Pennsylvania Wedding & Portrait Photographer - Joe Maher's Blog

A Wrap

Not really a wrap.  Just a few shots of the last seniors of the season.  A GREAT season at that!  Here are a few shots.

This senior told me she thinks she looks 14.  I think she looks fantastic and I think she looks the age of a High School senior. Just LOVE these shots!

Here are a few of Rachel.

A little edgy, but I love it!

Maria happens to work at a great Italian place in town.  If you are ever in the area call me and I will recommend the Spinach Shells or their Stromboli!

 

2011 Senior Portrait trip!

After twelve months of talking about, wondering if, and planning JM Images has planned, booked and is now promoting a Senior portrait trip to the Isle of Palms in South Carolina!  Yes, this is going to be the 1st annual Senior photo trip offered by JM Images.  

Why a portrait trip?  Well,  the answer is two fold.  First off I am a self professed "fun junkie". (Actually, my sister in law Amy coined that adjective a few years back) and secondly, I LOVE to take photographs!  I see no reason to not combine the two together.  I thought of this location while I was photographing a wedding this past April on the Isle of Palms . Not only is a beach a great place to take a few days, but 15 minutes from the Isle you have the BEAUTIFUL city of Charleston.  We will be shooting in the city on the second evening.  If you have not seen Charleston in the evening it is something you might want add to your bucket list. 

Anyway, I am really stoked about this opportunity for the lucky kids that get to take this trip of beach, sea, city and awesome photographs!  Click here to get the information on this awesome trip!

I really cannot wait!

Batman, Waterfalls or just Baby blues

Sometimes kids want to do something a bit off the wall for their senior pictures.  When I say "off the wall" I mean that in the best of terms.  Instead of always doing the same types of sessions some kids enjoy (if I may use this guy's catch phrase) kicking it up a notch.

Ian had this idea to  take a few pictures posing as a batman imposter. I was like, well, why not do a whole series of batman.  So..... we did.

 

And some others enjoy the great outdoors.  Shannon was up for a little water.

 

 

Other times though... Baby blues do the trick. Here are Hanna's.

Fun fun fun

This shoot was a long time coming! 

I had first talked/thought about doing a "Trash The Dress" (TTD) session last year in 2008.  Most of the time the sessions are done with brides a year or so after the wedding and after they have time to realize that the dress is just going to be stowed away until, well, whenever. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do a TTD session with Stacey back in April. She loved it! I loved it and had received nothing but great feedback from the session. Again I say... it is all about the fun!

(I digress) Back to the prom dress TTD. 

I had wanted to do this shoot for months and months with Alexa.  With her busy busy schedule and mine it never seemed to work out.  Luckily, time had passed and I had a little more time to plan the session. In doing so I figured that it woud be a whole lot more interesting if Alexa had a few of her good friends join in the event!  So, she got two outgoing pals and the planets aligned and we went out this past Friday and did the shoot!  Not only did we get the shoot in, it came out exactly how I had imagined it.  

I wanted the printed advertising look.  I wanted shots that jumped off the page.  I wanted to get away from normal color and contrast that is done in most of the images you see.  (Even my own!)

 

 

I also wanted some bold black and white images. I could not have asked for a better group of girls than I had Friday.  Anything I asked they did. 

And I mean anything I asked.....

 

 

This was not a typical shoot in your typical setting with a typical outcome.  I wanted to push the images a bit.  I was allowed to do that becasue these girls wanted to have fun and because of the fun they will forever have images that reflect the day.  This was not just an hour in the day, this was an event!

The biggest issue is the remark, "that will ruin the dress!"  First off, how many prom dressed are worn after the date?  Secondly, they can get laundered if you feel the need.  Lastly, really now.  How can you pass up a session like this with great friends!

The finished product is not just a 5x7 or an 8x20 print. It is so much more than that.  It is the experience of the shoot and the FUN that they had while doing the shoot.  THAT is what the TTD sessions are all about and that is what I am all about.  I am about the experience and how that experience is played out.  Great images while having the time of your life doing it!

That beig said...

Becasue this went over so well with the girls and their families and friends and other family members (you get the point) I will be offering this TTD session as a promotion this year and for years to come.

Gotta love being a fun junkie!

Aly's Video

I have already blogged this session but I thought a video post was in order!  Enjoy!

Kendra

As I stated last post, I am working very hard on catching up on my senior portraits and getting them online!  This is Kendra!  Again, as I posted last time, I am blessed to be able to come in contact with some great seniors!  Friendly, outgoing and enjoys being in front of the lens.

 

I tend to stay away from close-ups.  I mean really close up.  Sometimes a close up works really well though. 

 

Just a few more...

 

And here is the video of the shoot!  Again, I truly love my job!

Aly

Just when you think you have met one of the nicest kids in town.... you meet another that may be the nicest kid in town.  Or maybe I have been fortunate enough to meet ALL the best kids in town (and the surrounding area)! That is one of the greatest joys of being a photographer.  You get to meet great kids and great people! 

***Not to digress, but I have been so busy that I have not been able to blog about all the work I have been doing.  So, I plan on blogging about the other seniors and work I have been doing as soon as I get caught up a little.  And as I said earlier, I have been blessed with all the great kids that have walked into my studio this year so far!  (I have not forgotten you if you have not been blogged yet.. I am working on!)***  So.... as I was saying......

Aly is just one of those kids.  Happy friendly and a great subject.  I love it when a student has a few ideas of their own!  This next shot was a blast as I asked her to walk down the street while the Olde Town Festival was going on.  Well, she did.  But, seems she has a TON of friends that had to ask what she was up to.

 

This was a pretty long session as well.  Not the longest I have been on, but it was just on the three hour mark! 

Three different locations PLUS downtown.  I keep telling people that I have one of the best jobs ever! I don't want to say that photography is not work because it most certainly is... but it is hard to call my job "a job" when it is so much fun!

Last but not least!

 

Emily

Senior portraits are in full swing now.  Well, mostly in full swing.  Seems August is THE time, but it seems they kids are getting started a little earlier this year.  Emily was a blast to photograph.  Not shy at all in front of the camera which makes my job a lot easier.  Here are a few of Emily.



This was a very funny set to do!



And you just have to have a "joe shot me" pic!



I also decided to show a video of a handful of shots.  Enjoy!

Zack

Senior portraits are really starting to heat up!  Zack was my first in Franklin this year.  His mother loved the shots I did of Brian last year so she made Zack's appointment a long time ago!  (Love the word of mouth advertising! Thanks to Brian and his mom and dad!)



Really like this set of pics!



It is not that Zack was bored with the session, it was that he was "hungry".  No worries Zack, I hold no grudge!  :)


This last shot was blogged yesterday.  I just needed to tell a quick story about this shot.  Zack wrestles.  And before I started my quest as a full time photographer I coached wrestling.  Zack was in Junior High and I was at the varsity level. I remembered Zack as a size Medium.  I brought him a large.  He needed an XL. I stuffed him in the shirt anyway for the shot.




Lastly, the video of some of the shots taken. Enjoy!

"The shirt"

I know.  Not the most artsy shot I have ever taken.  I just wanted to show the new "T" for this years Seniors!  It sports my logo on the back as well.  I need to deliver shirts to the seniors I have already photographed, and I need to photograph them in it as well.  (Stay tuned for that pic)

Anyway, Thanks Zack!  Proofs are in the works and shall be delivered soon!