Dan Speicher Photography Blog

MY BLOG HAS MOVED

2009-07-30T12:44:00.002-04:00

MY BLOG HAS MOVED

AFTER NEARLY TWO YEARS AT THIS BLOG, IT WAS TIME TO CREATE A MORE CUSTOM BLOG WHERE MY DAILY LIFE MEETS MY PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE TWO CAN MEREGE

TO VISIT MY NEW BLOG

CLICK HERE!

HTTP://WWW.DANSPEICHERBLOG.COM

Tressa and Kyle Recap: Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer

2009-07-17T17:17:00.004-04:00

Tressa and Kyle were married on the 4th of July, and it was one heck of a celebration.

We started off over at Tressa's parents house, and then headed over to Seton Hill University for the ceremony. The really cool thing is that her parents were married there back in the day, and the same tree that they had there photos taken under, is where I shot some of there photos.

Tressa, Kyle, I hope you love these photos as much as I do!

I love these images inside the church

This is where Tressa's parents photos were taken (we think: trees grow over time lol)

I love this dance photo (but I cant decide between this and the dance photo with her father which is better)

Just a nice quiet moment before the craziness really got going

This is the other one I cant choose between!

"Just Married" (or it was supposed to be) But we had fun trying to get this anyways.

Thanks for letting me celebrate Independence Day with you: I wish you a blessed life together!

Before I leave you for the weekend, check out this video! Its amazing! Nothing more to say, just watch the skill and time taken to create this piece of art.

Jenna and Darren Recap: Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer

2009-07-15T11:01:00.005-04:00

Jenna and Darren met the first day of Grad School when both started attending Pitt.

Now, years later, and countless awesome travels together, they are married and ready to start their careers at Physical Therapists.

Guys, I had a great time meeting you, hanging out with you and hope that your trip was amazing. Good luck guys.

Here are some of my favorite photos:

Doesn't Jenna look amazing as she was getting ready!

I love this one of her! It shows her dress beautifully and I know every girl played dress up on the bed when they were little (I have younger sisters lol)

A great first kiss

After the ceremony and some basic formals, we headed over to Washington and Jefferson College for some beautiful portraits. Nice light, and cool locations make for amazing portraits.

This reminds me of the South, and i love the feel of it.

First Dance:

The Flowers:

After dinner we headed out for a few more last minute photos with some really tasty light!

I hope that you enjoy them!

Up next is Tressa and Kyle's wedding on the Fourth of July! Have a great day.

Jill and Josh Recap: Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer

2009-07-14T18:09:00.004-04:00

Jill and Josh dated from the time they met in high school, and were married just a little while ago.

Here are some of my favorite photos from their wedding! After the ceremony we headed down to The Point for a few photos. It was really early and the sun was overhead, so we found some open shade to take the photos, then headed out to the Airport Marriott for the reception and shot some more photos in their gardens. We barely made it to the car when moments later the skies opened up on us and we got pounded by rain.

Anyways guys, I hope you have a happy and blessed life together.

On to the photos:

More photos to come tomorrow from Jenna and Josh's wedding.

On a side note, a number of wedding photographers from around the United States just headed to Tanzania (South East Africa) to work on providing clean drinking water to those in need through Thirst Relief International. You can follow their blog here! Its awesome because Grace Ormonde Along with these amazing dress makers are sponsoring this awesome trip and Benefit Shoot!

Ines Di Santo

Amy Michelson

Adele Wechsler

Angel Sanchez

Jenny Packham

As many of you know, Ive spent a few months over there, and this trip is awesome because of the long term effects their work will have on the people that they will directly be in contact with. Way too cool! So head over there and check out the blog. If posts don't seem regular, its because internet is hit or miss over there, as is the power supply in the more remote ares. Till next time...

Testing my blog layout: Recent weddings: Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer

2009-07-07T11:22:00.005-04:00

So I really dont know anything about html, but I've been trying to get larger photos on my blog for the past few months, so I'm hoping that I finally figured it out.

This is a teaser image from Jill and Josh's Wedding from last friday.

One from Jenna and Darren's wedding last Saturday.

And Finally one from Tressa and Kyles Independence Day Wedding with Tressa and her girls.

Jackie and Joe: Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer

2009-07-04T11:29:00.005-04:00

First I want to wish everyone a Happy Independence Day. Take a moment out of your day to remember those who have lost their lives protecting our freedoms from over taxation, to worship, and to live our lives freely.

Take a look at some of the facts about those brave men who signed our declaration of independence.

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,
and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army;
another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or
hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes,
and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants,
nine were farmers and large plantation owners;
men of means, well educated,
but they signed the Declaration of Independence
knowing full well that the penalty would be death if
they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and
trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the
British Navy. He sold his home and properties to
pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British
that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.
He served in the Congress without pay, and his family
was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him,
and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer,
Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that
the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson
home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General
George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed,
and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed.
The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying.
Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill
were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests
and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his
children vanished.
So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and
silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: Freedom is never free!

Now on to Jackie and Joes wedding photos that you have been waiting for.

These two were a blast, and the wedding party was awesome. I've never seen the groomsmen enter the reception like Chippendale's and they had the guests hootin and hollerin! Goodtimes.

I love this photo because I think i surprised them as I jumped onto the bus to capture the kiss before they were taken into the country club.

Joe looking sharp.

Time to head off to todays wedding. Be safe and remember the price some pay for the price of our freedom.

Grace and Brian: Pittsburgh wedding photographer

2009-06-26T00:35:00.004-04:00

Grace and Brian were married a couple of weeks ago and were so much fun to shoot with!
After the ceremony, we took the group over to South Park for some group photos, and a few timeless portraits of the bride and groom!

Check it out!

Some early hanging out.

The lovely ladies

I love this moment with Grace and her father.

The church was beautiful!

The guys at the park.

The whole party. The light isn't very good, but we found a great area with enough shade to cover the whole group.

I love these of Grace and Brian: Timeless portraits!

This was the moment right before the reception at the Bradley House. I love it!

Rebecca and Jason: Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer

2009-06-24T03:07:00.005-04:00

I had the pleasure of second shooting a wedding with David Burke a few weeks ago, and while i know that he posted some photos, I wanted to include my favorites from the day.

David, thanks for the opportunity to shoot with you. As always, I think we rocked it.

Rebecca, Jason, you guys were awesome. I hope your marriage is blessed.

On to the photos.

Jason looking sharp!

I love these of Rebecca! Stunning! They were all shot at ISO2500 on a Nikon D700! I cant believe how clean and clear they are!

Its really hard for me to pick a favorite portrait, but this is definitely my favorite bridal portrait!

I love the bridesmaids, J. Crew does an amazing job with their wedding collection!

These next few are really hard for me to choose a favorite. Whats yours?

During the toast! ISO4000!!! Nikon D700: Never leave home without it!

Father/daughter dance!

Pittsburgh PUG

2009-06-17T01:17:00.004-04:00

I just got home from my monthly Pictage User Group or PUG and I just have to say, Joanne Bartone (the PUG leader) and Karen are AWESOME hosts. Apparently I mentioned that I never get to the cookie table in time to get a macaroon, so tonight Karen brought me some! I am in heaven! Thanks guys! You ROCK!

And since no blog post is complete with out a photo, here is a picture of one of the cookie tables from Jamie's wedding not to long ago!

Happy Tuesday! Be Blessed.

Maria and BJ: Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer

2009-06-11T15:05:00.005-04:00

I met Maria and BJ the day of their wedding. We had talked a few times on the phone, but it wasnt until that day, that we actually met. Guys thanks for making me feel so welcome!

They were married over Memorial Day Weekend at Old St. Luke's: a cute historical church that held a nice intimate setting for a very cool wedding.

Then we headed to Mt. Washington for some formal photos, and as our luck had it, it rained during the ceremony, and after just a little bit, but when we got to the overlook, the skies were beautiful.

Then the three of us headed down to Station Square to shoot some fun photos of just Maria and BJ.

The reception was on the Gateway Clipper, and they danced the night away.

Thank you for letting me be a part of your day. Here are some of your much awaited photos.

Maria's father recently passed away, and she wanted to make sure that he walked her down the isle with her mom.

BJ's first glance of Maria,

And a moment later.

We're married!

This was totally the guys idea. Fortunately no one fell!

I love this shot on the boat to end, there are many more, but you'll have to wait to see those.

Again, Maria, BJ, thank you and blessings.

Jamie and Adam: Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer

2009-06-05T14:10:00.009-04:00

Jamie and Adam were united with each other in front of God and Family in mid May.

They met each other years ago at a Steelers game: now years later, they are in Canada as Adam works with the Olympic committee to help coordinate the Torch Relay across Canada.

Good luck guys, I wish you the best and I may have to come visit this winter to shoot some more photos for you, and maybe take a trip up to the ski slope!

Enjoy a preview of your day.

I love this dress!

Jamie and her sister!

And the girls who influenced her life

Jamie made such a beautiful bride

I love this shot of her father walking her into the church!

I walked in to see Adam, and this is the first look I got when I brought my camera up to shoot!

A few Ceremony shots

The church was beautiful, so I had to post a portrait from inside the church!

Adam and the guys!

The wedding party

This is probably my favorite group shot so far this year!

Now onto the awesome couple:

The cake was awesome! and tasted SOOoooo Good!

I love this shot at the end of the night!

Tina and Carmen: Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer

2009-06-04T11:18:00.006-04:00

Tina and Carmen were married in early May. They both have traditional Italian families ( I mean conversations were going on around me, and I would only catch a few words at a time!) so the food, the music, and the dancing was awesome.

Without further ado: Tina and Carmen's wedding!

Here is one of the flower girl waiting for Tina to get ready.

The wedding was at St. Bernards Church in Mt. Lebanon. It was beautiful!

Carmens father/best man looking over the wedding schedule.

I love this photo of Tina and her father. It turns out that her father was a photographer back in Italy, so during the reception we talked about how much photography has changed over the years.

Then we headed over to Valley Brook Country Club for the reception.

Some nice relaxed portraits of Tina and Carmen.

Here are some of the cool details.

Tina surprised Carmen with a Frank Sinatra impersonator, and they danced their first dance to Old Blue Eyes!

One last photo to end the night.

Kelly and Matt: Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer

2009-06-04T10:37:00.004-04:00

Kelly and Matt were married back in April on the Gateway Clipper Princess.

Kelly and Matt met while in college, and their relationship has developed into an awesome love.

Here are some of my favorites from their wedding.

Kelly started the day getting ready at the Station Square Sheraton and then moved the party onto the boat.

It was an emotional ceremony with the beautiful city skyline in the background.

A nice quiet moment between Kelly and her brother.

What awesome dancing!

Im truly blessed to get to shoot in this awesome city I call home. I really love Pittsburgh.

More weddings coming soon, I promise I'll catch up soon, until then, enjoy these.

Check out my photos on KISS ONLINE and Paul Stanley's websites!

2009-05-14T21:35:00.003-04:00

So today I was in Boogie Street Guitars and I found out that the newest photos that I shot of the Washburn PS5 Racing Red Guitar is on the front page of the Kiss Website, as well as on Paul Stanley's Website!

BooYah! It's always exciting to see my photos on a huge website like that! And the guitar really is SIIIIICK!

This past Tuesday I hosted a get together for a few local photographers out at my families farm in Ligonier. I brought out two kick ass models Rachel, and Nikkie, and along with Walt Urbina, Don Merz of Ovation Images, Leeann Golish of Diem Photography, and Dana Scheller I tromped them over the country side and into barns and fields. This was just a chance to get out of the office and shoot and hang with other photographers and help eachother out. Guys, I hope you had as much fun as I did. Goodtimes.

Now for the goodness!

I have some wedding images coming soon from the past two weddings, and am super excited to blog them, Im just gonna wait till the couples are jumping outta their skin a lil bit more (j/k). They'll be up real soon. Promise!

Nikkie

2009-04-19T15:26:00.004-04:00

Nikkie contacted me a while back about shooting some lifestyle photos! So after going back and forth for a while, we finally nailed down a date and went out for some fun.

Nikkie is vivacious, funny, and a great person. It also turns out that she is the event coordinator for Heinz Field and does all the club level events during the Steelers games, and from everything that I've heard and seen, does an awesome job.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

I love her laughter!

I think this B&W is super sexy! Its that modern look of the glasses with the classic feel of the scarf.

Simple beauty.

I love this green dress against the green door.

And against the rusty steps.

I love the fashion feel of these next two!

This reminds me of a Barbie in some weird kinda way

I love this photo. Its definitely one of my favorites from the day.

"They call her bubbles!" (Thanks Nikki, I totally watched Zach and Miri when I got home)

Crazy week of shooting

2009-04-08T15:23:00.001-04:00

Thursday started off nice and mellow. Till I got a call to come up to my buddies studio to help shoot a large group of models for a new salon that is opening up. As soon as the website is up and running I'll post that on here.

So generally I hate to shoot in the studio. I prefer to be outside, getting fresh air and not having the noise and craziness that is makeup, hair, and wardrobe, swarming around and swallowing me up. So that's just what I did.

I let the other photographers stay inside and shoot the required shots, and I grabbed a light and went outside.

Behind the studio is a little walled courtyard and thats where I had my fun.

For those interested, these next two shots are at 3200 iso using available light from a motion detector spot light in the back of the studio. This is just one of the reasons that I LOVE the Nikon D700!

Friday I was back in the studio to shoot some promotional photos for Mcfaddens Restaurant and Saloon. This time we shot inside the studio, but being that it was a smaller group, that was ok. We had a blast, and I got to shoot the fun photos that I try to create whenever and wherever possible. After I shot the photos that they needed for their soon to be newest photo, I started to get the girls to jump and dance and hula hoop. Yep thats right, two of my faorites from the day are of Ariel playing with a hula hoop.

Sarah just loves to do her thing! Seriously, I love this girl but she is crazy!

I just love these next two, I think they are fun, and I think they show you a part of who she really is. That is my main goal in photography. I always strive to bring out who people really are, so that they have a part of their legacy and history saved as a single moment.

Anyways, Thats only two days, but I have pleanty more to come soon.

On a side note, I getto go see my sisters this weekend with my mom and dad, down in D.C. I havent seen them forever, and am really looking to spending a nice dinner with the whole family.

If things get crazy I may not be able to blog till next monday, if thats the case, have a great Easter. If if not, well, you'll see some more new work from Sundays lifestyle session down at Washington and Jefferson College.

By the way, for the photographers out there, I stumbled upon this awesome video from the Free to Succeed Tour with David Jay, and Jasmine Star.

Here Jasmine talks about the importance of a brand from the beginning of the start of your bunsiness.

Check out the video HERE

Its totally worth watching. Thanks Terry Clark for posting this link.

Panama City Beach Yo!

2009-03-28T21:47:00.001-04:00

Life has ben crazy hectic, but I am alive. I have a ton to talk about but lets just say that since my last post, I have been to Panama City Beach with an awesome group called We Minus ME .

My buddy Russ started this group. This group is such an awesome college ministry! The whole goal is to build relationships and share our thoughts on faith when we have a good repore going. WE MINUS ME strives to challange students and get a conversation started about the world, politics, pop culture, and how God is present in all of that.

So check out some of the photos from the trip.

Being in PCB with the warm weather, awesome light, and water, I couldnt resist taking one of the couples from the trip and shooting a life session for them. The shots came out awesome! Here are some of my favorites.

Katie and Ed, I hope that you like these! Thanks for being so awesome! I had a great time, even though it was WAY TO EARLY! lol. talk to you soon!

2009-03-04T00:48:00.001-05:00

So I havent written since the Superbowl. Sorry about that. Things have been crazy busy, and also very sad. So here's my February wrap up.

I finally got a new computer and camera and lens. I'm still not fully rebuilt, but I am able to shoot and edit so life is good. Just waiting on my Photoshop so that I can try to fix some past problems. I love Nikon, and the D700 really does make my life easier when it comes to shooting EVERYTHING!

I left for Las Vegas for WPPI (wedding and portrait photographers international) convention at the MGM Grand and experienced Vegas first hand.

A few things about Vegas that I now know.

-Vegas is good for a few things:

-Strippers

-Gambling

-drinking

-shows

However, I dont do the stripper thing, and I cant afford to Gamble. I would only go back to party and see some shows. I was also there for 4 nights. I now know 3 nights is long enough for me.

Thats ok, WPPI was freaking awesome! I learned so much, shot some photos of The David Burke to update his website, he did the same for me, and enjoyed getting out of Pittsburgh for a while.

Here are a few of the Photos of David from when we were shooting. Gotta love it. This guy is a great photographer, and an awesome guy to hang out with. He helped keep me accountable when we were in Vegas, so this was a chance to get out of the casino and grab a few hours of fresh air!

This was with my new Nikon D700 and my Sigma 70-200 2.8. 320 iso, 1/500@2.8!

iso 200 1/1250 @ 2.8

iso 200 1/320@2.8

iso 320 1/800@2.8

I came home to my Grandpa in Critical Care. He passed away last Tuesday February 24th. My Aunt Judy, Dad, and myself were there when he passed away. I love him dearly, and will most certainly miss him. I lived with him for two years while I was going to school and he played Grandpa, Dad, friend, and mentor during that time. He was 87 and a devoted man of God. He was an example of living out the actions of Jesus. My Aunt was telling me that one year he recieved 60 Fathers Day cards from people whos lives he had impacted. Thats the kind of man he was. Once he experienced the salvation of God, he started living it, started acting on it. He didn't have much to give, but he sent cards to hundreds of people for their birthdays and anniversaries, and counciled many individuals and couples.

If I can grow up to be half the positive influence that he was, I'll have made a serious difference in the world around me.

Here he is on his 85th birthday.

This past week was tough. I lost a very dear friend, someone who would just pat me on the knee after my cousin died, and give me a hug after a bad day, and give me simple, honest advice. He was a simple man with good down to earth wisdom. He will be greatly missed my his children, grandchildren, and pretty much everyone who met him as far as I can tell. When I'm finally able to gather my thoughts, I'll put a true post out about my Grandpa. For today, this will have to work.

With the past week behind me, I head to Florida on Friday for Spring Break in Panama City with a group called We Minus Me. They are a Christian group looking to influence college students through pop culture. I'm gonna be shooting photos and video for thier new website! I'm super stoked. But how couldnt I be! Beach, warm weather, SPRING BREAK! I hope I can still Skim Board. More to come soon. I promise to not let another month pass without a post, but I'm not sure if I'll have internet while I'm in Florida.

SIX IN THE CITY

2009-02-03T22:35:00.000-05:00

I just got a new computer. Actually its used, but its new to me. So that means you'll see more blog posts, and I can finally get back to my life and editing photos the way that I planned before someone decided to steal my life.

But enough about that. I've moved on. I now just have to deal with my insurance agent since he sold me coverage that didnt really cover me at all.

But this post is really about the Pittsburgh Steelers, and their 6th, yep SIXTH Superbowl Ring!

So here is one of the great photos from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

I'll post some of my photos as soon as I can get Photoshop re-installed onto my computer. But after the game was over the Southside of Pittsburgh was shut down and the fans spilled out of all the bars into the middle of the streets. It was insane! You literally couldnt see the street and sidewalks because it as so busy.

So in the spirit of my insane excitement, and for the sake of my hands (which are missing fingers from my insane chewing during the last 12 minutes) all I have to say is "STEELERS NATION"! We really are the best in the world. I'm proud of you guys, and Ben, I may not like you personally, but you are the perfect leader on the field, and the right man for the job. Great work Pittsburgh!

Oh if anyone knows of any good parties in Vegas next week during WPPI, please let me know.

Pittsburgh's going to the SUPER BOWL

2009-01-19T17:20:00.002-05:00

HERE WE GO STEELERS HERE WE GO! Pittsburgh's GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL! HERE WE GO, Steelers, Here we Go!

HOW BOUT THEM STILLERS!!!! Pittsburgh's going to the SUPERBOWL!!!!

PIttsburgh Steelers 23- Baltimore Ravens 14

AFC CHAMPS ---- LOOSERS

I was at the game last night and between my feet freezing and my voice nearly being gone, I have to say it was a great DAY. The officials tried to keep the game close, they tried to give Baltimore points, and take them away from the Steelers, But the STEELER NATION overcame the adversity and We Are Headed To Tampa!

I Bleed Black and Gold! I've been going to games for as long as I can remember, and have only been to two AFC Championship Games, and the second one was last night.

I wasn't even going to go to the game. I was exhausted from skiing Saturday, and still cold from the insane wind and snow at 7 Springs, but after nagging from every one, and my manhood being called into question, i convinced my roomate to head down to the game with me. And it was SOOOOOO worth it.

I'll post some pics soon from my P&S any iPhone, but I need to download those first!

ON A SIDE NOTE:

So I've still been struggling the whole robbery thing, but with all bad comes some good, and sometimes that good is just super cool! My photos have been featured on the KISS ARMY Official Website, and on Paul Stanley's website.

Now while I would like to think its because I am such an awesomely Badd ASS photographer, (which I am!), it's really because the new Washburn PS5 guitar was just recently recieved at my "job" at Boogie Street Guitars. This guitar was designed by Eric McKenna (owner of BSG) using Ledgendary Kiss Guitar Player Paul Stanley's guitar shape. And I just so happened to photograph this guitar for us, and they grabbed the photos for thier websites! Pretty Cool!

So thats that! the pictures of these awesome guitars are shot by me at BSG! If you are a guitar player, these things scream! And they are a USA guitar, for an import price. I swear!

VIOLATED!!!

2009-01-07T20:20:00.001-05:00

On December 30, 2008 between 10:30 and 1:30 am, my car was broken into and my entire camera bag, and GPS were stolen.

Thus the reason I havent posted on the blog much, but you can still follow whats going on in my life via TWITTER.

It is a violation that still stings and to be quite honest, angers me just thinking about it.

Someone felt entitled to the things that I have worked long and hard for, so they decided to throw a brick through my window. Now I've already gotten the "it should have been in your trunk" from the police, my parents and friends, but when you are driving home from a birthday party, and decide to make a stop to see a friend who is in town for a short time-- you don't really think about rearranging your car to ensure safety.

So I did what I normally do. I put my gps out of sight (but didnt take down the holder) slid my backpack onto the floor and locked the door. I even parked a little bit farther away because it was in front of an ATM with street lights right there.

Needless to say, when I walked out of the resturaunt I saw glass on the ground and kind of freaked out. I called the cops, filed my police report, and gave them as much information as I could.

So far insurance has been awesome. All my equipment is insured under my policy, but I'm still waiting for the response from the claims adjuster. The cool thing is that my window was replaced the next day; the bad thing is they got hard drives as well as DVD's I had just burned at home while celebrating 21 years with my youngest sister.

Here is the hardest part for me. I know if I had parked 2 block back,my car wouldn't have been broken into. Please pray for me. I ask this because it is really hard not to be angry at everyone who lives in the area where my car was stolen. Two block on the same road and I go from affluent Shadyside, to Ghetto East Liberty. Two block and my car is broken into. Two block back and I could have left it unlocked and nothing probably would have happened.

Anyways, I'm kinda down at the moment. But I have had awesome friends helping me out so I will have awesome equipment to shoot this Saturdays wedding with. Thanks Guys, you all rock.

On a side note, if your equiptment is not insured, through business or your home policy, DO IT NOW. IT WILL SAVE YOU TEARS, TIME, and MONEY!

Happy New Years, and I hope to have a computer soon so I can post images and blog more often.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-26T17:24:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to say I had a great Christmas with my family this year. In fact, I got pulled in to helping cook pancakes for 50 yep FIFTY of my closest relatives by my uncle at dinner last night. No worries, I rocked that griddle like I owned it.

I hope you had a blessed Christmas, and remembered what this season is really about.

So here is my family, wishing a Merry Christmas to all of your families.

Just a moment

2008-12-22T18:24:00.001-05:00

I love Holidays. I love the time that I get to spend with friends and family, but this year is gonna be a tough one for our family. As you may remember, my cousin Jason died this summer at the young age of 25. Just weeks after getting engaged. I miss him every day, and know that our family get together will be tough on me, but I can't even imagine how hard its going to be on his parents, brother, and sister in-law.

I bring that up cause my cousin Brian and I got together for lunch today and were talking about the family. I just want my family and friends to know how much I love you all. See ya guys tomorrow night or Wednesday morning.

Take this time to tell your family, friends, or that important person in your life, how much you love them today.

Just a random photo from a trip to Phipps Conservatory last time it was this cold, before I head to Diesel Club's Christmas Party.

GO ELF YOURSELF

2008-12-15T21:23:00.005-05:00

Sometime I need a good laugh and today this gave it to me. My buddy Dave made this of us and a few of our drinking buddies. Check out Elf Yourself and see if it doesnt make your sides hurt.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

These make me laugh my butt off!!! Thank you Office Max for making me laugh so much

WOW

2008-12-10T10:14:00.004-05:00

SO today I decided to check out how my new Nikon D700 really performs iin low light situations. All I can say is WOW!!!! I've been using it at 6400 iso at weddings because alot of the churches that I shoot in are REALLY DARK. But I had never really pushed it all the way up to 25,000 ISO before.

So today I was sitting in the office, and I've been having trouble because I forgot to file taxes for 2 years while I was in college 4 years ago making minimum wage, and I needed something to make me smile.

The preformance of my camera did just that. All that these photos have done to them are auto white balance and the black and white one was converted to B&W.

Nothing else at all. straight out of the camera for you to see is incredible high ISO performance from nikon. Now if they could just answer the Canon punches with some really great wide prime lenses I would probably havea heart attack.

and the Black and white version

As far as I am concerned, both these images are totally usable in a clutch situation, and this camera will allow me to shoot in situation that I never dreamed possible.

I know I look irritated, and thats because I honestly am. But tomorrow will be better, and I'll get to the SSA office before 4 nad have everything sorted out by the end of the day.

On the plus side, its a beautiful December day, in the mid 40's and as long as the snow doesnt melt on the mountain, I'll be out snowboarding this weekend at 7 Springs. If anyone wants to join me, hit up the cell. The past two weeks were amazing skiing for how early in the year we were able to ski, nad i have a great feeling that the winter is going to be awesome.

Here's a pic from 7Springs on Saturday from my iPhone, "its beginning to look a lot like Christmas"Have a great day. See ya on the slopes.

I MOVED MY BLOG

2008-10-23T16:48:00.003-04:00

Hey Guys, I HAVE MOVED MY BLOG TO A NEW SYSTEM. WHILE BLOGGER WAS OK, I WAS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING MY PHOTOS UP UPON OCCASION, AND TODAY IT JUST IRRITATED ME. I AM NOW LOCATED HERE

Whats happening to football?

2008-10-20T18:51:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure whats going on here, but check out the REF taking out South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia!

Ok, now for a question if you can stop laughing: Anyone headed to NYC for PDN's Photo Plus Expo? If so let me know. I think I'm headed up Wed for a meeting Thursday morning with Film Aid, and then gonna hang out for a while and see whats new at the show.

Le me know if you're gonna be up there.

by the way, Full frame is the way to go. I just shot my first wedding and engagement session with the Nikon D700 and I am stunned. Image quality is amazing, low noise at High ISO is amazing, but the coolest thing is that I was really able to use my 50mm lens again for a LARGE portion of the day. It is taking me a while to realize that I have to move a lot closer to get the same shot as before, but its worth it. Especially considering how bright the viewfinder is.

Images will be up soon I promise.

Diana and Greg

2008-10-17T16:38:00.003-04:00

WOW, I love my job. But sometimes life hits you fast.

Diana had email me a few months back about photography, but I had never heard back from her. So I'm on my way out to NYC a few weeks ago and I get a phone call from Diana to see if I can shoot her wedding the following Friday.

I wasnt busy that night, so I happily said yes.

They had a beautiful wedding at The Frick Pittsburgh, with a small group of friends and family. Then they headed downtown to Hyde Park for the reception.

You and Greg were so much fun and I am looking forward to shooting with you two again soon. I hope you and your family are doing well, and I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed shooting them.

Enjoy.

Here are some pre ceremony photos

After the Ceremony we grabbed a few beautiful shots before the sun disappeared

The cake of course!
Walking in from the limo.

AJ and Dawns Wedding

2008-10-16T18:27:00.003-04:00

AJ and Dawn were married back in September and I have been so busy since then that I completely forgot to post on the blog since then.

They met through a writers workshop, and AJ flew to Ireland for their first date while Dawn was attending a workshop.

Sine then their love has grown and they have become inseparable.

They had a very intimate wedding with just the two of them, Dawns boys, and her best friend at the beautiful Nemacolin Woodlands Resort.

As I promised yesterday, here are some of my favorite images from the day.

She gave him the key to her heart!

The whole group was just a blast. They were constantly laughing and making faces at each other, and here is the proof from Dawn.

I love the flair here.

On a non wedding related note, last night was Brooks and Dunn, ZZ Top and Rodney Atkins. Good times! All three were awesome, but it was so cool to see ZZ Top. They even played one of my favorite blues songs: Jesus Left Chicago!

This week is another busy one as weddings come and go, and I continue to prep for Uganda, but I am super stoked for the rewards at the end of the tunnel.

Crazy

2008-10-15T16:18:00.005-04:00

Its been a while, but life has been super busy around here, as well as at Boogie Street Guitars where I shoot guitars for for the company. As a result, I haven't been blogging nearly enough, but I have been updating Facebook and Twitter like crazy, so if you arent already my friend, please, say hi, follow my life, it can be pretty interesting at times.

So Whats new. After Polo for the Cure, I had a wedding the next day. We were up at Nemacolin for the day, and shoot some great images of a very small intimate wedding. Photos will be coming soon.

The next weekend I was out in New Jersey and NYC. I got to go to the ocean which was the first time that I had been there in years, and boy do I miss it. I love the wind rolling off the water and the sound of waves hitting the beach, but as the weather gets colder that looses a bit of its appeal. Now combine that with 70 degree days and 50 degree nights and you have yourself a winner in my books. Needless to say though, it was fun.

The next weekend I shot two last minute weddings. The images will be up soon, but let me tell you I had a great time with both those weddings of Friday and Sunday, and Saturday was a walk for the Alzheimer's Association at the Pittsburgh Zoo, and I got to go into the employee area and hang out closer to the silver-back gorillas. Photos to follow soon.

I also will be receiving my new Nikon D700 on Friday. I am super stoked, and hope to figure it out enough to be able to at least play with it at my Saturday wedding. I'll be sure to post images and my opinion as soon as I form one good or bad. But if the sensor and auto focus are truly like the D3 I cant imagine any complaints here.

But anyways, I am alive, I promise. I am about to head out to the Brooks and Dunn concert tonight, and walk down that Red dirt road. Until I get those photos up check facebook and Twitter

Polo for the Cure '08

2008-09-29T16:33:00.003-04:00

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Polo for the Cure is one of my favorite weekends of the year. Not only is it a great fundraiser for the LLS, but I grew up playing polo, and get to see friends that I see once a year.

This year was no exception. Thursday, Friday and Saturday we partied until the wee hours of the morning, and by Saturday night, I was exhausted and asleep by 2am.

Anyways, here are some photos from the weekend.

Vincent Laforet

2008-09-24T12:15:00.003-04:00

I have to say that this video is amazing. It was captured using the Canon 5D mkII and the footage, color, and noise is amazing. Vincent is a genius in the way that he filmed this, and to imagine that the actual video was shot completely with a DSLR.

Here is the behind the scenes footage:
" width=425 height=239 type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always">

You should also scroll down just a bit and see the actual video that he shot with the camera. It's stunning!

Laura and David

2008-09-23T13:55:00.005-04:00

According to Laura, and Davids friends, Dave was girl shy throughout most of his college career.

It wasn't till sitting in the dining hall one day, that Dave saw Laura and told his buddies that he was going to talk to her. They all laughed, joking with him, until he stood up walked over and started talking to her.

After breakfast, he walked her back to the dorm and gave her his "digits" or the four number extension to his room.

It was little low impact situations that helped Laura to fall in love with Dave. When they first started dating he worked very hard to keep her comfortable and in her zone, so that she never felt out of place or nervous.

Little things like that worked to his advantage.

Laura and David were married a few weeks ago on what we thought was going to be a rain filled day. They were blessed and the rain held off till the reception was almost over.

Check out some of the pics.

HD Kung Fu!

2008-09-17T16:46:00.003-04:00

You have to check this video out.

Chase Jarvis is one of the most inovating commercial photographers around, and also gives back to the community more than most.

This video was just released not to long ago, and if you are like me at all, you'll watch it over and over, and then begin to pick up the set up after the visuals stop captivating you. If that's possible.

Update:

2008-09-15T22:57:00.002-04:00

We now have power. That's 24-48 hours sooner than predicted by the electric company.

Thanks guys for getting me up and running so fast.

Thanks to this change I hope to have photos online by tomorrow.

On a side thought, hot showers are so underrated!!!

Dan Speicher
Photographer
Http://www.danspeicherphoto.com
Sent from my iPhone

Stupid storm

2008-09-15T16:52:00.002-04:00

Have you ever felt completely helpless? Nothing is working, and every ounce of you wants to scream?

Since last night I have been without power. Cold showers. A melting freezer. Those are things I can't control.

But more frustrating than that is not being able to upload wedding images to my blog for my clients to get an early look at their weddings.

This weekend I had two awesome weddings. And both locations were amazing portrait opportunities. Until it started raining Friday morning and didn't stop till early Sunday morning.

Fridays wedding was supposed to be a beautiful outdoor sunset ceremony that was moved inside, and Saturday we were supposed to shoot portraits at Phipps Conservatory then head to the church. Well it decided to rain till right before the ceremony but we managed to grab some great photos throughout the day.

Both couples were amazing and I'm pleased to know them both. Josh and Christan, Matt and Kavitha have great honeymoons and I can't wait for you to see your images.

But to take me back to my earlier rant. I had a great weekend filled with beautiful brides and good looking grooms with a dash of rain tossed in. Those in the path of the hurricane were in harms way.

My prayers go out to those in trouble. Be thankful for little inconvienienes because your safety isn't at risk.

Blessings
Dan Speicher
Photographer
Http://www.danspeicherphoto.com
Sent from my iPhone

Leslie and Mike

2008-09-11T13:24:00.003-04:00

Leslie and Mike met when Mike walked into the hair salon that Leslie works on to pick up building plans that her dad had dropped off.

They were both attracted to each and Mike asked Leslie's dad if he could take her on a date. Since Leslie had just gotten out of a relationship her dad said no. But a mother knows best and she gave Mike Leslie's number.

That led to this beautiful wedding at Twelve Oaks Mansion that Mikes mom owns.

Here are some images from Leslie and Mikes wedding two weeks ago.

Here are some photos from the mansion where the reception was held.
Some casual portraits in the foyer.

What a beautiful cake.

The whole experience was awesome. The food was great, but the laughter and camaraderie made the night.
You guys were awesome. Congratulations!
I hope you love the photos, and I'll talk to you soon.

LIfe

2008-09-08T15:31:00.002-04:00

I am sitting in the office this beautiful monday, mundanely organizing shelves. Well, thats kind of a lie. I was doing that, until i sat down at my computer. But thats not really the point.

I was just thinking about the past couple of days, and I began to think about how blessed I am to do what I do, have wonderful clients, and great friends and family.

Ellie, the middle child, and younger sister came into visit this weekend, and I picked her up at the greyhound station. We havent seen each other since my cousins funeral back in June, and it was really good to just hangout with her and catch up.

Then I had this awesomely fun wedding on Saturday that makes me smile thinking about the photos, and the excitement that I feel knowing that the bride and groom will love looking at them when they get back from their honeymoon.

And Sunday I woke up and went to church for the first time in over a month, and it felt really good to spend time in worship and prepare for this week ahead.

I'm so excited for the next month ahead, and had such a great summer than it just hit me how blessed I really am to have the life that I have.

To all the people who bless my life with their friendship and company, I thank you all for just being there.

Heather and Chad

2008-09-04T17:44:00.003-04:00

Heather and Chad work together. Chad loves Heather. Heather Loves Chad.

They are getting married!

In may that is. But yesterday was a beautiful day and we wondered around Station Square shooting their E-session.

Until 10 am yesterday, we had only talked on the phone. But that didnt stop me from making Tommy Boy and Billy Madison references, which they both happen to love (lucky me cause some dont find those movies very amusing, or so I'm told.

But Heather and Chad were a lot of fun. Thanks for hanging out with me for the day guys.

I enjoyed your company, and hope you love the photos.

Pelee Island Round 3

2008-08-27T16:54:00.003-04:00

Family and friends may be the most important things in life. With out both, you really arent living to your fullest potential. That said, I love my family. My mom and dad are so supportive, and my sisters are awesomely talented young women.

This Sunday after my late Saturday wedding I woke up and decided to go up to our family cottage with my parents, youngest sister, and her boyfriend.

Pelee Island is a magical place, and is rarely busy even during the summer when the tourists are up there.

So I headed up for two days and what may be my last trip up there this year.

Sunday was amazing! IT was HOT HOT HOT! But after a few bottles of wine at the winery we got to the house and dove into the lake.

The weather being so perfect, i felt the need to rub it in to a friend back home. the result was the next two days in the low 70's and really windy. Serves me right for talking to soon. But that didnt stop me from swimming. In fact the water was warmer than the air (not really but it sure felt like it cause it was so windy).

So Here are some pics of mom and dad, Krista and Sam, and our beach.

My Amazing Parents:

Krista and Sam:
My beautiful sister

Our Perfect beach:

Ellie unfortunately couldnt make it to Pelee with us because she has a real job in Washington DC, but she was greatly missed.

We love you El.

More to come after my wedding this weekend.
Have a blessed week.

What a week

2008-08-21T14:23:00.003-04:00

Normally I'm not one to complain about my week, and in all reality, its been pretty darn good. Saturday however, I was coming back from a wedding and totaled my car. Getting lost, and trying to figure out where you are when there is stop and go traffic, IS NOT a good thing. But a plus did come out of it. I am now buying a GPS as soon as I have a new car. The down side to that, is everyone who tried to use theirs to get to the reception still got lost because the GPS couldnt find the location.

After that excitement though, the week has been wonderful. We have beautiful weather out here in PA, and I had a studio spotlight for my Pictage PUG on Tuesday. That basically means that I got to talk for a while about me, and my business and get advice from established photographers about running more efficiently and marketing, etc. It also meant that I had the floor, because those of you who know me, know I rarely talk. Yeah, Right! So I kept it short even though i was being made fun of for never saying anything and had a great night.

My good friend Sarah was kind enough to volunteer her new house for the meeting, and she had NO idea what she was in for. She is a great sport and I love her for letting me take over her house for a few hours.

The rest of the week was spent working on finding a car, and I think that I am going to end up with a nice used VW Passat. Kinda excited to have a big boy car instead of my former Ford Probe that sounded like a race car.

I also just booked a wedding at the beautiful Nemacolin Woodlands Resort . Its in September the day after the Polo For the Cure event in Ligonier Pa.

This is an awesome way to enjoy a day while raising money Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Pittsburgh.

Sunday I am supposed to be heading to Pelee for the last trip of the summer, but I am not sure if I'm going because I cant take the boat back across on Tuesday like I want to. Maybe I'll have to go up during the week in September. We'll see.

Anyways, wedding are going great. I'm meeting awesome brides and grooms, and the wedding parties have been so much fun so far.

I also got to shoot some fashion and glamor on Friday, and had a great time doing so.

Check out some of the pics. These are being used for a breast cancer fund raiser at Diesel Club, and also for a friends 21st birthday invitation.

Let me know what you think.

These first three are what will be used for the birthday flier.

And these last two are what will be used for the clubs event flier.

Great week

2008-08-15T21:04:00.002-04:00

Once again I'm coming from my iPhone on Friday night. Normally I'd be getting ready to go out, but I have a super early wedding tomorrow and I had a Photoshoot all day. I'm tired and ready to watch the olympics.

Speaking of the olympics: micheal phelps is simply amazing. It's no wonder why kids are already signing up for swim team. Heck. I'm ready to jump in a pool and start swimming laps. On another thought, does anyone not think he's going to win the 8 gold medals? However I'm waiting for food right now so he may have swam already. I hope not though cause watching him has been an experience. The USA beach volleyball teams see also amazing.

Enough about that though. Last night I got to spend the night at home hanging with my sister whom I haven't seen for a while. She's growing up so fast. Sorry Krista. I had to. Anyways I love you a lot and will see you soon.

Images will follow soon but my foods ready.

Peace. I'm hungry.

Dan Speicher
Photographer
Http://www.danspeicherphoto.com
Sent from my iPhone

Jess and Derek

2008-08-12T13:55:00.003-04:00

Jess and Derek met through mutual friends. For a long time Jess couldn't stand Derek. But from the moment they met, Derek was taken.

Jess hated the fact that he would get mad if she went on a date or danced with other guys, but eventually she asked him if they were going to go on a date! Funny how things turn around isn't it!

Saturday was an AWESOME wedding. Jess and Derek live in Florida, and they came home to the north for their wedding day.

It was beautiful weather, and the first bit of the day was spent getting to know the bridesmaids and watching them recover from the party the night before! Knowing that they were out later than I was the night before made me feel that much better, and I worked hard to open them up and get them laughing.

Here are some detail composites: Sorry but I'm a Steelers Fan!

The photo if the bride putting on the necklace was an emotional moment. Derek's mom had just given Jess the necklace that she had given to her mother. Since she had no daughters she passed it on to Jess.
The whole group was a ton of fun. The shirts all had the girls names on them, which definitely helped me out early on.

Then of course there is the champaign! Jess pops the bottle, while up in the hotel Derek Goes straight from the bottle. (hey thats what you do when there aren't enough glasses!)

I love this photo of the first kiss! There are sharper photos but the motion adds emotion and art to a normally static photo.
Derek looking GQ on his wedding day. I love the look on his face.
Jess is so beautiful! I know I say this about all of my brides, but I am really blessed to be able to shoot such beautiful people on the outside as well as on the inside.
Here they are laughing together! In these situations I usually just step back and move around without bothering them with much direction. It gives them a chance to relax with each other, and I get great images that they don't even know are coming!

I love this light here

And Here

Some Nice back light courtesy of Nikon's CLS
You guys were so much fun, and I hope that you have a great honeymoon!

Blessings.

Saturdays Wedding

2008-08-04T15:10:00.005-04:00

Saturday I woke up to cloudy skies thinking that it was going to rain. Instead, we had a perfect day for a wedding. It was warm, but not to hot, blue skies with clouds, and great company.

Linsey and Jim were such an awesome couple! They had a great wedding party, and the bridesmaids were continually trying to get me to "Shake My Booty" (thanks sarah for popping into my head!) but seriously, these folks danced.

Linsey and Jim were so photogenic and easy to work with, and I hope that you like this small preview of what is to come.

After the reception they asked me to join them for drinks and dancing at a local bar. It was 80's night and we danced until the band stopped playing.

I am so blessed in my job to make new friends at the weddings that I shoot.

Enjoy the photos!

2008-07-28T15:08:00.002-04:00

Here are a few more photos from the iPhone

One more from the Potluck:

and one from Saving Jane last weekend at Saddle Ridge in Pittsburgh.

2008-07-28T14:59:00.002-04:00

I'm trying my first blog post from my iPhone and hoping that it works LOL. I just got back from a great weekend on Pelee island visiting friends and catching some rays. I was hanging out with islanders all weekend and here we are enjoying some wine after a community pot luck at the winery.

Taken with my iPhone

Pelee is a really special place. There are less than 200 year around residents, but for those of us who grew up there, there is no place we'd rather be in the summer. When asked what the island is, the best response is a drinking island with a bird watching problem;) seriously. People spend months there to document the bird migration and we have such an interesting Ecosystem. Cheers guys. See ya in a few weeks

(EDT: I can post text to the blog but it wouldnt let me post the photo so I had to post it from my computer)

Erin and Dave

2008-07-22T19:25:00.003-04:00

Erin and Dave were awesome! We didnt talk much before the wedding, but had a connection that I try and achieve with every client. From the time we first talked, it seemed like I knew them.

They laughed, cried, danced, and posed their day away.

Erin said that she felt like Gisele working the camera for me! And she looked just as beautiful! Erin, Dave, thank you for letting me be a part of your big day, I hope you like this preview of more to come, and cant wait to get together for the "We Are" shoot later this summer.

Enjoy!

Kevin and Ambers Wedding

2008-07-22T13:49:00.003-04:00

Kevin and Amber had such an awesome wedding back in May but I wanted to get them their photos and proofs before I blogged this wedding.

Kevin and Amber have such a great relationship, and awesome friends who were at the wedding to see them make their vows in front of friends and family.

RIP Jason Robert Morris

2008-07-01T13:20:00.002-04:00

He was a cousin, a friend, and a brother in Christ. Jason Morris died early Thursday morning as he was driving to visit his fiance'. He fell asleep on the turnpike and drifted off the road.

Jason was my cousin and my friend. I miss him more than I ever thought possible. While we weren't as close as we should be, Jas was always there when I needed him to be. He would drop things with a moments notice and run to help a friend in need.

Recently he and I didn't see much of each other. We lived close but ran in different circles, worked to often, and generally just didn't make time together a priority. I wish that I had. It's so hard knowing that I will not see him for a very long time, (or short if that is Gods plan), but I know that he is sitting next to Jesus, and gaining the riches that were stored in heaven for him.

Typically this isnt something that I would blog about, but as I sit here getting ready to speak at his funeral today, my heart is hurting so much at the loss of my friend and cousin that I feel compelled to ask a favor. If you have had harsh words with a friend, or a family member, please, say a kind word. Spend some time together and let them know that you love them.

Life can be taken away in the blink of an eye. There is no schedule for when our time on earth is up. God calls us home when it suites his purpose, not when we are ready. Keep that in mind, make your heart right. Dont hold grudges or animosity. Tell people in your life that you care about them.

I know that this post may not be P.C. but thats not the purpose, the purpose is to encourage everyone to live life to the fullest and love to the fullest. We never know when tragedy is just around the bend, and every day is a gift from above.

Mom and Dad, Ellie and Krista, I love you all very much. Thanks for being a WONDERFUL family. I couldn't ask for more.

Happy Memorial Day

2008-05-27T12:01:00.003-04:00

I want to say thank you. To all the vetrans, and soldiers currently serving at home and around the world, thank you for protecting my right to life, liberty, and the persuit of happiness. Thank you for protecting us from those that wish to destroy us. For spending months away from your loved ones, so that we can enjoy our loved ones on a daily basis.

Thank you for protecting our freedoms, even the freedom of those who yell at you in the streets, who work to cut your resources at every turn, who work to cut the budget that helps to keep you safe while you protect their right to protest all your sweat and blood.

Our country is the greatest country in the world because of the sacrifice that you give day to day, and because of the sacrifice that those who died before you gave.

Thank you for your service, for your love of this country, and your dedication to those men beside you.

God Bless you.

On a different more depressing note, the Pens fell to the Detroit Redwings 3-0 in game two of the Stanley Cup finals in Detroit. The pens have alot of work to do before they play in Pittsburgh Wednesday night.

Last night I gathered with some friends at Mellon Arena, to watch the game on the Jumbotron. Judging from past experience, it was louder with a crowd half the size of normal watching a game on a tv, than it was when the Pens last played at home. $5 got you in to the arena to sit and watch the gaem with your closest 5000 + friends, and while we cheered and screamed, our battle cries did little to help rally them to a victory.

Come on guys, you made it this far, start skating for the puck, lets make passes, and play on no matter how hard the referees try to keep you from playing the game the way it was created.

LETS GO PENS, LETS GO PENS, LETS GO PENS, LETS GO PENS, LETS GO PENS!!!!!!!!!!!!

AS PROMISED!

2008-05-20T14:21:00.003-04:00

As I said last week, I promised that I would post photos and so here they are. These first ones are from a great wedding from a few weeks ago. The couple was so sweet, and a blast to work with.

I am truly blessed to be able to go out and document a new couples first hours together and capturing once in a lifetime moments and giving vision to those memories.

Then on May 6th I got to shoot Kevin and his fiance Ambers' engagment session. These two are really in love, and have become great friends of mine over the past year. I met Kevin while shooting at Diesel Club in Pittsburgh. Kevin is the GM and a kick ass bartender as the bartenders battle proved.

For this session we just played around the city. We took the incline, not to shoot on Mt Washington, but so that we could shoot inside the lift.

Then we walked around the city before jumping on the trolly and going to grab a drink. Kevin and Amber decided that this was the time to taunt eachother and each put on their repective teams jersey's. Amber is a true Pittsburgher and a die hard Steelers fan. Kevin somehow ended up a broncos fan, but since I'm from Pittsburgh, they dont deserve capitalization. lol.

Check the photos out, more will follow after their wedding this Sunday, or as soon as their engagement album is in my hands and I can shoot some photos of it.

WE used KISS Albums to create and engagement/ guest sign in Album, and I will have it by tomorrow at the latest. I cant wait to see this beautiful book.

Keep it cool till Sunday guys.

Lots to come!

2008-05-14T15:44:00.002-04:00

So as I've mentioned, I've been slacking on the blogging part of my life, but that is only because I have been pretty busy over the past few weeks.

I have been shooting weddings, which I will be blogging soon, and working like crazy at Boogie Street Guitars.

I've also been house sitting for my parents while they decided to ditch Pa for 10 days and head out to San Fransisco and go up into wine country. But while they were gone I got to ride horses and play tennis so I think that I made out pretty good too.

I have also been having car problems that have been driving me up a wall! actually that is a lot calmer than I feel right now. I'm not sure if you remember the TV commercials a little while back, where people were dropping boulders and pushing their cars off of parking garage roof's, but that is exactly what I feel like doing. In fact, if I hadn't gotten to play with a new Nikon D3 this weekend while shooting a wedding, and didn't feel like I NEED TO HAVE ONE, I think my car would be lying in a ditch right now with all its windows broken out!

It seems like every time I drive my parents car for a week, my car gets VERY JEALOUS and decides that its going to have problems. To make matters worse, this week my mechanic cant figure out why the car wont start. Now I have to take it to a dealer. Oh well. At least I am blessed enough to have my parents help me out with one of their cars while I am trying to get mine fixed.

Thanks guys.

In other news, HOW 'BOUT THEM PITTSBURGH PENGUINS!!!!!!!! That's right, 16 games so far and only one loss. KNOCK ON WOOD! but we did crush Philadelphia last night while in Philly! Oh it is so sweet.

While I am normally not much of a hockey fan, i prefer my football, I have to say that I have gotten behind the Pens during the last third of the season, and now I am addicted.

I'm also not sure if many of you have heard of Pandora.com but it is Internet radio that lets you choose the music that you listen to. You pick the artist or song and it plays music that sounds like what you chose. I've been using it for the past year but I had forgotten about it till I started working at BSG. Check it out.

That's enough for today, but I promise that photos from weddings and portraits will be coming soon. Cheer for the Pens tomorrow as they take on Philly in Philly for game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. IT COULD ALL BE OVER TOMORROW!

Ciao

Should be FUN!

2008-04-25T16:48:00.002-04:00

So baseball season started a while ago. Yippee! For those of you that follow baseball, you understand that me, being from Pittsburgh, has a hard time getting excited about the Pittsburgh Pirates. THEY SUCK! We havent had a winning season since '92 I believe, and yeah I do mean 1992, but its been so long that it feels like it could be 1892.

That doesent mean that going to baseball games cant be fun for me though. Tonight I am heading downtown, where I am going to sing "Take me out to the ball game" at the top of my lungs, eat a hotdog, and drink a soda.

The Pens are also playing tonight. At 7pm they take on the NY Rangers in game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. LETS GO PENS!

While the Pirates game will be fun, and the fireworks will be great, anyone whos is watching the Pens game on TV, please text me updates. Really, I am very serious, please tell me whats going on!

I can only hope that the Pirates will be kind enough to put the Pens game on the big screen so that I can enjoy both.

Tonight Saddle Ridge Coutry Saloon has its new GRAND OPENING. They are cutting the bar down in size, and re-designing the place. I am excited to see how it looks. For those who dont know me all that well, Saddle was one of my jobs while I was going to school.

Good luck tonight guys. If you are in the area, stop on in. It should be a fun time.

So now I leave you. I have a wedding coming up in a week, an engagement shoot two days later, and house sitting for my parents for a week. While I am at their house, I'll try to blog more often.

Keep It Real!

VOTE!

2008-04-22T18:14:00.002-04:00

Here in Pennsylvania, the primaries are heating up between Obama and Clinton. If you are a registered Democrat, get out and vote. For those of you in states yet to be determined, make sure you go out and vote. This election in a pivotal point in recent history, and will decide the economy as well as the governments involvement in peoples personal lives for the years to come.

That said, before you vote, take the time to educate your selves. Voting isn't just about voting party lines because you were raised that way. Its not about global warming, but it is about the economy, Americas position in Iraq and other countries around the world, and those bitsy things like taxes, and immigration.

So take an hour or two. Read a voters guide, and don't just base your decisions off of TV ads.

We have an inherent right to vote, and every able person should.

Happy election day to all you Pennsylvanians. See you in November!

MY WEBSITE IS LIVE

2008-04-16T16:24:00.005-04:00

After months of work, months of frustration with web designers, and the time that it took to pick out photos and music, my website is finally live.

You can now visit http://danspeicherphoto.com/ directly to see my photography.

I appreciate everyone's patience and encouragement over the past few months and hope that this is a site that is easy for clients and potential clients to get a good idea of my work.

I hope that everyone is having a GREAT DAY. I know that I am.

I also have a shameless plug to put out there.

Blu Domain has done a great job helping me to get my site live. The back end interface was so easy to use, and their sites look great.

Life without "normal comforts"

2008-04-14T19:14:00.002-04:00

It's kinda funny when I think about it. I have traveled to Africa twice, and both times I had an easier time checking email and getting online than I do now. As I have been blogging about for the past two weeks, I have recently moved into a new apartment with a buddy of mine. Currently we still do not have internet, and it is KILLING ME! So I have been going to Panera's to work so that I can check my email and post photos that I need to, all the while pretending that I am not trying to move into the chair that I have been inhabiting for so long.

We are currently deciding on Verizon or Comcast for internet, but the earliest we can get it installed is NEXT WEEK.

So here i sit, laughing quietly to myself about the fact that it was easier for me to have internet access in Uganda than it is here in Pittsburgh.

Oh well, here are a few photos from my first wedding of the year.

Paul and Wendy met while studying pharmaceuticals, and finally tied the knot. They had classes together, (well, Wendy stared at Paul's head) and Paul finally asked her out. They were married on a beautiful April day, and the rain held off and allowed the sun to shine.

They were married at Springwood Manor in a very intimate setting.

Check out the photos:

Still Moving

2008-04-02T14:13:00.003-04:00

As I mentioned last week, I am still in the process of moving into my new apartment, and I do not have internet or my desk set up yet. Hopefully by the end of the week, but I am not sure if they will get there that fast. So today I am writing from my old house before I turn the internet off for good.

The move was stressful, as they always are, but the plus is that I have a bigger room than I did before. The downside is that the kitchen is the size of my old bathroom, that means less cooking, and more simple things like sandwiches.

Saturday was a long day. But it was worth waking up at 7. Now for some, that my seem like sleeping in, but for me, that might as well be 5am. But I did get up, made french toast, and had a great day.

I started off with a photography workshop for a company that I am freelancing with, and there we played around with wireless TTL (flash photography) and composition. They wanted to make sure that I knew what I was doing, even though I assured them that I did. :)

Here is a shot I grabbed that is balancing the ambient light with the flash,

The shot is produced using 3 Nikon Sb-800 flash units triggered wirelessly by my nikon D200.

Exposure: 1/25 sec f/3.5 at 18mm 640 iso.

Here is an available light photo using just a table lamp that I placed above David Maki as he sat on the floor.

So that was the big part of my saturday, and I'll throw some more of the weekend up soon, but for now I have to keep moving, be blessed!

I know I know.

2008-03-24T21:29:00.003-04:00

So it has been like two weeks since I really blogged consistently. I know that there is no real excuse for that, I apologize. However, this week is going to maybe only hold a few posts, primarily since I am moving, and won't have internet immediately. I do hope to have it up and running by the end of next week though.

Anyways, I havent blogged since St Patrick's Day, and WOW what a great day. I started cooking breakfast for my friend Sarah, two of her friends and myself, and then we headed down to Station Square for a long day of partying. When I say long, I mean Long. Like I drank more beers in more hours than I slept in the past two nights Long! Yeah 14 hours of hanging out with friends, dancing, singing and celebrating St Patrick's day two days early. I figured since I was staying in on monday that I needed to make up for the lack of not listening to my favorite local Irish Band "Red Hand Paddy" by "utilizing the bottle" as they say in "The Sun Also Rises".

Then I had concerts last week, as well as some other shoots that I was working on. So here are some of the photos from the concerts.

Cobra Starship:

Lez Zeppelin

Oh, as I mentioned a little while back, about the video that I was shooting, I came across a few photos from those two days, and I could KILL Eric for posting them on the Boogie Board, but hey what can I say, I was sick that whole weekend, and I was dressed for comfort, not style.

Anyways, thanks Eric for grabbing some photos of me at work. Even if they are showing me to be a zombie when it comes to style.

For those of you concerned, I have cut my hair (Sorry Ashley!) The good news is that I now look presentable again, and the long hair will have to wait till next winter to reappear.

I hope that Everyone had a great Easter with family or friends. For me, Easter is a time to remember that I have been washed of my sins, because "We have and advocator to the Father" 1 John 2:1. But it is also a time to spend with my sisters and my parents. I am so thankful for the opportunity to spend time with them, and seeing as I was sick from Friday night on, and am still sick, I want to say thank you mom. I love you so much, and I still cant believe that you take care of me when I am not feeling well.

Girls, it was great to take a trip down to Va. to pick you up, and even though you slept the whole ride home, I still love you, and it was nice to hang out for a bit.

More from Ellie

2008-03-12T13:49:00.005-04:00

Here are some more photos from Ellie:

Senior Portraits and concerts

2008-03-11T18:23:00.004-04:00

So while it has been a while since I've posted, some great things have been going on.

I am shooting an event for Dior at the end of the month, and I am really excited about that.

I also shot some senior photos recently, and those are definitely worth checking out.

I also have been snowboarding a bit more lately. Unfortunately, I tried to go out twice last week but ended up getting rained out both times. Finally Saturday turned cold and the snow started coming pretty quick. The roads turned to muck, and cars were sliding on the way down the mountain and on the way up.

If the day hadnt been so windy, the snow would have been perfect. As nature had it though, the wind howled across the top of the slopes turning the top half of Seven Springs to nothing but ice. On a plus side, the snow was getting caught in the woods so the tree skiing was fun.

Tomorrow night Danity Kane is coming to Diesel. So after the Pens Game against Buffalo, I'll be heading down there to shoot some event photos.

Anyways Check out Ellie's senior portraits.

Trends with brides

2008-02-26T14:24:00.004-05:00

I came across this article from the NY Times on Dane Sanders blog, and want to know what brides and photographers think of the observations that Ms. La Ferla made.

Are dresses getting sexier and more adventurous while loosing the innocent look? Or are they just moving at the same speed as the fashion around us?

What is important to you as a bride when picking out your wedding dress? Are you going for an innocent look? or looking for a dress that shows off your curves?

Photographers

Crazy Busy

2008-02-21T13:27:00.003-05:00

WOW! I cant believe that it has been 2 weeks since I last posted on this blog. However, I it's not like I haven't been posting anywhere. I have been shooting a few concerts for Diesel Club, and have been posting on their blog that I started, more than I have on mine. Their blog is just a way for me to show their clients what has been going on, and to showcase the photos in a easy to view manor.

Anyways, check out that blog to see photos from Saving Jane, The Toasters, and Finch.

I am also doing some work for an online magazine called Popular Underground. The cool thing about this, is that while it is model photography, I really have the ability to shoot whatever I want to, and that means for me, less glamour, and more fun/fashion.

Last week, Jen (my model) and I ventured outside to shoot some alternative style photos, and then this week we headed indoors at One Up Skate Shop, to shoot more fashion and fun images.

Check out some of the pics.

Part two of the shoot: Indoors. I love having a white background. the look is so clean and simple, and you can have a ton of fun with it.

Here is Jen goofing off when she thinks I'm not paying attention. Moments like this are what can make shoots so much fun.

It makes me happy to know that models are that comfortable around me, and to know that they enjoy shooting with me.
Thanks to Jen for being such a wonderful model, and to One Up Skate Shop for letting us use their brand new space at 1409 Carson St. in the South Side.

Stop and look at art

2008-02-07T21:34:00.000-05:00

Some times, on rare occasions, I get really interesting emails coming across my desk that make me realize how much I love being an artist. Today I received one of those emails from my friend Shana who is a dance instructor in NYC.

The Group that orchestrated this is called "Improv Everywhere". Check this video out

Cool actions and Textures

2008-02-06T14:29:00.000-05:00

I recently found some cool actions that are free, as well as some cool textures. While many people use textures, I have never used them, but think that I am going to start shooting some of my own. Every once in a while, I like to create images that aren't typically associated with my style of photography.

I do this because it helps me to think more about the final image of the photos while I am shooting them, and allows me the freedom to shoot a little bit more creatively. I do this so that my clients continue to get the best images that I can produce, and to keep me on my toes. The last thing that I ever want, is for my images to begin to look tired, boring and expected.

The actions and textures that I used on this image are courtesy of Dror Eyai. A South African Wedding photographer. His 8+5 pack has some nice actions and textures, and are easy to use. Plus they are free.

On the exciting part of typical life, tonight is guys night. This is a night where a group of guys from church get together and shoot some pool or play poker. tonight I am hosting the evening, and making a Beef BBQ, and a homemade sauce. It is kinda spicy, but it should be awesome with some coleslaw on the sandwiches. any ways, we are gonna hang out a play some poker, and catch up on life.

In a few weeks, I am going to see the AMC Best Picture Showcase, featuring all five best picture Oscar Nominees. Seeing as I haven't seen any of them yet, I am really excited. Michael Clayton, There Will be Blood, Atonement, and No Country for Old Men are high on my list of must see, and Juno looks really good.

I know that it is a waste of a god day, but I don't go to movies much, and that is my birthday present to myself.

Friday and Saturday are concert nights, so I'll post after I have some good images from that. Saving Jane is on Saturday, and I am excited to see that show.

I'm in the money

2008-02-04T11:12:00.002-05:00

Could the Giants really win by three points? YES THEY CAN!

No one believed me yesterday when I said that the Pats were going to loose by three. In fact, those at the Super Bowl party i attended looked rather shocked when I suggested that the Giants would take the game by three, especially with a 12 point line given to New England.

All I have to say, is that I didn't believe that there was any way possible that the Giants were going to Let New England win, after having a perfect regular and post season.

Way to go NY! and for all those Plexico haters from Pittsburgh, he played a great game yesterday, and he helped to bring it home.

Superbowl Sunday

2008-02-03T17:44:00.001-05:00

With all the talk that is going around today, and the Patriots being a 14 point favorite, I just want to take a moment to pray for the NY Giants.

Father, bless the Giants as they prepare for battle today. Help them to overcome the evil that sits as the AFC Champions, and has pushed many great teams from this world wide event.

May Mannings arm be true, and Plexico's mind be sharp. May Brady forget what a football is meant for, and see his perfect season come to an end.

In the name of the Your Son, have mercy on our conference and let us see Boston shamed on this winter eve.

Amen.

Incase you are unable to tell, I hate the Pats. I believe Tom Brady to be the best QB in the game, no holds barred, but it doesnt mean that I dont want them to loose for beating the Steelers in regular season. Regardless of what happens, it is going to be a great game.

Lets GET IT Started!

Skiing with Friends

2008-01-29T11:06:00.000-05:00

I sat down and slowly laced up my boots. It had been a while since I had worn them, and I forgot how hard they were to get tight. I checked my bindings to make sure they still worked, and strapped into my snowboard. It was cold, but the snow was perfect. Packed groomed powder covered the slopes. That wouldn't last, but it was still early. Soon the snow would be raped from the hills, exposing the ice beneath, but for the moment, it was perfect.

My cousins Justin, and Pete, had invited me to spend a day snowboarding and hanging out. After having skied nearly 100 times or more per year for seven years when I was instructing, and not skiing at all for the past two seasons, it was awesome to get back out.

I started off slow. Taking my time, slowly carving down some easy trails. Getting the feel of my board once again. It's like riding a bike, you may not forget how, but you dont have quite as much confidence initially. With each run, i pushed myself harder. Making faster, tighter turns, bringing myself to the position that I knew I should be in, then transitioning my board to follow my body. The results were as I expected. The riding improved, my body will hate me.

The next day I was in quite a bit of pain. I decided to push myself harder than I probably should have, and my muscles are still seriously tight. One of the best things about a day out on the mountain, is the fresh cold air, and the blue sky. Just being able to spend time carving down the slopes, finding fresh groomed areas even towards the end of the day, and laughing with friends, is a blessing all in its self.

Here are Justing and Pete at 7 Springs. The crazy thing is that none of us have been out for more than 2 years.

Here they are sitting at the top of North Face.

More will come soon about my adventures, and hopefully that will include more time on the slopes. It is hard to figure out why I ever stayed away for so long.

Amazing

2008-01-23T17:19:00.000-05:00

There are times in photography when the facets of it begin to change to the point of a new genre in film.

Today i stumbled upon a "video" that is actually photos shot on three different levels and brought together so that each layer moves at its own speed. This is not something that i am familiar with, nor is anything that I have ever seen before, but it really does almost appear 3D.

Check this out and tell me what you think. Is this going to become more popular, or will photography and video still stay separate even as the two mediums are brought closer by artists.

On a photography note, here are some of the images that I shot last week for a friend.

Strobist Info:

This first shot is lit by two 1600w strobes fired through white umbrellas front and rear of model, and one 800w strobe with a reflector to shoot the shadow onto the wall.

This second shot is pretty much the same setup as used in the first shot.

The third shot is one strobe camera right fired through a white umbrella, with just the edge of the light hitting the model

Music

2008-01-16T15:20:00.000-05:00

Things have been crazy since New Years. This weekend I shot 7 bands. On Saturday Diesel held the finals for their Battle of the Bands, and I want to throw a big Shout to my buddy Brad and his band Recession. These guys killed it, and they won the Battle of the Bands. It kind of shocked me, because one of the bands sold like 120 tickets on their own.

Metropolitans were a close second in my book. it's like taking a bit of Ska and swing, and merging it together.

Audios also put a great show on.
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And Echobox put on a GREAT set too.

Friday during the day I was doing a model shoot. Some of those pics may end up on here, but they are on my model mayhem page currently.

Saturday after the concert, I went to saddle for a friends birthday party. Debbies birthday was actually monday, and her Mom's was sunday, so they blew out the candles together.

It was a great time with friends, and tomorrow I actually get to cook her a birthday dinner. That should be fun, and she is putting a lot of faith in my ability to cook, but i doubt that I will disappoint.

Anyways, the Von Bondies played at Diesel on Sunday. It was a pretty cool show, and you may recognize them from the theme song to the FX show "Rescue Me".

I'll get some pics up soon.

Till then, have a great life.

The New Diesel Blog

2008-01-09T17:28:00.002-05:00

It's been a few days since I last posted photos, but HERE are a few from New Years Eve at Diesel. The site that the photos are on, is a new project that I am doing for Diesel, that is going to showcase photos from each week, and let people see what is happening. Over the next few weeks, I will also be posting a look back at 2007 from June, when I started shooting there, till New Years Eve. So keep an eye out over there for some great new photos from the club.

Here is a wedding slideshow with some of my favorites from 2007, I will be going through my weddings and engagements soon, and be making a post with my favorites for the year.

Happy New Year. Have a great 2008

2008-01-01T12:26:00.001-05:00

I just want to start 2008 by saying Happy New Year!

2007 was a great year for me. I graduated college finally, was able to take on photography full time, and took a trip to Uganda, with 17 hours to get ready. But more importantly, my relationships with my family are better this year, than they have ever been. My sisters and I get along better than we ever did, and my parents and I have a great friendship that I wouldn't trade for the world.

I also started going to a new church this year, and some great friendships are growing out of that as well.

For 2008 my goals are as follows:

*Get the the gym and work out on a consistent basis.

*Start rock climbing more.

*Get back to Africa, and shoot my documentary.

*Learn video editing, and buy a video camera.

*Make more true friends, and less acquaintances.

*book more weddings, and get one published.

What is your New Years Resolution? tell me in the comments section.

I found this photo on CBS news. This is from India!

Merry Christmas!!!

2007-12-26T15:43:00.001-05:00

The fam, from left to right: Krista, Dad with Rosie, and Mom with Willie and Grace between her and Ellie

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had a great day with their friends and family, and that the holiday wasn't too hectic.

It was such a great time for me yesterday. I went home on Christmas Eve, and was able to enjoy a wonderful dinner with my parents and sisters who are on break right now, and then wake up and open presents with the family.

Every year my mom makes a great Christmas breakfast for us, and this year I wanted her to have a chance to relax a little bit, so I took care of cooking for the troops. I made eggs Benedict, but I left the hollandaise sauce to my mom. she does such a great job with it and I didnt want to ruin everyones day by improperly cooking it.

After breakfast, we took a hike around the farm as a family, which is something that we haven't done for a LONG time. While we were hiking, i grabbed some photos of the family since we aren't together very often any more. Its weird because we have all lived at home until two years ago, and we never spent much time together as we grew older. Now, when we have time together, it means a lot more to remember those moments.

Here is mom and dad with Jessie(right) and Deacon(Left)Christmas night we drove into the "burgh" for a cousin get together. It's a tradition that's going on 20 years of Pancake dinners. We do this because there are so many people in the house, that feeding everyone any other way, would be a HUGE undertaking that no one is up to because it is Christmas and we want to spend time together.

I hope that everyone had a blessed Christmas.

One Republic

2007-12-14T13:28:00.000-05:00

This week has been a crazy week for me. It is obviously Christmas time, and that means a ton of parties going on. This week has been exceptionally busy because I am shooting at Diesel every night this week. On Monday we started off the week with a KILLER concert by new group One Republic, and they put on a crazy show. They currently have two songs on the radio, but the one it is best known is "Apologize".
I am also getting my Christmas cards finished up. I owe everything that I have right now to the clients and couples that have become my friends and given me a chance. This year the theme is "Who Needs Mistletoe" I am also offering a discount on all of my photography right now. For a limited time, weddings, events/parties, lifestyle sessions, and portraits/head shots, may take 15% off. But this is a limited time offer and is not good for events that happen after May 1st.

This is the back, and you will have to wait to see the front, but I think that it is one of the best looking cards that I have ever seen.

In keeping with the "Who Needs Mistletoe" theme, I would love to hear some funny mistletoe stories from parties, the office, etc.

Tonight we are shooting a music video at Diesel. Actually it is over the course of the next two nights, and it is more of an intro to the website, and a My Space commercial. It should be pretty cool, and I will try to get something edited before the Steelers game on Sunday to show you the club and what we are trying to do.

Anyways, something that Jasmine Star mentioned on Tuesday was creating a notebook with ideas and thing that you learn about photography. Two years ago i started a folder that I would place pages from magazines in. It was shots that there was something more to than just plane visual stimulation. On those pages are notes about lighting, poses, trends, anything that I can come back to and see something new in. There are times when life is just to busy to get to try everything that you want to, so for me this folder is a way of going back in time, seeing past present, and since we know the cycle, future trends in clothing, posing, and lighting. For me, this is a way to help me through technical problems, and inspire me when I am slacking.

I would love to hear what other folks do for inspiration. How did you get yourself through that period of brain block?

Brides, I believe that this is a great way for you to prepare for your wedding as well. If you see certain poses, or types of locations, things that you want included in your wedding, flowers, linens, dresses, colors, anything, this is a great way to convey what it is that you are looking for, and when you get stuck on a detail, you can look into your folder, and work past your current problem or indecisiveness. Sometimes we all need to be inspired, let others help you do that.

EDIT: Last night was the 102.5 WDVE Christmas party, and it was a blast. Pittsburgh Steeler Big Ben showed up to do a Christmas song for the crowd, and Brett Keisel joined in for the fun.
Here is Ben Roethlisberger and WTAE Tv's Sally Wiggins hanging out during the show.

2007-12-04T15:33:00.001-05:00

Many of you are not familiar with the albums that I offer, and to show you the quality of the product, I wanted to show you the albums as they come.

The first album is a Kiss Wedding Book. These are beautiful hand made albums, and they are what I use for an engagement book. They are a beautiful album, the turn around is unbelievable, and the customer service is the best that I have ever experienced. These albums are the standard album that I use for my engagement/guest books, but they are also available for family, children, and senior sessions, as well as wedding albums.

They are a really cool albums that comes in great colors like brown, blue, black, purple, and green, and the leather is so soft and supple. They get shipped in this really funky bag to protect them. As my business grows, I am intending to move all of my storybook albums over to KISS. Their customer service is honestly probably the best that I have ever experienced anywhere or in any industry.
My second album is an Leather Art album. These are also beautiful albums, they come in a wider variety of sizes, but you only get to choose brown or black. These are also great choices for family, children, and senior sessions, but they take about 8 weeks to receive.

They really are a beautiful albums, and I am very pleased to offer both.

As a side note, for other photographers out there. Kiss Albums was started by photographer Kevin Swan, and their customer service ROCKS!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-26T12:05:00.001-05:00

I had such a great Thanksgiving with my family this year. I was home from Tuesday till Friday night, and didn't have access the internet, but aside from that, the trip was great. I was able to spend time with some friends that I only see an average of once a year, and was able to spend time with both of my sisters, which was wonderful.

Wednesday night, my sisters and I went to see Beowulf with my dad. As a former English Major, and having had to memorize the first 50 or so lines my freshman year, I was very disappointed with how far off the movie was. The cool thing was that the theatre I saw it in was showing the 3D version and it was really crazy. It is definitely not like I remember 3D being. The image was sharp, and the colors were like looking at photos. However, the characters were way to CG for my taste. I thought that 300 was much better, and if someone wants to take a stab at making Beowulf over, it would be to everyones benefit to discuss the movie with the creators of 300.

Thursday was awesome. Sleeping late, only to wake up and stuff myself is something that I never get to do on Thanksgiving. We usually have 30-40 people at my parents house, but this year we were able to pawn it on to my aunt. Our family is really close, and the night was filled with laughter, football and Wii. I was really hurt to see the NY Jets loose to Dallas after having put a beating on the Steelers. But tonight that loss will be forgotten as we destroy Miami at home.

Friday my dad woke me up really early to go pheasant hunting with him and his friends from church. We did a father son day, and it was a great time. The coolest thing about pheasant hunting is watching the dog work the field.

Afterwards we went inside and drank 20 year-old port, and caught up on the important things in everyones life. Here are the guys, (from left to right)Randy and his dad Steve Gooder, Rick, and my dad Ray.
We all had such a great time. The coolest thing about field sports like this is the amount of camaraderie that comes out of it. Every time a bird was flushed, we were shouting encouragement to whoever had the shot. Rick was working his puppy, (she is only 13 months old) and she was amazing to watch. She would point to birds that we couldn't see until we had walked past them and then they would fly away.

I have so much to be thankful for this year.

1) My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, "you are a new creation in Christ Jesus" and it is because of his love that I am where I am today.

2) My amazing family. Mom, Dad, Ellie and Krista, I love you all so much and thank you for your support in my life.

3) I have lived with my grandfather for the past two years. He moved into a retirement community on Tuesday, but I am so thankful for the time that I got to spend with him, and getting to know him better. He is such a good spiritual mentor, and I love him so much.

4) My friends who support me and keep me in line, even when I want to get a little crazy.

5) Having graduated college, because it was getting pretty hairy towards the end.

6) My clients that have allowed me to come into their lives and photograph the most sacred day of their new life. I am truly blessed to be able to spend time with you and your families to capture moments that you may not remember otherwise. Your kindness and friendship has been awesome.

7) All the great people in the photography world that have helped me develop my business. Some of them I haven't met yet, but their blogs and business models have been a great encouragement.

8) The ability to travel. Last year was an impromptu trip to Uganda, and this year is hopefully a trip that I have been planning for some time.

9) All of you that read this blog and support my work. I thank you for the time you give to me, and I really appreciate it.

I hope that everyone out there had a great Thanksgiving. Remember the blessings that are in your life, and give thanks for it.

SNOW!!!!!

2007-11-16T13:20:00.001-05:00

I may possibly be the happiest person alive right now. Well maybe except for Mike Colon who lives in CA, and has perfect surfing weather in Newport Beach right now. But For me, here in Western PA, I am really stoked because this hopefully means the start of a GREAT ski season for Seven Springs and I am really getting antsy to start snowboarding. Now that school is done, my life will finally have time for one of my favorite past times.

The snow started as I was driving home last night. I only had a 20 minute drive but the last 5 miles or so were a blizzard. The snow was coming down so hard that I couldn't use my high beams, and there was enough on the road, that I started to fishtail as I turned onto my road.

Anyways, I hope that everyone is enjoying their respective weather, but while I hate the cold, I love the snow. Keep lovin.

Way to go Steelers

2007-11-14T13:13:00.000-05:00

I had such a great weekend. Friday I got to hang out with some great friends, and Sunday I had the pleasure of seeing the Pittsburgh Steelers come back from an 11 point lead that the Cleveland Browns held at the end of the first half, and win by three points. After the Monday night game against Baltimore, ESPN was giving the Steelers 9 points but anyone who really knows the Steelers knows that they RARELY cover the spread. In a friendly bet between my buddy Todd who is a die hard Browns fan, I had the Steelers at +3. Way to go guys, they played a great Game.

Above is a picture of my friends Ashley (right) and Steph (center). We met up at like 1130 and proceeded to begin tailgating with some other friends of mine from Saddle Ridge. It was a great time, and we partied all day in celebration.

Here Ashley Steph, John, and I are just loving the energy after such a great game.
This was Ashley's first game, and I am so happy that she got to see such a great fight. I do know that I don't want to play the Browns in the Playoffs if this is how the game is going to go. I nearly had a heart attack on multiple occasions.

After the game we tailgated for a bit longer, but then it started to pour down rain so we headed to McFadden's to have a few more drinks and get a little bit crazy.

We then headed over to Jerome Bettis' Grill 36 for a quick bite to eat. The atmosphere is great, but the food wasn't really all that hot, and it wasn't like it was that busy when we got there, but I think that I will try it again to see if it improves. It did just open up recently, and all the reviews have been good so far, so who knows what happened.

It is MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

2007-11-05T17:18:00.001-05:00

That is correct. The greatest team in the NFL the Pittsburgh Steelers will be taking on the Baltimore Ravens (the worst team due to a heavy rivalry) and tonight, we will have Cleveland Brown fans (who hate us almost as much as the Ravens) cheering us to victory.

Last night was one of the best games that I have watched in a year. Watching New England come back from a 10 point difference was a beautiful thing. But they had to fight for every inch of turf. The Colts were not about to give a game away.

Last week was a very long week. Parties started last Thursday for Halloween, and I shot my last one Wed night at Diesel. I also shot some photos for my Aunt Marge and her other half Randy Hall. Randy restores classic cars in the Classic sense of the word. Here is his 1909 Buick Model 16. He is receiving a touring award for his car.

It is certainly beautiful. Here they are in a classic pose as it would have appeared back in the day. The difference is the fact that there is color involved in the photo. But I like it better than a straight black and white.

Happy Halloween Eve

2007-10-30T22:44:00.000-04:00

I am really stoked for the next few days. I have been kinda sick over the past few days, but the Steelers played an awesome game and I am stoked for Monday night against Baltimore.

My cousin just had a baby on Saturday, and she is so precious. I will post a photo of her as soon as I actually have one that I can post. Congratulations Carrie.

I also just delved into the art of making lasagna for the first time today. Wow. It actually turned out good, so everyone that will be eating it at the Halloween Party at church tomorrow doesn't have too much to worry about. It was definitely an experience because I didn't just make one lasagna, I made two huge pans of it, and then one for my grandfather and myself.

My website has been launched, but do to technical difficulties, it takes about three minutes to load. I am working on getting that fixed ASAP, because that kind of defeats the purpose.

I am also currently booking weddings for 2008 and on, from the end of March and on. I will be traveling in Africa from December 17- the middle of March, off and on, so I am trying to avoid anything in between. That is so I can get my interviews and footage I need all in one sweep, and then focus on the interviews that I need to get in the states. (This is for the Education in Africa documentary).

I am really excited for the next year. Since I have only graduated a few months ago, this is an exciting time of getting my future launched.

I also cannot wait for snow to come. While I may be on the East Coast, I was a children's ski instructor for nearly 7 seasons, but because of my heavy workload, I haven't skied for two full seasons. I just hope that we have a good snow year.

Sorry that today is short, but I have finally had my medicine kick in, and I am going to bed. Sweet Dreams

1000+ views

2007-10-23T15:25:00.001-04:00

Yep, thats right. Today I hit the over 1000 view mark. I am pretty excited, since no one really knows who I am yet. I would love to reach 1000 unique visitors, but that will come with time.

I finally was able to upload my Be The Change Uganda Video to You Tube, and here it is for the first time, for the public to view:

I am putting together a team to head back to Uganda for a month and shoot a documentary on the lack of education in Uganda. I don't believe that I can change the world, but I do know that my gifts involve showing people a problem in the world. That is one of the reasons that I studied journalism.

I am really excited to get this project underway beca School of Visual Arts in NYC to get equipment but that still isn't going to take care of the logistical side of the project, like getting into Uganda, or housing, transportation, and food. If you or a friend, or corporation would like to get involved with a project that is the first to examine education, please e-mail me as soon as possible. I would love to send you more information on the project.

OK, now for where I left off last time.

As I had previously posted, I was in NYC for three days, and that was about as long as I could take it there. Everything moves at warp speed, and unless I was up there for continuous work, I couldn't handle it for an extended period of time.

However, myself, and nearly 15 other photographers from around the mid-Atlantic met up in NYC to hang out with [b]ecker on his 34th birthday, or as he prefers to say, the 5th anniversary of his 29th birthday. He was traveling with Marisa Holmes. She is a great photographer that is associated with [b]ecker. He wsa also traveling with his video team for the [b] School, Vu and Lan Bui. They were a blast to hang out with and were constantly joking around and laughing.

Here is a shot of Allan Zepeda sporting the ShootSac by Jessica Claire. [b]ecker came with four bags and handed them out in a guerrilla marketing fashion.

Here is a shot of [b] and Marisa. Look at the photo and you'll get the idea.
Here is a shot of [b] with the owner of Grimaldi's Pizzeria in Brooklyn. The Pizza was unbelievable.

Here is a shoot of the Brooklyn Bridge looking over to Manhattan. It is such an amazing site, and while I hate being up there, I found some definite perks. This view was one of them.

This was just a fun abstract I took while sitting in a park on the upper east side the night I left to drive home.

I know that I 've been slackin on the Blog

2007-10-19T19:36:00.000-04:00

IT has been quite a while since my last post. More than two weeks to be exact, but things have been going really well. I went on an overnight sailing trip with my dad and a couple of his friends, and had a great time relaxing. It was really great to just be able to spend time with dad, and not have anywhere
for either of us to go. After all, we were kinda trapped on a boatWe went to bed with a sky full of stars, and woke to a mist that hung over the Chesapeake till nearly 1pm. When the fog finally lifted enough to navigate by, we set sail. The Annapolis Boat Show was in town and we puttered around the port looking and drooling over the boats. IT was also a GREAT opportunity to get in one last tanning session before the snow comes.

After Annapolis, I was home for a few days, shot a concert for Vanilla Ice (he performed at Diesel Club Pittsburgh). It was Horrible!!!! I cannot stress that enough. The worst part was that I actually agreed to shoot the concert before I realized that it was the "Ice Ice Baby". There are only so many refrains of "Go Ninja Go Ninja Go" that I can take.

Over the weekend of October 5, Rolling Rock Hunt had their opening meet.

Here is Rolling Rock Huntsman Hugh Robards as he sits waiting for the Blessing of the Hounds to finish so that the hunt can begin.

I had agreed to walk a friends daughter Catherine on a pony while her mom rode with the hunt. Catherine had a great time, and it was such a beautiful day to be out for a walk.

Below is a shot of Catherine on her pony for the day.

Below is a photo from opening day that I love. The little boy stood there gazing up at a horse that was walking past him.
Life has been great here in Western Pennsylvania. The fall is slowly coming, and while the leaves are changing, the weather is still resisting the inevitable. While the cold will come soon, for now, these are the days to bottle up and save for a cold day in January or February.

On a different note, I just got back home from an impromptu trip to NYC to go on a photo safari with [b]ecker through Brooklyn. It was a great time, and some photos will be up from that trip in the very near future.

I was also working on editing footage for my documentary that I am hoping to shoot in Uganda this coming December. I am working with three students from the New York School of Visual Arts to create a documentary on Education in Uganda. There is a really rough version on MySpace, that I would love for you to check out.

Please take some time to give me feedback on this. I am not finished with it, and it is a very low res verion, but I would love to get some feedback.

CLICK HERE

2007-10-02T12:08:00.000-04:00

Photos are now online from" Polo for the Cure 07" and "Cathy Brentzel Birthday"

Follow the link in the title to Pictage.com, my pro Lab, fill out the requested information and search for either of those two titles.

Pass on the link to anyone who may be interested...

I'll put some pics up soon. I am planning on sailing in Annapolis wed and overnight to Tursday, so there should be some fun photos from that...

The USS Sequoia

2007-09-25T14:57:00.000-04:00

JFK had his last birthday party there. President Clinton, and Russian President Gorbachev have hosted parties there, and on saturday night, a very close and wonderful family friend had a birthday party there.

Where is there? There is aboard the USS Squoia Presidential Yacht.

It was amazing to be on board vessel that has so much history. Kathy had her birthday party on borad with a close few friends, and i was asked to come along and shoot the photos.

As we sailed up and down the Potomac, we listened to wonderful piano, had an amazing dinner, and enjoyed eachothers friendship.

I've known Cathy 17 years, and actually grew up riding with her niece, who was always at her aunts side. But over the past few years, Cathy has spent more and more time in Washington DC, and so it was a great party because there were old friends and there were new friends.

AS Cathy walked up the gangplank, the piano player started singing Carly Simons #1 hit "You're So Vain" and everyone started to sing until the end of hte first line where it says "You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht." at that point everyone began to laugh and talk, and the song never got finished.

It was one of the most fun events that I have had the chance to photograph this far, and that has to be because she is such a good caring friend.

So here are a few from the night...

Cathy walking up to the ship.

Cathy and Alec boarding the USS Sequoia

An unbelievable cake (soon to find out who made it)

An end of the evening group photo on board.

That last photo was taken with one sb800 up and back on camera left, and fired with a nikon d200

In memory of that great night, todays video is Carly Simon "You're So Vain"

Great Advice

2007-09-21T17:03:00.000-04:00

So a friend sent this to me recently, and with all the time it takes to build a great portfolio, I thought that this might be useful to some of you.

Subject: Retirement Advice

If you had bought $1,000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago it would now be
worth $49.00. With Enron, you would have $16.50 left of the original
$1,000.00. With WorldCom, you would have less than $5.00 left.

If you had bought $1,000.00 worth of Budweiser (the beer, not the
stock) one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the cans for the
aluminum recycling price, you would have $214.00

Based on the above, my current investment advice is to drink heavily and
recycle. This is my new retirement program.

I call it my 401-Keg program

If that doesnt work for you, Gary Fong did the next best thing. He took the money he made from photography, started small businesses, and now own amazing rental property's... His is probably a more consistant plan, but the 401-Keg sounds like much more fun.

I am getting ready to head off to Washington DC to shoot a birthday party on the USS Sequoia on Saturday. The Sequoia is a presidential yacht that is on the Potomac River in SE DC.

Pics will follow after I get back...

The Sonrise School and Uganda

2007-09-18T22:16:00.000-04:00

So today I was able to spend a beautiful day outside with good comapny. What more could you ask for? It was a beautiful fall day that started brisk and ended up getting warmer as the day went on.

Sheena and myself went to McConnels Mills which is a park of sorts. When there is water in the stream, it is a fun kyaking spot, but at the moment the water is so low that it would be useless to attempt it. We just walked on the trails, and talked about Africa. Sheena is trying to put together a missions trip to Rwanda to visit the Sonrise School which is where i was durring my first trip to Africa.

It is amazing how God places people in your life at certain times, because I met Sheena while I was in the local Verizon store looking at new phones. As i was checking out, we somehow got onto the topic of the documentary that I am working on in Uganda this winter on eduacation, and she mentioned that she wanted to got to Rwanda. I took a stab at where she was going, and it was right on the money.

So we spent a great day talking about the projects, and getting to know eachother.

Here are some pics from the day:

Sheena playing with her new camera.

The Mill behind the covered bridge.

A couple enjoying the day.

Small falls going down to the stream.

WE WILL NOT FORGET

2007-09-11T17:29:00.000-04:00

Six years ago today! It is hard to believe that its already been six years. Waking up that morning, hearing that one plane had crashed into Tower 1 of The World Trade Center, then watching the plane crash into tower 2. Later that morning, standing outside, we heard the plane overhead that went down in Somerset. My pastor was able to see it fly over our church in Ligonier.

It is a day when heroes were made, people died just doing their job, they thought only of rescuing others, many with little concern for their own life. While people ran out of the towers, heroes ran back into the flames. Risking their lives to save others. They didnt ask to be remembered, but they will be.

Take the time today to remember the heroes who risked their lives six years ago, and thank God for those who continue to fight for the protection of our country. To the men and women who wear a uniform, whot don oxygen masks and rush into the flames, the emt workers who save lives, those who search for terrorists, and fight for democracy, Thank you for your willingness to help others before yourself. God Bless you!

Todays song is "Have You Forgotten" by Darryl Worley

Its been a while.

2007-09-07T18:31:00.000-04:00

So I know that I got back from Pelee and promised to post some pics, but I have been crazy busy this week.

I got back Monday afternoon, went to a family picnic and then drove my sister to Grove City. On Tuesday I met with a production house to discuss the creation of a documentary that i am working on. After my trip to Uganda last year, I have been researching education in Africa. In December i begin filming the documentary, and the production house (which does independent films and comercials) will be helping me to edit my film and create the website, commercials, and material for the DVDs. i am super stoked that this is coming along bigger than I had originally planned.

i also have a few pics from Pelee to post, but I will take it slow this time around and post them one at a time. Today's photo is of a sunset from the west dock. It was durring the week up there and the island was practically dead. It was so serene up there with the lake and the sunset.

Then this weekend things got wound up a bit. It was great to get back up there for a few days though, and I had a blast.

The first few days were quiet, like the picture portrays. But the weekend was a whole different story. Friends came up for the weekend, there was a birthday party, music, wine, fishing, and I even dove off the North pier, which is kinda gross cause you have to run and clear about four feet of seaweed that is along the dock. I did that after about four hours of fishing and not catching ANYTHING AT ALL...except some seaweed!

Earlier that day we had decided to take the row boat out, and it was a little rough. and when i say a little, i mean the waves were practically breaking over the boat, and my forearms were burning from trying to row out. Once we finally got out, we got about 3 casts in, and when we looked towards shore, we were 50 yards closer. The waves just kept driving us in. THe closer we got, the more water we took on, and the lower the boat sat in the water. Right as we were about to hit shore, the boat hit the sand, and it took us forty minutes of bailing water and pulling to get the boat back onto the beach so that we could fully drain it. Thats ok, what fun is vacation witout a bit of excitement.

THe rest of the trip was a typical island weekend, sleep late, jump into the lake, eat, and start partying. Nap, then start over. But it was a blast. More pictures will come soon.

Todays song is "Save Room" by John Legend

Just got in

2007-09-03T23:37:00.001-04:00

I hope that everyone had a great Labor Day. and that you took time to relax and appreciate this great day off. I just got back from Pelee once again, after taking an impromptu trip there last Tuesday. I know that i had just returned, but it was so hot in Pittsburgh, and i dont have a pool. So i headed back up to the lake for six more days. I will post some pics soon. For those of you back at school, I hope that you have a great year, and hope to keep in touch with everyone.

Todays song is John Mayer "Neon"

Slow Day

2007-08-26T03:18:00.000-04:00

Not a whole lot happened today. It is still so hot here in Pittsburgh, and I mean it is like the tropics here. but that is beside the point. I headed down to Saddle Ridge to see some friends that I havent seen for a while and it was a blast. Tomorrow at church is a group performing to raise money for orphans, but I dont know what country they are from.

Oh well, more on that tomorrow.
Todays song is Delirious "inside outside"

Live

2007-08-25T01:54:00.001-04:00

It has been so great to be home over these past few days, but the heat here in Pa has been almost unbareable! I am trying to get everything finished up so that I can head back to Pelee over Labor Day, and if everything goes as planed I will be relaxing on the beach for a few more days before the fall starts.

I also just recently sent a resume donw to a newspaper in SE Missouri, and I hope to hear back from them. Keep your fingers crossed. I would love to get back into journalism, and be able to bring to light some of the stories that I think are important.

Todays song is Keny Chesney Any Thing But Mine.

Nikon D3

2007-08-23T19:56:00.000-04:00

So i was looking around online today, and I just saw an article on the new Nikon D3. They say that it is supposed to come out in November, and it seems like it would be exactly what I want. Only one problem. IT is a full frame camera. Nowm I am not currently sure if the camera will still be able to use DX lenses when shooting at full resolution, but it still has a 2x crop mode and can shoot upto 11 frames per second. My biggest reason for being excited is that it boasts a better auto focus than the D2h and D2x and has a normal noise range of 200 iso - 6400iso, and a high 2 that goes to 25000 iso.

I only hope that the camera can still use dx lenses, and i hate the idea of needing a 300 when my 70-200 was the same distance.

To learn more, check out Ken Rockwells review

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d3.htm

Pics from Pelee

2007-08-23T12:55:00.001-04:00

So these are just a few of my favorite photos from pelee...
This is my first day...

Interesting artifacts on the beach...

Fish Point

Cops Stuck on Fish Point

Path to the lighthouse...

The whole fam cookout night...

Dad loves his rowboat...even when he was to tired to row!

Old Fishing boat at Scudders Bar

My last night...

Todays song is The Format "She Doesnt Get IT"

So I just got back

2007-08-22T19:15:00.000-04:00

So i just litterally got back from our cottage in Pelee, and have had no internet access for the past two and a half weeks.
I have tons of photos to edit from Pelee, but I wanted to post a few of my favorite photos from the rooftop shoot.
These are 3 of my favorite photos.

I wanted to thank Maria and Brandon for being such great sports, and Joanne Bartone for setting up this Pictage PUG shoot.

A few shots from the Rooftop parking Garage....

I love shooting at night!!!

Todays song is Keith Urban "I told you so"

Rooftop shoot and Pelee

2007-08-07T17:45:00.000-04:00

I am getting ready to head out to a Pictage PUG meeting. Tonight we are meeting in downtown Pittsburgh to do a rooftop night time shoot. I have been wanting to get together with some other photographers for a while and have some fun, and at last months PUG meeting I suggested a night time shoot.

So that is tonight. It is nearly 85 degrees outside, nearly 100% humidity, and if it doesnt rain we are going to be soaked because of sweating....

anyways, pics will follow in a few hours...

then tomorrow i am off to Pelee Island (for real this time) for 14 wonderful relaxing days filled with wine, swimming, exploring shooting and hopefully a little bit of diving. More to come on that....

Till later enjoy Johnny Cash performing his cover of "Hurt".

2007-08-07T02:15:00.000-04:00

This is Merediths dads boat. Isnt it beautiful? this is what we got to spend a few hours on a thursday doing.

Annapolis

2007-08-07T01:51:00.000-04:00

I had the wonderful chance to go down to Annapolis MD this past week to take my sister down to visit her old college roomate Meredith. Her dad has a sailboat, and it was my first time ever on a sailboat. It is so much more work than a regualr motor boat like I am used to partying on, but it is definately worth all the work and maintanence that goes into owning a sailboat, from the experience that I had.
Wed. night we got into Merediths' house and after dinner we got to go into town. We met up with a friend of mine who was interviewing in Baltimore, and walked around the harbor. Then Mers brother Chris who is an artist met up with us and we went and got ice cream.

Then my sister Mer and I walked around after Amy and Chris had Left.

This is available light using the street lamp and the light under the girls.

The next day we got the chance to go sailing, swimming, and crabbing. We didnt catch any crabs, but my fear of jelly fish was well deserved because my last dive off the pier, as i was comming up one stung me across my neck arm and stomach.

More from Faith and Jeremy

2007-07-26T09:44:00.000-04:00

Tears, laughing, more tears and more laughs. That is how Faith and Jeremy's day was. Faith was so gorgeous, and Jeremy is a good looking football coach at a local college. It was like a story book wedding. The couple laughed and danced all through the reception and had so much fun all day.

Here are some more photos from the wedding, and a few shots of the food which was just amazing.

The song today is Cake "The Distance"

Faith and Jeremy

2007-07-23T21:56:00.000-04:00

Jeremy and Faith met when Faith was bartending. Since then they have pretty much been inseperable. Yesterday Jermemy and Faith made vows to love eachother through sickness and all struggles.

Their love is so amazing to be a witness of. The whole morning as Faith was getting ready, she kept on laughing and laughing. It was infectious. Soon her bridesmaids were laughing with her as the hair and makeup was being finished.

Out of the Fire in Stahlstown provided the food, and the presentation was amazing.

Todays song is Norah Jones "Sunrise"

Wedding Pictures to come

2007-07-21T02:14:00.000-04:00

I just got finished shooting a beautiful wedding today. The ceremony was in Mars Pa at a small Catholic church, and the reception was at Shakespears in North Sewickly Township.

It was such a cool location and the pictures came out beautiful.

The Song today is Move Along by the All American Rejects.

Happy Birthday Ellie

2007-07-19T01:18:00.000-04:00

My sister is in Ghana working with a NGO over there for six weeks. Today is her birthday and since she cant be here to Celebrate her big 21, I wanted to send a song out to her. We are going to Dave Matthews soon after she gets home, and I am stoked be be able to spend some time with her, and watch a great concert.

So here is to you Ellie, you will make it through, and i cant wait to see you.

So here is DMB's "Everyday" video