The Renaissance Hotel in Pittsburgh is a gorgeous venue to have your wedding - with a sweeping grand staircase, cozy but elegant reception room, and incredible views of the city from it’s modern suites, it’s everything you could want for your wedding AND after! Not to mention the city’s most iconic yellow bridge, The Roberto Clemente, just steps away from its doors.
There is no better way to represent fall in your photos than with a Barn at Rayne Run wedding. Even though this wedding was early in early November, we really got lucky with a gorgeous and vibrant Pennsylvania autumn where the leaves decided to change AFTER Halloween, giving us some of the most stunning and colorful fall wedding portraits!
Andy and Megan were some of the sweetest people I ever had the pleasure of working with! These two met when they were I grade school, and I was thrilled to learn that Andy’s older brother got the very special job of being their chaperone when they were dating!! Andy and Megan also went to college together, and needless to say they are best friends - you can that tell right away when talking to them! In fact, they are so precious together that it was hard for me not to ball behind my camera seeing Andy so emotional over seeing his gorgeous bride for the first time!
The timeline for this one was very unique but made my life sooo much easier as the couple opted for a first look before the evening ceremony! Megan and her mom made really smart decisions about the when and the where for photos, renting photo time at the beautiful Barn at Rayne Run in Marion Center for the first look and family photos before everything got started. Then, the ceremony and reception were at separate locations that fit the size of their crowd and the time of the year! Just wait until you see the vibrant orange trees at the barn!!
These two have a beautiful future ahead of them, all built on a strong foundation of faith. Andy is planning to be a Chaplain in the military, and Megan’s parents both work in the church they were married in! I Megan’s grandpa was also a minister and co-officiated their beautiful ceremony in Clymer!
I hope you love some of the highlights of their day - and as a fun bonus I threw in the snapchat video I took of us as we drove to the ceremony!!
Whitney and Quinn had a beautiful fall and winter themed wedding at the Windber Country Club in Salix this past October. With lots of jewels, white pumpkins, pearls, ivory and red, her decor was equal parts Cinderella inspired and charmingly rustic with colorful nods to the upcoming Christmas season! There were also so many special moments with family, including a lovely ceremony officiated by Whitney’s grandpa, and her younger brother Nebraska stole the show on the dance floor all night!
6 years ago I was lucky enough to photograph Whitney for her senior photos where we had lots of fun wading in streams for some unique shots - and she was just as adventurous as a bride! Her 4 inch heels didn’t stop her from walking around the golf course without fear, and when we found a mushy spot, her Prince Charming picked her right up and carried her!
This was also one of the most fun and rowdiest bridal parties I had the pleasure to work with! Everyone was so so kind, and I was happy to be treated as a friend all day. One of the groomsmen even took an interest in photography and was thrilled to practice taking some shots with my backup camera during a few down-time moments during the reception! (most of them were blurry but back-button spot-focus is hard to just pick up!)
I hope you enjoy some of my favorite shots from this fun and unique wedding!
Cas may live in Indiana, PA, but for her senior photo session she really wanted a more urban, big city feel, which is why we ended up at some of the coolest places in Pittsburgh! If you’re a senior, I can’t stress enough how important it is to spend some time talking to your photographer to let them know your interests, talents, hobbies, and vision for your shoot. We were able to incorporate Cas’s love of color, art, coffee, music, and urban life by having a little bit of knowledge about the area and a whole lot of knowledge about what makes her unique!
We started out at Randyland, a wonderfully fun and quirky (and colorful!!) public art spot in the North Side of Pittsburgh. You can check out more about it here!
As a coffee connoisseur, Cas and I thought it would be appropriate to do a few shots after downing a cappuccino in the city’s best coffee spot. Luckily right down the street from Randyland is Commonplace Coffee in the Mexican War Streets area. We did a few shots in front of the town houses that line Buena Vista street before heading to the coffee shop. The owner was very kind to let us capture some snaps while we enjoyed our lattes.
A shoot in Pittsburgh would also not be complete with some of those iconic yellow Pittsburgh bridges, the Point State Park fountain, and the 3 rivers!! We headed to the fountain right at dusk to get some truly breathtaking and twinkly shots! Also, have you ever seen a bassoon at the Point? Well, you’re about to!
I hope you enjoy what was probably my favorite senior sessions ever (the fact that we ate IronBorn Pizza for dinner and Millie’s Ice Cream for dessert didn’t hurt either!)
Steve and Brianna tied the knot this past weekend at Brianna’s family’s farm in the beautiful Brush Valley, Pennsylvania, just a few miles down the road from Indiana. I was so excited to photograph this beautiful wedding as soon as I spent a half an hour on the family farm riding around in their ATV a few weeks before the big day. Normally a beef farm, the grounds were transformed to be fit for a sweet and romantic wedding - Brianna’s dad even gave up his hay barn and hung chandeliers that he “might just keep up” now that the festivities are over! One of the best parts of the day, however, was seeing the bride ride in to the ceremony on the hay wagon! The ceremony was held at a small country church right up the road from the family farm - the same church Brianna’s parents were married at!
Steve and Brianna met when they attended Penn State, studying agricultural programs, and now live in the eastern part of the state working on a dairy farm. Steve milks the cows and Brianna manages their nutrition. How heckin’ cute is that?! I had no idea how intense dairy farming was until spending some time with these two - which was a rare occurrence since Steve only gets a few days off a year or something crazy like that! He even took a call during photos to answer questions about feeding and started that call with “Sorry I missed you, I was getting married.” For real?!?! He’s so dedicated!!!
The dairy farmer theme really came full circle for me when I saw all the “dairy” touches at the reception: the “BondsSayIMoo” hashtag, the cheesecake wedding cake, cowtail candy favors, the cute cow decor - but all tastefully done. (Let’s talk about that cheesecake for a minute - this angel of a bride gave me a WHOLE one to take home. Yes, I happily accept tips in cheesecake.) I hope you enjoy some of my favorite shots from the time two dairy farmers said “I Moo.” So cheesy. Yay dairy puns.
Blue Spruce park is one of a few hidden gems in the Indiana County region that is perfect for family photos. Because of the beautiful (but not too big) lake, mossy areas under beautiful trees, footbridges and creeks, and amazing golden sunlight in the evenings, it’s definitely a favorite! It’s also easy to find and offers a great playground for the kiddos after a successful session!
Finding a good family photo spot can be a challenging task, and we as photographers don’t expect you to have the best location in mind. I generally start off by asking if clients prefer a nature or urban setting, what time of year they want to do the session in to showcase the seasonal foliage, and then of course plan for the best time of day for that location and season! If clients really want flowers in their photos, we will usually plan on a spring session when trees and blooming and have the most drama in your photos. Winter sessions that want snow are a little harder to plan for, so having a more spontaneous schedule helps in those situations!
Blue Spruce is especially beautiful in the fall and has some of the most vibrant trees in the Indiana county area. There’s also great evergreen trees at Blue Spruce that make it great for winter sessions as well! Because it does have so many trees there is always a shady spot to get the best lighting, and the many parking spots and road that goes the entire way around the lake make it very convenient for guests to park and find you to start the session.
I have had the pleasure of photographing Kristen and Shane for years now, starting with their amazing wedding in 2012! Now two more sweet faces are a part of the gang! Here’s some of my favorite shots from their family session at Blue Spruce last weekend!
Adventuring in Lawrenceville with a beloved friend! photo cred: Mary Kuehn (the friend, lol)
Hi friend! This is a personal blog post, which I love to do every once and a while. Transparency means so much when getting to know your photog! If you want to see more portfolio-like content, click on over here!
When people talk about burn-out, it's generally meant that they feel overwhelmed, over scheduled, stressed out, in a rut, passionless, cynical, "over it", hopeless, on and on. It might seem like someone who's in a creative field - who's constantly CREATING something new, something fresh, something exciting - would find it hard to reach that place, right? Maybe you are a creative reading this, and find yourself comparing your work to others, struggling to find your passion, not looking forward to things you used to? Maybe you haven't blogged in two weeks (ahem) and you are just wanting a break to actually be at your house and spend time there, maybe even clean it? (that always gets pushed to the bottom of the list!)
Burn-out is real, and burn-out is relative. Not everyone can produce the same amount in a day, whether that be photos, social media content, articles, products, whatever whatever whatever! I often have to check my heart to not only stop myself from judging MY performance against others, but others against mine! How terrible does that sound? If you are treating others, and yourself, based on what you/they produce, you need to check that at the door. Give yourself, and others, grace! It's okay to leave a few things unchecked on your to-do list. Nothing is as urgent as taking care of yourself and your soul.
I feel that transparency and self-care, along with ALLOWING yourself to put on the brakes every once and a while is NECESSARY - and definitely something I struggle with a lot. Get coffee with me, and certainly you will hear the phrase "I never feel like I'm doing ENOUGH." And I know a LOT of other people that feel this way too. You set a standard for yourself, and if you don't meet it, you "fail." But I realized recently that standards HAVE to be fluid. Your "enough" is based on a million things that are NOT constant like time, energy, commitments, health, family... so why should your standards be rigid if the rest of your life is not?
If you a religious person, you may have heard the phrase that "Jesus is enough." That sounds amazing and is probably on a t-shirt somewhere, but what does that actually, tangibly mean and how do I live my life showing that I believe that? I'm sure the answer is different for everyone, but what I've found is that to embrace that God is enough and not rely on yourself means that first you set realistic standards of what you CAN do. Be honest with yourself. Then, you do what you CAN in a day given all the factors against you. At the end of the day when you're looking at all the things you didn't get done but wanted to, you then CHOOSE to not worry, be thankful for what you DID get done, and literally just relax and take time to recharge. Some pastors call that "resting in grace" - and I had to figure out what that tangibly meant. I spend so much time and mental energy thinking about what I HAVE to do, that figuring out what I WANT to do with my free time (that I have to MAKE) was a challenge. But now, I realize that's what "resting in grace" means for me: just rest, and stop freaking out, because God's got you and it's going to be okay.
You may know that almost 3 years ago now I lost my father to a really aggressive cancer. I often think about how he worked so hard as a mechanic his whole life, with the goal of retirement and adventuring with mom, taking trips, and filling his time with memories. Luckily, dad also knew how to enjoy life right where he was, and often took trips and had adventures (not to mention a million hobbies) to enrich the everyday life instead of just grinding away for that "someday." It took me way too long to realize that this is the key to happiness for a "type A" like myself - make time for rest and fun in the here and now.
Before he passed, I inherited his old Canon A1 film camera, and recently committed to learning how to use it and shoot on film. It's a completely different beast than digital, and the thing I've loved most about film is that it FORCES you to go slow, wait for the moment, notice all the details, and value the experience. Digital cameras can rapid-fire off shots like a machine gun, and while that's definitely my go-to for client sessions to ensure I don't miss anything, film has been an amazing antidote for burn-out for me because of all the reasons above. Any time I go on an adventure, the film camera comes along - not so I can "work", but so I can be more present. I'm still not perfect at it, but I'm having a great time with it, and it's a way to keep dad with me in those adventures he loved so much too.
If you are experiencing burn-out, I encourage you to tap into your curiosity. Learn something, pick up a new hobby, inject some "different" into your life. It will give you a distraction, a spark, a reprieve, and you just might discover one more thing that you're awesome at! Hope you enjoy these highlights from a few of my adventures this summer, all shot on film and with dad's A1!
My husband Brandon in the Greenhouse at The Frick in Pittsburgh.
Brandon waiting to board the Assateague Adventure boat on our trip to Ocean City.
Skimming for critters in the bay at Assateague.
Found a lot of minnows!
The bay side of Ocean City, Maryland.
Fenwick Island lighthouse in Delaware.
Pier at Ocean City.
My best friend's amazing daughter who let me braid her hair in a crown 'cause she's a princess!
My mom Judi and her grumpy pup Digger.
Eclipse Bridge at Buttermilk Falls in Armaugh.
My gorgeous friend Mary and I (behind lens) being silly creatives together in Lawrenceville!
More gorgeous Mary laying on the ground by ice-cream-esque lines in a cemetery because why not?
The street art in Lawrenceville is pretty colorful and amazing.
This summer wedding at the Indiana Country club was an effortless, sweet day filled with lots of laughs, love, and PURPLE! If you love purple (who doesn't?!) you definitely want to check out how Steph and Justin effortlessly worked it into their wedding day theme!
These two worked hard to plan lots of fun little details and surprises, beyond just the killer decor. We started the day at the Hilton Garden Inn in Indiana, which is one of my favorite venues with lots of gorgeous natural light. (fun fact - I've shot several weddings here and there is notoriously "no where" to hang the dress. My second shooter saved the day and climbed on the AC unit in front of the window and help up the dress. Behold the wonder of photoshop and an amazing, dare-devil assistant!) Becca wasn't the only one to climb on things, however! Take a guess where I stood to get that jumping shot of Steph and her Maids of Honor?! (follow me on Insta to see behind the scenes!)
Steph and Justin were my dream come true when they opted to do a first look, and made it even more special by doing it at Justin's grandma's house who couldn't attend because of her health. After we did the first look between the bride and groom (with parents watching close by!) in the backyard, we went inside to get some sweet candids with grandma (they even got her a corsage!!)
The ceremony was flawless as they always are at the country club, and I just loved the floral arbor and hourglass sand ceremony! We flew through pictures and got inside for an amazing dinner and dancing from my favorite DJ's! Steph and Justin even played "The Shoe Game", which was a really cute and interactive way for their guests to share some laughs and get to know them! Download the list of questions they used and instructions on how to play here!
Steph and Justin, thank you so much for inviting us along on this journey, for sharing your bridal party snacks and perfume with me, treating us all (even my assistant) so kindly and personally, and being so willing to do whatever it took (Justin ;) ) to make the day exactly what you both wanted it to be. You make me love my job!
Lead photographer: Jill Gearhart Photography
Second Photographer: Becca Dietrich
Gown: Maggie Sottero at MB Bride
Makeup: Beth Arnold (bethymae36@gmail.com)
Venue: Indiana County Club
Do you need a second photographer, or "second shooter", for your wedding day? Your budget will definitely be the leading factor in your decision making, but there are some things you should consider when determining your photography budget and if you should hand out some extra cash for another photographer! (fun fact: all photos in this post were done by second shooters!)
If your groom and groomsmen are getting ready at a separate location than you and you want to have photos of it, you definitely need a second shooter. The time spent traveling back and forth from location to location translates into moments lost for one photographer to be available to capture. A second shooter usually starts out the day in the bridal suite, then gets to spend some quality time with the guys right before your ceremony starts.
Picture this (real world examples): Uh oh - you and your bridal party have to get somewhere, but your cars are at the reception and you were dropped off at the hotel. A nice photographer and second shooter will be more than happy to offer up their extra seats in the car! Or, you have a room full of groomsmen, lots of straight pins and boutonnieres, and no one knows how to attach them, where to attach them, or how it's supposed to look. Not one, but TWO wedding pro's to the rescue! How about this - you need to get family photos started but Aunt Patty has wandered off to the cocktail hour. Second shooter to the rescue! While your main photographer is starting Patty-less portraits of other family members, a second shooter can wrangle up any stray loved ones that are needed for photos. Sure, all of these situations can be avoided with good communication pre-wedding and some planning ahead, but there is ALWAYS something that pops up that we are more than capable of handling for you which means a LOT less stress for you!
If you are doing a first look, a second shooter is a must in order to capture the reactions of both you and your soon to be hubby. A photographer team will know exactly where to stand as to not be in each other's pictures, and you can be sure that you will get the most genuine reactions captured in real time. It's also great to have a second shooter during the ceremony to get both of your reactions to vows, multiple angles of the kiss, and a variety or wide and close up shots of the same moments!
Etsy has nothing on you. People pin YOUR stuff on Pinterest. If you are a DIY bride and have tons of details and custom pieces, a second shooter is a great idea! If each centerpiece is different and you want photos of them, a second shooter is a MUST! While your main photographer will be sure to capture all the details she can, its always great to make sure every little thing is covered by having a second shooter all over the place while pre-reception portraits are being finished up! It's also very helpful to have a second shooter sneak away right after the ceremony to get some wide-angle, untouched room shots of the reception before guests arrive.
If having lots of photos and memories of your guests having fun is really important to you, then a second shooter should be too. While one photographer "works the dance floor", the other can be snapping candids of non-dancey guests that would never otherwise be in the photos! The availability of two photographer at once also helps with the times where lots of events are happening at once, like the bridal dance or bouquet/garter tosses!
A another set of hands and another brain full of logistical skills can also help out a lot with group photos. Whether it's helping to manage the list of family members for post-ceremony portraits, or going around to each table at the reception and getting group photos while your main photographer is on the dance floor, a second shooter saves so much time and ensures that every guest makes it into a photo!
Here are some amazing shots all done by second shooters! Its our hope that thinking through the day from multiple angles, multiple places, and multiple people's perspectives will help you choose what kind of coverage is right for you!
From the very first time I met with Sam and Brandy, I knew a few things right away: they were totally in love with God, totally in love with each other, totally fun and excited to dance, and totally into outdoors and camping, which is why they created a camp themed wedding! These two thought of everything - the venue was on a campground with beautiful scenery and really unique picnic-style seating arrangements, lanterns on the tables, picnic-style food, a make-your-own trail mix bar, s'mores, and tons of outdoor fun! In fact, the whole entire day was spent outdoors, which Brandy admitted that they were hoping the weather would cooperate. Even though it looked like rain early on in the day, this girl's joy was unshakeable.
Sam was easiest one of my favorite grooms I've ever worked with (I know he will read this and say "you're giving me a big ego" - I heard it twice already hahaha!!), and his groomsmen were just as kind. I really have never met two people so so happy and calm on their wedding day (yes TWO - HE was just as pleasant. Like I said, best groom ever.) The second time I met up with these now friends, Sam was digging the fact that I rode to the meeting on a motorcycle, so he introduced me to each groomsman with the fun fact that "she has a motorcycle!" I also loved how excited he was about his brand new wedding ring tattoo that he got the day before, and appreciated that he wanted to get it in lots of photos! As a photographer, it's very easy to keep your energy high and push yourself creatively when everyone around you is full of joy and patience.
Sam and Brandy take their faith seriously and I was so honored that they were truly a representation of Christ to everyone at their wedding through their kindness and love. They honored their commitment into servanthood with one another by a beautiful foot washing ceremony after their vows, and both the best man's and motion of honor's speeches spoke to just how rooted in Christ these two are. I know that Sam will be an incredible leader to his beautiful bride, and that she will bring him love, respect, and joy for the rest of their lives!
Sam and Brandy I wish you the best of luck in your new season of life in York! It was truly an honor to not only photograph your wedding, but to make such fantastic new friends!
“These [photos] are more than I could have ever imagined. The day was brighter because of you & Brandon. Thank you for being there & working so hard to make everything go smoothly. It’s true—you’re way more than a photographer. You became a friend, coordinated so much, and in case of an emergency, I knew you could be counted on. All you need now is your officiant license & you could run the whole show! ”
Lead Photographer: Jill Gearhart Photography
Second Photographer : Becca Dietrich
Venue: Resurrection Church's Party Grove
Gown: David's Bridal
Hair: Cameron's Salon
Makeup: Danielle Ingram
Bridesmaids Dresses: David's Bridal
Tuxes: Men's Warehouse
Rings: Kay's Jewelers
Florals: Indiana Floral & Flower Boutique
Cake: Suzanne Richbart of Buffalo, NY
Caterer: Joey Del's Catering
DJ: Royal Heir DJ
