Bri and Derek celebrated their wedding at The Hotel Conneaut at Conneaut Lake, PA. Being in this historic hotel was a beautiful experience, because the locations for photographs were endless. Plus being by the water just adds to the charm of this venue. The ceremony was right by the water and even though it was a gloomy September day and It ended up raining a bit, we got the most beautiful sky after the storm. Not to mention the night we got with a pitch black sky with beautiful stars surrounding us where we were able to capture night portraits that Bri and Derek were happy to take. 

I’ve been having a lot of consultations with clients, and I’ve realized that many people don’t know what you’re actually paying for when you hire your wedding photographer. You’re most likely hiring your wedding photographer because you saw his/her work and fell in love with it. You can’t put your finger on what’s that thing exactly, but you know it’s something from their style to the way they document moments, lighting, poses, and the editing of the photos. But is that really it? Is that why you’re paying so much money for?! Just for a day to document your wedding?

Absolutely NOT. Let me explain what you’re paying for when you hire your wedding photographer and what goes on behind the scenes of and all the hidden costs you don’t see. 

How cool would it be to find a photographer that can make your engagement all about you & your Love Story? Not only document candid, real moments but catered an experience that will show who you really are as a couple?

Think of how you met!
How did you meet your Bae?! Chances are when you met him/her you connected on shared interests, on traveling, activities, sports, food, movies, books! Ask your photographer to create an experience around that thing that is meaningful to you guys. Or better yet! Travel to your favorite mountain and have a date, being your photographer to third wheel and document every minute of it! ?

Carlee + Joe's Wedding took place at The Home Farm Barn in Indiana PA where we celebrated their union in a beautiful fall day with the popular autumn's foliage we wait year-round for. 

Their wedding decor was all fall themed with pumpkins that look very aesthetically pleasing. The combination of the bridesmaids' color dresses with their bouquets made for an elegant feel to the entire wedding. 

Also, if you haven't been to The Home Farm Barn in Indiana PA it's totally worth a visit. The hand-hewn barn located in Indiana PA is a venue which offers different spaces for the ceremony, reception, and even the getting ready portion of the day, which is very helpful because everything happens all in once place and you don't have to drive from location to location, which is very convenient and ends up saving you time and stress, which is a life saver when talking about one of the most important days of your life. 

Mommy & Me sessions are incredibly special and rewarding, because we capture the maternity session (pre baby) and then once the baby is born, we do the newborn session at the baby's home. 

We document these moments that are so joyous, full of emotions and incredibly intimate for everybody in the family and also for me, because what a privilege it is to document such a beautiful and special moment of your lives it is for me.

We arrived at The Scottish Rite Cathedral to do her first look with her father, which was really sweet because we got to capture his true reaction seeing his daughter dressed in her white dress for the first time. The ceremony took place in this gorgeous historical place, and I could not be happier. Brittney had told me what an incredible location it was and she wasn't exaggerating. The high ceilings and architecture of the cathedral were beyond beautiful! 

I knew this surprised engagement was going to be special the moment Steve contacted me, but what I didn't know at the time was that this was going to be one of my all-time favorite photo shoots. There's an elegance and delicacy to the way Alaina reacted that was hypnotizing, and the way Steve's eyes sparked when he saw how happy Alaina reacted. I would say that this was the definition of what romanticism means. 

We did Meshaim's maternity session at Pittsburgh most gorgeous parks, Mellon Park. I feel like that's a wonderful location option for elegant and creative shots, and you can get so much out of this location because you can walk to different areas of the park and get another vibe, which is always a good idea when planning a photo shoot, especially when your pregnant and hiking and doing more adventurous activities is not really an option. 

Danny first contacted me to see if I was available to document the surprise engagement he was planning for his girlfriend on a weekend trip they were planning to Pittsburgh. 

He had never been to Mt. Washington, which is where Grandview Overlook is located in Pittsburgh, but he was open and receptive to hearing all the tips I was giving him to make this summer surprised proposal epic! 

Kristen and Parker's family session at Mellon Park, Pittsburgh PA was amazing! It really was. They have the cutest baby who was so curious and kept looking at me, which only got us even more beautiful and unique results.

When clients give me the time we need for a session, especially when there's a baby involved or they bring their dogs, we can stop and make sure the baby gets feed, if that's something he needs in order to feel better and not cry, or get a diaper change, or get cleaned up. 

Don't underestimate the beauty of having a couple's session at Downtown Pittsburgh. The buildings and the vibe of Downtown is very unique and what can come out of the session is totally up to you, the time of season, the time of day, and whatever you bring for props, or outfits. 

In this case Amanda + Dave chose to have theirs during the Summer season in Pittsburgh, PA. June is the longest month of the year and probably one of, if not the most warm month of the year. 

It's 2021 what defines a family has evolved, and not everybody has children, but that doesn't mean it's not a family, right?!

In this family session the newest member of the family is this cutie, who took over the photo shoot with his tender eyes, and infectious happiness. 

We did Tito's + Mel's Engagement session in the North Shore, we started at PNC park and walked down the river. That''s one of their favorite spots in the city of Pittsburgh, just like me, they're crazy about Pittsburgh, and the city did not disappoint with its charm that day.

Doing In-home newborn sessions are very special and intimate, and this wasn't the exception. Newborn sessions sometimes take time and that's because you don't want to rush the baby. Sometimes we need to take breaks to feed and change the baby. 

From the moment Owen reached out, I knew he was different. When I met his gorgeous wife, and the girl who stole my heart the moment I saw her, Winnie, I realized I was seeing a beautiful family whose purpose is very special and full of love.

A Summer day in the beautiful city of Western Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh. We took a stroll down the North Shore by the river in a warm summer afternoon. In the background the famous Point State Park's fountain witnessing the love of these two love birds. 

An afternoon for the books. A beautiful place, an afternoon with one of those sunsets Florida is famous for, a beautiful set, and a gorgeous couple crazy about each other = Magic! 

When I first read Keara’s initial message I was beyond excited. She had a pretty awesome vision in mind, and she was open to making some magic together. I’d say that’s what anybody would expect when a photographer meets an architect and a designer having a romantic date on a spring afternoon in one of the most special cities of the world, Pittsburgh. 

Winters can be long and tiring but if you do things that complement it they can be as fun as you make them, which is what we did in this gorgeous engagement session where Shannon & Jake played in the snow, danced, and ran around enjoying the moment.

Find out what happens when you pair coffee doughnuts and matching PJs -- Pure Magic! It's crazy how what we envisioned comes true. I had this vision for a couple of months before Tara reached out to me to tell me she had the same thing in mind. 

Let me just start by saying something very important which is relevant to Tara + Luchin, but also to all of us humans. When your soul is happy, then rest assure you’re on the right track, and you’re exactly where you should be in life.

Traveling Van Life Couple Photoshoot in Pittsburgh | The couple drove to North Park in the northern part of Pittsburgh and that's where they set their van in one of the hills of the park. We had the woods and the winter scenery all to ourselves where we had French press coffee, marshmallows, and a really cool fire. 

I know, I know! Covid-19 has been devastating and draining, but we should look at the bright side, and what positives it has brought to our lives. For one, many of us have had time to reflect, and discover things about ourselves that we were probably overlooking because of how fast we were living. For others, this time has been for love...

Have you been to Hartwood Park during the peak of Golden Hour? If not, you definitely need to go an afternoon, you won't regret it! 

As you might've imagined, one of my favorite times for photos is during golden hour, and whenever I have more flexibility and power to scheduling my sessions around that time I take full advantage of it.

It was sunny, it was cold, and it was a perfect day to do a couple's session for Hunter & Kristin surrounded by the beautiful evergreen woods at McConnells State Park. 

If there's anything that I would like to add about this beautiful photo shoot is that love is love, and it transcends gender, age, space and time. If anybody thinks or feels differently, I invite you to see this gallery, and reflect on what your definition of love is, and why you'd think differently. 

Personally, I loved every minute of this session, and my face hurt afterwards for smiling so much.