We received some wonderful news this week.. Nicolina (a former participant in The Cancer Project) welcomed a healthy and happy baby boy (named Jett) into the world last Thursday!

Only a year and half ago, Nicolina came to the studio as one of our first Cancer Project sessions – before the project was even really a project! We were moved by her story of battling ovarian cancer and, perhaps even more-so, by the beauty of her portraits.

Nicolina and her husband PJ returned to studio again this September for their maternity session – and we were so thrilled to have them back! We’re so happy to play even a small part in their very inspiring and courageous story.

As for their session, it was our first maternity session in a few months. So, it included some standard poses with mom-alone and mom-with-dad, but Autumn also had some fun with a blue chair on blue backdrop set and some posing with Nicolina and a baby outfit.

Congrats to Nicolina & PJ, we can’t wait to meet baby Jett!

http://www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/photocontest/winners/2011

Exciting news! Earlier this week Autumn was announced as a Finalist in National Geographic’s “Expeditions Moments” photo contest.

Anyone who attended a National Geographic Expedition is allowed to submit a photo to the contest for one year from the date of their trip. So, Autumn was able to enter into the “Moments” photo contest held in late 2010 as well as this 2011 contest. And with the fantastic photos she entered, she was named as a contest Finalist not once, but twice!

This time around, Autumn competed against more than 550 entries. From this pool, only 18 were selected as winners or finalists. Take a look at her winning photo:

This photo was taken on day 7 of her 11 day journey through Morocco with National Geographic. That day, Autumn’s group traveled into the Sarah dessert for a taste of authentic Berber culture. This photo was taken at sunset, as the group rode camel-back to the tent camp where they would sleep for the night. Pictured in the photo is one of group’s camel guides.

Autumn selected this photo because its strength in both composition and emotional connection. The contrast of the man’s blue clothing against the orange sand creates visual appeal, while the image of a lone man walking at sunset conveys a strong sense of man connecting with nature.

In addition to her contest winner, Autumn took some additional shots of the Berber guides in the desert.

For more photos and reactions from Autumn’s Morocco trip, see our previous blog post on her trip.

A member of the extended SkySight family, Jennifer and boyfriend Jonathan visited the studio in September alllll the way from Texas!

Jennifer, who is also Autumn’s cousin, was in town for a speaking engagement. A public speaker by trade, Jennifer travels the nation advocating for victim’s rights and victim/law enforcement/health care collaboration – you can read more about Jennifer’s story at her website: JusticeForJennifer.com.

First time visitors to Pennsylvania, part of their orientation to our neck o’ the woods ( ) was a downtown couples shoot around Greensburg.

Autumn, Jennifer & Jonathan stopped by a few of our popular outdoor sites, but Autumn also experimented with a couple new sites – including:

A new angle on the fire escape…

A different ivy wall…

And, our personal favorite, an alleyway door with bright red paint and yellow arrows! Perfect for the urban/modern feel of a downtown session.

Husband and wife Payton & Amanda first came to our studio for family photos in the summer of 2010. Since then, they’ve returned to the studio for more family photos and graciously took part in sample shoot for our Luv the Dress (or “Organics” wedding) line of photography.

What are these sessions, you ask? They’re basically a post-wedding wedding session with just the bride and groom. In short, they’re a great excuse for the bride to wear her wedding dress one more time!

When first married, the couple didn’t have a photographer at their wedding – so these sessions were the first opportunity for the couple to don their wedding attire in front of a professional lens! And in fact, this type of situation (if you didn’t have a wedding photographer) is one we most often recommend for our Luv-the-Dress sessions. If you’re considering a Luv-the-Dress session, read about this and other top reasons for scheduling.

Originally scheduled for just one Luv the Dress session, Amanda & Payton were first photographed by Autumn in late August, at St. Vincent College’s Winne Palmer Nature Reserve. These photos are definitely more Organics-esque – taken in grassy fields, beside worn wooden fence posts and in front of a massive country barn.

As early Fall tends to do, the seasons snuck up on the group during their session, and they barely eeked out all the photos before it got too dark. So, in order to take some full-light shots and to experiment with a differently themed session, Autumn invited Amanda and Payton back for a second session – Luv the Dress, Part 2!

This time, Autumn, Amanda and Payton took to the streets of downtown Greensburg, for more of a grungy, urban shoot, using locations that typically only work for Senior sessions. Ultimately, though, the contrast between the formal dress of the couple and the casual, edgy background of the city scenery worked perfectly!

We wanted to thank Amanda & Payton for their help in these sessions. We love the results and hope you do, too! And if you’d like to have your very own Luv-the-Dress session, give us a call or shoot us an email to discuss all the details!