Here are Meagan's Moving Pictures and a few of my favorite photos.

Meagan has so much energy and spunk!  The jumping shots were her idea, and I just love the way the flash froze her in the air.  We were under Route 65 in a tunnel that I'll bet no one else even knows about.  I love the big stones and the graffiti on the walls.  I didn't retouch a single image - these are all right out the camera with a little tweak in camera raw with presets.

The tunnel pics were shot at f/4 and 1/125s, the flash was set at full power.  There was a lot of sun streaming into the tunnel, but the flash over powered it.  Brenda was the mistress of the light and kept the light right where we needed it, just out of the frame. 

We are pretty sure Meagan has the most unique senior pictures in Pittsburgh.

Adjust your speakers and check out her Moving Pictures!

Oh and here's one more...

a train was zooming by and i wanted the train to be a blur for this shot - thinking fast, i stopped waaaaaaaaay down to f/20 to get the shutter really slow - 1/10s.  i asked meagan to hold very still drape her arms over the rail and the train was gone in a moment.  and i LOVE the flare!

thanks for stopping by! 

we had so much fun with Meagan - she was so fun and she is absolutely stunning!

here's a peek at one shot, and in the next few days we'll have a slideshow of all the photos she chose. 

Bellissima Seniors will be new for 2007.  We are only accepting a limited number of sessions, and details are coming soon!

my gorgeous sister helped me take these pictures of my adorable pup!  we had treats and our light and umbrella.  i started at f/4, 1/250s, and my flash was at 1/2 power...

alexander is a shih tzu, and he is 2 1/2 years old, and weighs about 12 pounds.  he's very furry right now, and needs a better trim but my sister likes him like this, so i didn't cut his hair, yet, for spring.  he did get a bath today - which he hates, but he really needed.

as it got later, and the sun was going down, i slowed my shutter down a bit to let in more of the ambient light from the sky in - i think this was at about 1/125s, still f/4, no change in the flash power. 

and i think this is my favorite...  (a very traditional portrait).  i love my dog.   which one do you like best?

he is so adorable!!  i think our session lasted about 10 minutes, and then the sun was gone and my dinner was getting cold.

let me know which one is your favorite! 

tomorrow we are meeting with Meagan for some Senior pictures, Bellissima-style!  so watch for some great photos with another gorgeous subject!

this technique was taught to me by the MASTER of light, Zack Arias at the One Light Workshop that we (Bellissima) hosted in Pittsburgh!

while Bellissima is primarily wedding photography in pittsburgh, we are branching out!  and while our calendar is nearly full for 2007 weddings in pittsburgh and all over the country, we have some new events coming up this year - right in the 'burgh.  we wanted to stretch our ability and make sure that our gear could travel to any location that we wanted it to.  Zack taught us all that!  (as far as travel - my pasport should arrive any time now!)

about the images below... 

i used a 580ex flash (off camera) with a 60" umbrella.  we were outside and it was quite light, but late in the day.  i was probably at about f/5.8 (maybe a 1/3 of a stop under) shutter 1/250, and i think the flash was at full power.  i'll check the meta data next time and start to include that on the images i post.  i know that helps some people, but the best thing to do is get out there and TRY IT!  it was challenging to avoid my garage, house and power lines - so we were limited by the location. 

if you are a photographer (or just want to pretend to be one) get your gear through Zack's affiliation with B&H.  all of the comission, 100% goes to an education fund for kids!  check out Zack's blog for details and to see what Zack has been up to...

click the link above to order your gear!

my sister came over and helped me get the hang of my new light!  WOW!

those are my favorite!  but here are a few more...

i just love this one!   

i've recieved the most beautiful flowers over the last few months.  i am so lucky to have friends who are so generous!  this inspired me to buy cut flowers for myslef lately, too.  i always take pictures of the flowers and i never seem to get around to processing or showing anyone the photos.  well, last night i took a few minutes and grabbed a folder of files and i thought i'd show you some 'stuff' that i have been doing just for myself!  i am trying to decide what to print, so let me know if you think any of this is print-worthy, k?

this is my first 'installment'.  these flowers were from Bruce for valentines day.  just GORGEOUS.  it was very cold and snowy on valentines day, and the lady from the flower store drove these out special to me, as they had already made one delivery attempt earlier in the day and i wasn' t home.  what great service - i need to check the card for the flower shop name to give them proper credit, but here are the beautiful blooms...

Rebecca and Bill are adorable! 

We met them at the Hilton in down town Pittsburgh, and we walked around a bit outside.  There are a lot of really cool places in the city, and the Palomino bar is where we ended up for a few shots.  The manager was really generous in letting us sneak in for a few quick images.  I love the colors in this place!

Bill remided me of James Dean and this couple is soooooooo stylish!  They love to shop, and I think Rebecca could be my personal shopper - her style is just fantastic!  Rebecca's mom is making her gown, so I can't wait to see it!  and Bill is wearing a suit, instead of a tux - so refreshing!   they will be getting married in ohio in september, and this is one wedding i'm really looking forward to.

Of course, no eSession would be complete without the Moving Pictures, so check them out....Moving Pictures!

our little Sewickley wedding photography studio, Bellissima, has a new addition and we are so excited about

 the BELLA MIA collection!

Pittsburgh has beautiful brides and Bellissima has the MOST beautiful brides ever!  our brides come in all shapes and sizes and colors and they are all so gorgeous that my sister is always asking if they are models.  it's important to us that you know that we don't use models.  we don't even use 'real people' as models.  all the images on our website are real weddings, real eSessions and real people. 

Brenda came up with the collection's name - and I LOVE IT!  Bella Mia means "beautiful mine" - a perfect name for a book of photographs from the bride (of the bride) for the groom!

our BELLA MIA collection is created by the bride for her groom.  it includes a private session that lasts about an hour and is all about the gorgeous woman.  it's an hour spent capture intriguing, sexy, fun, and flirtatious images just for the groom. the images will be gathered into a collection and presented to the groom in a For His Eyes Only book.  a little album of great photographs of the woman he loves.  the perfect gift for the wedding day, or Christmas or Birthday!  and it's not only for brides to be, but wives, moms and grandmas!  our sessions take place where ever and however our client is comfortable - from the backyard to the boudoir.  maybe just a session of the bride walking in the park, or playing with her dog, or... enjoying a bubble bath!    all on-line proofing will be private and not linkable from our site, since these photos are just for the groom and are a surprise! 

check out our sneak peak and watch for our 'official' BELLA MIA launch!  we are planning a weekend of Bella Mia sessions with special treats and surprises and an introductory price.  space will be limited, so you will want to contact us as soon as possible. 

Our Bella Mia girl is Tara, and she married Paul last fall.  her eyes really are THAT blue, and the mixed light makes her glow.  i used this image because i think her look conveyed that perfect mix of qualities, and i wanted to be able to explain to people that gorgeous, sexy photographs can be captured for anyone, anywhere.  (Tara was on a bench in the Cathedral of Learning at Pitt for this photograph, and she had a on a darling strapless sundress.)

 By the way, you may know that our studio name, Bellissima, means 'the most beautiful'.  We strive to live up to our name, and we are sure that the BELLA MIA collection will!