Let's warm up with some smiles!

I look out the window today and tiny, snowy white, fluff balls of cold are coming out of the sky.  Don't get me wrong, I love winter.  The world seems so quite and peaceful with a blanket of snow on the ground.  But the blistering cold, not a fan of that!  Here are some warm faces from a hot shoot that was taken this summer.  I hope these smiles will warm your heart as well as your day!

Snack Time!

Who here has had a fried pickle?  If you haven't you are certainly missing out.  There is nothing better then biting into the hot crunch outside and finding the juicy tart dill pickle inside!  Don't forget the ranch dressing on the side!  These little beauties were features on Yahoos home page a few months back, and these did not disappoint!

 http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/beer-batter-fried-pickles-193300834.html

 Not in the mood for the salty crunchy stuff, well then maybe you would prefer some almond joy cupcakes.  Now I can not give you my super secret recipe for my chocolate cupcakes, but I can tell you that everything else was easy-peasy!  Just a simple almond butter cream icing, toasted coconut on top, and sweetened coconut stuff in the middle, topped with an almond.  Like I said, easy!  It's not too hard to make these crazy combos you see now on the cupcake shows!  Keep things simple and easy and your friends will still be impressed!

A tease!

I am currently editing a recent wedding and I had to share just one photograph.  There will be more to come but this is just a tease until then.  Hope you enjoy!

Elegance and Grace

If you recall back to a few posts ago, this lovely couple had their engagement photographs on my blog. Now months after their time with me in the park, we finally come to the big day!  It really was as wonderful as I expected.  Elegance and grace would be the best words to describe the day and the bride.

The reception, held at the Bulter Country Club, was accented in glowing paper lanterns, shiny pearls, and sweet fresh roses.  The cake would have been a perfect center piece for the ball room if it weren't for one thing that over shined it.  The Bride!  She was radiating with excitement and joy from the moment of "You may kiss the bride!" to the very last good-bye.  True, innocent, unwavering love is a treasure to be found, and I can guarantee I was a witness to that on this day!

Beautiful Baby Girl!

Call me crazy, but I am convinced that babies have magical powers.  One look into their eyes, and it's like they have you hooked into loving them forever.  

This small angel you see before you is Alexandra Grace.  She was eleven days old when I have the honor of meeting her.  Not once did she cry, or fuss.  She honestly spoiled me with how perfect she was while shooting.

  

The Before: Their Engagment

Tomorrow is the big day for this lovely couple.  I had the pleasure of taking their engagement photographs back in the spring and now finally the day has arrived.  

Trust me when I say this girl is as sweet and genuine as she looks.  No doubt tomorrow will be coated in classy and dripping with elegance.  I am not going to give too much away or else you will have not much to look forward to in "The After" post that will be coming.  The wedding will be held in Butler, PA.  And so far it looks like tomorrow will be a nice day for some beautiful wedding pictures.

Luck for us the day of the engagement photos, the weather with stunning.  It was one of the perfect Pittsburgh afternoons, and it made for a wonderful time in Schenley Park.  Nestled in the trees on the top of the of the highest points in the park, there was a small picnic laid out for the couple.  Complete with Save-the-Date-Sliders and chips, the couple was able to relax and ease in to the shot.  Did I mention the orange soda.  Who loves orange soda!? 

Needless to say, I am thrilled to be a part of their special day and help them relive it through photographs for years to come.

Friday's Sweet Treats: P1

How about we try something new.  Something that we can look forward to.  This is for all of my sweet tooths out there.  I think I will start/try to reserve every Friday so a delicious delectable.  As most of you, I too find a million things on Pinterest that I want to try, cook, or create.  I would say that my pinning is a little faster than my doing but as far as the cooking goes, I do attempt to create or be inspired by the majority of what I pin 79% of the time.  From now on, on Friday's I would like to share with you some photos of some of my Pin-tries .

To be honest, I am not much for cupcakes (although I post a lot of them).  It takes a very special cake to get me interested or close to excited.  With this big cupcake movement going down, I wanted to test my baking had an try gourmet cupcake making for myself.  And so far, so good!  

The beauties up above were life changers.  If I could bathe in one thing for the rest of my life, it would be that icing (trust me, once you try it…WOW) I made a double batch and it still wasn't enough goodness for me!  These babies are banana buttermilk cupcakes with a coconut caramel icing. http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/07/23/best-recipes-ever-banana-buttermilk-cupcakes/

If you want the most moist, decadent cupcake, and an icing you don't have to worry about making pretty, this is the cake for you!

I am always drawn to combinations that aren't the "norm".  Peanut Butter and Jelly cupcakes would fall under that category.

 http://sweetteaandcornbread.blogspot.com/2013/02/peanut-butter-cake.html

The cake is a rich sweet and salty peanut butter ( I used chunky because I didn't want to go tot he store and get creamy)  the middle is just normal Welch's grape jelly, and on top is a fluffy peanut butter butter cream.  This is your childhood sandwich, made into an adult form and then dressed up for a good night out!   I wish I could tell you the recipe for the icing, but I sort of just winged it. 

 Now if I could only figure out how to take all of the calories out of these things, I would be a happy camper!  Next week I will be trying my hand at gluten-free pumpkin cupcakes. Wish me luck!  

The Colors of Fall

You can not ask for a more perfect time of year than fall.  So it may sprinkle or get a bit chilly, but I don't think there are many people that can say they hate these few months.  *PLUS* It is the beginning of hoody weather ( who doesn't love that?!) 

Autumn is also the time of year where mother nature becomes an artist and paints the world in stunning, radiant colors.  On behalf of photographers everywhere, I'd like to thank mother nature for this!  Right around the middle of October, just about the time you have had your 39th pumpkin spice latte of the season, you will see the trees have changed and are rush with hues of rusty reds,  burnt oranges, and golden yellows.  It is no wonder this is one of the most sought after times for a wedding!  

Let's hope into my little time machine and had back to last fall.  It was my first experience as lead photographer, and I was extremely excited with what I had to work with that day.  Nestled up in Moon township is a beautiful old mansion surrounded by trails, streams, and nature's finest display of leaves!  

I had a wonderful opportunity to work with a dear friend of mine who had offered his assistance as my second shooter that day.  Needless to say it was a special experience.  The ceremony was set to be outside behind an ivy covered stone wall.  White folding chairs lined up on either sides of the burlap runner and tree branches trimmed the aisle.  It had so many possibilities…. until it began to rain!  This did not get the couple down or the guests,  They made things work inside and it was every bit as intimate and special as they would have hoped!  Lucky for us, the rain let up right when he ceremony ended and we were able to capture some really great moments outside.  

Playing "Dress Up"

Ladies, women, girls, etc  let's take a moment and reminisce on our childhoods.  How many of us played with dolls and barbies, and out of those people how many of you can agree that the best part of playing was the fact that barbie had so many outfits and could transform herself just by a change of cloths…..  Who, as a bright eyed girl with pig tails, loved to play dress up?  Play make believe and print they were a princess?  We really can't get away with stuff like that once we are older, except on Halloween of course. But what is there was another way?  What if there was a way you could play pretend, get all dolled up, and transform yourself just for fun, just for a moment….

This is not this woman's wedding day, the day has already passed.  For fun, experience, and to try some new things, this wonderful volunteer ( who may or may not be my sister) put her pretty face on, stepped into some high heels, and got zipped clipped and pinned into a number of white dresses.   We experimented and played for a few hours, and whether she will admit it or not, I know she had fun being a makeshift model :)  The point is, if you have an idea, a dream of being something else for just for a minute, or  a photo shoot you and your friends think would be the best, most fun thing to do *like ever*, let me know!  I am always up for a challenge and learning, and new unknown experiences.  Besides, even as adults, it is still fun to play pretend.

Simple & Sweet Wedding

Dear weather man in the sky, 

Thank you for such a beautiful day for an outdoor ceremony for this couple.  It truly made they're special day even better by having THE perfect weather! 

Most Sincerely,

Kristie Rae

It was a beautiful September weekend when we got to celebrate the union of this couple!  Nestled in the lush Mingo Park in Washington County, the couple said their "I do's" beneath the shade of hundreds of trees and an old gazebo off of one of the trains.  It was a perfect setting for the 20 or so guests to bare witness to the sacred words.  

From the brides vintage peep toe shoes, to her lace retro style white dress, she was the the definition of simple and sweet.  **Reminder to everyone, sometimes less is more, or less is just right!  If you want something intimate, there is no need to go over the top.  Pull a "Goldie Locks" and get things *just right* for you and any special day you may have!

A simple pup life

Today's Schedule:

4:30 am  wake up
4:32 am  lick owners face to make sure they know I am ready to play
4:45 am follow owner as they zombie walk to back door to let me out
4:50 am walk around outside sniffing random spots of grass, and eat occasional bunny turd
5:00 am come in, receive treat and lick my owners face until they realize my great smells like poop then take nap until 9:00 ……..

I know many humans who wake up around 4:30 in the morning, drag themselves out of bed to get in a scolding hot shower, and then slip into clothes that are not near as comfortable as their jammies (you know that word sounds more comfy the pajamas!)  Now picture if that same person was a dog…. wakes up at the same time but with so much more enthusiasm.  If only we could all be like that.

Yes, true, a dogs life is pretty easy, no work, no real responsibilities. Of course the lack of these things cause their positive demeanor.  But what if for one day, we just tried to put that smile on with everything we do.  Even if something doesn't go right, or you have a small accident, look back with a smile, find the good and have a heart filled with unconditional, forgiving love.

My sweet pups Gidget and Charlie

So everyone out there, find something to grin about, because having that on your face always makes for a better photo and a better life.  Get your smile on! :)

The green is almost gone!

This year I tried my hand, and my green thumb, at some gardening!  I planted about 20 or so different edible green goodies!  It was such a fun experience and taught me a lot.  It taught me that I like tomatoes but I don't LOVE having 16 massive plants of them.  It taught me to patients, and it opened my eyes to the beauty of life!

I found the little guy in the left photo on my dill plant.  He was too beautiful to squish so I looked up what exact what he was and what damage he could cause before I did anything.  I found out he was going to eat my parsley and my dill but also that he would be turning into a beautiful swallowtail butterfly.  I was very willing to sacrifice a few pieces of some herbs so I could see some butterflies later on in the summer.

In the beginning of summer I planted six sunflower seeds.  By the beginning of August, these small seeds grew nearly 17 feel tall!  They were stunning as they reached toward the sky, and the power lines!  In a few short days I will be picking these massive flowers and harvesting all of the seeds to season and roast.  I will keep you posted on how many seed these sunflower will give out!

Super Sexy

Now this might not be in everyones' best taste but give me a few moments to change your mind.  Boudoir photo shoots are becoming a big hit for a bride/wife to give to the special one!  No, we are not talking about trashy magazine centerfolds! This is a tasteful, sexy, and empowering photography shoot for a woman.  They may be thinking that they are creating a gift for a someone but I think it really is a gift for themselves!  Imagine feeling ordinary every day… like nothing extra special. Or do you ever feel that all of these woman on tv and in movies are so gorgeous and fabulous.  From the time these women step in front of the camera to the time I show them their proofs, they feel just as good if not better than all those other hotties behind the camera.  And as the photographer,  it is a great feeling to make a naturally beautiful woman finally recognize just how amazing they truly are.

These photographs were from this amazing shoot I just did.  The woman pictured is sometimes very hard on herself, and really doesn't give credit to how beautiful she really is.  My time with her was full of laughs, smiles, and memorable moments.  Although it started with her feeling awkward, not knowing what to do with her face ( if I showed you those images you would agree she nailed it!) not sure where to put her hands or how to be "sexy".  

I told her to relax, be herself, and just be her natural self.   These shoots are not about trying to be someone else.  They are not about being sex symbols or antifeminist. I think these shoots are about learning to be comfortable in your own skin and being happy with everything you are.  So yes, maybe it takes some cute panties, and some bare skin to get this out of some women, but I think it the feeling in the end is worth it.   It's the human body, it is beautiful.  You are beautiful :)  Remind yourself of that some time!

Honor, Pride, and Strength

It is an honorable thing to dedicate your life to a good cause.  It is even more honorable to dedicate your future to our nation.

Meet RJ.  He is a proud member of the United States Army.  I have known RJ a long time, pretty much my whole life. Did I mention he is my cousin?  RJ( pronounced Arrrr-ge when we are to lazy to say the actual letters ) joined me at Slippery Rock during my sophomore year.  He pledge one of my favorite fraternities on campus, which also happened to be the one our uncle founded many moons ago,  and hung out in many of the same circles as I did.  

I am not sure what lead him into this direction but he decided to join the ROTC, and then the following year he went on to basic training.  It was very odd not seeing him around campus, or at family functions.  When he finally came back he was no longer the scrawny RJ we knew months prior.  He now walked taller, stood straighter, and somehow talked even deeper than he already had. 

Last fall, my parents and I were invited to see his journey at good ol' SRU come to an end.  My aunt asked if I would mind photographing the Commissioning Ceremony for her, and as you can see here I just couldn't say no.  

Who is that adorably cute old man in the photos?  That would be our 90 year old grandfather.  In part of the ceremony, they ask an old member of the military to present a silver dollar, and offer the first salute.  I am speaking for our pap when I say that I am sure that that meant a heck of a lot to him. 

90 years young and still has that twinkle in his eye!

What a proud, and good looking family ;)

 It really was a priceless and special moment and I am so happy I was there to capture such great memories.   Congratulations 2nd Lieutenant Rifle Platoon Leader Robert John Politowski!

Smiles are contagious!

My life pretty much revolves around weddings.  I have, so far, been in nine different weddings, been a guest to dozens, and photographed many.  You could say that I am a wedding connoisseur.  For this reason, many people ask me what my favorite wedding has been.  I could say my sister's, or my long time childhood friend's….I could say the one that had a million twinkle lights hung from the rafters, or the one with the perfect view of the most beautiful city in the US (Pittsburgh DUH!)  or I could say the one with the amazing five tiered wedding cake that had the fluffy buttercream frosting.  But no, none of these are my answer.  My favorite weddings would be one of the very first ones I had the privilege of shooting.  The bride's smile was contagious.  I never met someone so sincerely excited, happy, appreciative, or in love.

Yes, the wedding was beautiful and yes, the cake was AWESOME, but the bride and her infectious mood made it one of the most enjoyable experiences!

The ceremony and reception was held at the Morning Glory Inn.  This venue is nestled right in the heart of the South Side. One street back from the infamous Carson Street, sits this angelic red brick building.  Complete with a flower laced courtyard, and glowing candles, you would never know that it was in Pittsburgh's Saturday night hot spot.  

The day was filled with the couple's own personal touches, right down to the Pittsburgh/Southern cuisine (where both the bride and groom's families were from) to the picture frames featuring photos of the couple through the entire inn.  They really made it feel like a welcoming casual environment for there guests, they made it feel like home!  It was a perfect way to start their lives together!

Family Tradition

Cooking/baking….My mother taught me, just like her mother before her.  The kitchen was our classroom and the stove was our chalk board.  She taught me so much and I hope one day I can pass on our family's tradition to one of my children some day.

Sitting on our kitchen counter, in a frame is a dirty, faded, stained index card.  On that card is something very special.  It's a hand written recipe for a pecan pie.  This is the only handwritten memory my mother has of her mother.  My grandmother died long before I was even a twinkle in my parents eyes.  Her recipe is a nice reminder of where we came from, and a tradition that we continue.

My aunts, cousins and I all have our own skills that we have taken away from the generation above us. We all have recipes that we show each other in hopes to keep passing them on as something special in the future.  My cousin Megan and I like the bring some new recipes to the table though.

Our most recent bake date night, we made these amazing apple cup cakes with apple cider butter cream.  Inside the cupcake is homemade caramel and topped with candied walnuts.   

Recipe for cake : http://www.ahintofhoney.com/2009/10/caramel-apple-layer-cake-with-apple/  

**For more recipes check out my Pinterest Page.  I have tried a lot of the recipes I have pinned if you want to compare notes :)  

Get Your Hoop On! Senior Portraits

I remember my senior portrait session.  I remember it like it was yesterday. It was a chilly gloomy day, but it didn't mess things up.  It was a perfect day of playing dress up and feeling like a was in Seventeen Magazine.

 For a girl in high school, those photos are everything.  Those pictures can give you confidence, make you see yourself, and can capture exactly who you are.   It's a  chance for you to have a really good time, not take yourself too seriously and just let loose!

This was such a fun shoot.  Cassie's unique hobby is pretty obvious by these photos.  We went out for an hour to a smoke staff in Washington, PA.  I told her just to have fun and get her hoop on.  These photos were the result of some of the candid shots and posed ones.  She really does look like she is having a great time.

I could use a bit of blue sky today!

I am not much for hot, humid, extremely sunny days. However, a bright and sunny almost fall day is a whole other story.  There is something about the type of day that it's beautifully sunny, there isn't one cloud in the sky, but yet you have to wear a hoody to feel just right.  That is my favorite type of day.  This mini September heat waive combined with the gloomy skies, is just not sitting right with me and my pumpkin coffee (side note: please go and try the pumpkin spice creamer  made by coffee mate. It's a warm autumn dream in a cup!)  I am ready to wear my hoody and walk outside and feel that slight chill down the back of my neck when the wind blows and rustles the leaves.

This photo shoot from last fall was one of those types of days.  Gorgeous blue skies, and the perfect amount of breeze.  The lovely girl in the photographs competes in horse shows through out the year.  It was a different but fun experience working with her and her horse, the kind of experience I would be happy to do again.  While working with the horse, I really had to play by his rules, his angles, and his random behaviors.  It certainly kept me on my toes and brought a lot of fun surprise to the camera.

I have never riden a horse before.  It is on my bucket list but one things for sure is I won't look near as graceful as she did with her horse that day!  But don't worry, when I finally do ride I am sure there will be plenty of embarrassing photos of me that I can post….. stay tuned!

What's for dinner?

Let me just begin by saying…..YUM!  Have you ever had a tomato slow roasted with garlic and red peppers?  Or a shrimp that is cooked so perfectly you could slice it like butter?  My friends and family say I have a problem, my boyfriend says that I have an obsession, I just call it a love affair.

I purposely plan my lunch break during the talk show, The Chew.  I have a slight Celebrity Chef Crush on Michael Symon (shhh don't tell him)  Watching food shows get me so excited and inspired.  If you think about it food is on of the only "art forms" that takes on every sense a person has.  I admire someone who can create something that smells and tastes as good as it appears.  A person that can "paint" a picture with food is pretty amazing.  The part I love the most, aside from getting to finally eat the creations, is being able to use my meals as photography models.  These are some pretty sexy models, you have to admit.  You can take food pics with your  iPhones all you want, but until you have the right lighting and focus it will never look near as appetizing.  Look out, I'm a foodie with a camera, and I'm not afraid to use it!

Young Love

Innocent. Sweet. Cherished. Unthreatened. Beautiful.  How many words can describe young love.  Anna and Jake make all those words come to life.  It was such a pleasure working with these two.  They really did make my job easier.  When a couple is so comfortable with each other and genuinely can make the other smile just with a glance makes taking taking their photos so much more enjoyable.  I hope you enjoy these love birds as much as I do.

Schools in Session

I am happy to say that I am a child of a long and happy marriage.  My parents recently celebrated their 36 wedding anniversary.  If we want to get technically, they have been dating for over 40+ years!  They are real life "High School Sweethearts"!  Finding love that early and making it last is truly an amazing and wonderful thing.

Obviously my friends and myself are well past high school, and have lost all chances of marrying our high school sweethearts.  The idea of college sweetheart is a little more probable!

One of my oldest and dearest friends texted me this past spring with news that just moments before, her college sweetheart had popped the question! I could not have been more excited them.  The two W&J graduates have their wedding is scheduled for next fall which leaves plenty of time for countless Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and wedding planning. I do not doubt that it will be stunning, right down to the smallest of details.  

Almost fall!

Can you believe it is almost fall?  It would probably be a good time to catch all those great green leaves before they are gone.

Meet Kristy and Wayne!  They recently became husband and wife.  Coincidently, I was in their wedding, and may I just say it was a great time!  I have known Kristy since my first week of collage, then lived with her and pretty much became stuck with her (which is a good thing).  I was extremely excited when she asked me to take a few snap shots of them to be displayed at the reception. They had gone with a rustic themed wedding, so what is more perfect for a rustic theme than a woodsy, outdoor, leafy backdrop for the couples photos! A lot of couples these days are choosing to make their engagement photos, or couples portraits go with their wedding theme.  I am pretty sure, in this case, we nailed it! Congrats to Kristy and Wayne! 

**These were taken at Peters Lake in McMurray.  

412, PGH, HOME: Part 1

Our city, Pittsburgh, what an amazing place.  If I could only pick one place to shoot for the rest of my life, I would pick the city of Pittsburgh.  I love going "dahn tahn"and just looking.  There are just so many colors and textures and things to see.  The old mixed with the new, the architecture, and my favorite, the street art.

 Although I have shot several engagement shoots on the North Shore, using the bridges and the skyline as an amazing backdrop, one of my favorite places to shoot is the Strip District.  If you haven't had a chance to go down there recently, please do so soon!  This weekend would be a perfect weekend for it.

**our mini Strip adventure complete with fresh chicken tacos and a trip to Wholey's**

If you continue to read this blog in the future, you will learn that I am slightly, okay maybe a little more than slightly, obsessed with food.  The SD (Strip District)  has so much to offer a person like me i.e. great photo opps and so much inspiration for a great menu.  If you ever go, you are more than welcome to bring me back some cheddar/carmel popcorn mix from Pittsburgh Popcorn Factory! (so addicting!)

These are images from a teen shoot I did last fall.  I think this is when my love affair began with the Strip District.  There is just so much to work off of down there and it doesn't SCREAM Pittsburgh, but you still get the 412-Urban feel.  It also made things easy having a pretty, and sweet girl to photograph.

Dabble

Alice laughed. "There's no use trying," she said: "one can't believe impossible things." 
"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." 

I have a mind that wanders.  It likes to see things in many ways, in many colors, and angles.  This may be why growing up I dabbled in many different things.  Painting, singing, drawing, sculpting, writing… anything that would let the creative juices flow.  The other creative thinkers out there may understand this better than others.  When you are really into something, your mind stop wandering for a moment and you can get lost in the action, in the moment, in the then&now. 

 I never participated to just one thing.  I always have enjoyed having multiple outlets for my ever thinking head.  I love mixing things I love, and use one to inspire the other.  Mix and match talents.  

Currently, well for the past few years, my favorite release is cooking.  I can walk into a kitchen and be inspired.  Even if it is 10:30 at night, and I worked a full day, there is something about all of the smells and colors and flavors that just puts my mind at easy.  Who wouldn't want to go to bed with their house smelling of fresh baked cinnamon rolls, or a spicy scent of chili? 

Hi there! Hello! WELCOME!

Occasionally in life we need to be just pushed.  Pushed to do something great, or something we have been holding back from, or just pushed to move forward.  Recently, I received my "push".  So here is a big thanks to all of my friendly pushers out there!

The past few days have been nothing but computer typing, designing, and figuring out website/blog stuff. It was a lot harder than what I remembered from high school web design.  When did "user friendly" become not so friendly?  

Seeing as this is my first blog post, not only on this blog, but one in general, I ask for patients in my process of making this AWESOME.  My mission is for you, the reader, to hear me talking while your reading.  I want to come off light hearted, positive, and quirky.  There may occasionally be something profound that comes out of this, but for now this is meant to show the world what I see, think, and feel through my camera, and my self-proclaimed creative mind.  

With all that said… welcome!  Take off your shoes, get in a relaxed position, and remember we are all just friends here.  No need to come to impress, just come to observe some *joy*!