A Photographer's Story

Meet Pepper

2011-01-15T11:55:00.000-05:00

This little girl is Pepper. She is a 4 month old lab/beagle mix. We asked her owner to bring her in. Like any puppy, she was a bundle of energy, and so lovable. Like any puppy, she did not want to sit. We did get some really cute shots of her, and shee even let us put a pettiskirt on her. Wait til Joy's son sees these! :)

I don't think we've ever come across a dog that we couldn't get some great shots of. We may have to pull more tricks out of the bag for some, but in general, they all do what we need them to do.

Here are some tips for when you get your pet photographed. Feed and water them before they get here. Walk or run them before you leave. This will burn off some of their energy. Once you get here, take your pet for a walk around the yard. Let him or her sniff around and do their thing.

Once we get your pet inside, we will let him/ her get used to us. We don't jump right into shooting. We want your pet to feel comfortable and safe.

Here are some of our favorite images from the shoot.

The Christmas Show

2011-01-13T10:23:00.000-05:00

Back in December we had the privilage of shooting the Christmas Show for Arabesque Academy of Dancing. We really love doing these recitals. I get to go behind the curtain. I love the kids' nervousness back stage. I love watching all their hard work come together, and their faces as they come off. They all whisper encouragement to the other kids that are getting ready to go on.

Every year Amy puts on a better show than the one before it, and this was no exception. This year, the show had a new addition; kids from the new acting class. This added a whole new dimension to the show.

I can't wait for the spring show to see what Amy is cooking up next!

Back in Black

2011-01-12T02:40:00.000-05:00

Almost a year ago I posted about my daughgter's travel soccer team, FC America. They had a few players who were seniors, so they were now too old to play in their age bracket. This left half a team. So, back in the summer they played their last tournament together, on the field as a team, on last time. Or so we thought...

This fall we found out that the younger girls who were left behind, were given permission to play in the adult league at Riverfront. The girls scrambled to get their team back, and get some new shirts made. They couldn't be FC America anymore, so they renamed themselves 'Back in Black'.

They've had a tough season, but managed to win a couple games. The best part was that they were all back together, playing again, for a little while longer.

These images are from last night's game. I don't even know what the score was, but I know we lost. It was a rough team, but our girls played well.

Happy New Year

2011-01-11T10:23:00.000-05:00

Happy 2011! It's a New Year which brings new resolutions and new promises. One of my resolutions is to get organized. Along with that organization, is to stay up to date on my blog.

So, without further delay, here is our first after Christmas session. Baby A. Mom is one of the teachers at Arabesque Academy of Dancing and went into labor right after the Christmas Show.

We decided to go to her, since it was so cold and windy outside. We worke with the awesome light coming through the windows. This little girl slept through most of her session, and did not fuss at all. She was a little doll.

Colleen + Tony Photobooth

2010-09-25T19:13:00.000-04:00

Montdale Country Club was the setting for Colleen and Tony's awesome wedding. We were there with our photo booth. When they go in the booth, you never quite know what's going to pop up on the screen! Congrats!

The Hidden Lake

2010-09-25T18:48:00.000-04:00

The Dunns found us with an internet search. They are from Jersey, but have a home up here, on a lake. This property has been in their family for years, so Tara decided it was time to get a family session done at the lake that she loved so much.

Keep in mind that I have lived on the same street my entire life. I grew up here! But, I never knew this place existed. It's tucked away, off a side road, then turn off to a dirt road. We had to call them when we got so far, so they could talk us in the rest of the way. I'm going to say that's because it's off the beaten path, and not because I'm bad at directions. haha

As we were driving in, it was all reminding me of my own lake house where I grew up as a kid. As Tara was telling me stories of when she was younger, I was really relating to that. It was the same kind of memories I have of my own childhood.

Tara didn't want stuffy formal shots. She wanted real life, kids playing, having a good time shots. Those are the kiNds we love!

Since the dock and the lake are the view that they see from the shore, we decided we would put them into that setting first. The kids did such an awesome job! The girls were pretty shy about the whole thing, but Charlie made up for them! He was so cute. We had a lot of fun with the Dunns, and we hope to see them again!

Julie!

2010-09-25T16:01:00.000-04:00

I swear that this is the last mask blog post! I think Ed has gotten the masks out of his system. For now. haha.
Ed found Julie on Model Mayhem, a place where models, makeup artists and photographers all go to work together. So we called her up to come do some posing. She brought along her boyfriend, Kevin, who is also a model. He was just there for support, but we do have some ideas for him, so we will be giving him a call after the fall/holiday rush!

We also called in our awesome friend and makeup artist Monica Scaduto. We have worked with her many times before and she is awesome at helping to relax the clients before the shoot so we can get the best images of them.

We did a few mask images, but not too many, since she was also there to do some portfolio building. She did great and I can't wait to work with both her and Kevin (and Monica) again!

Trouble Times Three!

2010-09-25T15:23:00.000-04:00

Next up on our mask parade is Carleen, Brittany and Kaity. These three together in a photo, can go one of two ways, it can be complete chaos, or we can get some awesome images. They really did a great job posing. We pulled out my husband's Jeep. I've been wanting to use this for a while as a prop, but haven't had the right idea in my head to use it.

So we made the girls climb up there to do some shots. We did all these as it was parked in my front yard, so we had the rubberneckers and the people slowing down as they drove by to see what was going on. We even had a few beep at us as they were modeling, which the girls found hysterical.

After the Jeep, we dragged them over to the driveway. It was overcast that day, but the rain just wouldn't come. So, we made our own. They brought their rain boots, we gave them some umbrellas, and turned on the hose!

These girls really rocked their session! We had a blast shooting them. We even entered the image of the three of them standing with the umbrellas into a contest at the GDS fair and won first place.

Devon's Forest

2010-09-25T15:02:00.000-04:00

Devon was another volunteer for the mask images. How many masks did Ed get, you may be wondering. haha. There are still a few more that you haven't seen yet.

We took Devon over to Ed's house to do some shooting by the creek. She brought a costume from a previous year, so this one was new to us. We liked how the costume had wings, so we made her bird-like.

Kristy and Alysa's Turn

2010-09-25T14:50:00.000-04:00

Kristy and Alysa are next on the blog! They are also girls from the dance studio who came to do some crazy mask posing. These two are usually pretty quiet around us when we come to the studio to do their candids and their posed photos. Kristy likes to hide from the camera, so we thought we'd drag her out front and center.
I think they did an awesome job. They both gave us that attitude that I know they both have in there! Thanks for coming over and helping us out girls!

Emily's Back!

2010-09-25T14:03:00.000-04:00

Emily came back to model for us this summer. She was one of the girls who braved the 10 degree days of this last winter to do some Rock the Frock Promo shots for us. We asked her then if she would come back again in the summer. Since Ed had all these masks, we figured she would be great for that. Who other than a dancer would have all the costumy types of outfits we would need for these types of images?

Our intern, Harley, was working with Ed on this shoot. She held the reflector and flashes and such for him while he shot. She was also there to help tease Ed as he worked. We always need help for that!

Liz - Dance Portraits

2010-09-24T12:59:00.000-04:00

Once in a while we decide that we need to do some fun shooting. Something just for us. Sometimes it's to help us learn a new lighting technique that we've found. Or sometimes it's for a new prop or set that we aquired. But, sometimes, it's something just for us; something to help us get some of the creative juices flowing.

Ed had been itching to do some masquerade images. He didn't know what exactly he wanted to do, but he bought a box full of them. Next, we needed some models, so we put out a casting call to some of the girls from Arabesque. We work with these girls quite a bit at the dance studio, so we know them enomodeling for us!ugh to know which ones would be well suited for what we need.

Liz was our first volunteer. She was an instructor at Arabesqe, but is now the owner of Love to Dance Consignment. We loosened her up first by having her do some leaps in the clover out in the field. We then decided to take her out to the corn field to do some "scarecrow" poses. We backed the Jeep right into the corn and had her stand on the roof. The images turned out awesome! Thanks Liz, for volunteering! You did awesome!

Roxie and Adam - Scranton Pet Photography

2010-09-24T11:16:00.001-04:00

Brenda brought Roxie and Adam to visit us a few weeks ago. We love to do animal portraits, but we are sometimes leary of doing two at once. I know Id never be able to get my two beasts in the same image unless I photoshopped them in. But, these are the dogs from Springbrook Kennels and I knew they would be good.

Both dogs were great posing for us. They would even close their mouths on Brenda's command! These are some of our favorites from the session.

Mark Tyoe - Poconos Photographer

2010-09-12T20:34:00.002-04:00

Last week we spent the entire week at the GDS fair in Newfoundland Pa. This is our second year here, in the same spot, and as we set up, we noticed the spot across from us was empty. We had hoped that this meant that the previous year's entertainment was there again. On Wednesday morning Mark pulled in. We were glad to see him. Mark is a champion chainsaw carver. He is part of the Masters of the Chainsaw. The fair brings him in to entertain the crowd, then his pieces are all sold or auctioned. This money then goes back to the fair.

To watch him is unbelievable. Ed and I sit there at the beginning of each show, and try to guess what he is carving. He always draws a large crowd. There are people who find a seat an hour before he starts, and will sit there from start to finish.

In between shows, Mark comes over to hang out with us and we get to know him a little bit. We chit chat about our kids, our families, business and anything else we can think of to pass the time.

I wanted to blog about him today because I was editing my images from the fair. These are just fun shots that we take while we are sitting there. The detail in Mark's pieces are something you have to see in person. If you are ever in the Adorondacks in New York, look for his store. You will be amazed by what you see!
This one was my favorite!

More of Mark's work can be seen on his website; http://www.wintergreenknoll.com/

Edwards Family Reunion - Moscow Photo Booth

2010-09-09T19:16:00.002-04:00

Once a year, my family gets together for a reunion. Its always the same Saturday, at the same time, in August. Its always a covered dish lunch, followed by some games, and sometimes a baseball game across the street at the school, and always visiting with people that we haven't seen since last year's reunion. This year, I brought along the photo booth for some extra fun!

Candy - Scranton Senior Photographer

2010-09-09T18:49:00.001-04:00

Candy came to us for a senior session. She loved the water images that we had done over the summer, and was looking for something different. Something that her whole class was not going to have. We started out indoors, in the studio, for some traditional shots. We then moved to our secret location for some fun images. Candy was a little hesitant to get in the water at first, but when she saw one of the images, she was a trooper, and continued the shoot, and did pretty much anything we asked her to do! She did a great job!

Sun and Sand Photography - Destin, Florida Photographer

2010-09-07T22:28:00.010-04:00

This week, I'm not going to write about me or our business. This week Im going to write about my friend, Amy, from Sun and Sand Photography.
Sun and Sand Photography is an awesome photography studio in Destin Florida. She specializes in family beach photography and wedding photography. Her work always has such a light and airy feel to it.

I met Amy a few years ago in Oklahoma, where we both attended a photography workshop. There was a freak snowstorm while we were there. We got hit with 7 or 8 inches of snow in one day. To us Northerners, it seems like nothing. But, Amy had ever seen snow before. She spent the entire afternoon out in the snow, making snow angels, and a snowman; playing like a little kid. I could tell then that she loved to have fun. If I ever make it down to her neck of the woods again, I'd love to have her do my family's portraits.

This week instead of me talking about my business, I'm interviewing Amy; to talk about her business.

What made you decide to persue a career in photography?
I work full time in a resort town. I had this moment of realization that instead of working for “the man” I should take advantage of our gorgeous coast and snowy white sand… I love interacting with people and I thought that my photography skills were pretty good - so why should I sit behind a desk at a hotel!? Thus Sun and Sand Photography was born.

Most of your clients are from out of town or out of state. How does this work as far as proofing and purchasing?
This has been the most difficult part of our business. Believe it or not working my website and tweaking my SEO to get clients to find us has been the easy part. Because our clients are here for a short time they aren’t interested in taking ANOTHER day out of their vacation for proofing. We tried last year to do this – hoping that the excitement of the photos would entice them to have a larger order. Guests just want to relax and want to see their proofs at their leisure.

How has the oil spill affected your business?
The oil spill hit our area hard and Sun and Sand Photography was not immune. It’s like we are in our first year again! We aren’t getting as many bookings and even less inquiries. Our business has been trending up each year but between the “economy” and the spill… it’s been hard.

What was the most fun you had at a shoot?
How can we not have fun at the beach!? Honestly, the most fun I had was when we were shooting a couple that booked a session just because. We do so many families and children on the beach – this was just a couple down for their 13th wedding anniversary. They are child free and are so in love. It was so fun to work with them.

If you could tell your brides one thing, what would you say? Relax! It IS all about YOU and your images will reflect that.

What was your most embarassing moment at a shoot?
Ahhhhh… when I sat down in the water thinking – hey my client’s doing it, why can’t I?! Well – I shouldn’t have because my iphone was in my back pocket… It was a sad day.

How do you deal with inclement weather?
When clients book us we insist on 2 things – to schedule our shoot on their first free day – maybe the second. Although clients want to be “tanned” – it always turns out that someone is sunburned and there is someone so tired of the sun and sand that they aren’t very happy – AND we need a couple of days to be able to reschedule in case of rain! Although, we have shot in the rain before!

What is the biggest challenge you face as a photographer?
Confidence. Sometimes I spend too much time looking for approval from my peers instead of forging through with my own ideas and my own work.

What is your favorite image?
I have so many… I have photographed some other photographers and I have really really loved a lot of those images. I think my favorite one is just because we were in the right place at the right time… we have a family on the beach next to a neat little beach shack and a gorgeous rainbow in the background. Just awesome.

What are some tips that you would give someone wanting to do outdoor portraits?
Turn off the flash!!! You, the photographer – put the sun at your back – the colors and exposure will be so much better.

Where do you see your business in 5 years?
I see Sun and Sand Photography being a known name in every household in America! Ha! I do see my husband Thomas and I working our photography business full time. That’s my dream.

Name one thing that you wished you knew before you started?
To invest in the right equipment the first time. Don’t start out cheap. Save up and get the equipment you need.

You can see more of Amy's work at http://www.sunandsandphotography.com/

Antiqua + Tyrone - Poconos Wedding Photographer

2010-08-30T22:21:00.009-04:00

We have so many awesome couples that book us for weddings that it's hard to pick a favorite. Antiqua and Tyrone are right up there on the list.

Antiqua found us through the PPA last year. She had heard some horror stories about wedding photographers and I think she was a little nervous when she met us. By the time our meeting was over, she seemed to be more relaxed with us and didn't hesitate to say yes to booking with us.

They live in NYC, so we kept in contact via email for the winter and booked an engagement session for late spring/early summer.

Although the weather man was calling for rain the day of the wedding, it held off until after we got inside for the reception. We LOVE overcast days for shooting! Antiqua was gorgeous, and absolutely beamed as she walked down the isle.

After the ceremony, we dragged them up to the basketball court for some fun shots of just them.

I know Antiqua and Tyrone will be very happy together. We loved working with you and hope to do so again!

Jackie - Moscow / Scranton Maternity Photographer

2010-08-30T21:59:00.007-04:00

We don't get to shoot maternity photos very often, so we put out a casting call through facebook to get some models. Jackie was the first to make an appointment. We had just finished painting some new backgrounds the night before, and got this one hung up just seconds before she got here.

Jackie brought her hubby with her. He was a great sport about it all and even got in some of the shots. They both did an awesome job!

Leann and Jake - Wilkes Barre Photo Booth

2010-08-16T20:41:00.005-04:00

Leann called us from Chicago to book her photo booth. She was coming home to get married and thought the photo booth would add to the fun of their big day. They were such a fun couple! I wish they had found us sooner and we were their photographer too. We had an awesome time. Jake's best friend, who is overseas, was in the booth, via his mom on skype. haha

The French Manor - Poconos Photographer

2010-08-16T19:07:00.008-04:00

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Bridget from the French Manor.
She wanted us to come take a few shots of the property, the rooms and the food for them to use on their website as well as brochures and other marketing materials.

The French Manor is located in South Sterling, in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. The owners, the Logans, have remodeled and added a spa since purchasing the Manor in 1990. They have stayed true to the decor of the original buildings. They also have a dining room where their chef serves some awesome meals!

If you aren't looking for a romantic getaway, but just want to relax, grab your girls and go up for a spa day. It's really not as far away as you might think!

Baby J's Cake Smash - Moscow / Scranton Children's Photographer

2010-08-16T18:55:00.005-04:00

Baby J's mom said she wanted to do a cake smash to celebrate his first birthday. She warned us that he would be messy. He was the messiest baby by far! He was crawling through the icing, smearing it all over the floor. When he tried to stand up, he was slipping all over the place. Ed would try to grab him, and Ed would slide. The whole scene was too funny.

Empty Cases - Moscow / Scranton Photographer

2010-08-16T18:38:00.004-04:00

Rob asked us to come shoot his band this summer. They graduated this year and are going off to different colleges. We found a date that we were available and took a trip down to the Vintage Theater in Scranton. I had never been in there. Even though we were the oldest people in there, haha, it was pretty cool. We sat and drank cappuccino while we listened to the bands. Good luck to the guys in college!

Jodi + Joe Hazleton Photo Booth

2010-08-16T17:17:00.003-04:00

A couple weeks ago Ed and I split up. I went to my daughter's tournament in Lititz, and Ed went to Jodi and Joe's wedding with the photo booth. He took along one of lovely assistants, Shelley.

Here are some of the images.

Moscow's Night Out

2010-08-16T17:09:00.003-04:00

The ladies at the Cabin Cafe were kind enough to let us set up in their place for Moscow's Night Out. On this night, all the businesses in Moscow are open. Many pass out candy, hot dogs, coupons and such for all the neighbors. We brought our photo booth and let everyone take a turn in it. If you haven't been to the Cabin since Mel and Joy took over, stop in for breakfast or lunch! Tell them we sent you!

The Last Hurrahh! - Scranton Sports Photographer

2010-08-13T15:33:00.008-04:00

My daughter's soccer team got the girls together for one last tournament last weekend. These girls have been playing together for 5 or more years. None of them go to the same school. They are just girls who love the game, and wanted some good training to improve. Over the years we have seen some girls come and go. Some girls graduated, some got busy with other things, and some just moved to other teams. Which leaves us with half a team, struggling to play a game.

Over the years they have built a strong bond. They always have fun when they play, even if they don't win, you can see them having fun. They have traveled together to different tournaments. Us parents as well as the kids have all formed our own family. They attend each other's high school games to cheer each other on. They send cards and visit when one is injured. They have played many a game, short a few players, while the team they played kept their full 11 on the field. It all made them tough kids, and tough players.

I think the world of these kids, and love them all. I will miss seeing the yellow jersey on the field. Good luck in what you do girls. Im sure we'll be catching some games this year!

My New Puppy - Moscow / Scranton Pet Photographer

2010-08-13T15:08:00.004-04:00

My kids have been bugging me for months for a new puppy. They tell me that he will be good company for my dog, Renn, who is 10. Or that he will be good company for the cat, Teddy, who doesn't want to be bothered with anyone. They will take care of him. They will train him. I won't even know he's here. Yeah, right. They ganged up on me, sending me photos of puppies that are up for adoption. Renn is a German Shephard, and they are my favorite dogs, so we were kind of looking for another one.

If you have ever been here, you know that for as big as my dog is, he is the most gentle dog you would ever want to meet. The kids who come here love him! I know there will never be another dog with his temperment. He's so mellow, Ed says that it's almost like he's stoned. haha

So, my husband and my daughter were out shopping and stopped to look at puppies. They found a White German Shephard that was 16 weeks old. He was getting too big to pass off as a puppy, so they had dropped the price by half.

We came up the next day to look at him and fell in love with him. He's a hyper little chewer, who wants attention.

We named him Sylar, after the evil villian from Heroes. He torments poor Renn all day. But Renn is too mellow to stop him or put up a fight.

Here he is, looking like a good dog. Don't let him fool you!

Belcher Family - Moscow / Scranton Family Photographer

2010-08-13T13:38:00.003-04:00

Amy came up with her family for an outdoor session. She wanted some casual shots of her family, including her dog, Broadway, out in the tall grass. Baby J is pretty active, and loves his pal Broadway, so we let him be himself as we shot.

New Products

2010-07-30T15:21:00.004-04:00

Every once in a while, our awesome lab comes up with some new products. This time, we came up with it on our own. Almost. A friend and fellow photographer was making these necklaces for some friends of hers. At the time, we were getting ready for a bridal show, and looking for something to help us stand out and be different from the rest of the photographers there.

We went to visit our friends down at Central Park Flowers in Olyphant, told them of our idea, and let them take it from there. The tree was perfect for what we needed! And it worked! the brides were all stopping to look at the tree. They were all asking how much the necklaces are and how do they get them.

After we got home, I didn't give it much thought. It sat in the studio on a display table. Then, moms started asking for them. We decided to add them to our product line.

There are a few different sizes to choose from. Prices on these range from $20-$40, and can be easily made as magnets as well. We are also adding the bamboo necklaces into the collection. For the month of August, we are giving away 1 free necklace with each paid session's order.

Give us some feedback. Let us know what you think of these necklaces!

Baby A

2010-07-27T00:28:00.004-04:00

It seems that our cake smash sessions were popular two weeks ago. We had 3 in 2 days! We do love the cake smashes. We never know how a baby is going to react to them. Some dive right into the cake. Some want nothing to do with it. This little guy fell into the last category. Mom said she had trained him to be a neat freak. He was not happy that he was messy. But, we loved it!

Kelsey Rocks the Frock (and the water)

2010-07-26T23:10:00.005-04:00

Kelsey was our first volunteer when we put out the casting call for some models to do some water shoots. We waited until later in the afternoon to get some really nice lighting, then headed out in the back field. Once we finished here, we headed over to Ed's house to go play in the creek.

The water wasn't as cold as I thought it would be. As we were shooting I could see the fish and the crayfish moving by.

I think Kelsey totally rocked these photos! If you're looking for something different for your senior photos this year, think about doing a water shoot!

Lititz Summer Showcase

2010-07-26T20:44:00.002-04:00

We spent the weekend in Lititz at the Summer Showcase. We had temperatures of over 95degrees and humidity over 75%. The girls did an awesome job, and came away with second place in their bracket.

Just as we got in the car to leave, a storm came rolling in with lots of lightning and wind. We were under a tornado warning. Hopefully all the kids, parents and staff got off the fields before it got too bad.

This was taken from the tournament's website today...

"Thank you from the Lititz Summer Showcase We try to provide a memorable showcase every year. This is one they will be talking about for years to come. Sunday’s sudden violent winds and lightning brought an abrupt end to an otherwise great tournament. Trees were toppled all over the Lititz area downing power lines and causing tremendous amounts of damage. Tents were mangled and blown away. In one incident at Hummer Fields, port-a-potties were blown out onto the road where one was struck by a van and had its contents deposited on an adjacent property. On the day after, utility companies and municipal crews are still swarming the area to restore services and clean up damage and debris. And everybody has a vivid memory of where they were when the big storm of 2010 hit. Prior to all that, we had another great year of high-level competition, beautiful fields with more teams than ever and more college coaches than ever."

The Hummer fields is where our team was playing. Looks like we got out of there just in time!

Once again girls, you did an awesome job and really made us proud!

Miss K

2010-07-23T23:02:00.004-04:00

We love to do cake smashes! We had three last week. This little girl is the happiest, cutest baby! She was such a doll! She's got the biggest, darkest, eyes. And so many smiles! We can't wait to have her back!

M&M kids

2010-07-23T22:39:00.004-04:00

This family has been coming to us since we first opened. In the summer, they come and we capture the kids as they play. It's really cool that we get to watch these kids grow up. Each time they come, I can see them getting older. Miss M totally loves the camera, and it loves her! By the time she gets here for her senior photos, she's going to be a top model. She's got her poses down!

Here are some of our favorites from the shoot.

Traveling Camera Project

2010-07-23T00:18:00.006-04:00

Back in January, our friend and fellow photographer, Dave, found 2 expired disposable cameras. He decided to pass them around to different volunteers, one from each state. So, we volunteered for Pa.

Not too many people have ever heard of Scranton until the show The Office hit the air. Back in the day, Scranton was a big coal mine city. The nation's first successful, continuously-operating electrified streetcar (trolley) system was established in the city in 1886, giving it the nickname "The Electric City". After World War 2, coal was losing preference to oil and natural gas, as the chosen energy source. Due to this, coal mines closed, and the population of Scranton began to diminsh. In the 80s the city started to make a revival. A lot of the older buildings were restored, a new mall was built. A minor league baseball stadium was built. People started taking an interest in the city, and a pride in where they live.

Now, as you know, I do not live in Scranton. But I do live about 10 miles away in the country. But, our mission was to shoot local color. Or something that represents the state's nickname. Our nickname is the Keystone State. What is a keystone? Something that holds everything together, or something which surrounding things depend on for support. So, I guess Scranton is the keystone of the northeast of Pa.

Next question was, what do I shoot? I opted for the Scranton Times building in Scranton. No matter which side of Scranton you come in, you see the tower on this building. The tower was added to the building in 1950, when they added a radio station to the top floor. It was first decorated for Christmas in 1960. At Christmas time, it's lit up, and I belive it was said that it was the tallest "Christmas Tree" east of the Mississippi.

When I was little, I remember being driven around Scranton to see the lights on the houses. This building was always on the tour.

If you'd like to read more on the traveling camera project, Dave's blog can be found here. http://travellingcameras.blogspot.com/

Mel is Rockin the Frock!

2010-07-22T23:06:00.009-04:00

A couple weeks ago, we put out a casting call for someone to do a rock the frock shoot. Mel had done one for us in the past, and had such a good time, she looked for dresses to use for these shoots. She found two that looked like wedding dresses, so we grabbed those and went to work.

We had the fabulous Monica Scaduto come over to do make up. We showed her our crazy idea for make-up, and she ran with it. Monica has worked with us before and is super! She really puts the girls at ease.

After getting Mel ready, we drove to our location. This is a spot Ed used to go to in his younger days. A long long time ago. haha. Mel was great. So many expressions. She wasn't afraid to do anything we asked her to do, and we ended up getting some really awesome shots!

Lauren's Photo Booth

2010-07-21T23:07:00.003-04:00

Lauren's parents hired us to set up the photo booth for Lauren's Graduation Party. Lauren graduated from Wyoming Area, and is headed off to Pitt.

The day was hot! I do mean hot! Ed was beet red as we set up the booth. I thought he was going to pass out. But we got set up, took a little breather to get a drink, then opened the booth for business. The pool was also open, but we had a steady stream of customers. The booth was a hit. We even ended up staying an extra hour.

Thanks Lauren for having us! Good luck in school!

Senior Rep - Kim

2010-07-21T14:37:00.006-04:00

Kim is our latest senior rep from Wallenpaupack High School. She is our only rep from Paupack right now, so we do still have room for more!

I've known Kim a few years from soccer. She even missed a World Cup game to come over. But, we had it playing on the big screen for her mom.

I had an idea of what we wanted to do with her before we got her here. We did a few indoor shots, then moved outside to do some lazy outdoor summer shots. I love the feel of these field images! Kim did a great job!

If you go to Wallenpaupack, look for Kim to get a rep card from her. You will receive 16 free wallets with your order!

Antiqua + Tyrone Engagement Session

2010-07-20T13:49:00.004-04:00

Antiqua and Tyrone met us last year for a consultation, and booked us for their upcoming wedding. We immediately fell in love with them. They were such a cute couple and so sweet!

They wanted to wait until late spring/early summer to do their engagement session, so mid-June we set out to get them done. We traveled over to Tobyhanna State Park. I had never been there before, so I didn't know what to expect. I knew there was a beach and some water. Other than that, we were winging it.

Luckily, we got there early, and there wasn't a lot of people there. We had run of the whole place. They were a lot of fun to shoot and made us super excited for their wedding that was coming up in a few short weeks.

Maria + Tom = Photo booth

2010-07-20T12:48:00.002-04:00

Maria and Tom rented our photo booth for their wedding in June. As we were setting up, a little girl kept coming over to see what we were doing. She was all excited to go in the booth. As soon as we got it set up, she was the first one in it.

It was strange being at a wedding and not shooting, but we were soon busy enough with the booth. Needless to say, the booth was a hit. She ended up asking us to stay an extra hour.

Arabesque Senior Show

2010-07-20T12:18:00.003-04:00

The senior show for Arabesque was the next night. The show kicked off with a slideshow of images of the kids practicing. After the slideshow, Amy came out, and did a beautiful dance. At the end of the dance, her son Jacob, toddled out to join her.

The theme for the senior show was America. The kids paid tribute to the United States through dance. Beautiful ballets, mixed with some fun stuff. The senior tap class danced to Devil Went Down to Georgia. Their feet moved as fast as the song!

Their recital was great. My daughter was never a dancer. She is an athlete. So, this was all new to me when we started shooting here. These kids put a lot of time and hard work into putting on a recital. They should all be proud of themselves.

Arabesque Jr Recital

2010-07-20T11:50:00.004-04:00

After months of hard work, it was recital time at Arabesque. I cannot say enough good things about this school. Amy, the owner, is great, She loves these kids and they love her. We spend a few weeks in the classrooms as the kids are practicing. We take candids of the kids and get to know them a little bit.

By the time the recital rolls around, they are used to us sticking cameras in their faces, and don't seem to pay attention as much to us.

This year's theme for the smaller kids was Disney. They even had a visit from the Beauty and the Beast play cast that came to perform in Scranton.

Kid's Day at Pocono Raceway

2010-07-20T11:39:00.004-04:00

June is race weekend at Pocono. Those who know me, know that we go every year. So, when the opportunity came to bring the photo booth to Pocono for their Kid's Day, we jumped on it. We love to give back to the community, and our photo booth is a great way to do that.

I had never ventured to this side of the grandstands for Kid's Day before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. They set us up next to the face painter. There was only 1of her, against what seemed like 5000 kids. She was non stop. Our booth was too.

All in all, Id say the whole day was a success. The kids loved it! We had some kids come back in line 3 and 4 different times. I would deffinately do it again next year!

Photo Booth Fun

2010-07-20T11:23:00.004-04:00

If May was wedding month for us, June ended up being Photo Booth month. We had a booking almost every weekend. It really gave us a chance to streamline our process. This is still a pretty new addition to our services, and we are always looking for ways to make it better.

We are one of the only photographers in the area who have a real photo booth. If you are booking a booth, be sure to ask if it's a booth, or if it's a camera on a tripod against a wall. For those who don't know, our booth is close to what you see at the mall, only a larger scale. You climb in, pull the curtain closed, put on some silly hats, and make some crazy faces as the camera snaps the shots. After 4 photos, the image prints out. The host gets a choice of a slideshow of all the images, or a scrapbook, which has 1 of each print. The guests can also sign the book, leaving messages for the host.

Its almost as much fun for us watching as it is for the people inside. Our booth is a great addition to any party. Weddings, graduation parties, reunions,birthday parties, corporate events and charities are all great places to bring the booth.

Keri + Eric = Wedding

2010-07-20T10:56:00.005-04:00

Keri and Eric's wedding was our first military wedding. Military guys, classic cars, Memorial Day weekend, can't get much better! They had a beautiful day for their wedding. Hot! But beautiful!

Someone had asked permission for us to shoot the formals at some random house along the way to the reception. It was a great setting for the formals, as well as the not too formal bridal party shots.

As I write, Eric is oversees, fighting for his country. Keri, Eric, and all military familes out there...thank you for all the sacrifices that you make for us all every day! Eric, we wish you a safe tour. It was an honor to be chosen to shoot your wedding!

Puppies

2010-07-20T10:46:00.003-04:00

We put out a casting call on facebook, looking for some dog models. Shannon's Pet Boutique in Scranton has generously agreed to let us hang some of our prints in her boutique. We borrowed a few of her doggie beds, scheduled our models, and went to town.
No sooner did we get done with the models, I got my very own puppy to shoot. So, we set him up with his very own shoot. He's young, he's a chewer, and does not listen very well. So, I didn't think we were going to get much out of him. Much to my surprise, we got quite a few really good shots of him.

To blog or not to blog.......

2010-07-20T10:41:00.002-04:00

Seems like I'm all caught up on my bookwork. Ok, so not caught up all the way, but am I really ever caught up? But, I'm caught up enough to do something else. Today's something else is blog. Why do I always put off the blog? It's not that I don't like doing it, because I do. It just seems that I should be doing something more productive than writing. Is anyone reading it? I don't know. I guess because I don't know whos reading makes it seem like it's kind of a waste of time. So if you are following along, let me know! Leave a comment.

Arabesque Academy of Dancing

2010-06-21T17:02:00.004-04:00

Most of May found us at the Arabesque Academy of Dancing. We were there to shoot candids of the kids as they had dance class. We also came in to do their class and individual photos. Then, we went to the recital to get some candids there as well.

We love coming into this studio. There is a great group of kids here. We love getting to know them and seeing all of their hard work pay off in the end.

This year, we went a different way with some of the group photos. The instructor's group decided to move outside. We LOVE LOVE LOVE this shot! Thanks Amy and all the kids for having us! We can't wait to do it again!

More Photo Booth Fun

2010-06-21T15:31:00.004-04:00

Maria and Tom booked our photo booth for their wedding. As we were setting up, the guests were all curious as to what we were doing. Once the word got out that there was a photo booth, the excitement started to spread. No sooner did we have the booth up and running, did we have our first visitor.

From the time the booth started until the end of the reception, it ran non-stop. They even had us stay an extra hour, it was such a big hit.

Country lanes Photobooth

2010-06-15T23:47:00.003-04:00

Last month we also visited Country Lanes Bowling Alley in Elmhurst, for Photobooth Friday. If you are looking for something to do this summer, check them out! Their pizza is awesome!! I couldn't tell you the last time I bowled. Other than the Wii. Just like I remembered, I sucked. haha. Ed and the kids beat me. But, we had a great time!

Mothers Day and photobooths

2010-06-15T23:33:00.005-04:00

Mother's Day took us to the Cabin Cafe in Moscow. We set up our photobooth for the day to give out free photos to their customers. If you haven't been to the Cabin, you really should go visit them.

Joy and Mel are great. They really treat their customers like they are all friends and family, and the food is great!

Bark for Life

2010-06-15T23:11:00.005-04:00

Since I posted about being at the Bark for Life, I guess I should blog about the walk. This walk benefits the American Cancer Society and takes place at Nay Aug Park, in May.

This was their second walk, and the dogs doubled this year to over 200! Not only is there a walk, but they have dogs performing obstacle courses, dancing, and doing tricks. There are quite a few vendors there such as kennels, groomers, trainers, as well as us, photographers.

Although it rained while we were there, it did not lessen the crowd. They had a great turnout and raised a lot of money for a great cause!

Thanks to everyone who participated. We all have a story about cancer. Hopefully one day there won't be any more.

Furry friends

2010-06-15T22:57:00.005-04:00

While at the Bark for Life last month, we found a great little couch/ pet bed that we had to have. We started talking to the owner and one thing led to another. We decided that we would get some large prints of pets, on the bed that she sells, and hang them in her boutique.

In turn, we sent out a request to all of our facebook fans. Free pet sessions so we can get some prints to hang.

This turned out to be a lot of fun. Especially for me since I got to watch all these dogs drag Ed all over the place. haha.

These images are products of these shoots. We'd like to thank Amy, Sandy, Judy, Gina, and Liz for bringing your furry friends over to help us out.

Cady + Ben Wedding

2010-06-09T11:48:00.006-04:00

Cady and Ben were another one of our couples in May. We knew from their engagement session that their wedding was going to be a lot of fun. Cady was probably the most relaxed bride I have ever seen! She just went with the flow. She simply radiated happiness.

They got married at the Shawnee Inn, at the waterfront. The storm clouds held out for us until the reception started. We had done the formals before the ceremony. Cady and Ben were all about having fun and letting their images from the day show how much fun they are.

Bloomsburg Futures Showcase

2010-06-09T10:55:00.004-04:00

Every spring FC America heads down to Bloomsburg for their Futures Tounament. This is a showcase tournament The scores don't count as much as they would for a regular tournament. There are no play offs. This is strictly for college scouts to come watch the teams, to look for kids to recruit.

We went down with some of our kids and some kids from another team. The girls didn't get a chance to practice together, since most of them were still doing high school soccer at this time. But, when the girls got on the field for their 8am games they played well together. Especially considering we drove down that morning. We ended the weekend at 1-1-1.

Angelina + Zach Wedding

2010-06-09T10:21:00.004-04:00

May has been a super busy month for us; weddings and dance photos. Angelina and Zach kicked off our wedding season this year. We got to know them a little bit through two of our other couples. Zach a little more since he is a regular at the wedding shows that we attend.

Their setting was Marywood College, where they both attended. This was also the scene of their engagement photos. The day was perfect for a wedding, and Angelina was gorgeous! The ceremony was followed by a butterfly release to honor those who have passed and could not be there with them.

We moved on to the Scranton Cultural Center. This is such an amazing building. From the day we booked this wedding, our heads raced with all the possibilities of the ways we could photograph them. We love when our couples let us be creative!

Happy Birthday Scotty!

2010-05-25T23:41:00.002-04:00

Scotty's mom called to book a session for his 1 year birthday When I suggested a cake smash, she was all into it. We love the moms who let us get creative with their kids' shoots.

Cake smashes are so much fun. You never know what you're going to get. Some kids love the icing. Some don' like to be dirty. This guy took it all in stride. He was so well behaved. These are some of our favorite shots from his session.

Let's go Racin Boys!!

2010-04-26T11:03:00.005-04:00

Anyone who knows me, know that I love to watch NASCAR. But, this year, we've gotten into a whole different kind of racing. Slingshots and Micro sprints. I don't really know a whole lot about them, but I think I'm going to be learning this year.

We headed up to Hamlin Speedway to get some shots for Mekic Racing and Redemption Racing, two teams that run up here. It's been a long time since I've been to a dirt track race. I forgot how much I liked it. My dad used to race street stocks back when I was in high school. We would spend Friday or Saturday summer nights at the track cheering him on. The only difference is that this particular Saturday night was freezing! It was snowing while we were there. I will be glad for the warm nights when we are up there!

If you are looking for something to do on a Saturday night, this really is a nice little track. Something inexpensive for the family to do for something different.

Here are some of our favorites.

Autism Awareness Walk

2010-04-26T10:43:00.004-04:00

April is Autism Awareness month. Every year, the PLCTA has a walk at Nay Aug Park in Scranton, to raise money for awareness. This year, despite the cold and rain, they had over 1500 people there! There were so many activities for the kids to do. We saw bounce houses, face painitng, sand art, masks that the kids could design, and so many more things that I can't remember them all! They also had some local support organizations to give out information and answer questions.

Some of our favorites from the day.

Baby L

2010-04-26T10:29:00.002-04:00

This little guy's session was scheduled before he was even born. For newborns we like to get them in here before they turn 2 weeks old. These first few days they sleep a lot, they are easier to position, and they haven't started peeling yet.

If you know someone who's pregnant, have them give us a call to let us know the due date, so we can be sure to make room for them.

There are SO many from this shoot that we love, but I try not to post more than 5, so here they are!

Michael

2010-04-26T10:21:00.003-04:00

This little guy was the winner of our Cutest Kids contest that we have every year. To be entered, all you need to do is have a paid session with us. If the child is under 5 years old, he will automatically be entered. This year's winner received a year's worth of free sessions.

For their first session, they did a Mother's Day/ Easter session. Here are some of our favorites from the session.

T and B

2010-04-26T09:55:00.002-04:00

I always say I'm going to try to keep up with the blog. And every time I say it, another week or two goes by without blogging. At least this time its because we've been busy.

These little guys came in right before Easter to get some Mother's Day/ Springtime photos done. Mom dressed them alike in their bright yellow shirts and blue striped ties. I LOVED the bold colors!

These are some of our favorites from the shoot.

2011 Senior Reps

2010-04-12T11:48:00.003-04:00

As you may know, we do things a little differently around here when it comes to seniors. We have Senior Reps. Simply explained, these kids represent our studio. They come to us in the spring of their Junior year. We do a free mini shoot with them so we can get images to use for marketing. We then make business cards with the Rep's image on them. They pass these cards out to their friends. For every card that comes back to us, the Rep receives a $10 Visa card. The person who redeemed the card will receive 16 free wallets. As the reps send us more seniors, they earn different prizes along the way. At the end of the school year, we add up all of the referrals. The Rep that sent us the most, will win a $200 Visa card! This is our way of thanking them for helping us to get our name out there.

Here are a some of this years reps. If you know them, be sure to get a card from them so you can get your free wallets!

Springtime = Soccer Season

2010-04-09T11:12:00.004-04:00

Outdoor soccer season has finally started, after cancelling and rescheduling games due to weather and poor field conditions.

The girls from North Pocono lost a lot of good girls last year, and don't have many on the bench this year. But, dispite that, hey are playing tough. As I write they are 2 and 1, but the loss was a PK in the last minute of the game. That game could have easily been a win.

If you're looking for something to do in the afternoons, come check out a game. Girls sports seem to get overlooked big time, and they really have some good close games. They can really use some support from their classmates and fans. Their schedule can be found on the North Pocono website. Home games are played behind the elementary school.

These are some shots from the North Pocono vs Wyoming Area game.

Brothers C and C

2010-04-09T10:51:00.004-04:00

We often give out gift certificates for charities in the area. Occasionally people redeem them.

These little guys' grandma won a gift certificate back in January, so they came in for Easter photos.

Big brother C, played with us as we took his photos. He played with us as we took Little C's photos. They were both so lovable! We hope to see them again.

Some of our favorites fromt he session.

Mr J

2010-04-09T10:44:00.003-04:00

This little guy came to play with our chicks and do Easter session. He is 10 months old and if e's not walking by the time I write this, it will be any day now!

He was so cute. He would crawl to the camera, and Ed would drag him backwards to where he was supposed to be. This last shot is his face as he was being dragged.

We would love to have him back for his birthday to do a cake smash.

Patti and Don

2010-04-09T10:37:00.003-04:00

I've knows Patti for years. We used to work together as waitresses back in our late teens. We hadn't seen each other in years until last year at an event we were shooting.

Patti sent us an email and we brought her in for an engagement session. They were so easy to work with, and I could see they are very much in love.

A few faves from their session.

Photo Booth Fun

2010-04-09T09:48:00.004-04:00

Everyone knows we are photographers. But, not too many people know we also have a photo booth. Remember the old photo booths that you would climb in with a friend and they spit our a strip of photos for you and your friend to share? We have an updated version of that.

Our photo booth is expandable. It will hold up to 10 or 12 people, depending on size. It prints out 4 images on a 4x6 photo. We give you a choice of background colors, and let you customize the border that you want on the print. We also have a large selection of crazy hats and props that we bring along to add to the fun. You then get your choice of a DVD slide show of all of the photos from the booth, or a scrapbook of all the photos. We supply the glue to put them in the album along with a pen, so each guest can write a personalized message to the host!

This booth would be great for birthday parties, weddings, graduation parties, office parties, and reunions; the possibilities are endless!

Give us a call to rent our booth for the day. We only have one and dates fill up fast!

Spring Events

2010-03-11T10:51:00.003-05:00

Now that spring is just around the corner, I'd like to update you on some of the events we will be part of this year.

There are some really great causes to get involved with in the area. They can all use volunteers. If you have a couple free hours, give them a call and see what you can do to help out. Stuff goodie bags, fold mailers, donate a gift basket to be raffled, donate a service to the event, or just come support the event by participating that day!

April 17th is the 7th annual Autism Awareness Walk at Nay Aug Park. Last year 1,500 walkers took a step for awareness. To register for the walk call 341-3388. Prior to April 1, 2010 registration is $10.00. Walker receive a Walk T-shirt. Children under 18 are free. A free Post Walk Picnic is held after the walk. Come join us in supporting each child, teen and adult affected with autism. Together we can make a difference! We will be there with the photo booth.

April 25th is a Princess Part for mothers and daughters at Holy Cross High School. There will be vendors as well as some make up artists making the girls look gorgeous! We will be there taking photos!

May 2nd is the 2nd annual Bark for Life. The American Cancer Society's Lackawanna Unit is holding a Bark for Life at Nay Aug Park in Scranton to raise funds as part of the 2010 Relay for Life. Registration is $10 per dog, $5 for each additional dog.
Fun, food, games, contests, prizes, and more!
For information or to register, call the American Cancer Society at 570.562.9749. We will be here taking photos of the walk as well as individual photos of the pooches!

June 12th & 13th Relay for Life at Memorial Stadium in Scranton.The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.

If you have an event or know of one that is looking for vendors or volunteers, please let us know! We love getting out and meeting new people and helping good causes!

Spring is in the Air

2010-03-10T16:30:00.003-05:00

What a big difference a week or two makes! We went from 2 feet of snow to 50 degree weather! Yay! I love springtime. Everything is new again. Birds are chirping, flowers start pushing up from their long winter nap.

We've been busy in the studio doing Easter/Mother's Day photos.

This little guy came up to get Mother's Day photos for the paper. We couldn't resist adding the chicks and bunnies to the images to do some Easter as well. He loved pretending that the chicks were nibbling on his toes!

Here are some of our favorites from the shoot.

Good Times

2010-02-24T12:10:00.006-05:00

A friend of mine recently asked me for a photo. This was not an average photo. It was an image of him, looking silly. It was a rainy day at the lake where I spent my summers growing up. We were bored. For those who don't know, I went to Cosmetology classes when I was in high school. One thing lead to another, and we get my poor friend with hair teased out as high as I could get it.

It's funny how a certain photo will take you back. Back to when you were little, or even just a few years ago. When I look at old photos, I can almost replay that whole event in my head. I can remember what we were doing, who was there, why we were doing it.

Throughout my life I've had a camera. As I look back over these photos, Im glad I did. Im glad I took the photos, even though Im sure there were many protests. "My hair's not done! I have no makeup on! I look a mess!" Some of the shots are blurry, or over exposed, but that's ok. The memories are what it's really all about.

In the age of digital, how many people really print their images? Do they sit on a hard drive, where no one can see them? I encourage you to go through them. Print them. Share them. Scan the prints. Back them up! While you're going through them on your hard drive, tag them. A day will come, probably sooner than you think, where you won't remember the names of the people in the photos. Grab your albums and go visit your friends. People who were such a huge part of your life at one time. Reconnect with them.

I've always loved looking at old photos. I really love the candid shots. Shots that show the fun that the people in the image were having. I guess that's how my style evolved to what it is. Candids, but kind of posed. I love the natural smile, the great expressions that we can get from the kids who come here. We love for the experience to be a fun one for our clients. More times than not, our clients become our friends. Who can't use more friends? To all of them who gave me such great memories, Thank you!

Of course, I have to share the photo that inspired this post. Sorry, Joe!

Class of 2011!

2010-02-16T17:21:00.004-05:00

We are now accepting applications for our Senior Rep Program!

If you are accepted as a senior representative, you will receive a free mini senior portrait session in the spring of your high school junior year to be used for images on your Senior Rep card to hand out to your referrals. You will receive a $10 Visa gift card with every referral you send us. ½ off high school senior portrait session fee with 4 referrals. Receive a 5x5 Brag Book of your high school senior pictures at 6 referrals, or upgrade to a 10x10 brag book of your high school senior pictures at 10 referrals. You will also be one of the high school seniors showcased on our website, in a video on our senior picture video page, on our Facebook page and in our marketing for your area.

A $200 Visa gift card will be given to the high school student that sends us the most referrals. Referrals will be totaled on June 1st of your senior

Please let us know if you would like an application to become a Senior Rep. We only choose a few from each school, so apply early!

Visit our website to fill out your application!

Babies and toddlers

2010-02-16T16:29:00.005-05:00

Feb 14th ended our annual babies and toddlers contest. This year, the winner received a year's worth of free sessions! They could come back as many times as they want and we will waive the session fee. This is our winner. I just love his eyes!

Soccer Soccer Soccer

2010-02-16T16:09:00.005-05:00

As usual, we found ourselves at Riverfront on Sunday afternoon. FC played Pocono Mt West, and had a good game. Even with only 1 sub. When these kids get to their school season, they won't know what to do with all the subs.

North Pocono was down a few girls as well this week. Must have been something in the air (Valentine's Day). NP did not fare as well. They gave it a strong fight, but did not win.

As if one afternoon wasn't enough, we went back to Riverfront for more on Monday. This was just a pick up game. The kids allowed us to stick a camera in the goal while they played. This is something we have been wanting to try for a long time now. We didn't do too bad for a first try. We'll make a couple more modifications and try it again.

Here are some of our favorite shots from the weekend.

O-HI-O!

2010-02-02T13:43:00.003-05:00

Last month we took a trip to Ohio for the weekend. This was a meetup with some friends we've met through our lab. We have meetups in different cities and states every once in a while. This gives us an opportunity to brainstorm, learn new techniques, improve our skills, and meet a lot of great photographers!

This meetup's schedule was packed full. Most of us arrived on Friday. We went out to dinner for a meet and greet, then went back to our friend Marti's studio to share samples of books, collages and other examples of our work. This was great. We were able to see vendor's products without having to purchase them.

Saturday we got off to an early start. We had the opportunity to eat breakfast at an amish home. There were also some photo ops at the property. We then met at Marti's studio for some classes on babies and toddlers. This is Marti's specialty, and she does it well! What a cute bunch of models she had there!

Next was a class on pet photography, by Ashley and Matt. They showed us how they wrangle the pets in their studio.

We broke for a little bit of lunch, then it was off to one of the local churches for some wedding photography. We had 2 models, Joy who was local, and Siri, who was a fellow photographer who graciously volunteered to model for us.

Back to Kara's studio for some studio/senior setups. We broke for dinner, took our group photo and left for home. Whew! Tired yet? We sure were. We had to drive all night since we were vendors at a prom show here at home, the next day.

It was nice to see old friends, and make some new ones! I always have a blast and learn so much at these meetups. I can't wait for my next one!

Of course, I have to leave you with some of my favorite images of the weekend.

Babies and Toddlers Contest

2010-02-02T12:33:00.004-05:00

Yesterday kicked off our babies and toddlers contest. Every child who had a paid session in 2009, was entered into a contest. One photo of each child was placed in the gallery on both our website and facebook

Check out the gallery and vote for a child!

Rock the Frock - Ashley

2010-01-31T15:20:00.003-05:00

Ashley answered our casting call for the Rock the Frock sessions. She came to visit us from Hazelton. Not only is she cute, but she's a fireman too!

We did quite a few shots indoors, then moved to the train station in Moscow for some outdoor shots. Like all the rest that we did, it was COLD. We have had the most awesome models for these Rock the Frock shoots.

Ashley will hopefully be coming back in the spring to do some more work for us.

Here are some of our favorite shots of her.

Soccer!

2010-01-19T21:26:00.002-05:00

Where do Sundays usually find us? On a soccer field! This week was FC America vs Valley View. Its always good to see the girls together and playing. This was the second game of the session, and another win.

A few of our favorite shots of the game;

Rock the Frock part 3

2010-01-13T16:25:00.003-05:00

We had a few more volunteers come for some Rock the Frock sessions. Monica Scaduto came with her Mary Kay kit to do some makeup for us and help make these girls look great. I don't think she had too much trouble doing it!

Here are a few of our favorites of Jenny and Lizzy.

Another Senior

2010-01-13T14:59:00.003-05:00

This is Rich. We went to his house to do his family's photos as well as his senior photos. They have Border Collies, and puppies! The dogs and puppies ended up being so much easier than I thought they would be to shoot. Whew! Here are some of our favorites from the shoot.

NP vs Prep

2010-01-11T12:00:00.003-05:00

Session 2 started at Riverfront yesterday. We did not make it to Fc's game, but we did get there in time to see the girls from North Pocono play Prep. It was a tough game, and the girls played well. They managed to come out of it with a tie.

Rock the Frock

2010-01-11T11:20:00.005-05:00

Rock the Frock! What's that? A lot of people have been asking that same question. Rock the Frock is a fun way to showcase your dress after your wedding, prom or semi before you send your dress off to the cleaners. How many times have you purchased a beautiful dress, worn it once, cleaned it, then put it in your closet never to be seen again? Some people may know this as Trash the Dress. We DO NOT trash dresses. Unless you want to. We simply showcase the dress in a fun way.

We recently put a casting call out to our facebook fans, to see if anyone was interested in these sessions. The response was great. The response to the images we've done for these has been great also. Go to our facebook page to see them.

Mel twirled around in a cornfield with a cowboy hat, cowboy boots, and her big beautiful dress. Kcee went for more of an edgy look with her baret and leather jacket. Jenny and Lizzy went for more of a glamourous look, since it was so cold the day we had theirs scheduled. Emily and Christina went on an adventure with us to a few different locations. Barns, fences, old churches and cement steps are some of the places they posed in.

These sessions are to let you, your personality, your beautiful dress shine. We have lots of places that we can shoot. The girls really have a blast when they do these.

These are some of our favorite images from these sessions.

Wedding plans

2010-01-11T10:50:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we attended the Bridal show at the Scranton Cultural Center. What a great building this is; all of the stonework and details in this place amaze me. I love the ceilings! We are shooting a wedding in there in May and I can not wait for it!

But, back to the Bridal show. How do you choose who to go with for your wedding? Your photographer is the one person who is going to be with you all day. You want to make sure that your personality clicks with theirs. No matter how nice their images are, do you really want to spend your whole day with someone you don't like?

Please take the time to get to know the person you are booking! We have all heard the horror stories. At these shows, walk around, talk to the vendors. Ask questions. Your memories from your wedding aren't expensive, they're priceless! You want to be confident in who you choose, so you know you don't have to worry about your images.

Here are some photos from the show yesterday. Thank you to Central Park Flowers in Olyphant for donating an arrangement for our booth.

Danae

2010-01-06T19:37:00.004-05:00

Miss Danae came for her senior portraits. Daae is a senior at Nrth Pocono. We had scheduled indoor and outdoor sessions, but the weather was not cooperating with us. We really had a lot of fun wth Danae. I love her eyes! They just draw you right into the image.

Here are a few of my favorite shots.

Dance Recitals

2010-01-06T19:20:00.005-05:00

Last month we were at the North Pocono Middle School for Arabesque Dancing Academy's Christmas Show. This was their first Christmas show. I love shooting these! Amy has the best group of girls at her studio. The kids are so stinkin cute!

I know how much work the kids all put into it and how nervous they are as they wait their turn to get on stage. These are a few of my favorite shots.

2010-01-05T15:25:00.003-05:00

In an attempt to catch up on all of my blogging that I haven't done for two months, I'll introduce you to Little Man M. His aunt brought him for an outdoor fall session as a Christmas present for his mom.

Look at the eyes on this guy! He was such a ham too as you can see! e was a little shy when he got here, but soon warmed up to us and was having a blast.

Here are a few of my favorites from his session;

2010

2010-01-04T23:22:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year! What a busy last couple of weeks we have had! I am going to try to get all of our past sessions updated on here within the next couple of weeks.

We have some interesting things coming up also, one of them being a road trip. Not quite the road trip to Oklahoma, but we'll be traveling to Ohio for a photographer meetup. This will be a 2 day workshop kind of meet up. We always learn a lot when we go to these! We also get to meet a lot of fabulous photographers!

So, on to the new year! Let's all make it a great one!

Nickelodeon comes to Town!

2009-12-03T13:28:00.003-05:00

This weekend we will be doing production stills for a web series for Nickelodeon! A production company, Small Media Extra Large will be filming their web series, "Exit Strategy", a story about a girl who lives in a funeral home.

Part of the filming will be done at Snowdon Funeral Home, and part at the North Pocono High School.

They are looking for extras, so if you know anyone who is 18, 19, 20ish; or older but looks like a high school student, please give them our name and I'll give them the info. We'll post some photos as we get them.

The Ball of Hope

2009-11-21T13:52:00.004-05:00

The Ball of Hope is a charity event run by the American Cancer Society. This is our second year shooting this event and I always have a blast. So many inspiring stories. Hopefully some day, there will be a cure for this awful disease.

The ambassadors who helped plan the event.

The theme was "a Return to the Classics"

The Exact Change Band

This car was donated by Toyota to be raffled off at the Ball

This lovely young lady came to the Ball this year to say thank you. Because of the donations last year, she was able to go to Camp Can Do this summer. This is a camp for kids with cancer. She was able to find kids with the same fears and hopes that she has. She also told us that she is now cancer free! YAY for her! I hope there are more that are able to say that!

I cannot do a blog post about cancer and not talk about Sandy. She is the biggest supporter of the ACS that I know. This woman works two job, is a mom and a grandmother, and is a good friend to us! Every where she goes, she promotes awareness. She is usually in the background, volunteering all of her time to this cause, so I just wanted to say, thank you Sandy, for all that you do!

Models

2009-11-21T12:31:00.002-05:00

Dayshawn is a model from Scranton who needed some new shots to build up his portfolio.

High Tea and a good cause

2009-11-21T11:44:00.004-05:00

For those who don't know, we do some work with Teen Parents. Its run by Youth for Christ. They help teenage girls who got pregnant to learn how to take care of their babies, themselves, stay in school, provide a good life for their children, and if they are lucky, come to know the Lord in the process.

One of the girls from Youth for Christ decided to help put together their annual fundraiser for her senior project. Their fundraiser is a High Tea. This year they had formal evening gowns to auction off after the tea. There were also a couple vendors that were willing to give back a percentage of what they made that day.

Danae, Cyndi, Aylene, and the rest of the ladies did a great job putting this together!
Aylene and Cyndi, who run the Teen Parents program

Some of the dresses that were being auctioned off

Danae, who made this her senior project

Cady and Ben

2009-11-21T11:12:00.003-05:00

We met Cady and Ben through a friend of ours (thanks Sandy)! I don't know how but we have ended up with the coolest couples! They are all ready to have fun and pretty much let us do whatever we want. Too bad my kids weren't like that!

Since they live about an hour away, I suggested they meet us at the Lehigh Zoo for their engagement session. Its a really nice little zoo tucked away in the gamelands down by Allentown. We found it one day while looking for a place to shoot for fun. If you have never heard of it, or have never been there, you should check it out! They just got some penguins this year to add to the exibits. On the way out of the property, you have the option of driving through the gamelands. This road take you to a shallow riverbed which you have to cross. All along the river, there are picnic spots for families to spend the day with the kids. Its not ususual to see kids in the river catching crayfish and having fun. After you cross the river, you drive up into the mountain, where there are elk and buffalo. At the top of the mountain, you can see the whole valley. This is what we wanted to use for the setting for Cady and Ben.

When we got there, the river was blown out from all the rain. They were not letting anyone cross, since you have to actually ford the river to get across. So, we set up camp at the river and did our session there.

They are a very playful couple and I really think it shows in their photos. I can't wait til the wedding!

Wedding Bells

2009-11-21T10:46:00.004-05:00

This is Jackie and Ryan. We met them through our friend Jason. The day started out a little rainy, but ended up being really nice! Very fun couple. We had a blast doing this wedding! They were willing to do pretty much anything we asked them to do, including scaling a stone wall at Nay Aug! Much happiness to the two of you!

Computers! Can't live with them, can't live without them!

2009-11-19T16:47:00.003-05:00

When did we become so dependant on computers? We didn't have them when I was growing up, but they are every where now. And when one goes down, it's like total meltdown.

This has been a bad week for computers of all kinds here. My kid's computers got infested with some kind of virus. While fixing that, I found out that my older computer could not sign onto the internet for whatever reason. My MP3 player wouldn't update. My cell phone was acting wacky. Is there a full moon? Or is it just the meteors that are shooting around us this week that are causing it? Luckily, I was able to fix them all with little swearing or yelling. But, I am done. If I hear, "Mom, my computer is acting weird" any time soon, I might lose it.

This totally random image that Im uploading here (if the program works) is a test. I tried posting some last week of my kids at sunset, but this software was acting buggy.

If it doesn't post, Im pulling the plus and giving up for a while!

Baby John turns 1!

2009-11-12T12:34:00.003-05:00

Wow! I have really been behind on my blogging! I thought Id share a few shots from last night. I was on my way to my sister's house for my nephew's 1st birthday party.

As I drove, the sun was setting. It was turning the sky an amazingly bright orange color. I was so glad I had my camera with me! I quickly pulled over, made the kids get out to pose for a couple shots in front of the sunset! They even got along while they did it! I ended up being fashionably late for the party, but I think I got a couple cool shots of the kids.

The party was fun. My sister's kids are more energetic than I remember my kids being at that age. I don't know how she does it!

Anyway, here are a few shots from the party as well as the sunset. (all photos of the highway were taken by Jess. I didn't shoot and drive)

Fall 2009 Newsletter

2009-10-29T17:09:00.002-04:00

Fall is a beautiful time of year. The trees each have their own color, and give perfect contrast to the bright blue sky above. Footbabll and soccer seasons have started and are almost over. Soon the kids will be Trick or Treating and before you know it, Thanksgiving and then Christmas is here. Its amazing how fast the year seems to fly by! When we were kids, it seemed like forever. Now, they just kind of all blur together.

Wedding Season

This year we have met a lot of great couples who are getting married. We've done a few engagement sessions, and some weddings this year. We love being a part of their special day. The nervousness, the excitement, the love, the magic of it all.
We had a booth at the Bridal Expo in Wilkes Barre this month. This was a first for us, but we really enjoyed ourselves. We hope to do the next one in the winter at the Scranton Cutural Center.

Outdoor Studio

The digging for the outdoor studio began back in the summer. Thanks to Jeff from Fischer Brothers Landscaping, the wall is complete. We are now working on the floor of the patio in front of it. Our only obstacle is the weather. It doesn't stop raining long enough to get anything done. We have used the wall a few times for some sessions. In the spring we hope to add flowers and ivy all around the wall. By adjusting our angles of the camera, we hope to be able to get totally different looks from that one wall. We also have other plans for next year if the weather cooperates.
Senior Class of 2010

You do have time to make the yearbook if you haven't gotten your pictures done yet. Most schools need the photo by December. We can proof right after your session so you can choose your photo for the yearbook. We will edit that photo, and get it to you so you can hand it in on time.

Upcoming Events
These events are open to the public. Please contact us for more details.

November 7, 2009
12-2pm
YFC High Tea to Benefit the Teen Parent's Program
This will take place at the Grace Bible Church in Dunmore $22 for tickets
They will also be auctioning off prom dresses after the tea. Preview is 2:30, auction begins at 3.

November 13, 2009
6-11pm
American Cancer Society's Annual Ball of Hope
This takes place at the Scranton Cultural Center. Ticket price is $100.

Sundays starting November 8 through February.
FC U-18 Girls Soccer Time dependant on schedule.
Riverfront Sports Complex in Scranton
There is no charge to watch these teams play.

Another Senior

2009-10-17T14:07:00.006-04:00

This is Maria. She is a senior at Dunmore High School. We have known her family for a while now. Instead of taking the summer off like most kids her age, Maria spent the summer in boot camp.

We did a few indoor shots, but she really loosened up when we got outside. I think she did a great job modeling! Any of you last minute seniors who go to Dunmore, be sure to get a card off Maria. You'll receive 16 free wallets!

Girls on the runway

2009-10-15T23:35:00.003-04:00

Monday we had the pleasure of getting some girls to come in to model for us. Danae is a senior from North Pocono. For her senior project, she is helping organize the Youth for Christ's high tea which benefits their Teen Parents program. At this year's tea, they will be auctioning off prom dresses. Danae and some of her friends came over to model the dresses so we could make a catalog for them. If you would like to attend the high tea, or bid on a dress, please contat us and we will get you the information you need.

First Friday

2009-10-07T11:25:00.002-04:00

The city of Scranton has a monthly art show, held on the first Friday of each month, appropriately named First Friday. Each month, local businesses and a few churches, display art made by local artists. We have had the honor of being asked by St Luke's Church to be part of their display a few times.

October's theme was pet art. Pets were welcome to come, and Father Pete had a pet blessing in the church. There were dancing dogs, along with pets looking for homes that were there with the Griffin Pond Aimal Shelter. Springbrook Kennels, K-9 Training and a few other facilities were there to educate owners on pet care, grooming and training.

It as a fun night and we got to meet some great people. If you are looking for something to do on a Friday night, google First Friday in Scranton and get a list of establishments displaying art.

New to the family

2009-10-04T19:29:00.003-04:00

Last week we drove down to Virginia, just outside of DC to take some photographs of Sophia, a daughter of my friends Pietra and Vanjela. Pietra's grandmother and my grandmother met back in the 60s when they both bought vacation property at Lake Wallenpaupack. Her mother and my father grew up together and then Pietra and her brother and my sisters and I grew up together.

Needless to say, I was thrilled to go see her baby. I dragged Ed along for the ride. She was having a little bit of a belly ache, but we worked in between cries. Here are some of my favorites.