I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ll say it again:  We have a thing for tutus at SkySight.  And flowers.  Big ones.

Luckily, we’ve had some very prepared mommies visiting the studio lately; they’ve brought along big tutus, even BIGGER flowered headbands, ruffled rompers and rainbow-colored leggings.  While we have plenty of props to go around at the studio, moms and parents are always welcome to bring their own outfits and accessories to their session.

If you’re in the market for tutus for baby or toddler, check out Tutu Posh.  We’ve never ordered from them directly, but they seem to have quite an array of tutus, as well as all other clothing and accessory items that are themed around princess, fairly and girly-girl.

Then there’s the old SkySight favorite: Etsy.  They also have a great selection of tutus, and we never miss an opportunity to support the vintage or handmade.  What can I say, Autumn and I both have a flair for the unique!  However, here’s a word of cation concerning Etsy:  Read the fine print.  We had an unfortunate experience  last summer when purchasing (what we believed to be) a chalkboard prop for the studio.  When our much-anticipated purchase finally arrived at the studio, we opened it only to find a paper thin cut-out of some black vinyl-type material, which, naturally, you had write on with a white paint pen.  Needless to say, not what we were expecting!  But for the most part, we are pro-Etsy.

But, I digress.  Wherever these mamas bought their outfits and accessories, they did good!  Babies Allie and Story look fabulous in their frocks..

And then again, sometimes they look just as cute in nothin’ at all!

If there’s one commonality that connects us all, it has to be music.

We may not love the same artists, songs or genres, but I think we are all – at some point or another – moved by a toe-tappin’ tune!  And while some may have a lifelong passion for music, and others just an appreciation for the background radio (or Pandora or Spotify) at work, I think those who write the soundtrack to our daily lives deserve a nod of appreciation every now and then.

That said, in this post we’re spotlighting a budding independent musical artist who visited the studio not so long ago.  Chris – a freelance musician and composer – stopped by in early January for some promotional photos.  As you’ll see in the photos, a musician’s portraits and candids allow a bit more creativity and experimentation than a baby, child or family portrait.  They’re perfect, for instance, for trying dramatic lighting and posing:

In fact, it seems that photography has offered an unparalleled glimpse into the worlds of our favorite musicians for quite some time – perhaps since the rise of modern pop-culture and counter-culture.   Take, for instance, this photographic time capsule of Janis Joplin, Bruce Springsteen’s epic rocking or, fast-forwarding a bit, the best live performance photos of a very young 2012.  If music is the, well, rock star of pop culture past, present and future, photography is the die-hard groupie, there to follow and capture our favorite music and artists in all their glory.

So to Chris and all the musical artists like him we say:  rock on!

Bonus Track!  What I’m Listening To: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTx3G6h2xyA&feature=BFa&list=PLD9C617947A0315E2&lf=results_main

As winter weather approaches our little corner of the world (I almost forgot, it’s January in PA ), here’s a post on our last wedding of 2011. It was a winter themed affair, with plenty of rustic, snowy and seasonal touches.

The bride and groom, Kristen and Toby, were married in Heinz Chapel, a locale which always makes for some lovely church and alter photos:

The couple met while both attending the University of Pittsburgh, and they chose some campus buildings (like the Cathedral of Learning and library) and surrounding grounds as the site of their post-ceremony photos.  This provided Autumn with an opportunity to play with some new backgrounds, like a funky wood paneled wall and a mod mural:

After the ceremony and photos at Pitt, it was on to the reception at the Mayernik Center – where the rustic winter theme really took the spotlight.  The venue itself is a log cabin look-a-like, and the bride and bridesmaids capitalized on its look and theme by donning seasonal scarfs and gloves.  The bride even took a moment to snuggle with her new Mister!

Inside, the reception space was decorated with evergreen, pine cones and twinkle-lights galore!  Treats for the wedding guests were winter-themed as well, from the hot cocoa station to the aptly named snowball cookies.  Even Kristin & Toby’s cake looked like a mountain of freshly heaped snow!  If only all snow tasted like buttercream icing…

If you’d like to see more from Kristin & Toby’s weddings, check out our fall & winter weddings album on Facebook.com/SkySightPhotography.  And as always, warmest wishes and big congratulations to the bride & groom!

Just a quick post this week, but a cool one (I hope!)…

SkySight recently had an opportunity to shoot the swearing-in ceremony for the new Westmoreland County Commissioners – definitely a switch-up from the typical in-studio session.

Their ceremony was held last Tuesday, for commissioners Charles Anderson, Tyler Courtney and Ted Kopas.  There was a packed house of onlookers and celebrators in attendance that day, and all in all it was great event for the commissioners and their families, friends, co-workers and supporters.  Congratulations to them all!

As a side-note, be sure to notice the interior of the court house in these photos.  I’ve never been inside the court house myself, but it looks just as beautiful and ornate as the outside.  And if you’re interested, take a look at this article on the county’s website – it shows the different county court houses that have been built over the past several years and details the interior and exterior of the current building.