I’m never where I want to be.

Not that I’m not content with what I have been given…just that I’m never at a point where I feel “I’ve arrived” and that I’m the best I’ll ever be. For me, that’s a good thing. It keeps me motivated to strive for excellence…and to improve and grow as a person and a photographer. I hope I never get so prideful to think I can’t do better. Then I’m no longer teachable…and I’ve lost my sense of curiosity and creativity.

Fortunately, I see plenty of amazing talent out there that keeps me in check.

And so I dream of what I’d like to do one day. One of those dreams is to photograph a wedding in Iceland. Don’t laugh! It’s true…there’s something so mysterious, wild, and untamed about the land that I can’t help but picture incredible images I’d love to create in it. After honeymooning there five years ago, I’ve really fallen in love with the country. It’s different. It’s not your typical tropical wedding-on-the-beach kind of pretty…it’s more vibrant than that. It’s the land of fire and ice. Fire + ice + a wedding= AMAZING PHOTOS!

My only problem? Well, besides the fact that I live in Pittsburgh (I love Pittsburgh! Don’t get me wrong!), there’s not a whole lot of people living in Iceland. Which means there’s not a whole lot folks getting married.

So, I figured I would need to make “shooting a wedding in Iceland” a life goal, as it’s probably going to take a long time to find a couple getting married in Iceland who want me to photograph their wedding. But a person can dream, right? Right??

I know this post is pretty random, so thanks to those who bothered to read the whole thing. And if anyone is planning on getting married in Iceland, definitely let me know!

Abby and Dan’s engagement session on Monday was just that–fun, fun, fun. As Abby told me before we started the session, if I wanted them to jump in a fountain, they were up for it…whatever it was, they were game. (I thought to myself, YES! That’s my kind of couple!). Turns out we did, in fact, jump in a fountain…and so much more.

To top it off, the weather was PERFECT! Maybe it had something to do with Dan being a meteorologist (how cool is that?)…but I must say those alto cumulus clouds in the sky were incredible. And no, I didn’t know what kind of clouds they were until I asked Dan…but I knew they looked neat!

I’m so looking forward to Abby and Dan’s wedding this fall at the Duquesne University Chapel (where they met–well, not in the chapel but at Duquesne). See you both again soon!

Ever since I spotted the amphitheater at the Rivers Casino, I knew I wanted to do a shoot at it.

When Abby suggested climbing up on this tall block, I said “Yes, yes!….but please don’t break a leg or anything!”

…HELLLLOOO…. ……CLOUDS!!!

Don’t try this at home, kids.

Can’t get much cuter than these two.

One last jump shot…yes!

Then we got a cheerful message from Orbitz. Yep, our flight was canceled. It did have to be that day…the one day we were scheduled to fly to Milwaukee for a wedding. Well, we looked at each other and said, OK, let’s get in the car! And so we did…and drove straight to Lake Mills, Wisconsin for an awesome wedding. Take that, flooded airport!

Now back to Sarah and Russell (sorry for this long intro–if you just want to see some pretty pictures, by all means, skip it!)…Sarah and I actually go way back. As in way, way back in Russia. By the way, I do plan to get back to that story..when I have more time. Sarah’s family lived in Moscow when we were there, and we ended up going to the same small school and church. But after my family left in 1998, I didn’t really keep up with anyone. Of course, that was back in the day before such things as Facebook, when we had to send old-fashioned emails and use IM to chat online. How did we ever manage?? Fast forward to the present day–the age of Facebook–and Sarah and I find each other and become Facebook friends. I check out her profile, she sees mine, but that’s about it.

Then one day I got a message from her–she’s engaged and coming back to the US (she’s living and working in Moscow), and would I be at all interested in photographing her wedding in Wisconsin? Uh, sure! How cool is that, I thought? I’d love to meet up with an old friend, and it’d be fun to do a wedding in another part of the country.

So, that’s how Jay and I found ourselves photographing Sarah and Russel’s wedding in the middle of small-town Lake Mills, Wisconsin last weekend. And it was so fun! I loved seeing how IN LOVE she and Russell are…their incredible relationship, their wonderful family and friends, and even a few faces I recognized from back in the day. It was truly a blessing to be able to photograph their wedding day. I wish them both many years of happiness and service together (they both work at the same small missionary school in Moscow that Sarah and I attended)! Big congratulations to Sarah and Russell! And safe flights back to Russia! And a wonderful honeymoon in Egypt!

After the ceremony, we headed out to the lake near Sarah’s parent’s condo. It’s a special place to her, so we rooted out some random people swimming to get some good photos. (By the way, Sarah’s black and yellow theme would have fitted in well in Pittsburgh). Loved it!

The reception was held at Central Coast Restaurant in Fort Atkinson, WI, which was a really neat venue.

As the sun came out again, we took a little break to get some more photos of Sarah and Russell.

Love these two photos…

Then it was back to the reception for some more fun.

Again, a big congratulations to Sarah and Russell!

So, as I promised earlier, I am going to share some of my favorite details I’ve seen at weddings. This first set is from Evonne and Bob’s gorgeous wedding at the Omni William Penn Hotel. I loved Evonne’s incorporation of peacock feathers into the decor of her wedding day. It was fun to see something different, and you can’t go wrong with the lovely iridescent radiance of the feathers.

I believe Evonne found these peacock feather hairpieces on Etsy.

Loved her cake.

And of course, we can’t forget the rings.

Sarah and Zach got married in the same church Zach’s parents did, which was definitely special. After their ceremony at Bradfordwoods Community Church (complete with bagpiper), we all headed out to the Twelve Oaks Mansion for their wonderful reception with family and friends (some who had come all the way from England!). Many congratulations to Sarah and Zach!

I loved seeing how happy Sarah and Zach were as they gave their vows.

Such a fun bridal party!

LOVE this.

We had fun with the very English-looking accents at the Twelve Oaks Mansion.

Once again, congratulations to Sarah and Zach!

We decided to do their shoot around the Oakland,Phipps Conservatory, Schenley Park area because both Allison and John Paul had attended Pitt at different times (as well as Penn State…so, who do they cheer for during football season?). The weather kept saying rain and thunderstorms all day, but we managed to get a break in the clouds and humidity. Which just goes to show you can’t trust the forecast here in Pittsburgh.

Allison and John Paul will be getting married in a few weeks with their reception to be held at Longue Vue Country Club in Verona, and I can’t wait! See you both again soon!

Love this.

The morning started off at Izzazu salon downtown, followed by the rest of the day’s festivities at the Omni William Penn Hotel. Evonne was simply stunning…Bob was handsome…their incredible peacock feather themed details were amazing…and their family and friends were all about the partying. Yep, a wonderful day.

Ahh, I LOVE this shot.

Yes, the Ducky tourists were treated to a mighty fine sight…an added bonus to their amphibious adventure.

OK, I just gotta say I loved these bouquets.

Evonne’s dress was almost as amazing as her. Love the Spanish flair.

When I saw this flock of pigeons, I turned to Bob…wanna scare some birds?? Yes!

Their beautiful reception was held in the Urban Room at the Omni William Penn Hotel.

Just your usual cake cutting…but wait…what’s this?

This had to be one of the most enthusiastic garter-putter-on guys I’ve seen.

A big congratulations to Evonne and Bob!

Guests of Stephanie and Greg’s awesome wedding a couple of weeks ago at the Sheraton Station Square were treated to a great performance by Dreamscape Band. If you decide to go with a band for your wedding entertainment, finding a good one can be tricky. Maybe the band’s repertoire is too narrow…or they just can’t seem to get people on the dance floor…or worse, they’re just not good! This was definitely NOT the case with Dreamscape Band. For example:

Not only did they know how to put on a good performance, their members are TALENTED! Seriously, you should have heard them singing and playing.

I was also really impressed with how hard they worked.

Everyone gave it their all.

And all the guests thoroughly enjoyed it! Me, too! So, if you’re looking for a good band for your Pittsburgh wedding, be sure to check out Dreamscape.

One of those things I still remember was from my high school speech class. I went to a small school, and our speech teacher was also the drama teacher. Her background was in theater, and I remember most of the kids making fun of her for being a bit round. I liked her though, and I thought she knew a lot about what she taught. I remember her telling us about the time that she was to act in a local play, but on the day of the play she came down with the flu. Unfortunately, there was no one else who could take her place, and without her character, there would be no play. So, high fever, sweats, chills and all, she got through her part. She told us the story not to impress us with her fortitude and strength of mind, but to illustrate that sometimes in life there will be times we must go on with the show…regardless of how we feel. I don’t know why I remember that story so well, but it has stuck with me through the years.

I think it is particularly applicable with wedding photography. Honestly, I don’t always feel like photographing a wedding. Maybe I’m a bit sick, or perhaps I’m really tired. Those are fairly minor obstacles and easy to overcome. But sometimes you are faced with something much, much more difficult. Something personal–a crises in your family–a death, a serious illness, etc. Of course, if an immediate family member dies, it is most certainly understandable for you to not shoot the wedding. If Jay were dying or had just died, there’d be no way I’d photograph a wedding! But what if it were an aunt, a grandparent? What if they were just really sick?

What do you do then? In those circumstances, I recall to mind my teacher’s story…sometimes keeping your word and doing what’s required of you is not easy. Sometimes it’s very painful. But sometimes, you just have to do it.

Photographing a wedding is not like doing someone’s dry cleaning. It’s a big deal. It’s an important day to that bride and groom. Although you may not feel like celebrating when you’ve got bad news at home, that doesn’t mean you can just “take the test on another day.” It’s not high school or college. They may never know your personal sacrifice, but you will know you did the right thing.

Sometimes the show must go on.

But, the other fun news is that the nice folks at Rosco sent me the Strobist package of gels, predesigned to fit on your flash. As far as how to connect them to your flash, a friend found these clips from the UK. I can’t say whether they work or not…anyone else have suggestions? I’m thinking a clip or velcro of some sort.

Have a great weekend!