I recently had the pleasure of joining Alex Jones to photograph a bar mitzvah at Rodef Shalom and the reception and party that followed. This was a nice change of pace for me as a second shooter and I think it really benefits my wedding photography business to get out there and change things up a bit. Never having been to a bar mitzvah before, I was surprised at how much fun I had. And it was easy to see that the kids were having a blast. What a great year for them! They get to celebrate their own bar mitzvah and then share in the celebration for all of their friends’ bar and bat mitzvahs. Judging by this experience, Jack’s bar mitzvah would be a tough act to follow.
Like I mentioned earlier, we started at Rodef Shalom in Oakland where Jack had some time to practice conducting the service and reading the Torah. Here he is with the Torah during practice.
http://www.captivatingimagery.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Web-Use.png00kmillerhttp://www.captivatingimagery.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Web-Use.pngkmiller2011-02-16 16:28:092013-11-18 15:45:17Pittsburgh Bar Mitzvah Photographers at Rodef Shalom and Fox Chapel Racquet Club
I love photographing high school seniors. There are no two seniors alike and it’s fun to see what happens when the focus is all on them. For some, it takes a little while to ease into the session before they let their personality shine through, and others are seem to soak up every minute of their time in the spotlight. My approach to senior portraits is unique in Pittsburgh. I’m not big on props or maintaining a large selection of backdrops. I like to keep it simple and focus on making the students comfortable so that their portraits really reveal their character. I enjoy getting to know the students over the course of their session and I don’t like tight time constraints. A 30-minute session would never work with my approach. In some cases, it takes that much time to really get comfortable in front of the camera. It’s more about the experience. Senior portraits are an important milestone in a student’s life and it should be an enjoyable experience.
Here’s a slide show of some of the students I’ve had the pleasure of photographing over the past year. They’re all so different and that is a beautiful thing.
Amy comes from a large family and sings on the praise team at church.
Any time I can find a few hours to experiment with new concepts for wedding photography, I take it! So I called up a friend of mine while it was still warm at the end of summer and we headed to the West End Overlook in Pittsburgh to try out some ideas I’ve been kicking around. This is a great way to keep things fresh and also to work out what is actually realistic on a wedding day. Amanda is a great sport and a lovely lady so she didn’t mind if I shared her photos before and after retouching.
There are a couple of factors in this first image. I love walking shots of brides and grooms, but this shady walk has splotchy patches of light passing through the leaves. I used off-camera light at a low level because I didn’t want to blast her with light and loose the pretty light pattern from the trees, but I wanted some even light on her face. My first job is to make Amanda pop out of the scene but in a natural way. Sure it helps to have an off-camera light, but there’s only so much you can do when the subject is walking and the light is stationary. On the wedding day, this problem is resolved with a second shooter who can assist with lighting in tricky settings. So here’s the before:
Over the last year, I’ve had the pleasure of photographing some fantastic maternity and newborn sessions here in Pittsburgh. These sessions are a real treat as a photographer because it is amazing to work with expecting moms and their little bundles of joy. I love to witness the miracle of pregnancy and babies. So I’m excited to share this slide show with images from some of my favorite sessions. I will soon be updating my portfolio and packages pages with information about maternity and newborn sessions, but I didn’t want to wait until then to share this slide show. If you’re in the Pittsburgh area and interested in a maternity or newborn session, please send me a message!
If you’re interested in a maternity or newborn session, here are a few things to keep in mind. Timing is everything. The best time for a maternity session is in the third trimester, between week 32 and 36. The timing for newborn sessions is even more crucial because it’s better to photograph newborns while they are asleep. And you can only count on them to really sleep soundly during their first two weeks. I know that is a short time-frame, especially considering a mom needs time to recuperate from giving birth and adjusting to life with her baby. But if you can make it work, a newborn session within the first few days of life is so worth it! It’s best to contact me at the beginning of your third trimester so that we can start to talk about scheduling and preparing for your maternity and newborn sessions.
My introductory rate for each session is a $150 sitting fee. A web gallery with a minimum of 25 images will be available within two weeks of the session. There is a required purchase of $350 worth of prints or other products from the web gallery for each session.
http://www.captivatingimagery.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Web-Use.png00kmillerhttp://www.captivatingimagery.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Web-Use.pngkmiller2011-01-20 20:16:542013-11-18 16:13:51Pittsburgh Maternity and Newborn Photography: Babies and Bellies
On any given Sunday during football season in Pittsburgh you can go to church and wear your black and gold. At least, it’s that way at my church in Bellevue and I’m assuming that you’ll see the same at other churches in the ‘Burgh. I love that we’re free to worship in this way and I think it really brings our congregation together, so I’m going to go out on a limb and draw some parallels between church culture and Steelers culture.
Last night when the Steelers won, I felt a high. It was a sense of relief and joy, a high not too different form what I felt after leaving church today. The Steelers are still in the playoffs and that means there’s a chance we’re going to the Super Bowl. Although, they really kept us on the edge of our seats yesterday. And I think our pastor made a good point this morning: the halftime speech must have been really motivating because the Steelers came out for the second half like a new team. Don’t we all need a pep talk every now and then?
So there’s the game itself that brings us together, either at Heinz Field or a friend’s living room. And while we all want to win that game, there’s the extra added benefit of the socialization – getting together with your friends, bringing your favorite snacks, wearing your black and gold, talking about the players and strategies—the list goes on. This can be really unifying—especially during a winning game.
So we’re in church this morning, and our worship leader called out something like, “how ’bout them Steelers?” before beginning the worship set. After a rather hearty reaction for the 9 a.m. service, he reminded us that we were there for another reason: to worship the God who created us and who can do all things. I can’t remember his exact words, but it was something along those lines. But it got me thinking—just like we come together to support our team, we need the same solidarity in our worship.
The sermon today was about how God can use us. And the main points were that God can use us if we’re: 1) prepared, 2) obedient, and 3) improbable. That last one is catchy, but the basic gist is that God can use the unexpected to do His work like the poor, possessed, prostitutes, tax collectors, or even a ruler who persecuted Christians. So it was a wake-up call for us to ask God to use us and accept the risk or discomfort that comes with that. It was a great sermon and I’m not doing it justice in this short description, but it was the half-time speech that I needed and I’m just saying that I’ve got my game face on.
Then we sang the song “Our God” by Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman. Here’s a link to a YouTube video with them doing the acoustic version on NewSongCafe:
This video is very low-key, but when you’re singing this song in worship amidst a large group of believers, it feels like a pep rally. And it brings us together as we cheer for God. My favorite lyrics are, “And if our God is for us, than who can ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then who can stand against?” And that can be really encouraging when you feel like there is no hope. I’d like to think song is what pumped up the Steelers last night, but more than that, it encourages me to seek God’s plan for my life and get moving.
A year or two ago when the Steelers went to the Super Bowl, our church was included in an article in the Trib. They sent a photographer too, but the photos only made it to the print edition. Anyway, if you’re in the neighborhood on a Sunday and you want to check it out. Stop by and feel free to wear your black and gold.
http://www.captivatingimagery.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Web-Use.png00kmillerhttp://www.captivatingimagery.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Web-Use.pngkmiller2011-01-16 20:09:542013-11-18 16:12:17Why Church and the Pittsburgh Steelers Go Together
Pittsburgh Bar Mitzvah Photographers at Rodef Shalom and Fox Chapel Racquet Club
/by kmillerI recently had the pleasure of joining Alex Jones to photograph a bar mitzvah at Rodef Shalom and the reception and party that followed. This was a nice change of pace for me as a second shooter and I think it really benefits my wedding photography business to get out there and change things up a bit. Never having been to a bar mitzvah before, I was surprised at how much fun I had. And it was easy to see that the kids were having a blast. What a great year for them! They get to celebrate their own bar mitzvah and then share in the celebration for all of their friends’ bar and bat mitzvahs. Judging by this experience, Jack’s bar mitzvah would be a tough act to follow.
Like I mentioned earlier, we started at Rodef Shalom in Oakland where Jack had some time to practice conducting the service and reading the Torah. Here he is with the Torah during practice.
Read more
Introducing Pittsburgh Senior Portraits by Captivating Imagery
/by kmillerI love photographing high school seniors. There are no two seniors alike and it’s fun to see what happens when the focus is all on them. For some, it takes a little while to ease into the session before they let their personality shine through, and others are seem to soak up every minute of their time in the spotlight. My approach to senior portraits is unique in Pittsburgh. I’m not big on props or maintaining a large selection of backdrops. I like to keep it simple and focus on making the students comfortable so that their portraits really reveal their character. I enjoy getting to know the students over the course of their session and I don’t like tight time constraints. A 30-minute session would never work with my approach. In some cases, it takes that much time to really get comfortable in front of the camera. It’s more about the experience. Senior portraits are an important milestone in a student’s life and it should be an enjoyable experience.
Here’s a slide show of some of the students I’ve had the pleasure of photographing over the past year. They’re all so different and that is a beautiful thing.
Amy comes from a large family and sings on the praise team at church.
Read more
Retouching by Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers
/by kmillerAny time I can find a few hours to experiment with new concepts for wedding photography, I take it! So I called up a friend of mine while it was still warm at the end of summer and we headed to the West End Overlook in Pittsburgh to try out some ideas I’ve been kicking around. This is a great way to keep things fresh and also to work out what is actually realistic on a wedding day. Amanda is a great sport and a lovely lady so she didn’t mind if I shared her photos before and after retouching.
There are a couple of factors in this first image. I love walking shots of brides and grooms, but this shady walk has splotchy patches of light passing through the leaves. I used off-camera light at a low level because I didn’t want to blast her with light and loose the pretty light pattern from the trees, but I wanted some even light on her face. My first job is to make Amanda pop out of the scene but in a natural way. Sure it helps to have an off-camera light, but there’s only so much you can do when the subject is walking and the light is stationary. On the wedding day, this problem is resolved with a second shooter who can assist with lighting in tricky settings. So here’s the before:
Read more
Pittsburgh Maternity and Newborn Photography: Babies and Bellies
/by kmillerOver the last year, I’ve had the pleasure of photographing some fantastic maternity and newborn sessions here in Pittsburgh. These sessions are a real treat as a photographer because it is amazing to work with expecting moms and their little bundles of joy. I love to witness the miracle of pregnancy and babies. So I’m excited to share this slide show with images from some of my favorite sessions. I will soon be updating my portfolio and packages pages with information about maternity and newborn sessions, but I didn’t want to wait until then to share this slide show. If you’re in the Pittsburgh area and interested in a maternity or newborn session, please send me a message!
If you’re interested in a maternity or newborn session, here are a few things to keep in mind. Timing is everything. The best time for a maternity session is in the third trimester, between week 32 and 36. The timing for newborn sessions is even more crucial because it’s better to photograph newborns while they are asleep. And you can only count on them to really sleep soundly during their first two weeks. I know that is a short time-frame, especially considering a mom needs time to recuperate from giving birth and adjusting to life with her baby. But if you can make it work, a newborn session within the first few days of life is so worth it! It’s best to contact me at the beginning of your third trimester so that we can start to talk about scheduling and preparing for your maternity and newborn sessions.
My introductory rate for each session is a $150 sitting fee. A web gallery with a minimum of 25 images will be available within two weeks of the session. There is a required purchase of $350 worth of prints or other products from the web gallery for each session.
Why Church and the Pittsburgh Steelers Go Together
/by kmillerOn any given Sunday during football season in Pittsburgh you can go to church and wear your black and gold. At least, it’s that way at my church in Bellevue and I’m assuming that you’ll see the same at other churches in the ‘Burgh. I love that we’re free to worship in this way and I think it really brings our congregation together, so I’m going to go out on a limb and draw some parallels between church culture and Steelers culture.
Last night when the Steelers won, I felt a high. It was a sense of relief and joy, a high not too different form what I felt after leaving church today. The Steelers are still in the playoffs and that means there’s a chance we’re going to the Super Bowl. Although, they really kept us on the edge of our seats yesterday. And I think our pastor made a good point this morning: the halftime speech must have been really motivating because the Steelers came out for the second half like a new team. Don’t we all need a pep talk every now and then?
So there’s the game itself that brings us together, either at Heinz Field or a friend’s living room. And while we all want to win that game, there’s the extra added benefit of the socialization – getting together with your friends, bringing your favorite snacks, wearing your black and gold, talking about the players and strategies—the list goes on. This can be really unifying—especially during a winning game.
So we’re in church this morning, and our worship leader called out something like, “how ’bout them Steelers?” before beginning the worship set. After a rather hearty reaction for the 9 a.m. service, he reminded us that we were there for another reason: to worship the God who created us and who can do all things. I can’t remember his exact words, but it was something along those lines. But it got me thinking—just like we come together to support our team, we need the same solidarity in our worship.
The sermon today was about how God can use us. And the main points were that God can use us if we’re: 1) prepared, 2) obedient, and 3) improbable. That last one is catchy, but the basic gist is that God can use the unexpected to do His work like the poor, possessed, prostitutes, tax collectors, or even a ruler who persecuted Christians. So it was a wake-up call for us to ask God to use us and accept the risk or discomfort that comes with that. It was a great sermon and I’m not doing it justice in this short description, but it was the half-time speech that I needed and I’m just saying that I’ve got my game face on.
Then we sang the song “Our God” by Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman. Here’s a link to a YouTube video with them doing the acoustic version on NewSongCafe:
This video is very low-key, but when you’re singing this song in worship amidst a large group of believers, it feels like a pep rally. And it brings us together as we cheer for God. My favorite lyrics are, “And if our God is for us, than who can ever stop us? And if our God is with us, then who can stand against?” And that can be really encouraging when you feel like there is no hope. I’d like to think song is what pumped up the Steelers last night, but more than that, it encourages me to seek God’s plan for my life and get moving.
A year or two ago when the Steelers went to the Super Bowl, our church was included in an article in the Trib. They sent a photographer too, but the photos only made it to the print edition. Anyway, if you’re in the neighborhood on a Sunday and you want to check it out. Stop by and feel free to wear your black and gold.