I had an absolutely delightful day yesterday, filled with crazy-fun photographic creativity!  You see, Elizabeth Craig of Craig Photography and Elizabeth Craig Intimates invited me to accompany her on one of her intimates/boudoir shoots, and so with camera and adventure packed, I went, I shot and I had an awesome time!

Our model, bride to be J., was super beautiful, sexy and fierce!  We could have photoed her all day/night, and almost did - our results were well worth it; take my word for it!  Ed at The Parador Inn in the historic North Side Mexican War Streets district was accommodating and delightful and the Inn was a photographer’s dream come true!  Our makeup artist, Rachael Ryan of Ryan Makeup was perhaps the sweetest and most talented I’ve had the joy to work with - everyone needs to hire her fast, because her schedule is about to become full, if Elizabeth and I have anything to do with it!

It was another one of those cases where the four of us were meant to be together in that one space all at once to create a beautiful and lasting friendship and bond through all of our artwork and kindred spirits!  Thanks for the great time together ladies!  I can’t wait to do it again!  Enjoy the teaser image!!!

BIG love, Joanne Bartone Photographer | www.joannebartone.com

Kathryn and Troye came to me by way of one of my 2003 wedding clients, Robbie and Tom.  Tom’s sister referred me to them, and well, the rest is history!

This was a wonderful group of people - I loved how many of their friends and guests were musically inclined, as are Kathryn and Troye themselves, so the reception took on a musical theme that was very specific to music and really, really cute.   The day was BEAUTIFUL - it poured while we were in the church for the ceremony, but the weather held for us from afterward and through the portraits outside.  Their reception was at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott, and as ALWAYS the Marriott team did a spectacular job taking care of the couple and their guests.  They are an amazing team!

I hope you enjoy the sampling of images from your wedding - there are hundreds more to see VERY soon!

Beautiful ceremony moments…I LOVED the design of and light in the church: St. Anne Parish in Castle Shannon!

Troye made the kiss count!  It was perfect!

I LOVE the expressions on Kathryn and Troye’s faces: pure joy and amazement!  LOVE IT!

These are two of my favorite images from the day - the light in St. Anne’s was so beautiful and then we had beautiful light for portraits afterwords.

The girls wore two different shades of blue dresses and the flowers matched perfectly!

Details, details…the flowers were so beautiful…

I like this photo of the guys - they were a great group of really good friends and were a LOT of fun to photograph!

A sweet romantic image of Troye and Kathryn…and there are MANY, MANY more!  Gotta love flare!

A favorite way to end posts and wedding story book designs: the couple walking away and kissing…

I had a wonderful time with you Kate and Troye!  And it was such a pleasure to photograph for you and your family and friends!  Thank you for having me with you!

BIG love, Joanne Bartone Photographer | www.joannebartone.com

It’s interesting to me how photography has always been such an important medium that evokes powerful emotions and interesting discussions, no matter what the subject or who the photographer. Wedding photography has progressed from photographers using view cameras in the early years of photographing weddings, to the now popular digital SLR cameras with video capabilities!  Completely unimaginable technology only a few years ago is now a reality.  It’s amazing.

And with the technological advances every now and again, this medium gets a surge or rebirth from professionals and consumers alike.  Here’s a small sampling of the progression of photography: camera obscura, pin-hole cameras, view cameras, twin-lens reflex cameras, medium format cameras, Polaroid instamatic cameras, 35mm SLR cameras, and now the digital SLR cameras.  It’s an exciting medium and field to work in because it is ever evolving.

The digital advancements of photography, in my opinion, are akin to the advances of wireless cell phone technology; it’s made it easier for almost everyone to have access to a camera!  In fact, if people aren’t photographing with an actual digital camera they’re using their cell phone cameras to photograph!  It’s just way too much fun and tremendously exciting and has really inspired people to connect with photography again…and then there’s scrapbooking…wow!…it just goes on and on.

The possibilities to create beautiful imagery and specialized creative pieces of photographic works are really becoming endless, which is very, very exciting for us creative types.  Based on what  I’ve seen by some of the leaders in the professional wedding industry from the UK, it appears as if the trend in professional wedding photography is merging with art and design more and more which has led some photographers in the industry to an intense discussion of should photography remain pure: the photo out of the camera is what it was as captured VS. the photo out of the camera is enhanced into a specialized piece of art.  I think either way is fine, but in this ever evolving industry I think an image artfully created in the camera and then artistically enhanced image beyond the camera is going to be the next big identifier of professional photographers and this is VERY exciting, indeed!

Here are a few of the award-winning images from one of my favorite industry leaders: Yervant Zanazanian, one of the most talented and genuine photographers I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet.  His recent awards from the AIPP have sparked quite a debate amongst professionals - a debate that has been around for centuries and only will stimulate us to progress further, i’m sure!

THE FOLLOWING THREE IMAGES ARE Yervant’s PHOTOGRAPHIC ART that has sparked an important discussion amongst photographers.  Yervant INSPIRES me!  What are your thoughts?

Yervant, I love your style, your documentary work and your art, and I couldn’t agree with your insights on the subject more!  You are an incredible inspiration to me and to our industry, and I can’t wait to see what you create for us in the future!  Thank you for your inspiration.

BIG love, Joanne Bartone Photographer | www.joannebartone.com

For this post, I’m going to try to do my best to speak “from my heart;” that figurative place where many of us think our feelings of love originate…

I was recently commissioned to photograph a wedding in the Berkshires and found myself so thoroughly moved by the entire experience I know I will not likely forget it or my feelings, ever.  I’ve tried to think hard to put the experience and my feelings into words in an attempt to convey this wonderful occasion, but I’m afraid I’ll probably fall short of doing justice to it all. So, I’m hoping that in the end the images seen in the slide show below will speak loudly and clearly for me.  But, I should try at least, to set the stage…

This past May, only one month before the wedding, I received an inquiry from Texas where the couple wanted me to photograph their destination wedding in Lenox, MA.  Always being honored at the opportunity to work with couples no matter where they may be, I was honored to the brim here mostly because out of all the photographers there are - literally thousands of them between Texas and Massachusetts - I was the photographer they wanted.  Jeffrey said he “looked through hundreds of photographer’s websites” and chose me as the photographer!  Most couples look through maybe 10, 20, 50 sites, but hundreds?  And then they chose me?  I was almost afraid they had someone else in mind, but Jeffrey assured me that it was me they wanted!  What an honor for me!  Little did they know what a gift THEY would become to ME!  It was an intensely magical and transcendental experience, where everything and each of us who participated were exactly where we were supposed to be, and love was the destination.

It was a whirl-wind wedding weekend/two days: my assistant and I photographed a wedding Saturday in Seven Springs, PA, made it back to Pittsburgh by 11:30 PM Saturday night, then immediately left at 5 AM Sunday morning on a flight bound to Albany, NY.  Once we landed in Albany, we rented a car and drove to Lenox, Massachusetts to an exclusive hotel, Wheatleigh, where the ceremony was being held. The Wheatleigh staff were superb; bar none.  All I can say about them is ‘ WOW!’  They anticipated every need and delivered the highest level of service I have ever had the good fortune to witness or receive!  A special thank you goes out to Ana who took great care of us and made sure we had everything to make our work easy and our stay delightful! Here’s an image of this magical place…a hotel so divine I’m going to have to leave explaining the wonderful experience with them for a separate post!

We arrived at 10 AM and just before my assistant and I walked out of our room to begin photographing at 11:30 AM I said, ‘ This is THE most important day in this couple’s lives; everything we do for them today must come from a place of love from within us.’  And so it was.  We had a brief break late in the afternoon then photographed until, oh, I don’t know, 10 or 11:30 PM that night - time truly was irrelevant!  Traveling and putting in many hours photographing two consecutive days was a bit taxing, but the experience was so energizing that I could have continued photographing for hours long after we finished!

There was the couple, Jeffrey + Allen, two top medical professionals from Texas who were so delightful and generous - they shared their champagne, their lunch and their cake with us! The officiant, Mary Coburn from Connecticut, who was simply so special and genuine.  And then there was me and my assistant photographing throughout the day - it felt as if we had all known each other for years despite only meeting at this moment; all of us together on a beautiful terrace setting at Wheatleigh, just as it was meant to be!  With Jeffrey + Allen in supportive spirit on their wedding day were their parents by way of beautiful photographs watching over them as their marriage ceremony was held.  I’m looking forward to meeting them when I travel to Texas for a visit!

Mary Coburn had the perfect demeanor and made the ceremony meaningful and celebratory!  I’ve never witnessed an officiant who had so much grace, sincerity and respect while officiating. Mary’s ability to make the marriage ceremony all about Jeffrey + Allen made capturing their precious moments easy for me!  During their exchange of vows, Mary stepped aside.  During their kiss, Mary stepped aside.  Mary instinctively knew how important those moments were to Jeffrey + Allen, so when I photographed them, it was just about them.  Perfect.  Mary, it was such a delight to meet you - you are a gem!

The setting  at Wheatleigh was magical and idyllic and no one else existed in the world at that place and that time except the five of us.  It was a transformative and breathtaking experience for me and I will not ever forget the feelings I felt throughout.  I find myself becoming overwhelmed while photographing at many weddings, but this time there was a moment when I found it difficult to quiet my sobbing behind my camera.  I was overcome for a multitude of reasons, but mostly because of the love that was present; the love I got to witness and create from. It was a profound experience for me.

The ceremony began, and…well, I’ll just let you see the magic through the images in the slide show I created.  There are hundreds of images we created from the ceremony alone (and thousands from the day!) and although the slide show is a condensed version of the imagery we have, it should give you a flavor of the beauty and specialness of Jeffrey + Allen’s ceremony.  I’ve made one of my favorite images from our portrait session the link to the slide show.  I intend to add much more to this post later by way of another slide show of the remainder of the day, or more single images, or both, so stay tuned!

Jeffrey + Allen, thank you for choosing me.  Thank you for allowing me to participate in your most beautiful marriage ceremony and special day and thank you for our new-found friendship.  CONGRATULATIONS! I couldn’t me more proud to present your love by way of my images here on the blog. ENJOY the love everyone!  And don’t forget to comment!

CLICK ON THE PHOTO to start the show…

BIG love, Joanne Bartone Photographer | www.joannebartone.com

I’m sure you’ve been noticing some new and exciting changes that have appeared on the images on my blog.  Well, many more will be coming soon, so I thought I’d start by showing you my new logo and business card!  ENJOY!

And feel free to comment!

BIG love, Joanne Bartone Photographer | www.joannebartone.com

I have a specialized degree in photography and over twelve years of experience as a professional photographer photographing weddings, corporate and private events, commercial assignments, families, children/lifestyle, etc.  I’ve had the great fortune to have photographed many prominent Pittsburgh families weddings, international celebrities and musicians while performing, world-renowned scientists and politicians, and have had some of the best experiences in my life as a result of my work!  I have been published locally, nationally and abroad as a result of my expertise, and am a national and international award-winning art and wedding photographer.  In my field, that’s a big deal, but if no one knows about this, what good am I to you?!  With me, it’s not about having a big head or a big ego because of these  experiences, and it’s not about the “perception” that I’m a big deal - people often times portray themselves to be something they are not.  For me, it’s about actual and authentic experiences that I can use to positively impart my knowledge and expertise on people to help them enhance their lives and/or their careers!  I LOVE people and I believe strongly in paying my success forward to others.

As a result of all of my photographic wisdom and experience I am happy to announce that I am offering private or group lessons for SLR (35mm Single Lens Reflex) camera owners who are enthusiasts, beginners, or those wishing to enter the field of photography on a professional level.  My years of experience leading and directing groups and formulating lesson plans as a result of my previous career are now being combined with my photographic career to offer you a positive, fun, encouraging and personalized 1:1 experience.  You will learn a solid foundation in photography that will result in your having a better command over your technical skills, which will allow your creative skills to flourish!

Sessions for enthusiasts and beginners will be held in groups of four and in a workshop format, unless 1:1 lessons are requested, and will typically be held one evening during the week for four to six weeks so we can  accommodate everyone’s work schedules.  Group sessions will likely be more affordable than private lessons and will offer individuals an opportunity to connect with others who have similar levels of experience and interests.

Sessions for those seeking to enter the professional field will be intensive over the course of one year, and will involve specific photographic and business assignments where technical and creative evaluations of your work will occur in conjunction with technical training at model and actual wedding shoots.  A significant and consistent commitment and investment of your time will be required by you so I can effectively coach you to reach your professional goals successfully. I am currently in discussions with one of the nation’s top professional photographer’s organization to determine a certification process for those completing my workshops.

If anyone is seriously considering learning more about your SLR camera and about the technical and creative aspects of photography, email me for more information: joanne@joannebartone.com .  I look forward to helping you make your photographic interests and dreams come to life, much as I’ve been fortunate to make mine happen!

BIG love, Joanne Bartone Photographer | www.joannebartone.com

I don’t know where to begin to share my thoughts on Beth and Andy’s wedding, other than perhaps by saying the word ‘ WOW !’

This was an event of tremendously beautiful proportions!  Like all of my weddings, I created so many beautiful images from Beth and Andy’s wedding that I had a difficult time choosing what to post!  So, what I’ve decided to do is to post a handful of images now then I’ll create a slide show filled with the grandeur of the day and add it to this post in a few days!

…as i mentioned, WOW!   On the day of Beth and Andy’s wedding it was raining, and raining, and storming and raining, and Beth’s request to me was, “All I want is beautiful pictures from the day.”  Andy is an Art Teacher at a prestigious private boy’s school so, like it is with all my couples, I wanted to deliver badly for them.  I can say without hesitation that I delivered on your wishes Beth, and beyond my own expectations and I truly believe you are going to LOVE them!

Beth and Andy met on the top of one of the ski slopes at Seven Springs, so it was only fitting for them to have their wedding ceremony and reception in the Laurel Mountains at Beth’s parent’s beautiful home, where the “views” are truly spectacular vistas of the beautiful countryside.  Their wedding happened to fall on one of our rainy June weekends and we weren’t sure the weather would cooperate with us, but I always trust and am always given opportunities, and as you can see, the storm clouds parted long enough for me to create some really dramatic and stunningly beautiful images of and for Beth and Andy!

The beautiful natural setting of the Shanefelter’s home was transformed into sheer elegance, bar none, by the wonderfully creative and talented Bob Sendall, owner of All In Good Taste Productions, famous for dressing and coordinating many of the creme de la creme events around Pittsburgh and beyond.  No detail was spared, from the ceremony to the reception, which resulted in total comfort for guests and a magical setting and party for Beth and Andy!  Wow!  Bravo, and thank you Bob!  You made the event so visually stunning which gave us a canvas with which to create beautiful memories for Beth, Andy and their families!  Here’s Bob with Andy and Beth…

This composite doesn’t even begin to encompass the visual splendor created by Bob and his tireless team!

The elegant, sophisticated and smooth presence of Kelli Burns of Kelli Burns DJ Entertainment was phenomenal as well!  Kelli is a true Master of Ceremonies and much, much more than just a DJ.  Kelli MADE the party with her comfortable command and fun approach to introductions and her contemporary ability to spin music that transformed the party into a NYC club setting where she kept the dance floor filled and the party rocking all night!  In my professional opinion, Kelli Burns has the perfect combination of elegance, sophistication and experience where she brings out the best in an event. I’m not sure I know how to convey her abilities accurately, but Kelli has a wonderful ability to know how to create the flow of an event through the way she speaks to your guests, the way she carries herself and the way she entertains with music.  Bravo to you too, Kelli!  You are AWESOME!

Here’s a few more select images that will offer a bit of the flavor of Beth and Andy’s special day…

Portraits of Andy and Beth in the majestic setting of Beth’s parents property in the Laurel Highlands.

With the rain in the mountains - and there was a LOT of it! - came beautiful dramatic skies filled with perfect clouds!

At sunset the sun came streaming in beneath the clouds and with the sun came more dramatic and romantic images of Beth and Andy!  What a gift!

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that one of my previous wedding couples, Alyssa and Michael whose wedding I photographed in 2004, sent Beth and Andy my way!  You see, Alyssa and Beth have been good friends for forever, and, well, you know how the story goes…!  Thanks guys; I’m always grateful and happy for the referrals.

Again, I’ll be posting a slide show soon, that will have many more beautiful images from Beth and Andy’s wedding, so stay tuned.

I’m telling you, with each and every wedding I photograph, and with each and every couple I work with I have to walk away pinching myself for all the love and beauty I get to create from and capture, and all the wonderful couples and people I get to meet and work with.  I am always so grateful for my work and so grateful for ALL OF YOU!

BIG love, Joanne Bartone Photographer | www.joannebartone.com

At Kristen and Ian’s beautiful wedding it was all about special people (even of the four-legged variety) and special moments; moments of pure joy and love throughout!  It was a wonderful day and I loved every aspect of it!  Thanks for having me with you, and thanks for the ride …

Kristen having a tender moment with a special member of the family before the ceremony…

I loved the church: St. Barbara’s Catholic Church in Harrison City - it was beautiful and had perfect light!

Here come some of the fun moments of the ceremony! There was a little input from the guests, much to Ian’s delight!

Ian had to recall what it was that family and friends said was important in a relationship before the priest would marry them. If I recall correctly, I believe it was respect, friendship and communication. Ian got it right even if I didn’t!

The ring exchange…

The kiss…

Married, yea!

One of the many beautiful portraits of the day of Kristen and Ian.  I loved the interesting lines of the Smithfield bridge in the background…

Their first dance…

A tender moment between them after the cake cutting…

Stealing moments together before dinner…

Details of their table…

Kristen surrounded by her PSU girls whoopin’ it up on the dance floor…oh yeah!

The beautiful Grand Concourse at Station Square - majestic, warmly inviting and perfect for a wedding reception…

Another beautiful portrait of Ian and Kristen with the historic Smithfield bridge in the background…

I hope you enjoyed the moments, there are many more to come!

BIG love, Joanne Bartone Photographer | www.joannebartone.com

Since I’m behind in my blogging, I intend to make the content of my next few posts brief and will focus mostly on the images.  I’ve chosen to show mostly portrait images from LeighAnne and Matt’s wedding but I can tell you that the images from the entire day - start to finish - are BEAUTIFUL!

LeighAnne and Matt’s wedding were held at two of the most elegant venues in Pittsburgh.  They were married at the majestic St. Paul Cathedral in Oakland and held their reception at The Pennsylvanian, the stunningly beautiful venue in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh.  It’s been so long since I blogged, I almost forgot to give mad props to DJ Jeremy Ganss who provided the entertainment that rocked the house all night - awesome, as always!

I loved how LeighAnne and Matt’s wedding concentrated on family so much - LeighAnne’s brothers walked her down the aisle, her mother was her matron of honor, her other brother is in seminary school, so was an active participant in the mass, and her brother’s four children were in the wedding party!  There were many, and I mean many, touching images from throughout the day.

I hope you enjoy the images - thanks for your patience!

The beautiful LeighAnne preparing - one of my favorite images from the day…

The majestic and beautiful St. Paul Cathedral…

The beautiful and happy couple…

Matt; strong and oh so handsome…

The beautiful LeighAnne, yet again…

And a few more beautiful, sexy and memorable images from the day…

Most couples want that famous Pennsylvanian rotunda shot (below on the right) but I also liked the dramatic lighting on the outside of the building at night so I chose to place Matt and LeighAnne there for another environmental portrait!

BIG love, Joanne Bartone Photographer | www.joannebartone.com

…team Bartone!

I frequently am asked by new shooters if they can “shadow” me when I photograph a wedding, but as you can see I have at least one photographer with me at my weddings and two photographers with me on occasion, so an additional shooter isn’t feasible.

Enter my two wonderful shooters: Karen (left) and Nicole (right).

This is the second year that Karen has been shooting with me.  Karen has been working with me behind the scenes as my business partner where she has been concentrating on marketing and promotion.  Karen has always loved photography - like so many people who find themselves getting into the field - and has a fabulous old camera collection that museums would be envious of!  Because of Karen’s love of photography she wanted to shoot and learn more of the technical aspects of photography, and so she has been!  Her composition and ability to capture moments and emotion is incredible!  In the past I’ve paid many people who purported to be photographers a lot of money to second shoot with me and on way too many occasions if I have been lucky to get one, or maybe five images from them it was a miracle - this is no exaggeration.  When Karen shoots, I get hundreds of beautiful and fabulous images filled with creativity and emotion.  I couldn’t be happier with her ability and since she’s been shooting with me I find myself wondering how I ever shot alone for so long!

Nicole is one of my brides from 2007!  As what frequently happens with most of my couples, we become friends, and so it was with Nicole and her husband Chris (and now their sweet baby girl Eva!).  Nicole has always had a passion for photography, again, like so many people, and approached me about learning more of the technical aspects of it, so I said ’sure!’  Nicole has just begun to shoot this year and from the images I’ve seen that she’s taken I can say with certainty that she is doing great!  She may not think so, but her ability to soak in information and her passion and desire to continue to improve are the tools that will make a huge difference for her in the future.  Patience and practice to learn the technological aspects is paramount.  Nicole and I have had conversations and are making a plan where one day I hope to have her shooting with me on a permanent basis, one where I can hand over a lot of the photography to her and move forward with other aspects of my photography. It will be a number of years before that happens, but I’m already looking forward to it!

So, if you see Karen and Nicole with me at a wedding, stop and say hello to them!  They are two wonderfully personable people - you have to be in this business! - and they would love to meet you! I am grateful for their presence, enthusiasm and support, as always.

BIG love, Joanne Bartone Photographer | www.joannebartone.com