Wow, what a snowstorm last Friday and Saturday!
I was in Aspinwall earlier in the evening when it was lightly snowing, but by the time I went outside to my car it was a full-on blizzard. I left for home on the other side of town and made it as far as the Fort Pitt Tunnels when traffic really began to slow. By the time I got through the tunnel traffic was at a standstill. What a mess.
For four hours I sat in my car before the PA State Police came through with a big tow truck to clear some of the stuck tractor-trailers out of the way. Thankfully, I had the foresight to fill my tank earlier in the day. So between my heated seats (I’ll never get another car without them), satellite radio, and the internet on my iPhone it wasn’t so bad.
The two guys in the middle image were amazing. They were helping everybody and I’d probably still be stuck if they and the PA State Police Corporal hadn’t pushed my stuck car. Thanks guys!
Once they got the trucks unstuck the Troopers had us turn around and drive back inbound on the outbound Parkway West. It was kind of a freaky feeling. My plan was to head back into town and try the West End Bridge. That wasn’t happening – the bridge wasn’t cleared. So I went to the office and spent the night there.
Saturday morning, after a delicious TV dinner breakfast of Fettucini Alfredo with Broccoli, I headed out to take some photos on the North Side.
The power was out in the Mexican War Streets and neighbors were out helping each other clear snow and fallen branches. It was a party on the streets!
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Here’s a photo of Brianne when she dropped the ceremonial first puck before the Robert Morris University vs. St. Francis University women’s hockey game at RMU’s Island Sports Complex on January 23.
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Robert Morris University Foundations magazine features a photo of former women’s hockey star Brianne McLaughlin – the Colonials‘ all-time leader in shots saved.
In case you haven’t guessed, I took the photo:)
Brianne stopped an NCAA Division I record 3,809 shots over her four year career at Robert Morris. That earned her a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team!
The photo turned out really well especially considering how quickly the shoot came together. We met at Bladerunners in Harmarville where Brianne was working out late last year. Management was kind enough to give us a meeting room to use as a studio.
The lighting setup was pretty simple with a softbox at camera left providing the main light, a reflector to the right, and another flash high and to the right to provide some separation from the background. I kept the light close to Brianne to soften the shadows from her mask.
She’s a quiet, hard-working, athlete who is also a very gracious young lady. I’ll be rooting for her and the rest of the U.S. women when they take on China, at 3 p.m. on Sunday, February 14.
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I took this photo this afternoon:
Lacking context, George Washington ice skating with a giant owl is kind of a strange scene. I took it at the annual Mascot Skate at the Schenley Park Ice Rink. You’ve got to wonder what they’re talking about!
If you’ve got a clever caption then post it in the comments field:)
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Now that the Holidays are past us it seems that wedding planning has gone into high gear for many couples. I’ve had a lot of inquiries and some very nice conversations with prospective clients for remaining dates in 2010.
One question that I’ve been asked more than a few times is, “Will you be at the big wedding show at the end of January?”
I won’t.
I feel that the sensory overload that can result for brides attending one of these affairs really doesn’t fit with what my business is all about. What I do is kind of quiet, very personal, and custom made. Not the sort of thing that comes across well in the crush of a crowd.
If that sounds a little snobbish, then I apologize because that’s not my intention at all. In fact, I plan on attending a small show at the Succop Conservancy on April 3.
If you’re going to one of the big shows coming up you will find this article on the ISPWP website to be very useful. There are links to some other short articles about choosing and interviewing photographers.
Thanks for visiting, I’d love to hear from you. Give me a call to set up an appointment. I invite you to visit my new office in the West End. I’ve got some of my favorite photos from last year on display – it’s like my own little art gallery!
Joe
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The weather was fantastic a couple of weekends ago (do you remember?) so it looked like the perfect opportunity to head out with Allison and Brad for an engagement session. They’re a great couple and I’m really looking forward to their wedding next September at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland.
I had been out for a run on the Panhandle Trail in Collier Twp. that morning and thought it the perfect location for the photo session. The light in late fall and winter has a beautiful directional quality to it, especially in the late afternoon. Here are some of my favorites from the session:
Engagement sessions are a great opportunity to get into the groove of having your photo taken. It’s so helpful to the process of building a relationship between a couple and their photographer. My photography is all about relationships – between the couple, family, and friends – because that’s where those special, story-telling moments that I’m looking for are.
Joe
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It never ceases to amaze me just how small this town of Pittsburgh is.
My friend Judy asked me to speak at the Peters Township High School Career Fair this morning. Speaking with high school students can be challenging so I was collecting my thoughts about what to say when one of the other presenters, a StatMedevac nurse, walked up to me.
I immediately recognized her as Jami Craig, who was part of a medical team that I travelled with to Haiti in 2001. The trip was one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve had as a photojournalist. The photos I made during that trip and one a few weeks later to the Hopital Albert Schweitzer are very special to me.
Me and Jami
I haven’t seen Jami since a reunion we had a few months after the trip. Her hair is longer now! Here are some photos (shot on slide film) from 2001:
Nurses Andrea Loether (left), Jami Craig (center), and Dr. Theresa Murray discuss treatment options for a 12-year-old girl who had a bowel obstruction. Treatment options were limited without proper operating facilities. The girl died a few days later.
Nurse Jami Craig and members of the clinic staff try to convince an unwed teenage girl to tell her parents that she is pregnant.
Jami Craig and a girl named Fenette celebrate the end of a long day with a dance in the waiting room of the clinic in La Croix, Haiti.
If you’d like to see some more photos from our trip to Haiti, then go to my Facebook page.
In case you’re wondering, the speech went well. It’s a little bit daunting to speak in front of an auditorium full of kids. I know that at least a few of them listened because they came up to me in the open forum to ask questions.
Joe
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Monday, November 30, 2009 Posted in family
My niece Jayme volunteers – a lot. We’re all very proud of her, so it was so gratifying to by able to see her be among the 119 young ladies honored at the 2009 Medallion Ball for performing a total of over 19,000 hours of community service.
The event, held at the downtown Hilton on Friday, is a pretty big deal here in Pittsburgh – Kate Guerriero of the Trib featured it in her column today. With escorts wearing white gloves and tuxedos with tails, each young lady was honored with a Joan of Arc medal for their service to the community presented by Bishop David Zubik.
While previous plans prevented me from being able to photograph the event, I was able to make some photographs beforehand.
Joe
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I was walking from downtown Pittsburgh to the North Shore the other day. It was a cloudy, gray day – the kind of day that people seem to stay inside for. Then I came across Yu Zhou (left) and his daughter Liu Duan, both downtown residents, practicing Tai Chi in Point State Park.
They were gracious to allow me to photograph them as they performed their choreographed exercise routine. It was wonderful to see a father and daughter staying fit together, and to see Liu learn from her dad as he led the routine.
Joe
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by joeappelphotography
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