Unedited and Inspired by Light

The longer I'm a photographer, the less I like editing in Photoshop. I realize that post-production work is necessary and often beneficial, but I am leaning away from the overtly edited look.  More and more my personal aesthetic is curving towards the natural.  Pouring over images by Jose Villa has influenced me for sure. That's not to say that I don't bring my photographs into Photoshop for a few color pops or curve changes. But, I'm growing to prefer less of those changes and am trying to get the shot right in-camera. It's much easier to do this with good light, which we had this afternoon. Here are a few untouched photographs I took earlier today. I brought a few of them into Photoshop and realized that no action or curve manipulations would make them more pleasing to my eye.  And, as you can see, Spring is arriving in Western PA. Have a wonderful, peace-filled Easter! 

Rained Out and Thoughts on Maternity Shots

If you 'like' us on Facebook, you might know that I had to cancel my family/belly shoot this weekend.  It was cold and rainy most of the weekend--definitely not the ideal weather for a photo shoot. So we rescheduled for next weekend and are hoping for some better weather to document this season with some photographs.

To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure what I thought of maternity photos until this past month or so.  Yes, I took some pictures of myself (and Jake) when I was pregnant with Liza and I've done plenty of maternity shoots. But I always had a small nagging in the back of my mind that it was a bit indulgent and trendy.  I'm embarrassed to admit this now, particularly because I do work as a maternity photographer!  I should clarify that I never thought my clients were foolish for having maternity pictures taken; I took them of myself, after all! My feelings were more about the genre. But I can honestly say that I no longer feel this way at all. In fact, I've really come to appreciate the merit and purpose of such photographs this past month.

You see, L is increasingly interested in her baby book and daily begs me to flip through it with her. She exuberantly points out everything on the pages--from the flowers on the paper to family members in the images.  Appropriately, the first page in the album has some pictures of Jake, me, and my large belly.  She looks at those pictures curiously and is thrilled each time I explain to her that, in those photographs, she was in my belly. She gets a goofy grin and then points to my currently swelling belly and says "like baby ____!" (We're saving the internet sharing of his name until he's here and the name is set). As she looks at those pictures, I know she feels loved and welcomed. I'm sure her understanding of those images will only grow as she does.  I'm so thankful now that, two years ago, I set my camera's self-timer and took those shots. Maybe the maternity photo trend isn't banal, after all.

Here are a few photographs I snapped of my little one earlier this past week, when the weather was surprisingly warmer.  Jake put her hair up...pretty good job for a dad, huh? ;) Have a wonderful Monday! -Emily

Darci & Ty {Grove City PA Engagement Photography}

He was a senior.  She was a sophomore.  Only two grades separated the two, but they weren't exactly compatible back in their high school years, at least as far as high school standards are concerned.  Think, wrestling meets choir. It wasn't until almost ten years later, after stumbling into one another at church, that Ty asked Darci out to lunch. She said yes.

It didn't take long for them to realize just how much they have in common. Still, things needed some time to work themselves out a bit. Darci moved away to Virginia and it seemed that their relationship had met its end. But isn't that often when the harmony finds its way back in? That's how it worked for these two, and he asked her to marry him. She said yes. 

We drove up to McConnell's Mill for an engagement shoot and it was such an amazing location.  Fortunately for us, the threatening weather was cooperative and the rain held off. I'm beginning to love overcast days actually; the light is so creamy and consistent--ideal for shooting. Despite Ty's initial disclaimers that he is not comfortable in front of the lens, photographing these two was perfectly natural and fun. I loved what I saw behind my camera, and it's largely because of how comfortable Darci and Ty are together.  We captured so many gorgeous images, but here are just a few of my favorites. I'm very much looking forward to photographing their beautiful wedding in June when... She'll say "I do." 

Family in the City {Grove City, PA Family Photography}

Our little family is both grateful and excited to be back in rural Pennsylvania. We like the little community and small-town feel, we enjoy the simplicity of life here, and we love our new home.  I would be lying though if I didn't admit that I miss several things about DC. I miss many of our dear friends, of course. But I also miss the shopping and dining, and the abundance of options. We just don't have a whole lot of choices here. Except for when it comes to dollar stores, banks, pharmacies, and hardware shops--we have an over-abundance of these. I'm still trying to figure out how they all stay in business.

Anyhow, this beautiful family shoot reminds me of those urban opportunities I miss in DC. We met at Rockville Town Square to capture some memories of this sweet family. When Karen suggested this location for their shoot, I was more than happy to oblige! I love architecture and especially the city feel, so this shoot was a lot of fun for me as a growing artist. Enjoy some pictures of this very fun family in the city. xox -Emily 

Laughter and Beauty {Grove City Family Photography}

I think Spring has finally started here in Grove City. I say that cautiously though, as I wouldn't be too surprised to see snow on the ground tomorrow. While driving through DC this past weekend, I was jealous that we didn't have any beautiful, blooming cherry blossoms in our area.  The cherry blossoms in Maryland and Virginia were nothing short of stunning this year, like little pink butterflies dancing around the gracious trees. But we don't have much blossoming up here. In fact, nothing is really in bloom yet. But we are almost there. The sun is shining brightly today, the winds are feeling warmer, and I can see some very small red buds on our large tree out back. We are on our way, indeed!

Anyhow, on to some pictures. One of the most enjoyable aspects of growing our photography business has been doing large or extended family shoots. While I manage the shoot, set up poses, and take the formal portraits, Jake captures some photojournalistic-style candids. We truly enjoy entering into a large family dynamic and having the opportunity to document the uniqueness and simultaneous universality of their joy, love, friendly bickering, laughter, and beauty. This last family shoot was no exception. These people were so much fun!  Here are just a few of the shots we collected during our time together.

Have a wonderful weekend! xoxo -Emily

Sweet, sweet sisters! {Grove City Child Photography}

Thanks to help from some of our wonderful family and friends, we made it through our "Shoot through DC" weekend!  It was a whirlwind trip with more than a few frantic forecast checks, but everything came together beautifully.  We really enjoyed being back in the area for a little bit and made a point to visit a few of our favorite dining and shopping spots. But, as always, we are definitely glad to be home. I'm now starting my editing process and will have some fun images to share along the way.  

One of my favorite parts of being a photographer is seeing my clients' children grow.  It has been almost a year since I've seen these sisters, and it was a joy to catch up with them. They were such cooperative sports in the midst of blustery winds, a bright sun, cooler temperatures, and plenty of park distractions. Even with all of these obstacles, they were full of smiles and excitement. Once again, I had such a great time photographing these sweet, sweet sisters! Thank you so much for the chance to see you all again! xoxo -Emily