so... i wore my new crocs all day without socks. 

i still love them.  they felt like jelly beans when i first put them on, and at the end of the day, while walking xanny, they still felt that way.  you know how shoes lose their 'squishy-ness'? well, these didn't.  without socks there is a slight 'hot feet' factor, and i took a long walk with xander (i thought for sure blisters would be the result) BUT, no blisters.  this is very nice.    i think some nice, black cotton socks would really make these perfect.

i really like them.  there are so many styles, but for 'dress' i thought these would look nice... cute, huh?

brenda and i had the ridiculous pleasure of photographing Janel+Alexander's wedding this weekend... but this is not about their wedding, yet!  it's about the SHOES!

janel loves her crocs.  i even took this fun pic of her crocs before she slid into these...

so at the recommendation of janel, brenda and i ordered a few pair... while we are waiting for those to arrive, i stumbled on a pair at the local macy's were i ran in to get something completely different.  i hate malls and i rarely go into them, so i take this as fate.  there was a pair of crocs - the 'alice' style in my size in black!  i wore them to work today and WOW! these are insane!  i don't think i want to wear anything else.  i actually think i could shoot an entire wedding in relative comfort.

any photographer will tell you that the only thing they don't love about shooting a wedding is that you can't walk the next day.  anyone care to vouch for me?  anyway - crocs are it - i think i found the answer the the 'oh my feet are killing me!' wedding situation.

since i know you are dying to see a shot from the day, here are 2 for you!  the first one is the real deal!  storm clouds were rolling in and let lose about 5 minutes later! 

but we were lucky enough to get THIS, before that!!!

ENJOY the Moving Pictures.... and a full review of the last 2 weddings is on the way!

Thank you Janel + Alexander... we ahd such a great time!

 whoa!!!!!!!  where does the time go?

brenda and i had a simply amazing wedding last weekend and i'm so frantic with all my work that i didn't have a chance to pull anything in here!

i'll back after tomorrow's wedding in Meadville - where i went to college! - and i'll post more about 2 great couples.  for now, here are a few shots and the Moving Pictures!

no cheating here...  this was the sky!  crystal clear blue and beautiful!

the darling girls...

the gorgeous group...

and a fabulous first dance...  WHERE ARE THE PEOPLE????  look at the balcony - about 1/2 way up.  the guests were on the second floor of the Carnegie Museum Music Hall when the couple was introduced and shared their first dance.  (see them?)  what an amazing venue!

and one with LOTS of FLARE!!!

here's one with a lot of photoshop work - do you like the original or the photoshoped one?

PHOTOSHOP:

ORIGINAL:

i'll have more for you soon...

ENJOY THE MOVING PICS FOR NOW!

so much to do!  albums and prints and shooting and editing and processing and posting on the blog!  that just scratches the surface - brenda and i are so busy and we LOVE it!  so keep those referrals coming!!!

ciao!

Robin

Hey!   Bellissima, wedding photography in western PA (mainly the Pitttsburgh area) is now a member of the Better Business Bureau!

I read how some people won't do business with companies who are not members of the Better Business Bureau, so I called the BBB.  From their website:

Members of local BBBs are businesses and firms which:

• meet tough BBB membership standards,
• agree to follow the highest principles of business ethics and voluntary self-regulation, and
• have a proven record of marketplace honesty and integrity .

So I applied, and we were accepted!  We are excited to get our welcome packet, and then we will be displaying the logo on our website.  We are always looking for ways to earn our clients' trust, and we think this helps.  The Better Business Bureau is a non-profit organization.  I didn't realize that, but I guess it makes the most sense.  There is a LOT of information on the BBB website, and of course our local office is in Pittsburgh.  And if you are a business, your membership fees are 100% tax deductible as a necessary business expense, according to the BBB office.  NICE!

remember how i got rid of TV?

well, we have this gorgeous 50" plasma monitor in the 'studio' room, and while i work, i often have a netflix movie on there.  (this is an old photo, and alexander doesn't usually sit up there next to it - he was just being like Vana White when we got the monitor.)

 my laptop computer is connected to the monitor.  i 'watch' the movie over and over - it actually just plays over and over - that way i don't feel like i have to sit there and i'm not distracted, just entertained.

for the most part i still hate tv.  there are a few shows that i think are cute - and i found a loophole!  not only can i log onto netflix and watch movies online, ABC has streaming programming!  the entire season of shows!  i don't have cable, or my dish tv, but i do have a FIOS line.  so i installed the necessary player and... vwala!!  only the shows i actually want to see.  it's so funny - i don't even know what half these shows are!  here's what's on...

we walked into the bathroom and saw this amazing light!

we grabbed Maura for 5 minutes and ended up with this...

BUT, it didn't start out this way.  Since we were in a bathroom, there were things I didn't want in the photo.  I exposed the photo a few different ways and like this exposure the best.  I also shoot raw, so I have a little room to push and pull the image.  and the raw is nice, since we had a mixed lighting situation - raw is easy for me to adjust, since i'm so familiar with Adobe Camera Raw.  The exposure is the first thing to tackle and you really have to get it right in the camera - or you just lose a lot. 

After that, i got rid of the sink and stall doors.  i selected areas that i did like and flipped and moved the pieces as layers - no clone tool - makes a smoother transition.

then i did a little 'glowy' stuff and finally sharpened.  so here's the before and the after!

of course it helps to start with an absolutley gorgeous subject in a silk gown !

i rarely touch up an image for the slideshows - but this one was really worth it - don't you think?

EDIT...  that is a window - i re-read this post and thought you might think that was a light.  nope... a window.  the mixed light came from the flourescent lights above the sink.

KEN + JEN...

Jennifer and Ken were married at Green Oaks Country Club. (what a beautiful golf course)  Colleen really makes sure everything is taken care of and the day went very smoothly.  The weather held out for a beautiful ceremony right on the fairway!  Jen looked beautiful, and her flowers were so colorful – I love the little monogram she had on each of the bouquets. 

We did a little Bella Mia session with Jen before she go dressed – of course those images are in a private folder just for Ken, but here is a glimpse of what we did…

And the fabulous shoes!  I think this photo will be added to our website – I just have to find the right spot for it.

Once we arrived at the Country Club we loaded into golf carts and went to take a few photos.  It was very hazy, which created some nice light for the ladies photographs.  We went to the pool for the guys photos.  I could have spent more time at the pool.  The life guards moved the ropes for us to be able to get some clean shots.  Then it was time for the ceremony!  Ester Wagner provided the fabulous string quartet.

You might remember Jen + Ken’s eSession – we went to a private residence.  Well, we contacted the home owner for Jen and Ken and he graciously invited us back for wedding photos.  Brenda got this great shot of Jen and Ken… 

Tami the Cake Lady did Jen’s cake and it was delicious!  I love the little diamonds and the twisted silhouette of the layers.

The reception went by in a whirl!  What a fun evening.  The very highly recommended Jeremy Ganss provided the music and WOW!  We’ve heard about Jeremy, and were so excited to work with him.  He is AMAZING!  Everything about Jeremy is first rate – he provided us with a timeline the week of the wedding so that we knew what was going on, and kept us informed the whole evening.  And the way he mixes the tunes!  I cannot say enough. 

Jen and Ken enjoyed a honeymoon in Aruba and are looking forward to another big move – into their home!  Congratulations guys, and thank you for allowing us to be part of your beautiful day!

Here are the Moving Pictures - what a wonderful day!

MAURA + JOHN

Ok, I’ve got to say that after Jen and Ken’s wedding, I was really excited to know that Jeremy was going to be the DJ at Maura and John’s wedding at Oglebay.  I have only been to this resort once, several years ago and I only stayed for a short time.  This time we were there from Friday to Sunday and it was wonderful to be in one place for everything! 

Maura’s flowers came all the way from Wooster, Ohio – All Flowered Up put together the beautiful blooms.  The little curly pieces are really flowers!  I’ve never seen them before! 

And instead of a cake, Maura’s guest had cupcakes from Dozen in Squirrel Hill.  They were delicious.  (I had a red velvet one!  Yum!)  

Her bridesmaids wore espresso dresses with a tiffany blue ribbon from Ann Tayor.  And Maura’s Dupioni silk dress was stunning!  Don’t you think?  She found her veil in Naples, Florida. 

John is a coach for the Army football team – doing what he was born to do!  (John’s dad played pro ball for the Patriots and his uncles were also pros!)  This was one football-lovin’ group!  So there were lots of details… from the ring-bearer’s jersey to the marching band that ushered the wedding party in to the cocktail party – yes!  A marching band!  It was fabulous!!  Jeremy introduced the family ‘teams’ as everyone danced up the walkway. 

Everyone kept dancing all night!  What great sprit this group had!  The Conways have a beer connection – and the Great Lakes Brewery provided a special label wedding ale for the couple.  Another first for us to see. 

And Jeremy Ganss did a fabulous job – as usual! His fiancé, Heather was with him, and she is such a delight.  Jeremy keeps things moving so smoothly.  His attention to detail is remarkable.  I just LOVE his Bose speakers.  First they are teeny tiny – so they will not ‘ruin’ a photo, BUT the best part is the SOUND!  You can stand near them and actually talk, yet they fill the room with amazing sound!  His style is so professional – mixing in music that everyone loves – old and new.  I actually have a CD that Jeremy mixed from a wedding that I listen to in my car!  Jeremy books up fast, so if you are looking for fabulous music and amazing talent, call him right away.  BTW – check out his home page where he features Maura – look familiar?

I’d love to go back to Oglebay – for another wedding, or just a vacation (when I figure out what one of those is!)

Congratulations Maura and John – Thank you for such a wonderful time!

Of course - The Moving Pictures...

Well we were having so much fun at the reception that I didn't blog...

but i promise a full review of the last 2 weddings very shortly!  they were just wonderful!  for now, here's one shot of the bride and groom with Patches, their pup pup. she was so cute - i wish we could have spent more time with her.

here are the moving pictures... ENJOY!!

wait until you see Maura's photos - wow, is she gorgeous!

Brenda and I have the pleasure of photographing Maura and John's wedding today!

We are at Oglebay Resort and it is just gorgeous!  There are deer everywhere - so beautiful!  Last night we attended the rehearsal and a fabulous rehearsal dinner BBQ and met their wonderful families - I am really looking forward to today.  i got up early and read for a few hours before snooping around.  this will be an amazing wedding day!

I've got a great wireless connection, so as i wrap up the slideshow for the reception, i hope i can share few photos later tonight!

ciao for now!