Do You DoodleDo?

After months of research, discussions, debate, networking, and a lot of hard work, DoodleDo, Inc. has been launched! Formerly Bellissima Design Solutions, DoodleDo is the new name and identity for the album design and image processing company established by myself and fellow photographer, Robin Pesa.

DoodleDo specializes in fully customized album solutions, as well as image editing and processing services for professional photographers and their clients. We've successfully established some great affiliations that add even greater value to our popular menu of options. Robin and I recently created a set of exclusive designs only available through KISS Wedding Books. We are working on similar collaborations with other industry leaders, and you can keep up to date by visiting the BUZZ section of our new site. We plan to update the site regularly with new content, new design samples, as well as informative articles and tips relevant to photographers and their post-processing activities.

DoodleDo will also be offering incentives and contests to enhance your experience. We recently submitted a client album to WPPI's International Album Competition which was awarded an Accolade of Excellence! As a result, we plan to offer a design contest for our own clients, submitting the winning entry to next years competition on behalf of the photographer.

Be sure to visit the new site often to keep abreast of all that we will be offering. There's plenty of information in the FAQ's, but don't hesitate to contact us for specific information and requests. And be sure to check out some of our latest designs in the Design gallery. In closing, check out the beautiful album that won the Accolade of Excellence for our client Tim Halberg, a phenomenal image maker based in Santa Barbara.

Oakland E-Session with Michelle & Scott

I recently photographed the engagement session of Michelle & Scott. Locations are a very important part of a successful shoot for me. I love capturing wide scenics using the couple as one part of a larger environment, evident to those who follow my work or view my portfolios. I like variety without having to cover great distances. A location that provides natural environments, architectural elements, interesting shapes and contrast, isn't always easy to find when you have to keep your subject obvious and central to the theme. A critical factor to pulling it off is the direction, intensity and quality of the light. Let's examine one of my favorites from Michelle & Scott's collection.


A pretty typical composition for me, the kind my couples really enjoy. It was pretty easy keeping Michelle a focal point in a scene this wide because of her white sweater. But Scott's is a dark brown, making placement of him more critical, especially knowing the background would go dark. Fortunately, I had that intense, late afternoon sunlight to work with, and it provides great rimlight on Scott to bring separation from the dark background tones and define his body. The result wouldn't have been nearly the same if Scott was also wearing white. They would have stood out all the same, but the beautiful quality of the light may have been missed.

Here is another favorite from early in the shoot, much different than above.


I love the lines, contrast and gorgeous light in this image. However, it might have been a little more effective if Scott & Michelle traded places. Notice how his form gets a bit lost in the dark tones of the tree trunk. That might have been the perfect place for Michelle in her white sweater, and Scott's form would have been better defined by placement over the bright background. Of course, I'm really nitpicking, and it's a lovely scene nonetheless.

This hillside was a good spot for creating a composition with dynamic lines further accentuated by the variation of sunlight and shadows . It adds interest to my usual set of walking shots. I always get pics of the couple walking towards and away from the camera for use in the slideshow. These don't always make for exceptional display images, but I believe this one could. It's lively, the light is beautiful, and the body positions of Michelle & Scott are pleasing. Their expressions are wonderful!

When photographing couples from the side while face to face, I often ask that they bring their hips together. The guys seem to like this for some reason :) but more importantly, it often results in some very natural positioning as seen in these two images. Michelle had a lovely way of bringing back one foot, which also added a pretty curvature to her back. Sometimes you have to coach this, but when it just happens as it did here, the photograph is much more pleasing. The interior shot is natural light. Notice how my placement of the couple brings out their form in relation to the light and dark areas. Do you see?

Here again, light plays a critical role in the feel of the image. The sun is very low, but behind a very thin layer of clouds, softening all the shadows and tones. Yet Michelle & Scott are wonderfully lit and nicely separated from the muted background elements. The leaning tree and slanted foreground make for a well-balanced, exciting composition.


These same qualities contribute to the success of this similar scene further enhanced by toning. Monochromatic images can become lifeless when created without respect for the tonal variations that will keep the subject emphasized. This might be my favorite image from the session.


Now here, I'm facing the shadow side of the scene elements, but the couple is beautifully lit by the setting sun. This emphasizes their faces and joyful expressions. This is what makes the shot.


The ability to visualize a final result while shooting and make adaptations on location provides me with images in-camera that allow me to achieve my artistic goals for each shoot without resorting to excessive post-processing. Critical to this success is quality of light. A photographer must be able to recognize the subtle qualities of light and tonal variation as seen by the eye, and interpret that information into the limiting qualities inherent in photographic output.

You can view the slideshow of Michelle & Scott's session here.

Where On Earth Have I Been?

I actually gasped when I logged on to create a new post and realized it was July, over four months ago, that I last posted. It isn't that time flies, as we like to say, but I never expected to be so busy, literally overwhelmed, since the move to Pennsylvania. Bellissima Design Solutions has taken off and is doing quite well, and there are new consultations and bookings and e-sessions that have been photographed, with others planned. Earlier this month I was back in Arizona to photograph the lovely wedding of Audra and Eric at the beautiful Desert Ridge Marriott Resort. This in the midst of several PA weddings. And there are still albums to design and move through production. It is certainly the busiest I've ever been as a wedding photographer.

So the blog has not been much of a priority with so many new demands on my time and resources. Yet I have lots of new work and information to post. There have been significant changes to my services and the options available to clients, a major update to my website is in the works, new online client proof galleries have been created, and an exciting vacation is planned for Christmas week!

Many thanks to all my wonderful clients for your patience during this crazy time! For most photographers this has always been an overwhelming time of year. While we are plugging away at production and orders and demands, let's not forget the significance of this Holiday season, and bring to mind all the beautiful people, places and things that bring us joy. We are all so very blessed!

NYC Engagement Session

Well, the plan was to blog about my experiences during the drive from Phoenix to Pittsburgh last month. As so often happens, events made that a little difficult, so it's time to update after a very busy six weeks. So much has taken place since the move and it was hard deciding where to begin. So I'm starting with my most recent assignment, and I'll fill you in on other exciting developments afterwards.

I returned to New York City after a 19 year absence to photograph the engagement session of Debby and Greg. The lovely couple wanted to contract me for their wedding in October, taking place in Scottsdale at the fabulous Royal Palms Resort and Spa.
However, I'm shooting my first Pittsburgh wedding the day before at Heinz Chapel. So I offered to photograph their engagement session in Manhattan, knowing it would be an excellent opportunity to both visit the city once again, and create some awesome new portfolio pieces for my east coast presence.

With my long-time friend, Ken, providing valuable assistance and companionship, we met up with Debby & Greg near Central Park West where we planned to begin. Here's a shot of the great lawn so often seen in photographs of this area of the park.


And here is the happy couple in that same area from a very different perspective. The goal was to avoid the large crowd of people milling about while still keeping the NYC look to the image.


Not too far off to our left was a gorgeous spot with tall trees and a massive rock, and I noticed how beautifully the late afternoon light was filtering through. Here is the result.


My favorite image from this session was challenging due to the large number of people in the park on the Sunday we were there, especially the crowds passing through this particular passageway, a very popular attraction. I love this photograph!


I captured a number of these compositions in various ways, another favorite in this composite of vertical shots. The image on the right is, of course, the Brooklyn Bridge, where we finished up our session just as the sun was setting.


It was exciting to be back in New York City after so many years. I experienced once again the energy and vibrancy I felt the very first time I moved there back in 1988. And spending the day with my friends Ken, Debby and Greg was so enjoyable. I am so happy to have had the opportunity to create these engagement images. There are many more which can be viewed in the online slideshow.

Thank you, Debby and Greg. I wish you the very best!! And thank you, Ken, for your assistance, your generosity and hospitality, but above all, your sincere friendship!

Rocky Mountain High!

The Colorado landscape can be breathtaking. I crossed the border late Friday evening after a beautiful sunset drive through Santa Fe and the Land of Enchantment. If you have ever visited that area of New Mexico, you understand why it has always fascinated poets and painters, photographers and free-spirits.

Yet Colorado is awe-inspiring. I woke up Saturday morning to the San Juan mountains and the smell of freshness. Arizona smells like dust, and Phoenix in paricular has the unpleasant scent of dust, exhausts, and hot concrete. Colorado tells me to breathe deeply, to draw in all that freshness and be revitalized.

I almost forgot how green and blue it is here. The drive from Colorado City, where I spent the night, through Colorado Springs and into Denver, was beautiful. I asked myself why I ever left. Denver is one of my favorite cities. These next several days with great friends in the cool Colorado Springtime will be so satisfying. And a perfect layover before my drive across the Midwest.

Here's a shot of Pike's Peak, which towers above Colorado Springs about 50 miles south of Denver. Majestic!

Leaving Arizona!

I left the East Coast in the Summer of 1990. I was burnt out and desperate for rest and recuperation after a wild ride through the world of fashion photography. I left Manhattan in a rented, raggedy van with the few belongings I decided worth saving for my new life in Arizona. The idea of living in the desert filled my mind with images of wonder and magic after two crazy years trudging through the concrete jungle. I swore to myself, and often out loud, that I would never go back.

Tomorrow I leave the desert for the long, lonesome drive to Pittsburgh. I was born just outside of the Steel City, where I longed for the day I could leave. And now I'm going back. The reasons are personal, and important enough to justify breaking the promise to myself. There are certainly some very exciting and promising ventures in the works, and I'm positive about the potential for developing new business opportunities. Yet I'm a little nervous, a little more anxious, and a lot on edge. It's a big move. There is great risk. Anything can happen.

As I make my way across the States, I hope to find the time (and internet access) to post my thoughts and insights here on the Blog. Sort of an open online journal. My very dear friend, Robin, suggested I do this. I think it will prove interesting, hopefully fun, with words and pictures to make it lively and revealing, and no doubt, contemplative. I think I think too deeply, but that's just how I am. And since I'm prone to drive in silence, I'm sure my thoughts will be, well, I suppose we will see what happens!

Tomorrow is Thursday. My last day in Arizona. I'm having lunch with my wonderful, lifelong friend, Dorothy. I am going to miss Dorothy so very much. Wow! I am leaving Arizona!! I'll try to capture an image of my last Arizona sunset as I head towards the New Mexico border. First stop is, if all goes according to plan, the lovely town of Santa Fe.

God be with me!

Fashionable Wedding Portraits

My background in fashion & beauty portraiture has provided me with skills that translate well to the wedding event. One of these is the ability to develop a rapport with my subjects. Another is the eye to see light in all its subtle forms within any given environment, especially in relation to people placed within that environment. Arizona can be difficult in this sense, but the bright sky also offers great opportunities for photographers who know how to use it properly. Yet weddings can be most difficult, since we don't always have the ability during the event to work in a controlled environment. Many of these events are outdoors, often in full, blazing sunlight. To begin, here's one of my favorite ceremony shots from the wedding of Michele & Sergio.


Michele & Sergio were married at the Desert Botanical Gardens, which I find pretty challenging. Not only does the sun beat down in most areas of the Gardens without relief, but many of the weddings are completely outdoors, including the reception. Plus, the desert landscape is quite dense, so finding areas to photograph portraits isn't easy when you prefer uncluttered, open spaces as backgrounds. But all that sky does provide a great amount of luminance in shady areas. These portraits of Sergio are a good example.



The Bride and Bridesmaids portraits offer a different example of open-shade portraits. The girls were getting ready at the retro-chic Hotel Valley Ho in downtown Scottsdale. Along with my Second Photographer for the day, the fantastic Laura Siivola, I decided to take all of them into the lobby area to capture some fashionable portraits. Michele was simply stunning! And I loved her gorgeous gown, which she wore very well.



Of course, it's always helpful to have equally beautiful Bridesmaids as your portrait subjects!


Keeping in mind that this was a typical cloudless Arizona day, Laura and I took advantage of the open shade just outside the lobby area to capture awesome portraits of Michele and her girls. Not every wedding affords us the time and location to do this, but we had both at Valley Ho. We captured so many incredible images, way too many to post, but here are a few more of my favorites of Michele.


The top left image is actually inside the lobby under tungsten lights with some natural light spilling in. Some Photoshop work made it a lovely profile portrait. Admittedly, Michele's exquisite beauty is what really makes the shot! The details pics below I am especially excited about.


Some of you know that in 2004 I was honored to win in two catagories of the prestigious Top Knots New School of Wedding Photography competition hosted by Photo District News and sponsored by Fujifilm and Elegant Bride. One of my winning images was a detail portrait of a bride's veil. I have been trying to capture a similar photograph ever since, and I believe the shot on the right may be it. I am considering entering this in the next Wedding & Portrait Photographers International Print Competition. I would love to know if any of you think it is worthy.

Considering the landscape challenges of the Gardens, I am very pleased with the results from our portrait session with this fun couple. With the sun getting low in the sky, our lighting became much more dramatic and offered us more shaded areas to work, important for getting the fine details of Michele's gown.



Are they not incredibly beautiful and photogenic? And so wonderful to work with!


Outdoor receptions can be a unique challenge, having no walls or ceilings to bounce the much needed flash for lighting. I find that light modifiers are a perfect solution, as these final pics will show.



I hope this post gives my fellow photographers some insight into capturing fashionable wedding portraits, and a brief look at how I manage these important captures. I have always been very comfortable working with solo subjects and the wedding couples, due to my extensive background. Group portraiture is a subject I am now trying to master, and have found excellent insight and tutoring from my wonderful photographer friend, Robin, of Bellissima Photographic Artistry. Robin is always gracious and willing to offer me advice. And as my skills in this area increase, perhaps I will feel more qualified to delve into this subject in an upcoming post.

Michele & Sergio, I so very much enjoyed being your photographer. I was honored to be there for you capturing your lovely wedding. I wish you both a lifetime of abundant joy and overwhelming love!