Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

And now it’s time to announce the winner of the $100 Anthropologie gift card…Rosalie Boyle, come on down!!!  I’ll be in contact with you shortly to discuss the delivery of your prize.  And to everyone who participated in my Fan-a-thon week giveaway – thank you so much!  Anyone who participated can book a session now until the end of 2011 and receive 10% off their entire session!  If you are expecting, now is the time to contact me about booking your session so we can plan ahead.  If you’ve been meaning to have portraits taken of your children, don’t wait–they change so fast.  For more information, click here.

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Engagement Photos Pittsburgh | Vicki & Tom

A few images from an amazing engagement photo session with Vicki and Tom, a super sweet couple who are so meant for each other.  You know how I can tell?  It’s the way they look at each other.  The way he kisses her on the forehead.  The way she touches his face.  The way they can’t help gravitating toward each other every time after I start them with a pose.  Sigh…c’est l’amour.

 

Grassy field with flowers at sunset?  Squee!

I absolutely cannot wait for the wedding!

Contact me about your wedding or engagement session | Like me on Facebook!

Aaron - What a gorgeous set of photos; the light is just fantastic! I just love the rim light on them and how it’s hitting the trees in the first one. And a grassy field with flowers at sunset? So awesome!

Sandy M - Sandy, the photos you took of my daughter and her fiance, Tom, are just breathtaking -it’s too bad you can’t post all of them! The close up with the weeds and the backlighting – wow! I love the ones on the bridge and the shots of them sitting on the rocks in the creek. So beautiful with the late afternoon lighting in the grassy field, too. Love the close up of them on the blanket and Vicki’s green eyes! They wanted photos in an outdoor setting and they got them. Can’t wait for the wedding – get ready!

Sandy - Thanks, Sandy!! I can’t wait for the wedding, either! :)

ashley - gorgeous!!! i stumbled across your site while searching this afternoon. is the top shot taken in the pittsburgh? where is that location? i love the way that little bridge lays across the water! you have a beautiful eye!

Sandy - Thanks, Ashley! That was taken at Mingo Creek Park. Thanks for looking!

Anna Bellew - You are a talented lady. Beautiful work.

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Newborn Photography Pittsburgh | Baby Lyla

I love this family, and adore their newest member, little Miss Lyla Grae.  She is simply beautiful.

For more information about scheduling a newborn session with Red Lotus Photography click here.

If you like what you see here, please take a moment and like my Facebook page to stay up to date on the latest news and recent work.

Taryn Boyd - THESE ARE PERFECT SANDY!!!! wow! I’m not sure which one I like more!!! AWESOME job!

Sandy - Thanks, Taryn!! :o)

Aaron - So adorable! I absolutely love the first two — the flowers and lighting are perfect, and the baby-in-a-basket on the doorstep is such a cute idea. Awesome!

Sue - Beautiful! I love baby on dad’s back! Perfect!

Amanda Keeys - Those are just gorgeous! Can’t believe you got the toddler to sleep as well, so cute.

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Family Photographer Pittsburgh | Sweet Summer

Being a photographer is truly a dream job for me.  I love being able to preserve memories for people, and I have the privilege of getting to know my clients on a personal level over time as I watch their family grow.  I met Rosalie and Chris for a lovely summer photo session at Highland Park to mark their youngest daughter’s 6-month milestone.  I can’t imagine a more perfect evening; the weather was warm (but not too warm), the lighting was golden and hazy, and there were flowers in bloom everywhere.

Rosalie and Chris, it was so great seeing you and the girls again!!

 

Suzanne - Beautiful work! LOVE the B&W of mom with baby :-)

Sandy - Thanks, Suzanne!

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It’s an Anthropologie Giveaway!

EDIT: Contest is now over.

It’s Fan-a-thon week at Red Lotus Photography!  The prize: A $100 gift card to Anthropologie!  Who doesn’t love Anthropologie?  I seriously swoon over every item in that store.  I have a set of fire-glazed coasters and a sugar bowl in my studio from there, and I get compliments on them all the time.  So, would you like a shot at winning a hundred clams to spend on your heart’s desire?  Then read on, and pass it on!!

 

 

Please note: The contest winner is the person who likes me and refers the most people to like my Facebook page.  Those people must post on my wall and say that they were referred by you in order for it to count towards your tally!  You are in charge of counting up your referrals at the end of the contest; I think the easiest way would be for them to tag you when they post.  If there is a better way, please let me know!

The Fine Print: **This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook as read in the updated guideline rules. By entering you are providing information to Red Lotus Photography and not to Facebook.** Discount Code ‘FANATHON2011’ is only good for 2011, so book your session before the year is up!

 

Ready to get started?  Go to my Fan Page!  Like Me!  Share with all your friends!

Amanda - Curse you facebook…. curse you.

Sandy - You know you want to try Facebook again…come to the dark side, Amanda. :)

Tiffany Bender - Ohhhh- I want this!

Sandy - I want this, too! Love that store!

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Butler Country Club Wedding | Maria & Josh

A beautiful summer day, an awesome couple, and shooting with my friend Aaron Varga – the trifecta for an amazing wedding day!  Ok, there were more factors that made the day even better, like the fun bridal party and fantastic venue, but then what would I call it? Quint-fecta?

Anywho, you may remember Maria and Josh from their engagement session, where we roamed the streets of Butler and found some pretty cool spots for photos. It was so great to work with them again!

Love Maria’s shoes.

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As I was looking for a good spot to photograph the rings, I noticed that the family Bible was sitting open on the coffee table.  This book does not collect dust in Maria’s house; there are so many passages highlighted and tagged with stickies that you know how loved and used it is on a daily basis.  Maria says Psalm 91 is one of her mother’s favorites.

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Maria has the cutest little sister ever.  It is so sweet how close they are.

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One of the things I love about having a second shooter: while I’m getting a shot like this…

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Aaron is getting a shot like this at the same time:

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Oh, and he’s there to photograph me doing ridiculous things like laying on the ground.  Yes, I will do anything to get the shot!

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I love to see a big Greek wedding dance!

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The best part was being bombarded by a flying beach ball, lol.

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Aaron and I have such a good time shooting together; as he said on his blog, we are both complete photo geeks who feed off of each others enthusiasm for creating cool and unique images.   Behold, the result of our collaborative thinking!

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Sooo romantic.

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Maria and Josh, I had such a nice time with you again – thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your special day!  (((Hugs))) Sandy

If you like what you see here, like me on Facebook!

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Ceremony: St. Fidelis Church

Reception: Butler Country Club

Flowers: The Bloomery

Cake: Mimi’s Bake Shoppe

Entertainment: Red Hot Chameleon

Tiffany Bender - You are a true talent my friend! Congrats to the happy couple!

Sandy - Aww, thanks Tiffany! :o)

Travis Wyatt - I’ve subscribed to your rss feeds for a while and just loving the work you produce.

Sandy - Thanks so much, Travis!

Josh - Sandy, these pictures are beautiful! Thank you so much for being such a big part of our special day. You rock!

Aaron - These are terrific! You really captured some great reactions and moments during the ceremony and I really like the wide shot of them both with the stained glass behind them. Beautiful detail photos as always, and I love the lighting during the first dance. And those last two pics are proof that we need to collaborate way more often :) Outstanding!

Sandy - Thanks so much, Josh! It was absolutely my pleasure!

Sandy - Thanks, Aaron!

Amanda - Every time you post a wedding I think – I can’t wait till my wedding because I want photos like this with ME in them! (ok me AND sean – and maybe some other people…) Maria’s dress is fabulous! I love the black and whites of her getting ready and the shots at the country club. I totally busted out in giggles when I scrolled down and saw the one of you laying on the ground. I’ve so been there – anything for the shot. Thank goodness Anna doesn’t take my picture when I’m being crazy! Great wedding photos – I want to see more – I can’t get enough!

Amanda - P.S. Cake shot = Nom nom nom ..

Sandy - Thanks, Amanda! I can’t wait for your wedding, too!!

Dee Dee - Sandy,
I am completely amazed by your talent…..if a picture says a thousand words – yours say a million. You couldn’t have captured the day any better. These are gorgeous!
Dee Dee (Josh’s mom)

Sandy - Thank you so much, Dee Dee!

Suzanne - Beautiful work!!!! Those last two shots took my breath away!

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Engagement Photos | Amanda & Sean

You’ve heard me mention my good friend Amanda many times on this blog; well today, dear Reader, you get to put a face to the name!   Amanda and I have been kindred spirits since day one, and when you meet a friend like her, you thank your lucky stars!   There is no measure to the worth of a true friend, and Amanda is as true as they come.  I had the pleasure of photographing Amanda’s engagement session last fall, and soon I will have the honor of photographing her wedding!  I know it wasn’t easy for Amanda to be in front of the camera (we photographers don’t like to be on the other side of the lens), but I think you’ll agree with me when I say that she had nothing to worry about.  She is beautiful!  Here are a few favorites from the day:

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Love this one.

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And this one.

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Amanda had the great idea of bringing a few balloons to the shoot for a fun little punch of color.  I love how a simple prop can add so much to the feel of a session.

engagement session balloons

engagement session props

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Amanda and Sean, I had an awesome time with you both.  I can’t wait for the wedding!!!

(((Hugs)))

Sandy

 

Jenny - Awwwwww Sandy these are adorable. Amanda and Sean, you look so cute together.

Aaron - Love these! The balloons really do add so much, and the location is great. You’d never know it was hard to be in front of the camera, these two nailed it! My favs are all the ones in the middle of the woods and of course the last one; I’m a sucker for silhouettes. Very nice!

Sandy - Thanks Jenny and Aaron!

Amanda - We had such a great time doing a session with you! Even Sean who doesn’t love to have his photo taken (and me who cringes when I feel cameras pointed in my direction) totally relaxed and enjoyed our time in front of the camera. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the black and white image of our “serious faces” and the balloons were so much fun! I wish more people brought balloons to photo shoots.. I can’t wait for wedding photos!

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Weeds

Confession time, dear Reader.  I have a love/hate relationship with my yard.  Love: It’s one of the biggest and flattest back yards in my neighborhood.  It’s perfect for kids to play in.  Hate:  It’s lumpy and full of crab grass.  You see, my husband and I are both one of those people – we live in a neighborhood where everyone has a perfectly manicured lawn, but we do not.  We are anti-chemical, and anti-pesticide.  It’s not that I don’t love the wonderful aesthetic effect that those chemicals produce; it’s just that I have a problem spraying harmful substances where I know my precious daughter is going to play.  (By the way, no judgment here if you spray your lawn–it’s just our personal choice.  We are trying to embrace a more organic lifestyle.)

There are times when I am tempted to break out the Round-Up, especially when a few thistles (a.k.a. jaggers) pop up and poke my bare feet.  But, crab grass and other weeds are not too hard to live with, if you keep up with the mowing.  It grows faster than the “good” grass, so things don’t  stay evenly cut as long as it normally would.  Last month we went to the Outer Banks for a vacation with my family, and unfortunately, the person we had called to mow our grass while we were gone never showed up.  From what I understand it also rained quite a bit here in the ‘burgh that week.  So you can imagine the jungle that awaited us when we got home!

As I looked out the window in despair that evening, dreading the thought of struggling through the sea of tall grass and dandelions with our lawnmower, I had a thought.  It just happened to be the “golden hour” of the evening, when the lighting is magical…and although we were not in some picturesque field in the countryside, I do love tall grasses and dandelions for photos.  And, I never take enough photos of my own family (ironically).  So, I tossed my daughter into a pretty dress and took her outside.  I let her just be herself and enjoy doing what she does, which is to explore and marvel at things that seem ordinary, while I snapped away in contentment.  It was a wonderful evening…and the grass got cut eventually.

When life hands you weeds, dear Reader – take pictures!

XOXO

Sandy

 

P.S. On an unrelated subject which happens to have the same name as my post title, if anyone knows when Showtime is going to start airing new episodes of “Weeds”, please do tell!  Last season ended with such a cliffhanger!

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Aaron - This is exactly what I meant when I said your photos have that special “something”. These are in your backyard with weeds and they’re still awesome! Great photos, and it’s nice to see a personal side. Oh, and your daughter looks just like you! I shall call her…Mini-You :)

Sandy - Lol – thanks!

Amanda - Such a big smile today :-) Love love love these. Yummy backlighting in the first two and then the last shot – I would enlarge that with the quote and make myself a gallery wrap and hang in right near my editing station if I were you. Just sayin… :-)

Sandy - That is a good idea!

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B E   I N   T H E   K N O W !