PITTSBURGH ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER

Experience & Expertise:

I have photographed hundreds of couples and have found lots of ways to work with all different personality types over the years. Whether you are Instagram pros or introverted, I will tailor your session to your style and preferences. I can also offer my expert opinion on what to wear and what locations would be a great fit based on the season, style, and feel that fits you!

My Unique Artistic Vision:

As with all of my images displayed here, your gallery will be beautifully-lit, crisp, clear, and true-to-life. I’m always looking for unique backgrounds that are also simple and draw the attention to you as a couple. I love color, architecture, and the Pittsburgh scenery in engagement images. I photograph my couples to look as if they are the only people around, even if there is a crowd. I also love photographing my sessions with a shallow depth-of-field (blurry backgrounds), to again draw the attention in my images to you – my beautiful couple!

Customized Sessions:

With all of my experience comes a vast knowledge of what to do and what not to do! I can customize your engagement session to your personalities and style based on how you like to dress, what kinds of images you’re drawn to online, and the season. Some of my couples like to have engagement sessions that are similar to their ‘wedding vibe’, while others like to go for a completely different look. Depending on your needs I can offer location ideas and timing suggestions for the best light! I also know what colors and styles look best on camera and can provide input on outfits as you put them together.

Comfortable and Relaxing Environment:

It’s not every day that most of us get in front of a professional photographer for a photo session. It can be a little nerve wracking and feel awkward to start! I know – I’ve been there too! While I’m a true professional in all that I do – I’m also just a normal person who loves getting to know others. I truly want to talk with you and get to know you as a couple – meeting people is one of the highlights of my job! As we chat I am able to discern what types of poses would fit your personalities and move into prompts and styles that make you feel comfortable and relaxed throughout the process. One of the biggest compliments I get is from the gentlemen that I work with who may not be excited about photos from the start, but by the end they say “That was fun! And so easy!”

I love working with my engagement session couples to choose the perfect location to capture your natural interactions, and I work closely with you on timing for perfect light and weather. If you’re looking for pretty spring blossoms, I keep an eye on the season and where they are blooming so that we can schedule for the most ideal timeline. If you are looking for fall foliage, I likewise pay attention to where the trees are turning colors in various areas of the city.

Sessions are typically photographed within a 40-mile radius of 15010. Lots of my sessions take place in the Downtown Pittsburgh area, but others are in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. If you have a certain style, I can easily help to suggest a location that would suit the look you envision for your engagement photos. I have lots of experience with locations around our area!

I have lots of couples that come to my studio property for their engagement session, With over 50 acres of land and beautiful light, it’s a wonderful spot to capture an outdoor engagement.

Additionally, some couples choose to photograph their engagement session in a location that has sentimental value for them, whether that be their favorite park or their own home. I’m always open to hear more about locations that mean a lot to your relationship and how we can work them into your engagement session vision.

I will work with you to choose the perfect location for your engagement session. I offer two options – On-Location or at the Studio Property. If you’re interested in an on-location session, we will photograph your session at a location around the Pittsburgh area that you really love. Some popular choices are PITT campus, North Shore, the Theater District, Station Square, and Phipps Conservatory. If you’re unsure on exact location – I can help! I have photographed sessions at tons of beautiful places here in Pittsburgh and can offer suggestions based on your style and and travel time.

Studio Property sessions are also some of my favorites! You get access to over 50 acres of property, where we photograph you in the best light around! There are numerous places at the property for variety in your backgrounds, and you get to enjoy a private session with no on-lookers or bikers coming through 🙂 The map below showcases some of my favorite spots on the property. Take a look!

Yep! Sessions are typically 60-90 minutes, so however we use that time is good with me! If we are doing two locations, we will start at the first, plan driving time to the next, and conclude at your second choice. Often, which location we start with depends on the light of the day and the style you’re interested in capturing. Couples who wish to have dusk photos in the city can talk with me about timing so tat we hit that perfect light.

Also, having two locations makes a great break in the session for a change of outfits.

Yes! If you’d like to wear two outfits, that is great and offers some good variety to your gallery. I always suggest that you start with your least-favorite of the two, and then you can change into your favorite choice once you are ‘warmed up’ to taking photos.

You will need to change in your vehicle or local area restaurant/hotel restroom. Do not bring your change of clothes in a bag as we walk around for the first part of your session. Leave them in your vehicle.

If we are photographing your session at the studio property, you can change in my studio changing room.

I won’t say no! The key thing is that you need a little heavier makeup for it to show up on camera. Also, lots of my couples use their engagement session as a way to do a trial run with their hair/makeup team. It’s a win-win!

If it’s going to rain. Otherwise, we can photograph your session. The rain will damage my gear, but an overcast day still can make for great photos. Look at the images in my engagement gallery and see if you’re drawn to anything specific. I always prefer sun and more sun, so if you’re drawn to extremely sunny / back-lit images in my gallery we should really aim for a sunny day if possible and even consider rescheduling with an overcast look (easier said than done in Pittsburgh!)

Most often, I choose with my couples a session date and a backup session date and put both on the calendar. If you’d like to reschedule from the initial date, you get to move to your backup date with no problem. Ideally we only would have to do this once if necessary.

Rescheduling sessions is not done until a day prior to the session. Don’t look at the weather a week in advance. In Pittsburgh it changes way too often!

Yes – this is my job! I will walk you through posing and give you poses that are more ‘traditional’ as well as poses that produce more candid reactions. I like to mix it up and give you variety, so that you can see what you’re drawn to in the gallery once it is delivered.

Engagement galleries are typically delivered 2-3 weeks after the session.

Images are delivered via a link to a private, online gallery. Images are in high-resolution format with no watermarks. You can download the images and have the rights to print.

You have the digital rights to print, so you can wallpaper your house in your photos, give them as gifts, share on social media (with credit of course). You name it!

Yes. I take a handful of engagement-only couples throughout the year.