Blue Dog Blog

Iron Lakes Wedding - Lizzie + Joe - Allentown Wedding Photographs

2012-01-26T21:14:00.000-05:00

Each wedding we shoot is special and each can evoke one word when we look back at the pictures of the day. The word that comes to mind when I look at Liz and Joe's wedding at Iron Lakes Country Club in Allentown, is family. We know family means a lot to these two and we felt like we were embraced into this circle openly. We know Lizzie's family well - her brother and sister-in-law, Matt and Sara are two of our dearest friends, and we've gotten to know Lizzie over the years. (I remember a group of us playing a game, Apples to Apples, in Sara and Matt's basement the evening after Sara's bridal shower and it was the first time I had met Lizzie. But during that game, we bonded because we both had a slightly warped sense of humor with the answers we would give, and we ended up being able to single out each others choices.) Joe's family is Sicilian and there is a strong level of emotion and tradition and love with them. I loved that if something moved someone to tears, they cried, instead of trying to hide it. But along with the tears was a lot of laughter and plenty of smiles. One of my favorite moments at Lizzie and Joe's wedding was during the mother and son dance. Joe's dad, sisters and brother joined the two of them on the dance floor, then his mom opened her arms and motioned for Lizzie. I heard her say, "Come, dance with us, you're my family now." Things like that just make me smile (and I will admit, Jeff and I both cried a little bit with the family that night too). Thanks for letting us be a part of your family, Lizzie and Joe. We couldn't have imagined it any other way.
Liz and Joe's vendors for the day:
Wedding Ceremony: Advent Moravian Church, Bethlehem, PA
Wedding Reception: Iron Lakes Country Club, Allentown, PA
Florist: Rich Mar, Lehigh Valley, PA
DJ and Accent Lighting: Mittman Entertainment, Allentown, PA

Sweet Baby Stella - Central PA Newborn Photographer

2012-01-24T15:20:00.000-05:00

This session seemed like a good one to start off the 2012 photo session blogs with. This is baby Stella, and her parents, Jess and Joe are good friends of ours (and Joe and Jess have A LOT of friends, so there were tons of people waiting for this little baby girl to get here). When we took the pictures, Stella was sleeping most of the time, like newborn babies are supposed to. We took the pictures in her new bedroom, while Jess was in the midst of putting up a really awesome decal tree on the wall. You should see it now - it is the coolest thing I've seen! Yeah, Jess is kind of like supermom. Seriously, when my babies were 3 weeks old, I was lucky if I showered, let alone put up a piece of intricate wall art. I can see Stella is going to be doted on a lot. Joe has already mentioned in facebook posts about what he's going to do when boys come to the house. I think maybe locking her in her room until she's 30 is the best bet, Joe! And I think her big brother Dominic has come around. He wasn't too keen on the idea of a baby sister at first, but now that she's here, he watches out for her just like a big brother should. Yep, little Stella is a keeper! Here are our favorite pictures of Stella. Enjoy!

Finally starting 2012

2012-01-23T11:54:00.000-05:00

So our blog posts have been missing, for over a month now. Not missing in the sense of "where did they go?", but missing in the sense that none have been composed. Of course, that started out from the pure overload and ongoing stress of the holiday season. (Did I mention a big industrial shoot that couldn't be rescheduled, and the day before spending it in the e.r. with Conor being diagnosed with pneumonia, the next day Jeff with a sinus infection, while he shot outside all day in the cold and the next in the freezing rain, the next day Lane with an ear infection and the client from the industrial shoot needing super fast turnaround time?) We were so busy, that the first day we actually got to enjoy and didn't have a deadline to meet was on Christmas Eve, and I'm not kidding. And I can say, it wasn't all our fault, we followed delivery dates given by one of our vendors, and they took it to December 23, which had us wondering if we would be driving all over Central PA on Christmas Eve delivering orders that we had promised for Christmas. If that is what we had to do to keep our promises to our clients, that is what we were going to do. Luckily, everyone lived or worked nearby (and insisted it was not out of their way to come to our house to get their goods), so our last client meeting was around 2pm that day. Lesson learned from that, orders for that particular vendor for the holidays need to be submitted by us a month before their cut off so we're not sweating and stalking our orders page waiting for the "order shipped" confirmation to come up. Not a fun thing when you have two young kiddos who are super excited for Christmas too and you want to enjoy the excitement with them.

We got through the holidays, were able to enjoy a much needed week of downtime and reorganization of our office at home and then got back on track. Back to meeting with wedding clients, designing albums, processing orders and put a full day architectural shoot for a builder in there for good measure. Even though I enjoy doing blog posts and sharing pictures, sometimes I just want to spend some time with my kids, go to bed or read a little bit after staring at the computer screen all day. Being a photographer, if you want to survive and pay your bills, you take the jobs when you can get them. Because two months from now, things are going to be really slow, as they always are that time of year. That's just how it is. Our former intern, Katelin, shared this chart with us and it is so true.

Jeff and I have a list of things we want to implement into Blue Dog, change and overhaul. It's going to take a while, but we'll get there. I promise to do some new blog posts, geez, maybe even tomorrow. But before I go, I will answer the one question we have been getting more than anything else lately: How do you like working from home?

Now keep in mind, we have been working from our studio (which has always been a 10 minute drive from our home) for 10 years. That is a long time. So if we wanted to work on an order, we would have to drive into the studio. Work on marketing material, drive into the studio. Respond to emails - well, that we could remote in to do. At first I didn't think I would like working from home. What would make me get dressed if we didn't have an appointment? What would keep me on track? How would people find us if we weren't downtown anymore? Well, we are still downtown in a sense - we meet our clients in a rented space downtown and it's awesome! We don't have to keep our regular business hours and then stay late to meet with someone from out of town, or juggle schedules for Saturdays, we just change things a little bit. We can spend more time with Conor and Lane - who both still go to daycare, since we do need to get some work done here. But we can take them in a little later or pick them up a little earlier because we don't have set business hours dictating when we have to do our work. I can finish my album designs after the munchkins have gone to bed, I can respond to emails on weekends, I can meet clients when it's convenient for them and not secretly groan that it means I'm going to have to be at the studio for 12 hours. All said and done, we like it, still getting used to it, and we both agree, we should have made this move a few months before we actually did.

Garrett's Senior Session - Selinsgrove Senior Pictures

2011-11-25T08:29:00.000-05:00

Another one of our Selinsgrove seniors this year is Garrett. We hadn’t seen Garrett for a few years, so we tried to avoid the “I haven’t seen you since you were this tall” comment, but it had been a while. And he had gotten pretty tall since then. Garrett wanted all outdoor locations, so we headed over to the train station for part of the shoot, then out to his uncle’s cabin by the creek for the second half. Garrett’s step-dad has a really cool “Willys” (which as the story goes was bought with just a tiny little bit of encouragement from Garrett), so of course we had to use it for some of the shots. Even though it is a jeep, we didn’t move it much because the ground was still really soggy from the flood a week or two before. Thanks for asking us to take Garrett’s senior pictures Judy – it’s always great to work with your family!

Holiday Mini-Sessions... starting NOW! - Selinsgrove Family Picture Photographer

2011-11-23T12:28:00.000-05:00

To help make your holidays a little easier, we are showcasing our Holiday Mini-Sessions again this year. The locations for our holiday mini-sessions have been picked and now it's time to start booking them. Mini-sessions are available from November 25 - December 6. Here are all the details:

$40 sitting fee
Choose from 2 locations :
Rustic train tracks (Selinsgrove or Lewisburg location)
Historic homestead (Dale Engle Walker House outside of Lewisburg)
You will get a 15 minute photo shoot with approximately 15 images to choose from.
Proofs are posted online within 24 hours for viewing. Place your order and your prints will be ready in 3 days!
(Order can be shipped to your home for an extra $7).

Package A: $50 plus tax
Holiday cards – slimlines
25 cards and envelopes
Additional cards are $1.70 each.

Package B (all from same image) $54 plus tax
1-8x10
2- 5x7’s
8 wallets
Additional units $15 plus tax each.
Add another pose for $5.

Package C (all from same image) $96.50 plus tax
25 cards and envelopes
1 8x10
2 5x7’s
8 wallets

Additional units $15 plus tax each.
Additional cards are $1.70 each.

Unit = 1 8x10 OR 2 5x7’s OR 3 4x6’s OR 8 wallets

Call 570-372-0568 or email info@bluedogimaging to reserve your time. Happy Holidays!

Caldwell Consistory Wedding - Jamie + Clint - Bloomsburg Wedding Photographer

2011-11-19T14:18:00.000-05:00

I know when brides and grooms plan their wedding day, they want everything to be perfect. But in reality, there is usually some kind of hick-up, usually a small one – whether it rains, people run late or the flowers get delivered directly to the church. But with Jamie and Clint’s wedding in Bloomsburg, I can honestly say, it was perfect, at least from our viewpoint. They had a gorgeous day, things stayed on time and all of the vendors worked incredibly well together (this is always a huge plus in our book – working with vendors who are professional and know what they are doing). Jamie had a big surprise for Clint after the ceremony: she had two dresses. Since they didn’t see each other before the wedding, we decided to treat the changing of the dresses (kind of like the changing of the guard) as a “first look” right before the reception at the Caldwell Consistory. So, we pretended like we didn’t get enough pictures of Clint and took him back outside while we waited for Jamie to come out in her second dress. But when she came out, Clint didn’t notice that she was in a new dress. And honestly, from our perspective, it was because he was looking at her face and her beaming smile. You know that feeling you get after the wedding ceremony, it’s one of the best highs you will have in your life, and Clint was still in the glow of the wedding and his new bride. It was such a cute moment, because when Jamie asked if he noticed anything, Clint commented that she had removed her veil (like we said, he wasn’t taking his eyes off her beautiful face). Just completely sweet! We hadn’t been to the Caldwell Consistory in a few years, and it had been completely redone since we had been there last and looks gorgeous! Jamie and Clint had Jeff Millay of Accent Lighting Productions come in to do accent lighting for them, and we love when this special touch is added to a reception. Thanks to Tammy Willow from Willow-Scott Events for coordinating the day. And special thanks to Jamie and Clint for allowing us to be a part of your wedding day – it truly was perfect!

Jamie & Clint's vendors for the day:
Ceremony: Wesley United Methodist Church, Bloomsburg, PA
Reception: Caldwell Consistory, Bloomsburg, PA
Dress #1: WW Bridal, Bloomsburg, PA
Dress #2: Exclusively You, Bloomsburg, PA
Tuxes: WW Bridal, Bloomsburg, PA
Flowers: The Details Matter, Bloomsburg, PA
Cake: Country Cupboard, Lewisburg, PA
Caterer: Reichart's Mardi Gras, Danville, PA
Coordinator: Willow Scott Events, Mifflinburg, PA
Transportation: AJ Limo, Berwick, PA
Lighting: Accent Lighting Productions, LLC, Williamsport, PA,
D.J.: Top Gun

Kaitlynn + Steven - Lewisburg Engagement Pictures

2011-11-14T21:51:00.000-05:00

We met up with Kaitlynn and Steven at one of our favorite spots to take pictures, outside of Lewisburg. Why do we like it so much? Well, aside from it just being a really great location with lots of neat spots to shoot, the lighting is practically always perfect. If you're a photographer, you're thinking, impossible, how can the lighting always be perfect? I don't know either, it just is. Lots of tall trees, lots and lots of open shade - like I said, perfect lighting. So we met there later in the day, and even though the light was perfect, we had to work fast to use it, because it changes pretty fast. It was our first time meeting Steven and I loved how he and Kaitlynn still flirt with each other. It's that cute flirt that I enjoy seeing in young couples and makes me remember the early days when Jeff and I were dating. Ah, memories.... But I digress. We had a good time getting to know Steven and Kaitlynn. Since he's a Marine and Kaitlynn goes to Penn State, their time together is precious, and we appreciate that they gave us a little bit of that time to take some engagement pictures. We're looking forward to your wedding next year Kaitlynn and Steven. Here are a few of our favorite shots.

Jonah's Bar Mitzvah - Central PA Bar Mitzvah Photographer

2011-11-06T13:05:00.000-05:00

Jonah had a really incredible bar mitzvah - I mean how many kids can say their dad's band played at their mitzvah? And a rockin' band at that! Let me back up a minute and start from the beginning. In our 10 years in business we had never photographed a bar mitzvah, so even though we have tons of experience with weddings, portraits and such, we were uneducated about the events surrounding a bar mitzvah. Jonah's parents, Mary and Larry gave us a crash course in what was photographed and what was not - basically, the actual service that Jonah helped lead was not photographed and formals in the synagogue had to take place the day before the service and before sundown. We got to the synagogue, Congregation Beth El, in Sunbury, late Friday afternoon and photographed Jonah with his parents and family who had all traveled in to witness this important right of passage. The next afternoon, we met up with the family after the morning service, at The Packer House for the reception. The party started with Larry's band, Faculty Lounge (a group of Susquehanna University professors whom we have had the opportunity to photograph a few times in the past) playing "Hava Nagila" and segued into the Beatles, "Birthday". It was a great afternoon with fun music, dancing and incredible catering by the Packer House. I don't think Jonah could have asked for a more perfect birthday celebration!

Adjusting to our new digs - News

2011-11-01T22:23:00.000-04:00

Have you ever seen the TV show "Hoarders"? Well, that's what our entire house looked like (minus the dead animals and other gross stuff they find) for about 2 weeks. And it was driving us nuts! After moving out of the studio - think moving out of a 4 bedroom apartment - we filled a large storage unit, our home office and had to over run the boxes in our kids' playroom. I knew it was bad when poor Lane was just trying to play on his train table and fell between it and a stack of boxes, getting his head stuck. Jeff worked really hard to get things in order and now it's just our bedroom and office that are crowded with boxes. But unpacking takes time. Computers are up and running, we're working on images pretty much constantly and trying to catch up from being down and moving during a two week time period.

I think we're both liking working from home, or at least having our office here. I get up and start working on stuff first thing, with my coffee in my jammies and don't feel guilty if I have to leave to do something later in the day. Our new shared space downtown is still being worked on, but we have met with a few clients there. It's at 32 South Market Street in Selinsgrove, and since it is just a meeting space that we use by appointment, chances are you won't find us there if you just decide to drop by. The Blue Dog phone number is still the same (yay for Vonage!) 570-372-0568 and email still the same, info@bluedogimaging.com. New blog posts with pictures coming soon - weddings from the Priestley-Savidge house, the Peter Allen House, a bar mitzvah, senior pictures, family pictures and lots of kids! Stay tuned.

Brittney's senior session - Selinsgrove Senior Pictures

2011-09-30T15:33:00.000-04:00

Brittney, Brittany, and Britni - and we are trying to keep all of the spellings correct! Each girl was as different as the spelling of her name. Brittney came down to the studio with her friend, Lindsey for her senior session, a few days before Brittney's own senior session took place. They would giggle and tell little stories to get each other to smile. But the thing I will remember the most is the response I got on the day when Brittney came to pick up her proofs and I asked how the first day of being a senior had gone (which was that same day). She and Lindsey in unison just groaned. What a classic moment! Thanks for coming to Blue Dog for your senior pictures Brittney - your contagious smile made pretty much every picture a keeper.

Mandy + Ryan - River Engagement Pictures - Danville Wedding Photographer

2011-09-20T17:16:00.000-04:00

We did Mandy and Ryan engagement session about a week before the flood, at the Marina on the island between Sunbury and Northumberland. Their little boy Lucas was with them, and we got him to hold still for a few shots (he's 2 and you know how much energy 2 year olds have!), by bribing him with ice cream. Jeff and I also did some pretty good impressions of Elmo and sang the Elmo's World theme...which I can't believe I'm admitting, but hey, we do what we have to to get the shot. They are such a cute family and you can really see how much they all love each other. We had some great late afternoon light to work with, and Mandy and Ryan were easy and fun to work with. We're looking forward to their wedding this weekend.

Our Big Decision

2011-09-19T18:00:00.001-04:00

Some of you (family and very close friends) are aware of what we are about to say, and some of you are not. Let me preface this all with: WE ARE NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS! There, I've gotten that off my chest, because I know once word gets out and we start making the change, that is what people will say. But it is wrong.

Jeff and I have made the decision to move out of our downtown studio and work from home. This is not an overnight decision. We have been talking about it for a while, and basically it comes down to these things:

1. Our business structure has changed. Years ago, when we started, we used the studio shooting space a lot. Probably about 50 - 70% of our shoots were in the studio. But that has changed a lot in the past few years. Most of our shoots are on location (obviously weddings and commercial work are done on location, but most of our engagement and family shoots are done outdoors, and we've found most of the orders from senior sessions are made of the outside shots). We like this building, but why pay for it all, when we end up utilizing only 1/5 of the space - meaning the office. Plus, we get a majority of our business from web searches, not because people saw us downtown. I know there are some of you who found us because we were downtown, but that has changed a lot lately and word of mouth, along with internet searches are the answers we get most often when we ask how people find us.

2. Conor and Lane. When it was just Jeff and me, staying late at the studio was no big deal. Have work to do? Stay until 8 or 9, go home, eat, watch TV or read, go to bed around midnight. Not quite the same plan when you have two little boys who wake up anywhere from 5:45 to 6:30 A.M.!! One of the perks of working for yourself is being able to control your schedule and spend time with your family. But lately, Jeff and I have felt we are spending less time with our kids and more time trying to juggle things to be in that 1/5 of the studio we mentioned above. If our office is at home, we can still play with the kids, eat with them, put them to bed and get work done (without having to get in the car and drive back into town - we don't live far, but that 10 minute drive, mentally can turn into a long drive you just don't want to do). There have been so many times we have been at home on a Saturday or Sunday and Jeff is doing yard work or at Lowe's, the kids are napping, and I think about the wedding I have to process or the prints I need to order, but can't do them, because I'm obviously not going to leave the kids alone. Our boys are very precious to us, and we want to be in their lives as much as possible. This will allow us to be with them more.

3.Location, location, location. The software we use to do our editing (Adobe Lightroom, which we absolutely love) is proprietary to the computer the image was originally edited on. So taking images back and forth from the studio to our home is not an option. Well, it is, but it's a big pain in the butt option. Plus, we store everything on a networked server - which has to have a central location. And networking in doesn't work when you are retouching a picture. I have networked in from home before and it's okay to work on word files, but not someones face. Trust me, it's not pretty. By being able to do work on a more flexible schedule (and not just the hours the studio is open) we will be able to get more done and we are really looking forward to that.

To let you in on the personal aspect of this a little bit, this has been a very emotional decision. This October we will have been in business for 10 years! That is a long time and we are incredibly proud of that. We both started in photography in a time when in order to be taken seriously, you had to have some sort of commercial space. So yes, it was a decision we have struggled with. There are a few worries we had when making this final, but now we are excited and actually relieved about finally having decided what to do. We know we have made the right choice and we are ready to move on with it. We will keep our Selinsgrove post office box, and hopefully our same phone number. And of course, the same email and web addresses. People have told us that we have made an reputation for ourselves, which is great to hear, and we think that combined with marketing and advertising will maintain our established presence. Since making this decision, we have had tons of positive feedback from friends who work from home and we are both now really looking forward to this change.

Presently, we are looking into possibly having a meeting space for clients elsewhere, where we will do consults, image presentation and ordering. We should know by the time we are out of this building. If not, then we will meet at a central location or at our home.

The date we plan on being out of the downtown location is October 15.

As I was about to publish this post, Jeff came in from the post office with a postcard from my cousin, Amy in Mississippi. We had spoken last week and she knew that we had made our decision final. Amy wrote on the card, "The poet Rumi said, 'Where ever you go, whatever you do, be in LOVE.' ... Let your love continue to define what you do." I think I'm going to love this change!

Susquehanna Valley Country Club Wedding - Marie + Tony - Selinsgrove Wedding Photographer

2011-09-16T12:39:00.000-04:00

I have one very important question: How do we get to work with most fun and best couples? Seriously. I don't know if I have had an entire wedding party make me laugh so much. To the point where I had to tell the guys to stop it, because I needed to take pictures, and couldn't when I was laughing so hard. Usually, when we ask groups to smile, we might give them a one-two countdown, or refer to something funny that happened that day, or mention an inside joke that someone has let us in on. For this one, we didn't have an inside joke....until someone (and I think it was Tony, the groom, if memory serves correctly), said "SHAKE WEIGHT!", when I was doing my countdown. Even now, that's making me laugh. If you don't know what a shake weight is, click here to watch this clip. Yeah, it's wrong and funny. And it got everyone to smile and laugh.

Marie and Tony had a great day. They had their ceremony at St. Pius X, in Selinsgrove. A short rain shower passed through during the ceremony, but everything cleared up by the time we got the reception at the Susquehanna Valley Country Club. The bride was gorgeous, the groom was handsome, and the band, Into the Spin, was rockin'! We know Into the Spin (we had done their promo shots), and seen them live a few times, but to see them at a wedding was something new and did not disappoint. I love when couples have a band at their wedding reception. It seems to get people on the dance floor in a completely different way than a d.j. can. We loved that Marie and Tony entered the reception to "Sweet Child o' Mine", complete with Axl Rose moves from Tony. So here are some of our favorite shots. Unfortunately I don't think we got any with people actually doing the shake weight move. Darn!

Marie + Tony's vendors for the day:
Pre-wedding location: Selinsgrove Inn, Selinsgrove, PA
Bride's dress: Brides Bouquet, Selinsgrove, PA
Men's tuxes: J.Kleinbauer, Selinsgrove, PA
Flowers: Graci's, Selinsgrove, PA
Church: St. Pius X, Selinsgrove, PA
Reception: Susquehanna Valley Country Club, Selinsgrove, PA
Band: Into the Spin
Limousine: Susquehanna Valley Limo, Northumberland, PA

FAQ - What kind of camera should I buy / what do you use?

2011-09-14T13:48:00.001-04:00

So, I wanted to start answering questions we get asked a lot, and this is a great place to start. We get asked a lot by clients, friends, aspiring photographers, what kind of camera should I buy? And we get asked what kind of cameras we use. There are two parts to this post, so first, lets start with what kind of cameras we use.

NIKON. All of our SLR and D-SLR cameras are Nikon. All of our lenses are Nikkor (made by Nikon) and if we would buy a second manufacturer lens, we would probably get a Tokina or Tamron. Right now, the main cameras that we shoot with are a D-700 (which along with the D3 are the only full-frame sensor cameras that Nikon has), a D-300s, a D-2X as a backup and a D-100 as a second backup. Then, if something crazy would happen, like some kind of electromagnetic field thingy and all digital stuff would be fried, we could still shoot, because we have 4 Nikon film cameras (2 F-100s and 2 really old ones that are beautiful, completely manual and you could fend off a mugger with, they're that heavy duty.) Why did we pick Nikon over Canon? Well, for Jeff, he had always shot Nikon. One of those old cameras I mentioned, that was what he used when he was in college. And when Nikon introduced auto-focus, and then digital, they kept the same exact lens mount they entire way. (Canon did not). So we can use any of our lenses on any of our cameras. Now a really old, manual lens won't give us an in camera meter reading, but if it came down to that, we would use our hand held meter to get the reading and shoot away with those settings. With Canon, you need to have a digital mounted lens to use on their digital cameras only. For me, I had an old manual Minolta in college. When I got out, I got a Nikon 8008 by the advice of my Nikon loving friend, Chuckles. But I was so used to the simplicity of the Minolta, that I sold the newer Nikon after a few months. A few years later, I was living in Austin, working at a camera store part-time. This was in 2000, when the first D-SLRs came out. I remember we only had one of each kind in the store, and with the hefty price tags they had, they sat there for a while until someone bought one. So I got to play with all of the cameras, and I had it narrowed down to Canon or Nikon (since the Minolta company wasn't doing very well). I picked the Nikon over the Canon because I felt the dials and buttons that I needed to use quickly while shooting on the Nikon were easier to navigate than on the Canon. And then I've stuck with Nikon ever since. All of our flashes and accessories are Nikon too.

Now for part 2 - what kind of camera should I buy? I will start with the easy part of this, by addressing point and shoots. Our little, put in a pocket, drop in my purse point and shoot is a Sony. The three we recommend are Sony, Canon and Casio. If money isn't an object, take a look at the Leica (they have sweet lenses, but we haven't seen one in person). Of the 3 we recommended, we recommend them because of their shutter lag. Shutter lag is the time it takes from when you press the button until the shutter opens and the picture is actually taken. You can look at the specs for pretty much any point and shoot and they never publish shutter lag. To determine shutter lag, you need to either do some research online, or actually hold the camera at a store and see what the lag time is. Usually Sony, Canon and Casio have very little shutter lag. Other cameras can have shutter lag of 1 -3 seconds. That is a really long time! And you're shot is probably missed.

What kind of D-SLR should I buy? First, you need to see how much you want to spend and if you want to stick with the big 2 (Canon and Nikon). The post on this could go on and on, and the best thing I can say, is look at the price overall for everything you will be buying (camera, lens, flash and anything else) and go to a store and test drive the camera. You can read all you want about specs at the places we buy from : B & H, Calumet and Adorama. Think about what you will be using the camera for. If it's just to take pictures as a hobby, then any brand will do. But if you're looking at getting into it as a career, possibly, then I would definitely recommend going with Nikon or Canon. You'll be starting off right and if you eventually become a professional, then you will already have a basis from which to grow.

Happy shooting!

Flood clean up - Susquehanna University - University Photography

2011-09-12T16:56:00.000-04:00

There has been a lot of activity in our area over the past few days. Living in the Susquehanna River Valley, we have had high river water in the past, but nothing like this since Hurricane Agnes in 1972 (I was 1 then). It started early last week, with what seemed like never ending rain. By Thursday morning, the prediction was that the river would crest Friday evening, but luckily it crested sometime between Thursday night and Friday morning, a few feet below the original prediction. Our house is less than a quarter mile from the river, and it reached into the backyard of the homes across the street from us. Our water was minimal, with a few inches in the basement. But the Isle of Que, in Selinsgrove was devastated with the flood. Students from Susquehanna University volunteered to help with the clean up (which I'm sure is going to last for weeks) and I was able to capture a few pictures for them. The first house that I got to was for sale, and the owners told me there had been a contract for it, but not anymore. The owners had everything packed, and a moving truck originally scheduled to come to their home on Thursday morning. But they were evacuated before the truck got there, and the moving truck was not allowed to cross the bridge. I was struck by the amount of mud on absolutely everything and the stench of the river water. We'll overcome this, but it's going to take quite a while. Click here to view the slideshow.

Alley Cat Allies Spay and Neuter Clinic - Pennsylvania Editorial Photographer

2011-09-02T15:45:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to do my absolute favorite kind of photography - an editorial shoot for a non-profit organization. I love these shoots, because you never know exactly what may happen during them, and each editorial shoot is different. Sometimes, I can take a few lights with me, sometimes I just use available light - most of the time I don't know until I actually get to the shoot, see the space and see what is going on. This shoot was so face paced, with a pretty tight space, so available light, and being creative with my on-camera flash were the light sources that I used. The shoot was for Alley Cat Allies, a non-profit organization that promotes "Trap, Neuter, Return" for feral cats. They are based out of Bethesda, Maryland, but do work nation wide. This spay and neuter clinic was one day, it was FREE, it was run by an all volunteer staff and it saw 78 cats come through it's doors in just a few hours time. I had never seen anything like this, and it was incredibly impressive. These volunteers had everything down to a science and not a minute was wasted - the doctor had two tables set up and was doing a 5-minute spay, which you can see more about on A.C.A.'s website. Most of all, every single one of these people cared about the cats. They took incredibly great care of each cat that came through, and one was even adopted by a volunteer. Each cat who was neutered was ear tipped during the surgery as well. The owners of Catnip Acres, the facility where the surgeries were done, host a monthly low-cost clinic for cats as well. Click here to read the press release about why this clinic happened and why Alley Cat Allies got involved. And even though I was just documenting the day, I want to say thank you to everyone who helped that day - you truly have made a difference!

This was just one room with waiting cats.

A momma cat and her babies. They babies were too young to be neutered.

A "comb" was used to get the cat to one side of the cage, where shots were administered.

A kitty getting ready for surgery.

Marking the cats ears with their tag number.

The operating room at Catnip Acres.

Keefer's 1 Year Session - Herndon Photographer

2011-08-28T13:00:00.000-04:00

Keefer is always a pleasant baby to be around. And he was really happy on the day that took his pictures for his first birthday. We had done his earlier sessions in the studio, or around town, but this time, we went to his house and captured him in his own environment. I always think those shots turn out best, because kids are more comfortable in their own spaces. We got some great images of him with his mommy and daddy outside. Then we headed in, and took some pictures of him in their claw foot bathtub. He was so cute in the bubbles and baby butts are the cutest things ever, so I had to leave a bunch of them for his parents. His mom, Erin ordered a few and I hope they hang in their home for a long time. Or at least until a future girlfriend sees them and sees how cute he was in his birthday suit. Thanks for letting us document Keefer's first year, Erin and Brian! As always, we love spending time with your family.

Dan's Senior Pictures - Sunbury Senior Portrait Photographer

2011-08-27T14:00:00.000-04:00

Now, what words can we use to describe Dan? Let's start with, charismatic. Yep, that's a good one. Good looking. Definitely. And just a fun guy! Okay, there is a little inside joke there, but he truly is all of those things and more. A friendly, down to earth guy that you can see yourself wanting to hang out with. That's Dan. He brought his guitar (and duct taped case) to the shoot, and we asked him to play when we took some shots outside. And it was great, because the usual reaction I get is, uh, I don't know what to play, but Dan just said, okay and started playing a song on the guitar. Dan gave us lots of great looks and Jeff got him to smile quite a bit. I think I can take credit for one good smile and all I'm going to say is "Snowflake".

Abby's Senior Picture Session - Middleburg PA Photographer

2011-08-26T16:08:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you don't realize how fast time flies until you think about how old someone was when you met them. We met Abby when she was 13. And it doesn't seem that long ago, but in the context of her now being a high school senior, that was a while ago. I remember when we met her, saying how cute she was, and she's still cute, but in a different way, a more grown up way. A more stunning way (I'm sure her dad doesn't want to hear that word!). We used a few new spots outside on this shoot, like an old corrugated aluminum garage. But it totally worked, and the shots in front of that old wall are my favorites. We love working with Abby's family, definitely the kind of people you would want to spend vacations and holidays with. When the shoot went a little later and we had to pick the boys up from daycare, Abby's mom, Tammy entertained Lane. Of course Lane loved her! But I digress, back to Abby... here are our top picks from Abby's senior session. Stunning, right?

Lindsey's Senior Session - Selinsgrove Senior Pictures

2011-08-23T17:14:00.000-04:00

I wish I had a smile like Lindsey's. This is a girl, who even when I asked her to give me a serious look, still had a hint of a smile on her face. And I believe that is a good thing! She has such a sweet, sincere smile, that she's meant to be smiling. Lindsey brought her friend, Brittney with her, and we put the two of them together for a few shots. My favorite is the one of them laughing (if I remember correctly, I asked them to be serious and give me a model look and they both burst into laughter, which I think is much more fun anyway). Thanks for coming to Blue Dog for your senior pictures Lindsey! Here are a few of our favorites.

The Brits - Part Two - Selinsgrove Senior Pictures

2011-08-13T09:30:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I blogged about Britni and Brittany, two friends who came in to get their senior pictures together, but I wanted to give each one of them their own post. Here are a few of our favorite shots from Britni's session. To see Brittany's pictures, refer to yesterday's post.

The Brits - Part One - Selinsgrove Senior Picture Photographer

2011-08-12T11:06:00.000-04:00

We recently had two friends, both named Brittany / Britni, come in for their senior pictures together. They were both tall, pretty and had lots of long, thick, gorgeous hair. Jeff and I called them "The Brits". It was fun to take pictures of friends together, because they could make each other laugh and enjoy their senior picture experience together. I find names and their spellings interesting (remember, you're hearing this from a woman who knew the exact date her baby boy was being born via scheduled c-section and still had 10 names the week before his birth, 4 names the day we went into the hospital and an unnamed baby for 2 days, while toying around with 2 of the remaining names - Lane won over Donovan in the end) and I think it does make you part of who you are. And having once been a part of a dynamic duo both named Heather, I called them by "Brittany" and "the other Britni" (or vice versa) depending on whom I was talking to. (My college roommate, Heather also had the same last initial as me, M, so we couldn't even differentiate that way. Apparently the person in charge of room assignments had fun with that). So without further ado, here are some of our favorite shots from the first Brittany's pictures. Check back tomorrow for the other Britni.

Vacation, vacation, vacation!

2011-08-02T14:08:00.000-04:00

Yay, we are going on vacation! The first in two years (and baby Lane's first ever). First stop, Brigantine, New Jersey to spend a few days with my aunt, cousins and their families. Conor is excited to see his cousin Leo, who is visiting from Colorado. Then onto Ocean City, Maryland to spend a few days with my dad and friends. We'll be back in the studio on Tuesday, August 9. So until then, we won't be checking email (we can't do that with our phones) or checking the answering machine at the studio. Back to reality next week!

Courtney's Senior Pictures - Selinsgrove Senior Portrait Photographer

2011-08-01T16:59:00.000-04:00

Courtney had a bunch of really busy days in a row, and we saw her throughout most of it. We had originally scheduled her senior pictures on the Monday following her sister, Kara's wedding. But, since the weather report called for rain, we did half of her session on Thursday. We saw her again on Saturday, as the maid of honor at Kara's wedding (she did a great job as maid of honor and gave an excellent toast to her sister and brother-in-law: funny stories, not too embarrassing, just the right length and sweet). And we finished her pictures Monday morning, barely missing the rain. Seriously, I think I had driven a mile and a half from the shoot and it started to pour! Courtney was great to work with - she has a great smile, and can pull off a beautiful serious look with the best of them and was upbeat through it all. Thanks for coming to Blue Dog for your senior pictures Courtney! We had a really hard timing picking just a few of favorites, but here they are.

Erin + Kelly - Bloomsburg University Engagement Pictures - Bloomsburg Wedding Photographer

2011-07-29T13:06:00.000-04:00

So what happened during this engagement shoot? Well, let's see, we walked the entire campus of Bloomsburg University in sweltering heat, found a lost cell phone (and had campus police actually speed up when we tried to wave them down to hand in the cell phone!), we talked about the Seinfeld episode with "man hands", the peace loving hippies asking people to honk for peace and how they better be gone by the time we got to the Bloomsburg fountain, what kind of fines we would get if anyone got in the fountain, and toward the end, the word "pierogies" was whispered quite a bit. And most importantly, we got some amazing shots of Erin and Kelly! This is one fun couple and if the fun we had during their engagement session is any inclination of the kind of wedding they are going to have, we can't wait. Here are a few of our favorite shots from their engagement pictures (and no, we didn't get in the Bloomsburg fountain, but we thought about it.)

Devon + Kyle - Susquehanna University Engagement Pictures - Selinsgrove Wedding Photography

2011-07-22T16:42:00.000-04:00

Devon has a special place in my heart. She and my brother have been great friends for years and I have gotten to know her pretty well. She is super sweet and the kind of person I would like to have as a sister. When we talk about her wedding on the phone, we end up chatting about lots more than the wedding and I lose track of time. But back up a minute. When Devon's, dad, Ed (who is a driver for Susquehanna Valley Limousine and who we spend many weddings with) told us Devon got engaged, I told him she had to call us. And I wondered who this special guy was. I had heard about him, but never actually met him. But after I met Kyle the first time, then spent a few hours with him and Devon on their engagement shoot, I could see why she loves him (just him admitting that he does yoga with her earned tons of brownie points from me). And you can see how much he loves her too in the adoring way he looks at her and talks about her. They both went to Susquehanna University, but never actually dated while they were in school. So as alumni, we headed over to campus for part of their engagement session. S.U. has a great campus with tons of spots for photos. Their wedding will be at the Priestley-Savidge House in the fall and I know this will be a gorgeous wedding and lots of fun. Let the countdown begin!

Selinsgrove Senior Pictures - Lorenz's Senior Session - Central PA Senior Photographer

2011-07-13T10:10:00.002-04:00

Lorenz, who is a linebacker for the Selinsgrove Seals is a really great guy. He came to the studio a little apprehensive about his senior picture shoot, but after talking for a little while and a few shots in front of the camera, he became a natural model. In the midst of our shoot we discovered Lorenz's best looks came when he was serious like when he is in the football field. Some people can't pull off serious, but Lorenz can, and he can do it well. But he also has a great smile, and when we got him to laugh a little we saw his real personality come out. Thanks for coming down to Blue Dog, Lorenz, it was a pleasure getting to know you.

Herndon PA Wedding Photographer - Olivia + Kyle - Front Street Station Wedding Reception

2011-07-12T16:47:00.000-04:00

Isn't life funny? Olivia and Kyle have lived within a few miles of each other all their lives, but didn't go to the same schools or ever met. Until one night while out with friends, they met and the rest is history. If they wouldn't have been out that night, would they still have met another way? I think they would have. Because they were meant to be together, it's as simple as that. They compliment each other in so many ways and you can tell that they are comfortable with each other, have respect for each other and truly love each other. We had worked with Olivia's family in the past, and they are some of our favorite people, so when Olivia and Kyle came in to talk about us photographing their wedding, we were really hoping we would get the chance to work with their family again.
The wedding day was perfect, and even though it ended up raining, we were able to grad a handful of outside shots between rain showers. Thanks for choosing us to a part of your wedding day Olivia and Kyle - it was truly an honor!

Olivia and Kyle's vendors for the day:
Ceremony: St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Klingerstown, PA
Reception: Front Street Station, Northumberland, PA
Bride's dress: Bride's Bouquet, Selinsgrove, PA
Tuxes: Grand Entrance, Elizabethville, PA
Flowers: Bittersweet Designs, Herdnon, PA
D.J.: Wayzac, Herndon, PA
Cake: Keeley's Cakes, Lewisburg, PA
Transporation: Susquehanna Valley Limousine, Northumberland, PA

Christina + Chris - Williamsport PA Wedding Photographer

2011-07-11T16:47:00.000-04:00

We met Christina and Chris just a few moments after they had been married. They had a small, private ceremony, just the two of them, and asked us to take some pictures for them. It was Friday afternoon on the 4th of July weekend and the day had become rather hot. We met up at a spot that I thought would be nice, by the creek. A little breeze kept us cooler, and as the shoot progressed and we learned more about them, they gave us great smiles and real laughs. It was great getting to know them in that hour, it's funny how much you can share with someone in a matter of 60 minutes.

Cecilia + Mark - Selinsgrove PA Engagement Pictures - Shamokin PA Wedding Photographer

2011-07-08T14:43:00.000-04:00

When I look at these pictures, I smile. Can you believe how cute Cecilia and Mark are together? Really, if they are like this on their wedding day (which I anticipate them being) our job will be so easy. We really didn't have to give much direction, besides look at each other, cuddle up, whisper in her ear. And after that, the smiles, the looks, the emotions are all them, 100%. We're looking forward to their wedding in September - they have a few fun surprises up their sleeves, so stay tuned.

Leelin at 2 - Cental PA Child Photographer

2011-07-07T16:32:00.000-04:00

We have been photographing a lot of little boys over the past few months and they are all so darn cute! Leelin's photo shoot was for his second birthday and this little guy was ready for his "close up" from the beginning. He came prepared with his favorite toys, and of course his Mommy and Grammy. They helped get a lot of great smiles and laughs out of him, and just general cuteness of course. Here are a few of the shots we like best.

The A Family - Lewisburg Family Pictures

2011-07-06T13:47:00.000-04:00

When I thought about having children, I had always envisioned myself with girls. The thought of having boys wasn't really anything that crossed my mind. Well surprise, it's not a choice and I have two boys! And now that I have two boys, I can't imagine having girls. And after the shoot with these two boys, the thought that came into my mind was "This is my future. I know it." Isaac and Bryce had so much energy, it made me tired just watching them! Their mom, Laura, has a lot of patience, and I just hope when my boys get to be these ages, I can be as patient as she is. In spending this hour with them, I could see how completely different they were - in their interactions with their mom, with each other and with Warner and me. I let Warner step in and take a few shots of them at the end of the shoot and the boys LOVED it - they completely hammed it up for him (he took the arm wrestling shot). And although my favorites from a shoot usually end up being the first few, the ones I like best from this one are the last ones (the first image above is the next to last shot I took). I had a hard time narrowing it down to our requisite few for the blog, and had to leave a few extras in. Boys, boys, boys!

Reece at 1 - Selinsgrove Baby and Child Photographer

2011-07-01T13:08:00.000-04:00

Little Reece was so expressive at his 1 year photo session, it was hard for us to choose a few of our favorites to share. When they first came into the studio, it took him a few minutes to warm up and realize that his mommy wasn't leaving him. And once he understood that, what a smiley little guy he became! This one is going to be a ladies man - you can tell that already. Watch out!

Tina and Sarah - Selinsgrove Family Pictures

2011-06-24T15:39:00.000-04:00

We love Tina and Sarah. And I'm not just using the term, "love", lightly. We really do. This incredible duo (yeah, they are kind of like super heroes) are not just clients, they have become our friends over the years. They are the kind of people who honestly care when they ask how's it going, the kind of people you want to cuddle up and watch a movie with. Their relationship reminds me of my relationship with my mom, so that's a good thing. This was one of our quick sessions that we ran with our Mother's Day Special, and we had a hard time editing it down, so we left the choice up to them. Aren't they cute??

Finao One Wedding Album - Custom Wedding Album Design - Selinsgrove, PA Wedding Photographer

2011-06-18T10:15:00.000-04:00

We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our new album company, Finao! We had been searching for a new manufacturer for a few months and stumbled upon Finao. After some research, we decided to go with them for a few reasons: they have a large selection of gorgeous cover options, their product is superior to other albums, they only deal with professional photographers and their customer service completely rocks. Seriously, if I have a question, they respond to my email the same day. There is something to be said for that. We had ordered a sample album from them a few months ago, and since having this sample, about 90% of our wedding clients decided to switch from the album they had originally chosen to a Finao album - they are that awesome. We did our sample album with the Swiss Chocolate back and spine and Into the Sea as the main cover fabric. The other album is for Amanda and Nick, and has the cover in Ludicrous, with an accent stripe in Willow Tree. Both are gorgeous! Thanks for a great product that we can stand behind, Finao!

Featured Frame - Lucerne by Larson-Juhl - Selinsgrove, PA Custom Framing

2011-06-17T13:19:00.000-04:00

The featured frames from Friday, June 17 through Friday, July 1 are the "Lucerne" series by Larson-Juhl. These are a nice, heavy frame, with a depth of 1 5/8" to 1 3/4" from the wall. The profile measures from 1 1/4" to 3 5/8" wide. This series comes in 4 different shades : ivory (which is silverish), red, black and gold, with each color having a silver or gold accent on the inner edge of the moulding. These frames look great on canvas prints, any kind of original artwork and black and white photographs. The Lucerne series is discounted 20% until July 1, with a price of $15.18, $23.73 & $30.26 per foot. If you're looking for an impressive frame at a really great price, this is the one.

2012 Senior Picture Specials - Selinsgrove Senior Pictures

2011-06-09T15:38:00.000-04:00

It's Senior Picture time again! And we have some really great specials for the class of 2012!
During June and July, if you order your pictures within 2 weeks of receiving your proofs, you will get 48 extra wallets FREE! (A $44 value).
Plus get 5 facebook profile pictures for FREE.
And until July 31 only, we are running a 2 for 1 special. Schedule your senior pictures the same time as your friend and you will pay for only one session!
Call the studio at 570-372-0568 or email info@bluedogimaging.com to reserve your session time.

Austin's Senior Picture Session - Selinsgrove, PA Senior Pictures

2011-06-07T16:34:00.000-04:00

We like when seniors come in with items for their shoot that are unique. Austin's katana is a replica of the sword from the movie, "Kill Bill" and Jeff was up to the task to photograph him. He started with some more traditional shots with Austin in a suit and then introduced the katana and eventually a handmade Asian style robe. I think Jeff really caught Austin's personality in these shots, and since he knew more about these props than I did, he really clicked with him and made him relax in front of the camera. Here are some of our favorite shots. Best of luck with everything, Austin!

Conor & Lane - Memorial Day Weekend - Central PA Candid Children Pictures

2011-06-06T11:35:00.000-04:00

I thought I would share some recent pictures of our little munchkins, Conor and Lane. It's been a while, and we have had requests for pictures of them, so here they are playing in the water and just being them. I love the looks Lane gives - he's very expressive. And Conor is at the age where he is becoming a big ham. This kid loves to look at himself! (A big part of that stems from us holding him in front of the mirror when he would cry as a baby, which would always make him stop crying since he would see his reflection - now he just loves to ham it up in front of the mirror, a reflective window or the camera!)

Morgan's Senior Picture Session - Selinsgrove, PA Senior Pictures

2011-06-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

I can't believe how fast this year has flown by! When we had our last day with our intern, Katelin, I thought we should have a few more weeks with her. But no - this year's class is getting ready to graduate in just a few days! Morgan is graduating with this class and we wanted to share a few of our favorite images from her senior session. These were taken at a family friend's house, and is also the same place that we took the pictures of Erin and her family. Best of luck with your future Morgan!

Hudson's 11 Month Portrait Session - Selinsgrove, PA Baby and Child Photographer

2011-06-02T10:05:00.001-04:00

This little guy has changed his looks so much over the first year and we were truly honored that his parents let us document the changes in him. From the first time we met Hudson, we could see he was an independent little man. And when he was walking and sitting on his tricycle at his 7 month session, I couldn't believe it! But Hudson's been like that from the start. For this last session, we met at the Lewisburg Area Recreation Park by the pool. This is the ultimate playground for little kids (both of our boys LOVE going there and we can't leave Lewisburg without making a visit) and I thought it would be a fun place to photograph Hudson. He had fun playing with his mommy and daddy and following the ducks around too. And now Hudson has a new baby brother who we hope to meet in the next few weeks. Here are some of our top picks from the last session documenting Hudson's first year.

Jamie + Clint - Pump House Park - Selinsgrove, PA Engagement Pictures

2011-06-01T12:20:00.000-04:00

I met Jamie at the Daily Item wedding show at the Revival Tabernacle back in October. I liked her right from the start - she was friendly, straight forward and her wedding sounded like a lot of fun. Plus she won our gift certificate at the show, so it was meant to be. I love doing engagement pictures outside, and with the crazy rainy weather being a huge factor this spring, we had to postpone she and Clint's engagement session until it dried out a bit. But it completely worked in their favor since the trees were flowering, the grass was green and the sun was finally out. Jamie and Clint are the kind of people we love to work with - their super nice, easy to talk to and fun. We laughed a lot during this session (and I just had to include the shot where they were both laughing at something Jeff said... but I can't remember what). We're looking forward to their wedding at the Caldwell Consistory in Bloomsburg. It's been completely redone since we have been there last, and Bloomsburg has so many nice locations for pictures. Here are a few of our favorite shots from their session - Jamie said they were having a hard time picking, so maybe seeing which ones we like will help a little bit.

Featured Frame - Mantilla - Selinsgrove Custom Framing

2011-05-27T16:22:00.000-04:00

Our featured frames for this Friday is one my favorites, the Mantilla series. Mantilla comes in 4 different finishes: gold, silver, black and ivory. It has a very subtle relief design and can go with anything from a wedding picture, to an original piece of artwork. The Mantilla series from Larson-Juhl comes in 3 sizes: 3/4", 1 3/4" and 3 1/4". Mantilla also has matching fillets for each color. For the next two weeks (May 27 through June 10) the entire Mantilla series is discounted by 20%.

Front Street Station Wedding Reception - Lindsay + Bryan - Northumberland Wedding Photographer

2011-05-26T14:18:00.000-04:00

Lindsay and Bryan are such a great couple. Just the looks and laughs they had during their engagement shoot made us know they would be easy to work with on their wedding day. When we got to St. Pius on the wedding day and saw Lindsay's dress hanging up, I thought it would look perfect on her. And then she put it on and let me just say that Lindsay was the epitome of a fairy tale bride! It wasn't just her dress, it was her hair, her smile and most of all her radiance. In the shots from the beginning of the ceremony, you can follow the expressions on Bryan's face as he waits for Lindsay to come down the aisle. Her smile is contagious and he is beaming back at her - good stuff! You can tell how much they love and respect each other with the looks they share. After the ceremony we headed over to Front Street Station, stopping along the way for a few outdoor shots of the wedding party. Had to take advantage of that pretty blue sky. The reception was perfect - great toasts, good music, lots of smiles, crazy dancing and just a lot of fun. Thanks for having us be a part of your wedding day Lindsay and Bryan - it was perfect!
Lindsay and Bryan's vendors for the day:
Ceremony: St. Pius X Catholic Church, Selinsgrove, PA
Reception: Front Street Station, Northumberland, PA
Bride's dress: Bride's Bouquet, Selinsgrove, PA
Tuxes: Men's Wearhouse
Flowers: Kreations by Kris, Selinsgrove, PA
Wedding music: Susquehanna Valley String Quartet
Cake: The Cake Lady, Cindy Strawser
Limo: Smoley Van Services, Selinsgrove, PA

Marie + Tony - Keithan's Bluebird Gardens, Sunbury, PA - Selinsgrove, PA Engagement Photographer

2011-05-24T15:30:00.000-04:00

You know those days when you just want to stay in bed? That is how I was feeling all day leading up to the evening before I was scheduled to meet Marie and Tony for their engagement pictures. It had been raining (geez, lately that's the norm around here) and was unseasonably chilly, you know, the stay in your sweats kind of day, but their wedding is in a few weeks, so I didn't want to reschedule. So I bundled up, met Katelin at Keithan's Bluebird Gardens and we scouted a few not too wet spots. And you know what? I am so glad that I went, because Tony and Marie had me laughing - a lot! They completely made my day, raised my spirits and really made me look forward to working with them on their wedding day. These two are such a cute couple and just the way they play off of each other and tease back and forth makes you smile. I felt mischevious just hearing their stories - especially the one of their proposal. They share stories, finish each others sentences and are truly made for each other. They are going to have a really incredible wedding (they have one of our favorite bands, Into the Spin, playing at the reception) and I'm sure it's going to a party not to be forgotten anytime soon.

Featured Frame - "Taffy" - Selinsgrove, PA Custom Framing

2011-05-13T08:00:00.013-04:00

Welcome to the first installment of our featured frame profile! Here at Blue Dog Imaging, we offer custom framing - not on just our photographs, but on anything you can think of that you would like custom framed: original artwork, prints, posters, needlepoint, cross-stitch, momentos, athletic jerseys, marriage certificates, canvases and the list goes on and on. Some of the most interesting things we have framed have been a tea brick that was brought over from the U.K. and a collage that consisted of photographs, excerpts of letters and medals from WW II. We feature the full line of Larson-Juhl frames, use only archival mats and use Tru Vue glass. Our awesome framer comes from a family of framers, and grew up in a home where her father had a custom framing gallery. She started helping him as a pre-teen and has over 30 years of custom framing experience, with many awards under her belt for gorgeous pieces that she has created. When clients see our framing nook for the first time, they are often surprised at the thousands of frames that we carry. For custom framing, our turnaround time is 2-4 weeks, depending on what you are having done. We love helping clients pick out frames and mats for custom framing; I liken it to picking out the perfect outfit for an occasion. We want to share the frames that we have, and we just got this fun new profile in that I had to take pictures of. This frame series is called "Taffy". We love folk art - bright colors, bold prints, fun subjects. And this series would look great on anything like that, children's artwork or anything else you can think of with bright colors. "Taffy" comes in 10 colors and one width. The regular price per foot on these frames are $12.32, but for the next two weeks (May 13 - May 27) we are discounting the profile by 20% to $9.86 a foot. Check back on May 27 for our next featured frame collection!

Keefer's 9 months session - Central PA Baby and Newborn Photographer

2011-05-10T15:52:00.000-04:00

Smiley babies make me happy, and Keefer is one of the smiliest babies you will ever see! (We even saw him this past weekend at his aunt's wedding, and he was grinning ear to ear). He was babbling and crawling, and basically just being cute while we took his pictures. His grandparents came along to help out and he absolutely adores them - and of course the feeling is mutual. I love the shot of him playing peek-a-boo with Mickey Mouse. Just a lot of cuteness here!

It's tough being a mom - Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T13:29:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day is about showing your appreciation for your mom and all that she has done for you. And I think at different stages in our lives, the way we feel about celebrating Mother's Day changes. When I was kid, it was all about getting her flowers and giving a mug or plaque that said "Best Mom in the World". And of course she was. As a teenager and young adult, I tried to find the nicest card possible, with the words that could sum up my love and devotion for her. (She was still the "Best Mom in the World", but the plastic magnet that said so didn't cut it anymore.) As an adult, going out to eat was the way she got the day off, and as I got a little older it was a meal at my house, so we could relax and enjoy the rest of the day together. Now, as a mother myself, it's not about having the whole family over, or flowers or plaques or cards, it's about the time we can spend together, just she and I. I always knew she sacrificed a lot for me - it was just the two of us from the time I was three years old and I remember times where her dinner was what was left on my plate when I was done. She wasn't a strict mom, but she didn't let me get away with a lot either, and by meeting in the middle, and letting me know she trusted me, I never felt I had to lie to her. (Well, okay, one time... but after she said she knew I wouldn't lie to her, I came crying from my room a few minutes later). I always hoped that my kids would have the love and appreciation that I have for my mom, and I know that's saying a lot, but she left some big shoes for me to fill. I can never thank my mom enough for just being my mom. But I hope she knows. Love you mom!

Maya at 2 - Central PA Newborn and Baby Photographer

2011-05-06T11:00:00.000-04:00

For this post, I was trying to figure out how old Maya was, exactly. I knew it was near her 2nd birthday, so I thought if I checked our blog post from her first session, I could figure it out. And in looking at the first blog post, I am just awestruck at how much she changed in just a little over a year. I see it in my own kids all the time, and it's just so sweet to see the way these little people develop their own personalities. We had photographed Maya at her day care a few months prior to this, and we weren't sure if she remembered us, but she was so friendly and sweet we thought she did (but yeah, I know at that age she probably didn't, but I can think she did....). When Jeff headed over to her house to photograph this session, he came back and gushed at how amazingly perfect and happy she was. Well honey, I think you did a great job with Maya's pictures and captured how perfect she is!

Tedd's on the Hill Wedding - Tamatha + Kurt - Selinsgrove Wedding Photographer

2011-05-05T10:05:00.000-04:00

Tamatha and Kurt had a gorgeous outdoor wedding at Tedd's on the Hill in Selinsgrove, PA. Seriously, I think it was one of the nicest days ever for a wedding. They set up the ceremony site off to the side, underneath the trees and there was a nice, gentle breeze every now and then. Most of their guests traveled from pretty far away and I think they got a nice taste of Pennsylvania in the fall. Inside, Roxanne from Unforgettable Events had pulled out all the stops in her decorations, and Tamatha had paid so much attention to detail, from the style of her flowers complimenting the era style of her dress to tiny little pumpkins as decorations. But the topper of the evening was when Tamatha took the stage with the Rick Hirsch's band, Quintessence and played bass for two songs! Now we have seen a few brides sing, or play a bit of a song, but Tamatha is an accomplished musician and this girl rocked out! Everyone was on their feet dancing and cheering - it was awesome. It was great to work with her and Kurt (and their son Aiden) and we truly felt like family by the end of the night. Thanks for allowing us to be a part of your day guys - it was fun!
Tamatha + Kurt's vendors for the day:
Pre-ceremony location: The Selinsgrove Inn, Selinsgrove, PA
Ceremony and reception location: Tedd's on the Hill, Selinsgrove, PA
Bride's dress: Bride's Bouquet, Selinsgrove, PA
Men's tuxes: J. Kleinbauer's, Selinsgrove, PA
Flowers: Rine's Florist, Selinsgrove, PA
Cake: Donita's Bakery, Mifflinburg, PA
Wedding coordinator: Unforgettable Events, Sunbury, PA
Wedding band: Quintessence, State College, PA
Limo: Susquehanna Valley Limousine, Northumberland, PA

Spring Headshot Winner - Central PA Headshot Photographer

2011-05-04T13:16:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to the beautiful winner of our Spring Headshot Giveaway, Amy Caron! Amy is a singer with an incredible voice and will be using her headshots in her press packages. All of her pictures were great, but here are her favorites.

Time for Graduation Announcements - Selinsgrove Senior Pictures - Photographer, Selinsgrove, PA

2011-05-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again - time for graduation announcements! I know for many seniors, it seems like this year had flown by, and parents are approaching the graduation date with mixed feelings of joy and sadness. This year, some of the senior parents were people whom I had gone to high school with, and now that I have my own kids, I can completely empathize with them on this. You want your baby to stay your baby, but you also want them to be their own person and have their own life experiences. We have had such amazing seniors this year - all great kids who make their parents truly proud. Here are a few designs we have come up with so far for some of them. Best of luck class of 2011!

Miss Amelia - Selinsgrove, PA Baby and Child Photographer

2011-05-01T13:25:00.000-04:00

Amelia's mom, Linsley, won a free session during our "Who do You Love?" Valentine's promotion on facebook. We had seen Amelia and her family quite a while back, when she was 6 months old. She was adorable then, and it was great to see the changes in her. She has a wonderful personality, one of those kids who probably won't be scared of much. Here are some of our favorites from her session.

Lewisburg, PA Wedding Photographer - Amanda + Nick - Lewisburg Hotel Reception

2011-04-30T16:02:00.002-04:00

What a time we had with Nick and Amanda. From the moment we met them and did their engagement pictures, Jeff and I knew this was going to be fun. Like I said before, they remind me so much of us, the way they interact, Nick's mannerisms, Amanda's mannerisms, it's kind of eery (but in a good way). Nick and Amanda got married at the First Presbyterian Church in Lewisburg, a place we had frequented quite a bit last wedding season. We love this place, and everyone there is great to work with. (The minister's wife orchestrates the weddings and it's wonderful to have someone on hand who directs the wedding party). After the ceremony we headed over to my new favorite secret location, the Dale Engle Walker House. This is an old farm that is part of the historical society, and it really allows for endless possibilities when photographing. Of course the foundation wall is great for assembling a wedding party. The reception was at the Lewisburg Hotel and Amanda and Nick pulled out all the stops. These people really know how to have a good time! And the cake, how can we forget the cake?? Amanda is from the Philly area, and as a homage to her home, she had the wedding cake made like a Tastykake Kandy Kake. Amanda and Nick got one of our new Finao One albums, and I wanted to share a few of the spreads from their album with you, instead of individual images. Designing this album was quite a feat for me, because instead of Amanda and Nick picking the images and me making the design from their choices, I designed the album blindly, then had them come in to make changes and give their okay. I was so stoked when they came in and loved everything! The only changes they made were exchanging a handful of candids on the reception spreads. They picked a really awesome cover combination and I can't wait to share images of that when it comes in.
Amanda + Nick's vendors for the day:
Pre-ceremony location: Country Cupboard, Lewisburg, PA
Wedding Ceremony: First Presbyterian Church, Lewisburg, PA
Reception Location: The Lewisburg Hotel, Lewisburg, PA
Bride's dress: Bride's Bouquet, Selinsgrove, PA
Men's tuxes: J. Kleinbauer's, Selinsgrove, PA
Flowers: Kreations by Kris, Selinsgrove, PA
Wedding cake: Donita's Bakery, Mifflinburg, PA
D.J.: Ryan Miller Entertainment, Harrisburg, PA
Limo: Susquehanna Limo, Northumberland, PA

Layflat Wedding Album - Selinsgrove, PA Wedding Photographer

2011-04-29T14:58:00.000-04:00

We just got this album in, as a sample for Roxanne over at Unforgettable Events, and she already picked it up (I only had a few hours to look at it, so sad...). we just added this to our album lineup. It is the gorgeous layflat album from Miller's Lab. We had been asked to carry a mid-range album, and when we saw samples of this one from our photo lab, we knew we had found the answer. The pages of this album are printed on photographic paper, which is then bonded. The pages are a little thinner than our upper-level album, but they are substantial and won't bend or curve. These albums come in 13 different colors and we are offering them in 5x5, 8x8 and 10x10 sizes. Great as a parent album, or a full-size wedding album. Call us for pricing.

Where have 5 years gone?

2011-04-22T16:15:00.000-04:00

Today is Earth Day, a day that should be special for everyone. But it is also our five year wedding anniversary, a day that is special for us. And I can't believe everything that has happened in the very short span of five years! Two beautiful little boys, our own house, both of us working together full time, Jeff driving a van (snicker, snicker) and creating a life together that is more than I could ever imagine. I can remember the little details that made our wedding day special : the constant drizzling rain, the orange parrot tulips in my bouquet, the vase of irises in memory of Jeff's mom, my brother saying, "wine, why yes, I'll have some" during the wine sharing in our ceremony, our dogs walking down the aisle before us, the cake topper from my Nan's own wedding, the birthday cake and singing for my Grammy's birthday (her birthday was 5 days after our wedding), the 50 people that meant the most to us being there to celebrate with us. If I had to create that day all over again, I would do it exactly like we did five years ago. Happy Anniversary Jeff!

2011 Mother's Day Portrait Special

2011-04-19T15:51:00.000-04:00

Here we go again - Blue Dog Imaging's 2nd annual Mother's Day Special! (Yep, my fault we missed last year, because time got away from me - someone told me with your second child it's so much easier since you already have one... let me tell you, they lied! My time management went out the window last year, but I have a handle on it now).

You know all that your mom really wants is a family picture. How many times has she asked for one? How many times have you put it off? Now is your chance to give your mom what she really wants (and dad too) and get that family picture taken that you want, but just haven't had the time to schedule. From now until May 7 we are running a special just for this. We are lowering our regular session fee for family pictures to $80 for a regular session and for this special only, we are offering a quick session for $40. (Session fees are regularly $130 on location so you're saving quite a bit on this!) These prices are good for location pictures (meaning your house or backyard, a park, the creek, etc. - we are keeping it out of the studio). So what is the difference between a regular session and a quick session?

Regular session: One location within 25 miles of Selinsgrove, but multiple spots at that location. We can breakdown the family into different groups - i.e. entire family, mom & dad, kids, dad with kids, mom with kids, each kid alone. You will have both Jeff and myself for up to 45 minutes, taking an unlimited number of pictures. Edited images will be posted online, and you make your choices from there. No print order minimum.

Quick session: One location within 7 miles of Selinsgrove, 15 minutes of photography from one of us. We can breakdown into smaller groups as above, but keep in mind the time allowance. We take as many pictures as we can during this time and edit them down to 20, which are posted online. No print order minimum.

Busy and can't find a time before now and then? Prepay for your session, and we can schedule it anytime through May. Super easy, right?

So, pick which type of session works best for you. We ask you to place your orders within 7 days of seeing the proofs so that we can guarantee delivery by Mother's Day. So what are you waiting for? We don't do specials like this very often and when we do, times book up pretty quickly. Limited weekends are available. Call the studio at 570-372-0568 or email info@bluedogimaging.com to reserve your session.

Central PA Newborn Photographer - Skyler, 14 Days Old

2011-04-18T17:48:00.000-04:00

We had the opportunity to photograph little Skyler, two weeks after he was born. I forget how little newborns can be, and Skyler wasn't much bigger than either of my boys when they were born. Skyler's big brother, Carter helped us on the shoot, and was very patient, waiting his turn to get in some shots with his baby brother. These two are too cute!

Kara + Ryan's Engagement Session - Selinsgrove Engagement Photographer

2011-04-02T13:26:00.001-04:00

Every now and then we get people who want pictures taken in the snow. Kara and Ryan are two of those people. They braved a really, really cold day, but there was a lot of snuggling going on, so maybe it helped them stay a little bit warmer. We stayed around Selinsgrove for the shoot, using the old buildings on Market Street and the train station that is right around the corner from the studio. Kara and Ryan are such a cute couple, I know they will be incredible to work with on their wedding day. That's in July, so there won't be chattering teeth then. Bring on the summer!

Miss A's 9 and 12 month Sessions - Selinsgrove, PA Newborn and Baby Photographer

2011-04-01T13:22:00.000-04:00

So I'm going back, making sure that I had posted all of the kiddos sessions from their first year on our blog, and I cannot find Avery's 9 month session anywhere on this blog. I am upset that I didn't share any of her pictures from this shoot, because we know she is the cutest little thing ever. But I can make up for it, so here are pictures from her 9 month and 12 month session. There are a lot since I am combining two shoots. Her looks have really changed over this past year. I used to think she looked just like her daddy, but now she's starting to favor her mommy a little bit more. She may be the most expressive baby I have ever seen. Love her!

The "H" Family - Selinsgrove, PA Family Portrait Photographer

2011-04-01T12:39:00.000-04:00

We loved seeing the "H" family again! We had photographed Mommy and Daddy's wedding (a.k.a. Rae & Ryan) over five years ago at the gorgeous Stroudsmoor Inn in East Stroudsburg and we had found them again on facebook. In the years since their wedding, they had a cute little boy, Nolan, who is now 4 and a sweet little girl, Avery who is close to turning 1. Since they live in Reading, we hadn't met the kids, or even seen Rae and Ryan in person for that matter in years. The morning they came in, Conor was here with us waiting for his Gammy G to pick him up, and he and Nolan became fast friends over "Lightning McQueen" and the other Cars. Avery was the sweetest little thing and warmed up to us right away. And it was great to see Rae and Ryan again - we seriously do get to work with the best people and we still talk about how amazing their wedding was (and how fast the Lord's prayer was said in the rain!). You can see how much love there is in this family and we truly feel honored that they drove two hours to come back to us. Thanks guys - we hope to see you before another five years!

Katelin's Senior Pictures - Selinsgrove, PA Senior Portrait Photographer

2011-03-29T14:53:00.000-04:00

As you know, we have a special place in our hearts for Katelin. She is our incredibly awesome intern, who comes over from Shikellamy High School everyday to help us out and learn about photography. She isn't our first intern, and she probably won't be the last, but she is in the top 2 of all of the interns we have had, and she has set the bar even higher for what we expect from our interns. Why? It's really simple - her parents raised her right. She has values, she is polite, she's friendly and she has a really great work ethic. Even though we love Katelin, I did a terrible thing to her. I made her edit her own pictures (insert loud horror movie scream here). If you have never edited pictures, you probably don't know how bad that can be. We are known for overshooting - we want to get the best shot possible, and sometimes we get carried away with how incredible the light is, or how beautiful someone's smile is and we shoot and shoot and shoot. So those 36 proofs the senior is supposed to get, have been culled from 110. It's a difficult process. Two images may look similar, and you don't want to waste two spots on pictures that look almost identical. So you go back and forth and compare and compare some more. That is what Katelin was faced with. And to add to the situation her mom came in one day, and I invited her to sit down and pick out her favorites before Katelin even started editing. Then Katelin was faced with the task of should she keep in a picture she didn't like just because her mom liked it? I think in the end, she kept some of her mom's favorites and got to keep ones she liked too. Since I ultimately had final say in what proofs they got to see, I added ten more of my favorites back in for her. So she had an overwhelming amount of proofs - whew! Anyway, we loved Katelin's senior picture session and here are a few of our favorites!

Lewisburg Hotel Wedding - Lewisburg, PA Wedding Photographer - Katie + Adrian

2011-03-22T16:05:00.000-04:00

I remember the first day that we met Katie. It was a year and half before her wedding and she stopped by the studio. She told me her wedding date and without looking at any of our albums, said she wanted to book us for her wedding. Some of her friends had used us for their weddings and she knew the kind of pictures we took and we were who she wanted to work with. I wish it were that easy all of the time! When brides book us that far ahead, I know they are serious about the quality of their wedding pictures and it makes us feel honored that they chose us. Katie and Adrian were fun to work with from the start. Katie and Adrian's engagement pictures let us know they would be a great couple to work with. (I loved the pictures with the opposing baseball jerseys!) We started the wedding day taking pictures of Katie and the girls getting ready at the Lewisburg Hotel. These are some of my favorite getting ready pictures ever, and I could devote an entire blog post just to them. I love Katie's smile and her candid laughing while she was getting her makeup on. Katie is a beautiful woman to start with and as a bride, she was completely stunning. After heading down to Soldier's Park for formals of the girls, we drove out to Rebuck, for some formals of the guys before the wedding at Himmel's Church. We had never been to Himmel's Church, and driving up, it just looked like another brick church. But once inside, it was breathtaking with a gorgeous wooden ceiling that Jeff said reminded him of the hull of a ship. After the ceremony, we headed back to Lewisburg, for a few more group shots before the reception at the Lewisburg Hotel. Adrian's brother gave a great toast as best man, and there was lots of laughing, dancing and an awesome party atmosphere all night. We really are lucky that we get the best couples to work with on weddings. Thanks for letting us be a part of your day, Katie and Adrian - it was perfect!
Katie and Adrian's vendors for the day:
Ceremony location: Himmel's Church, Rebuck, PA
Reception location: Lewisburg Hotel, Lewisburg, PA
Bride's dress: Bride's Bouquet, Selinsgrove, PA
Tuxes: Tony's Custom Tailor Shop, Sunbury, PA
Flowers: Kreations by Kris Florist, Selinsgrove, PA
Wedding Cake: Phat & Happy Confections, Danville, PA
Limo: Susquehanna Valley Limousine, Northumberland, PA

Spring Headshot Giveaway

2011-03-14T14:53:00.002-04:00

Maybe it's because we finally got a glimpse of the sun, maybe it's because we have reached 400 "likes" on our facebook page, maybe it's just because we are ready for spring and feeling a little bit crazy, but we are starting a HEADSHOT GIVEAWAY that will run from today until next Monday, March, 21. For every 25 entries, we will pick one winner.
Everyone needs a great headshot and we have seen so many people whose headshots don't reflect them at all. Was your headshot taken more than 3 years ago, did you have a different hairstyle, have you had a ten pound or more fluctuation in weight, was the picture taken with a point and shoot with you standing straight on to the camera with a harsh flash (we have seen way too many of these!) - then you really need a great headshot! And getting it for free makes in even greater! It will just take a minute to enter.
To enter, you need to do three very simple things:
1. Go to the Blue Dog Imaging facebook page and like us. Click here to go to our page.
2. Go to the "Discussions" section on the page (you will find the tab on the left hand side of the screen), find the message for the Headshot Giveaway, and comment on it.
3. Copy and paste a link to this post on your facebook page saying that you entered.
For every 25 entries we receive, we will give away one free headshot. That means, the more people you tell about it, the more people will enter and you will have even more opportunities to win!
We will pick winners at random, from random.org on Monday, March 21 at noon. Good luck! The rules are below.
OFFICIAL RULES FOR THE BLUE DOG IMAGING HEADSHOT GIVEAWAY:
1. Entries will be taken from Monday, March 14 through Monday, March 21 at 10 AM. Any entries marked after 10 AM on March 21 will not be qualified.
2. One winner will be awarded, with an additional winner added for every 25 entries. 2 winners for 50 entries, 3 winners for 75 entries, etc. Winners will be chosen from random.org from the total entries received.
3. The winning prize/s is one in studio headshot from Blue Dog Imaging. The headshot session is for one person and includes one outfit, one background and one look retouched on CD with a copyright release. The session fee is a $95 value and cannot be exchanged or refunded. There will be no substitutions or exceptions. Any other additions (i.e. outfit, background, lighting changes or additional retouched image) may be added at regular cost by the winner.
4. The winner/s will be notified via facebook message and must contact Blue Dog Imaging by Wednesday, March 23 to set up a time for their session, or session will be forfeited and another winner will be chosen in their place. Headshot session must take place by April 6 or it will be forfeited.

Wedding at Frosty Valley Country Club - Lewisburg, PA Wedding Photographer - Elizabeth + Marc

2011-03-11T16:45:00.003-05:00

When I process pictures to go on our blog, sometimes it's easy to pick the ones I like, and sometimes, it's really, really difficult. With Elizabeth and Marc's wedding, it was very difficult - simply because I liked so many pictures, I had a hard time picking a few to share with you. You never know what kind of images you will get at a wedding. You hope that the couple will be fun and animated and we will get incredible moments to capture, but you never know. We lucked out with this one, and it wasn't just the couple, it was all of the elements of the day that played into getting the images we got. My favorite images from this day are the ones that just happened - the bridesmaids helping Elizabeth get ready, Marc's look when she got to the front of the church, the tears in his mother's eyes when she danced with him at the reception, guests laughing during the "noodle game". And my all time favorite moment of this wedding was Elizabeth's father dancing with her to the Penn State alma mater (all 1 minute plus of it), him throwing his hands in the air, then kissing her cheek at the end. It was funny, it was sweet, it was memorable. Marc and Elizabeth are a great couple and you can see how much they care for each other in the little looks they give each other. Thanks for letting us be a part of your wedding day Elizabeth and Marc - it was great getting to know you over the past year.

Vendors for the day:
Wedding ceremony - First Presbyterian Church, Lewisburg, PA
Wedding reception - Frosty Valley Country Club, Danville, PA
Hair & Makeup: Sculptures Island Salon, Northumberland, PA
Flowers: Rine's Florist, Selinsgrove, PA
Reception music: For Play Sounds
Wedding video: McVicar Video, Lewisburg, PA
Wedding cake: Donita's Bakery, Mifflinburg, PA

Move It! Harrisburg, PA Commercial Photographer

2011-03-09T14:09:00.001-05:00

Although the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts is a great place for people of all ages, if you are a parent of a younger child (anywhere from 2-15), this place is gold, especially on a rainy or gloomy winter day. Located in downtown Harrisburg, they have the hands-on Harso Science Center and an IMAX theater. So between the two, you could fill your whole day with fun. We went to the science center a few weeks ago to photograph their newest installment "Move It", which focuses on industry and transportation. We shared the space with the guys from GK Visual, who were filming segments for a commercial and I think we all came away with excellent images to work with.

Wedding at Spyglass Ridge Winery - Sunbury Wedding Photographer - April + Justin

2011-03-04T15:51:00.001-05:00

Thought I would bring you another HOT wedding in the middle of this chilly winter. Yes, April and Justin got married on the hottest day of this past summer. But in looking at the pictures, they don't look hot at all! The ceremony and reception all took place at Spyglass Ridge Winery, a gorgeous place to photograph any time of the year. We really enjoyed working with April and Justin - we hit it off right from the start with them. They had been through a lot together, and it's wonderful to see people who are so deserving to have such a perfect wedding day. Well, maybe not completely perfect for Justin, since he got the worst smearing of wedding cake on his face that we have honestly ever seen! And just when you thought the cake smashing was over, it wasn't. But it was all done with love, that's what counts. One of my very favorite detail shots is the one we took of their rings with the hands of these cute wooden bobble heads they had by their cake. The guests were great, and this was seriously a wedding that it would have been a blast to be guests. Thanks for letting us be a part of your day April and Justin - it was truly an honor.

Vendors for the day:
Bride's dress: Special Moments, Schuylkill Haven
Flowers: Kreations by Kris, Selinsgrove
Ceremony music: Class Distinction
Catering: S & M Catering, Mifflinburg
Ceremony and Reception: Spyglass Ridge Winery, Sunbury
Reception Music: Friends

Two big numbers in one week...

2011-02-21T13:58:00.000-05:00

Last week was a really crazy week for us, and this is a little belated, but I have to wish a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Baby Lane! He turned 1 on Wednesday. I know everyone says it, but the first year flies by so quickly. We feel like Lane is more of a baby at 1 than Conor was, and it's nice to able to savor the cuddling and carrying around for a little longer. Lane enjoyed his birthday cake last weekend, at a small family party at our house (I made him my favorite, carrot cake). And even though he was sick with a stuffy nose and cough, he was a trooper and entertained everyone all evening, falling asleep in Jeff's arms around 8pm.
So, the next day was my birthday day, you know the BIG one. I think I was more freaked out about turning 33 than I was about turning 40. There, now you all know how old I really am. Yup, 40. YIKES! I don't feel 40, and I hope I don't look 40, but I think 40 looks younger now than it did 25 years ago. I did have a moment of reflection on my life so far, and I really don't regret anything that I have done. I have the most wonderful people in my life, I have traveled, I have lived in different parts of the country, I have had life changing experiences. And it's all made me who I am today. So my goals for the next 40 years...I'll have to think about it and get back to you. It's not that I don't have any, but I'm so involved in the now of my life, that I'm lucky if I can plan ahead a month or two, let alone 40 years. I'm pretty content with where I have landed right now.

Julie + Paul's engagement session - Selinsgrove Wedding Photographer

2011-02-10T09:30:00.001-05:00

They say slow and steady wins the race, and in the case of slow and steady being waiting for decent weather for Julie and Paul's engagement pictures, we sure did win the race. It wasn't rain or snow we were dealing with - it was wind. Lots of strong winds. So we rescheduled quite a few times. I was hoping Julie and Paul would hang in there until we could find a day that worked with their schedules (and have decent weather), and luckily they did. And they got, what is one my very favorite engagement sessions of the year. It also made it one my favorites, because the couple was just that much fun to be with. Between Paul and Jeff telling stories, there were a lot of laughs in this one. And you can tell how much Julie and Paul not only love each other, but how comfortable they are just being together. That is a very good thing!

Logan's 2 year session - Lewisburg, PA Portrait Photographer

2011-02-08T16:09:00.001-05:00

Ahhh, catching up blogging on months old sessions. We saw Logan last year for his 1 year session, when he had just learned to walk. Well, in typical two year-old fashion, he can't sit still now! He and his parents were visiting his grandparents in Lewisburg and it was a beautiful morning, so we took all of the pictures outside. Logan loved running all around the yard and just checking everything out. It's amazing how children look at the world and open our eyes to things in a new way. I'm looking forward to seeing Logan again next year.

Wedding at Barn at Boone's Dam - Bloomsburg Wedding Photographer - Lisa + Adam

2011-01-28T19:48:00.003-05:00

One of our favorite local wedding venues is the Barn at Boone's Dam, in Bloomsburg. And it just happens, that Lisa and Adam, one of our rockin' couples this past summer, got married and had their reception there! It was a hot day, but everyone had a great time (some drinking beer brewed by the groom himself for the occasion) and a local jam band, Lumpy Gravy, had everyone on the dance floor at the reception. The band even let the gorgeous bride sit in on guitar for a song, which completely impressed me. I mean seriously, how often do you see a bride jam out with the band, while wearing her wedding dress? Thanks for the fun Adam and Lisa!

Everyone should have a Katelin - Photography Intern

2011-01-11T16:18:00.001-05:00

If we haven't told you yet, we absolutely LOVE our intern, Katelin! She came to see us before school started this past summer, asking about learning about photography. We talked about an internship, and she actually gets to leave school for a few hours each day to come to the studio and help us and hopefully learn a few things while she's here. She was asked to take a picture for her yearbook of her doing her "career exploratory", so we did one fun one in the studio and another of her working at the computer. We'll be sad when the school year is over, but hopefully she will stick around for a while this summer and be our assistant at weddings. Thanks for everything you do for us Katelin - YOU ROCK!

Goodbye Grammy

2011-01-04T22:02:00.000-05:00

2010 began with the birth of our son, Lane, and ended with the passing of my Grammy, Elva Moyer, on Christmas Eve. It is so difficult to find mere words to describe what someone meant to you, especially when that person was such a big part of your life. Grammy helped raise me, and as a child, I spent many of my weekends with her. At the time, I was the only grandchild who lived nearby, so I got lots of extra attention from her. I remember Saturday afternoons spent shopping, and she would always let me pick out a new book. We would end the day going to the movies and getting dinner on the way home. I always felt very special when I was with her and knew the love that I had for her was mutual. Having both of my grandmothers as an adult, is part of what spurred me to move back to my hometown after I had left it for ten years. Originally I moved back to Freeburg, where Grammy lived, and I would stop by her house almost every morning when I took my dog for her daily walk. I enjoyed being able to stop by to see her at any time, and we would do simple things like grocery shopping together. Grammy had so many influences on my life and I don't know how I will go on without her. She was an incredible woman, a strong woman, and I am so very lucky to have had her in my life.

Holiday orders completed!

2010-12-16T17:53:00.001-05:00

We are proud to say that all of our holiday orders are completed and have been submitted.... but now just one small glitch. There is a snow storm in Missouri, where our lab is, and we were notified that the orders have been delayed by a day. So, everything will still be here before December 22 (if not sooner) and we will call you when it gets here. Now just to check everything in, make appointments and then relax! Happy Holidays!

Olivia and Kyle's Engagement Session - Herndon Wedding Photographer

2010-12-15T16:41:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, rescheduling is a good thing. In this case, it truly was, or Olivia and Kyle wouldn't have had these gorgeous leaves for their engagement pictures. We headed over to the Lykens Glen Park for this engagement session. We had been there before for April and Justin's engagement session last year, and knew it was a pretty little park, especially in the fall. Kyle and Olivia were naturals in front of the camera, and I think their wedding will be a great one this spring. Here are a few of our favorite pictures from the engagement session.

Wedding at Susquehanna Valley Country Club - Selinsgrove, PA Wedding Photograhper - Gina + Damian

2010-12-14T14:23:00.003-05:00

Fun, fun, fun! That is what comes to mind when we think of Gina and Damian. We hit it off right from the start with these two and we were really looking forward to their wedding day. So why were they so fun? Well, just take a look at their pictures and see. They started their wedding ceremony with a song that Damian had written and composed just for Gina and ended the ceremony with a special secret handshake, which had the guests laughing. The wedding party entrances at the Susquehanna Valley Country Club were each very unique, with a great one with a "Matrix" twist. And then there was THE SHOE. Lets just say, THE SHOE is legendary in their circle of family and friends for a certain strong spirit, and it made the rounds that night. This was definitely a wedding we would have loved to have been guests at. Thanks for letting us be a part of your wedding day, Gina and Damian - the day was perfect!

The vendors for the day:
Ceremony: St. John's Lutheran Church, Northumberland, PA
Reception: Susquehanna Valley Country Club, Selinsgrove, PA
Bride's Dress: Brides's Bouquet, Selinsgrove, PA
Flowers: Something Special, Sunbury, PA
Tuxes: Bridals by J, Selinsgrove, PA
Cake: Country Cupboard, Lewisburg, PA
DJ: Kent Wissinger, Exclaim DJs, Harrisburg, PA

Noah and Gabe - Selinsgrove Child Portrait Photographer

2010-12-13T19:29:00.001-05:00

I love Noah and Gabe - they are two little kids with a lot of personality. And they remind me so much of my boys. They have about the same age difference as Conor and Lane, Noah has light eyes like Conor, while Gabe has darker eyes like Lane, and just the way they interact is how I think our boys will act in a few years. I hadn't seen the boys for a year, but they warmed up pretty quickly. Noah was ready to get his picture taken that day, while Gabe just wasn't in the mood. So we asked them to play in the leaves and run around. That's what Gabe wanted to do all along, and that is when I got the best shots of him. One of my favorite pictures of them is the black and white of the two of them rolling in the leaves. A pure, fun, little boy moment. Thanks for asking us to photograph your family Mandi and Chris - we can't wait to see what next year brings!

My two favorite Christmas websites

2010-12-12T20:10:00.000-05:00

So, I'm pretty proud of myself, in the fact that I am keeping up with my own challenge of blogging once a day until Christmas. And today, instead of sharing more pictures (trust me, I have enough sessions to put up for a few more weeks), I want to share links to my two favorite fun Christmas websites.

The first is the "Portable North Pole". My friend, Sara, turned me onto this last year. I did this one last year for Conor, but of course he doesn't remember it. But it's a really fun site, that you can customize with your own pictures, a goal your child has been working towards and what kind of gift they want. There is even an option to send the message to an adult. Here is the message that Conor got from Santa. We had to watch this thing 6 times today! You can create your own after this one plays. Click here for Conor's message.

My other favorite website is a fun message you can send from the infamous "Bed Intruder", Antoine Dodson. Jeff and I love this guy, and I'm sending Jeff a birthday call from Antoine this Friday for his birthday. Click here to preview birthday, holiday and lots of other kinds of calls you can receive. Too funny!

Piper's 6 month session - Selinsgrove Baby Photographer

2010-12-11T14:50:00.001-05:00

You know how you hear the phrase "Never say "never" "? Well, when I first opened the studio 9 years ago, I said I would never photograph children. Not that I didn't like kids, it wasn't that, but I had worked with other photographers who photographed children and the manner in which they photographed the kiddos really turned me off to children photography. Fast forward a few years, and our wedding clients start having babies, Jeff and I eventually have two kids of our own and we learn how to photograph children our own way. And you know what, I actually like it! I love seeing the kids change with each photo session, I love seeing their interactions with their parents. This was our first session with Piper and we hope to see her again. She is a cutie, and even though her mom didn't plan on being in any of the shots, I really like that she was willing to be the background for a few of them (those are actually my favorites). And her mom, Julie choose a lot of our favorites too. Thanks for bringing Piper in - hope to see you in a few months for her 9 month session!

Wedding at Susquehanna Valley Country Club - Selinsgrove, PA Wedding Photogapher - Brett + Jenn

2010-12-10T12:49:00.004-05:00

When couples pay extra attention to detail, you can really tell. Brett and Jenn had such a beautiful wedding, and there were special details throughout the day. One of the first "details" of the day was a surprise to even the couple, as their groomsmen entered the ceremony sporting gag glasses with mustaches! Everyone got a laugh out of that, and it gave a preview of the kind of toast the best man would give at the reception. After the ceremony, there was another surprise as their parents released doves as Brett and Jenn exited the church. They had a lot of other details, like wearing leis into the reception (their honeymoon was in Hawaii), really gorgeous table settings and kazoos as the favors. But I think my favorite thing was when they performed a square dance in honor of Jenn's grandparents. I know I wouldn't have been able to keep up with those dance changes! Brett and Jenn also had the first tented outdoor reception at the Susquehanna Valley Country Club, and I'm sure it won't be the last. Thanks for allowing us to be a part of your day Brett and Jenn! We really enjoyed working with you over the past year.

Vendors for the day:
Ceremony: Emmanual U.C.C., Penns Creek, PA
Reception: Susquehanna Valley Country Club, Selinsgrove, PA
Dress: Exclusively You, Bloomsburg, PA
Tuxes: Tuxes 'n Tunes, Mifflinburg, PA
Flowers: Country Flowers, Middleburg, PA
D.J.: Keith Kramer, Williamsport, PA
Cake: Karen Dock, Middleburg, PA
Car: Brides's father

Keefer's 6 month session - Central PA Baby and Newborn Photographer

2010-12-09T13:53:00.001-05:00

Again, another baby shoot done by Jeff alone. I might just make him the exclusive baby and child photographer here! We photographed Keefer's extended family a few weeks before this shoot, and I put a few of those shots at the end of this post. I won't say much about this session - the cute pictures speak for themselves. I can't wait to see what Erin comes up with for Keefer's 9 month session!

Flor's 1 year session - Central PA Baby Photograher

2010-12-08T13:07:00.001-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen: We have a new baby photographer! Jeff did this session all by himself and did a great job. He also had one of our favorite families to work with, along with an adorable little girl, who by the looks of the pictures, loves the camera. I love his inside pictures of baby Flor in her little blue hat. What a cutie!

Rusty and Cheyenne - Selinsgrove Family Portrait Photographer

2010-12-07T13:07:00.001-05:00

Our job is really unique in that we meet new people and hear new stories. We get an intimate glimpse into people's lives, whether it's just for an hour or for an entire day. It's all about trust and a comfort level. We watch, we document.

Cheyenne had called us as we were wrapping up our before Christmas portrait sessions, requesting a portrait with her dad. We only had one day available, so we set up a time for them to come in. Cheyenne and her dad, Rusty, came in at the end of the day, and we talked for a few minutes before beginning the session. We composed a few different poses, and then I felt a little blocked creatively (hey, it happens to all of us). So Jeff asked Rusty and Cheyenne what their dynamic was. And they told us... they had been separated for 15 years and were just reunited a few days before. And they asked us to document a few moments of their time together. After that, we talked, laughed and captured some sweet pictures of this father with his daughter. Thanks for allowing us to photograph you, Rusty and Cheyenne. We truly feel privileged.

Megan's pregnancy session - Central PA Pregnancy and Maternity Photographer

2010-11-23T14:43:00.003-05:00

I am always honored to take pictures of expectant mothers. When Megan asked me to do some photos of her, we decided to do them at her home. Her husband, J.D., is a firefighter, and she wore his jacket and held his hat for a few shots. We used the baby's nursery, which was being redone, as a the background for a lot of pictures. And of course, big brother Liam had to get in on the action. It's been a few weeks since this shoot, and Baby Declan is here now. And as cute as we all knew he would be.

Set for Holiday Mini-Sessions

2010-11-22T14:32:00.001-05:00

I wonder if the dentist has a hard time cleaning his own children's teeth or if the driving instructor has much difficulty teaching his kid to drive. Because we have a hard time photographing our own kids. Or maybe it's just Conor being 3. Of course we had to break in the holiday set with our own little boys, and here are our favorites of each, complete with Conor ripping the paper off of one of our props. Lane just smiled and enjoyed it.

Holiday Mini-Sessions

2010-11-17T11:12:00.000-05:00

Busy, busy, busy. That has been us for the past 6 weeks, and that is why I have had no time to post on the blog. I have about 20+ sessions to post, and I love to include them all, but just not enough time. Anyway, a little information about our Holiday Mini-Sessions. We are scheduling them November 22, 23, 26, 27, 29, 30 and December 1, 2, 3. The session takes place in the studio, with our set featuring tons of wrapped presents. We have accommodations for the littlest babies (a basket with a blanket), toddlers and families. The session is 10 minutes, with 12 images to choose from. There is no sitting fee, and packages start at $50 for 25 holiday cards with envelopes or $54 for 1 8x10, 2 5x7's and 8 wallets. All orders are made on the day of the shoot and the images will be back at the studio within 3 days. Give us a call to schedule your time - 570-372-0568. See you soon!

Kyla's senior picture session - Selinsgrove Senior Portrait Photographer

2010-10-18T17:13:00.002-04:00

We never get bored with taking senior pictures. Each person is unique and we really enjoy getting to know the students and having their personalities shine through. And sometimes, we catch a side of the student that they didn't even know they had. Most of the time it is a serious side, for students who give us tons of smiles. They might do one serious shot, and I give them a preview of it and they say "oh, I really like that." Kyla has a gorgeous smile, don't get me wrong, but when she did a serious look, it totally transformed her. I especially love that she asked for the directional light in the studio - that first shot reminds me of a young Hollywood starlet, circa 1920's. Thanks for coming down to Blue Dog, Kyla - we had a great time getting to know you.