amazing job at their North Park session! We had the perfect April day in the 60's - which was exciting for these five, who usually get their family photo taken during winter! And, fun fact - it was Nathaniel's (the youngest) birthday the day of their session! Thanks to this sweet family for adventuring through muddy grounds to get to these perfectly lit spots!

Abbie Rose: Pittsburgh Newborn Photographer

One of my favorite parts about being a wedding photographer is following up with my couples after the wedding and seeing their families grow. Jen and Larry tied the knot last May and had their first child this month! This beautiful baby girl was just 5 days old when we took these photos, and she did an amazing job. Congratulations, Jen and Larry!

Amanda + Jeff: McConnell's Mill Baby Announcement!

One of the main reasons why I love being a photographer is the opportunity I have to document a moment in time - a split second emotional response. Many of these types of moments that I have the privilege of photographing happen at weddings - the groom seeing his bride for the first time, the mother of the groom tearing up in the front row at the ceremony, the first dances, and many more. But this blog post has a different kind of moment - one that I've never photographed before!

Amanda and Jeff met in college and have been together for fourteen years, and married for the last few. They recently found out that they were pregnant with their first child and wanted to capture their pure reactions when they found out the gender of their baby! They brought both blue and pink items for the session, handed me an envelope, and had me paint each of their hands with either blue paint (for a boy) or pink paint (for a girl). So technically, I knew the gender of their baby before them - so fun!! To their sweet surprise, once they lifted each of their hands from Amanda's tummy, they found out that they were going to be the parents of a little boy! Congratulations to these two wonderful people - you are going to make amazing parents!

4 Easy Tips for Improving the Photos You Take of Your Kids

An estimated 2,500 photos are taken every second. (Via source), and 90% of people have only ever taken a photo with a camera phone. With the quality of camera phones improving year by year, some camera phones are beginning to rival DSLRs in their quality and capabilities. But besides measuring levels of quality, such as megapixels or noticeable distortion, how can one improve their picture taking habits to create better, more engaging images?

One specific group who often seek guidance on the subject of photo snapping are parents of young children. Every parent wants to take photos that catch their child in their truest form, just simply being themselves. Here are my top four tips for taking better photos of your kids:

1.  Get down on their level.

Whether it means taking a knee or laying fully on the ground, getting down on a child’s level is the best way to change up the perspective of a photograph, and makes them feel instantly more comfortable.

2.  Put them in shade.

For good reason, many people believe that it’s best to take photos in the middle of the day when the sun is “at it’s brightest.” However, taking photos with kids facing into the bright, harsh sun often result in squinty eyes and harsh shadows. A better method is to find some open shade, where the light is even (resulting in less contrast between bright highlights and dark shadows) where kids don’t have to squint.

3.  Let them move.

Kids NEED to move. They can only sit still for so long before they start squirming. But you know what? Some of my FAVORITE photographs of children are the ones where they’re doing their own thing – whether it’s running around, climbing something, making funny faces, or being tickled, kids are comfortable when they’re moving – not when they’re asked to sit still. So give your child something to do, whether it’s running from one side of the yard to the other, jumping on a trampoline, making funny faces, reading a book out loud, or playing pretend (i.e., the ground is hot lava!), there are so many different ways to keep kids engaged and preoccupied without them even realizing what’s happening – giving you a chance to snap some great action shots!

4.  Don’t just tell them to “smile!”

One sure-fire way to get an awkward looking portrait of a child is to tell them to smile. Time after time, I’ve found that kids whom Mom tells to “smile really big for the camera!” have squinty eyes and a big, tight smile. Much like point number three above, the best way to approach photographing a child is to 1) give them something to do, and 2) talk to them. Never stop asking them questions! Children will engage with your camera when they’re engaging and connecting with you.

What are your favorite tips for taking photos of kids? Add to my list in the comments below!

Kyyashko Family: Cranberry Township Family Photographer

I have so much love for this sweet family and the fun we have during their annual family session! These four (plus their pup, Milo!) are always up for throwing, kicking, and even laying in leaves - and always with so much enthusiasm and joy! I've said it so many times before, but my favorite part of any session is seeing the people in front of my camera having fun and enjoying themselves. And this family does it so well!

Grove City College Photographer

I had the pleasure of photographing this sweet group of girls from Grove City College a few weeks ago - a group of girls who were randomly assigned to a group with a leader, and managed to hit it off and stay together all the way through their senior year! Also, in the photos below, they're holding all of the books they studied together through the years! Congratulations on your last year of school, ladies!