Photography Highlights

2018 Slip And Slide Weekend NY

The best part about summer has to be the color of the green grass meeting the setting of the sun. It creates such a beautiful hazy atmosphere and in the right setting makes an amazing outline around subjects.

Summer Time Girls

My absolute favorite subjects to shoot are children. They love posing and are not shy about anything. They don't care about what their bodies look like or put up any guards against the lens, they just are real and their interactions are so pure and sweet. These two lovely cousins had a fun time together. They really got into posing and were interested in how I was setting up the shots. By far one of my most memorable photo shoots and I adore all of the pictures from that day.

2018 Forge Day - Center for Metal Arts

Photos of hands involved in work are some of the most compelling images. These are Ben's hands during a forging class he took in Johnstown. The motion of the hammer, the heat of the metal, the muscle used to steady the tools - these are some of my favorite shots to take.

A night at Club Cafe

One of my favorite activities is taking a camera to a live show and shooting photos. I love the expressions musicians make as they are performing. I love the way the lights create such different colors and each shot can change dramatically from one moment to the next.

Majora's Mask

The best part of being married to another artist is being able to shoot their hard work. In this instance I set up the shot for Ben and then he took the photograph of me in the Majora's mask costume. We had so much fun with our halloween project that year and I love shooting these outdoor scenes bringing the mask to life.

Shannon's Pro Photos

Having a common goal with your subject or having a clear plan of attack before going on location for shoots is always portant. This tends to always hold true when taking photos of Shannon. She always has interesting locations for where she thinks would make visually compelling shots. This was one of a series of shots we took in a hotel lobby in Downtown Pittsburgh. They were for her promotions material.

Vintage Wedding

I enjoy shooting weddings because they are so joyful. As a wedding photographer you are often also the go to for keeping things moving. Some times you get to shoot in a beautiful location that if you get enough time you can use the space as a perfect backdrop to set up a vintage style shot. I adored this couple and how easy they were to photograph. They let us play and direct the shots so easily. This is not always common for weddings. The couple can often times be rigid and specific about what they want, or even what they don't want to do.

This Little Diva

I have been photographing this little since the week she was brought home from the hospital. She is super sassy when in front of the camera and always strikes a pose. It is so much fun to go out every year and take her photos.

Our Boy Thor

Dogs are a lot of fun to photograph. Especially when they are just allowed to play. It's not always easy to do portraits of dogs where they have to behave and sit still, it's also no fun for anyone. I love taking journalistic photos of pets and children the best. It showcases their personality and keeps everyone relaxed.

Love Birds

Shooting at one of my favorite small park locations there is this old little boat that I really like using as a prop. You'll see it in a few photos. I love this type of composition. Use what is available around you - is typically my style. I'm not big on bringing foreign props to a location.

Fire in the Sky

We have a beautiful sunset most evenings from our patio. Unlike most places we have lived, I'm able to shoot photos without powerlines in them. I don't know why I just do not like interrupting a tree line with powerlines.

Home for the Holiday

As much as I love journalistic photos, I really like it when a client invites me to their home and has it so beautifully decorated. I don't need any backdrops or anything. This home located in Dormont has beautiful natural lighting that allows the whole room to be bright.

2018 Forge Day - Center for Metal Arts

Taking photos in an active studio or workshop is always interesting to me. These types of scenes are among my favorite for landscape or still life. Multiples of things and repeated shapes are to me really visually pleasing. I love the colors in this photo as well.

2018 Forge Day - Center for Metal Arts

Some of these forging tools are over a hundred years old. They were hand made by a metal worker and then used as tools for larger pieces. These are scattered on the floor while the center organizes what was left in this long abandoned forge.

2018 Forge Day - Center for Metal Arts

Tools tell a story. As much as I love having human subject matter, I love the tools that maker's use. the weathering on the metal of the anvil, the marred parts of the wooden handle, the glow of the forge - these types of photos are great backdrops for webpages and headers for stories. They immediately set the tone before you get into the meat of what the text might read over top.

Guitarist (1)

I don't take a flash with me to shows. Unless I've been hired to shoot a band professionally, I feel like it is annoying to see flashes going off when you are on stage, plus as I have stated previously - I love the different colors emitted by the stage lights. I'd rather capture the scene as I lived it. I shoot with a high ISO and it's some times hard to get a really clean shot in these low light situations, but my canon DSLR has a really great sensor and I can get a lot of details even in these situations.

One of my favorite planned moments at a reception is the bouquet toss. Especially if the wedding part is really into it. They are some of the best photos.

Family Historian

Sometimes you have the opportunity to revisit families that you have taken photos of for years. You see them change and grow, you see them in their best moments. Sadly, you also may take some of the last photos of them all together and that makes the privilege of being a family photographer all the more of a blessing. You are their visual historian. I adore this family. I've taken new born photos, wedding photos, engagement photos, family photos and so many others. I've seen it grow and become part of my family and sadly I've also shared some of their sorrows.

Fall in the Park

Two of my favorite subjects enjoying the fall leaves. I love taking yearly photos of families. Especially when I get to take photos of the littles when they need to be held all the way to when they are teens and hopefully when they have littles of their own.

Posed on the Toadstools

Parks are always fun to take family pictures at. The only difficult part is scheduling and getting a non rainy day in the fall. I love the colors and the natural or manmade props at a park. These guys are all growing up so quickly it's hard to believe I took these photos 3 years ago.

Carver South Park

The other great thing about parks are swings and joy. Action shots are so fun. As a more journalistic photographer, I love taking pictures of family during play time. Either at home in their comfortable space or at a park. Of course this is a photo of my son, I've really enjoyed parks as a location all year round.

A Tale of CARVER JACOBS

5 Months Old - this is my joyful son. He was so itty bitty. I made it a point to take monthly photos of him for his first year calendar and book. It was so fun to track his growth this way and really pushed me as a photographer on how to post infants.

Carley Jo Shoes

It's not always easy to take infant photos in someone's home who you have never met before. It can feel like you are an intruder to their space, it's hard to know what you might have to work with so it is always good to prep with the new parents on what to expect. In this case this wonderful couple had everything ready, from the outfits they wanted to where they wanted the pictures to be taken. They had the space heater already warming the location and she was all fed and sleepy - which makes my job so much easier and I can focus on all of the details. Infant photography can be very stressful based on the mood of the baby, it's really half of the battle and if you can prepare for it well before hand, you will have a much better experience.

New parents will sometimes want photos to be taken the day their child is born in the hospital. It's a very rewarding and intimate experience to be asked to be a part of this very special time. You are recording their first interactions with the world and it is very special.

The Quiet Moments

It had been a long morning taking photos of this little and she was leaning on her mom's belly and just slightly looked at me when I snapped this photo in the moment. We hadn't been taking casual photos this morning. She was on a mission to model and pose and was an amazing trooper for her mom and I. When kids are really into a shoot, it's easy to forget that they are just little beings - moments like these remind you of the vulnerability and are so very special.

Christmas 2017

Just about every other year my family puts together a little photo book for Christmas. This is my niece posing with our typical christmas props. It's always fun to do our own little family shoots.

Mimi and Poppy

I love photos of couples. I love even more photos of couples who have been together seemingly all of their lives. It's always impressive to me to talk with them about their families and their lives together.

Hudson Holiday

This little was born close to Christmas, so we did 1 year photos and christmas photos all in one go. Sometimes setting a scene with a toddler is difficult. They can be moody and not want to cooperate, Hudson was a doll. We had a lot of fun playing with wrapping paper and lights and different toys. He was just adorable.

Senior Photo (1)

Senior photos can be a lot of fun or they can be more challenging than posing a toddler. Some teenagers are being obligated by their parents to get their senior photos and are stiff and refuse to try poses. Angie was not that way at all. She was a model model.

Senior Photo (2)

Boys can be more of a challenge when getting them to pose for photos. I tend to bring a lot of examples of GQ models for when they are wearing suits and casual sports figure photos for when they are in casual wear. This has been changing as kids are more and more concerned with their looks and presence on social media. 15 years ago, most kids didn't really know how to pose themselves and there were a lot of awkward poses, slumped shoulders and lackluster smiles to work through. My job is getting easier post-facebook and instagram.

Tell a Story

This senior did traditional photos and then wanted to recreate an image that was similar to a dark fairytale. I was totally game and we found a space in the woods that felt like the trees were opening a doorway. She brought this cloak that she loved and we shot a few of these. I mainly focused her face and let everything else fall into place and then in post used a cooling filter to dampen the tone.