2019 Bettis Holiday Party

It started 36 years ago...

In 1983 I was working as an engineer at the Bettis Atomic Power Lab in West Mifflin.  The company was planning their first employee Holiday Party, and they wanted to give everyone a free 4x6 print of their children sitting on Santa's lap.  They asked if I would be interested in taking the photos and distributing them to the employees afterwards.

Back then, of course, everything was shot on film.  The biggest problem was making sure that the photos were sent to the right parents. Each parent filed out a card with their name and address,and we had to make sure we kept them in order to they would match up with the prints.  We also had to limit each family to one shot per family.

The one thing I remember most from those early years was the line waiting to talk with Santa stretched around all 4 sides of the hall we were in, with a 2 hour wait to talk to Santa!  After that we implemented a numbering system so that no more than 10 families were in line at any given time.

I've been shooting this with a digital camera since 2003, which has simplified things immensely.  The photos are uploaded to an online gallery, and parents can download the file to print on their own.  I have also kept previous years' files online as well, and it seems every year I have one or two parents who will go through the earlier files and order prints from 4 or 5 years' worth of visits.  I love seeing the progression as the kids grow older and new siblings are added.

Shooting digital also means I can shoot more than one photo per family.  In recent years, in addition to the standard posed shot, I've been trying to include more candid shots of the kids as they intently tell Santa what is on their list, and that they've been good this year.

If you are looking for this year's photos, please click here

Remembering Joe Denardo

This past weekend Pittsburgh lost an icon, retired WTAE (channel 4) weatherman Joe Denardo passed away.  Much was made of his forecasting skills and broadcasting career.  Much was also made about his community and charity work, especially Project BundleUp and the Moon Township Parks & Recreation Board.  But I knew Joe from another charity:  The Myron Copy/Foge Fazio Golf Classic to raise funds for the Autism Society of Pittsburgh, which I have been photographing for the last 7 years.  Joe and Myron were broadcasting colleagues at WTAE, and Joe always made it a point to come out for the event.  In recognition of his many years of support, the Autism Society of Pittsburgh gave Joe a green jacket (like the Master's Tournament) in 2012.  The 2018 outing as held last Monday.  Sadly, Joe was not there.

From a photographer's standpoint, Joe was the best.  He WANTED to have his photo taken.  Almost every year, I would get to the country club and walk into the lounge where coffee and pastry were set up.  Joe would see me and immediately call me over to get a photo with whomever he was talking to.  If he ever noticed me pointing my camera at him, he would stop what he was doing and pose. 

Everyone who met Joe always has a favorite "Joe Story" to tell, so here's mine.  Every year, at the start of the golf outing,  Joe would always take the microphone and give the golfers his weather forecast for the day.  One year rain was predicted all day, but Joe told us that the rain would hold off until 2 pm.  It was a bold prediction, and looking at the sky, I thought there was no way that was correct.  Sure enough, right at 2, it started raining.

Joe said it would...

Gabby's Senior Session

How cool is it when a girl that wants to include her pet lizard in her senior photos!

Our shoot was at Gabby's favorite spot, the working farm at Round Hill Park.  This is a very nice shooting location, with plenty of great spots to shoot at.

Unfortunately on the day we had scheduled it was a cloudy day, with no chance that the sun was going to peak out for us.  So I made it a point to bring along my flash equipment, and we made out own sunshine.  I used one flash with a full CTO gel to one side and slightly behind Gabby.  This was my "sun".  And then used a second flash on camera with a 1/4 CTO filter and a bounce diffuser for a slightly warm fill light.  Increasingly this has become my go-to setup for outdoor portraits.  It is easy to set up and move from location to location.

Bettis 2015 Holiday Party

The first year I did these photos was 1983.  I worked at Bettis at the time, the Holiday Party was something new, and they decided it would be nice if every family would get a 4x6 print of their photo with Santa.  Since I was shooting film, my biggest concern was keeping track of which photos went to which employees.  I had a whole system of name cards, roll and frame numbers, and notations to keep things straight.  I needed two assistants just to keep the paperwork straight.  That first year, Santa and I were set up in one corner of the room.  About two hours into the day, I turned around and was shocked to see that the line of families waiting to see Santa wound around all four sides of the room, and almost back to where I was standing.  In the following years we added a numbering system to the name cards, with the numbers being announced in groups of 10, so no one had to stand in line too long.

Although there was a period when I took some time off, this is easily the longest running assignment I've had.  Long enough that for some of the children I'm photographing now, I also photographed their parents 20 or 30 years ago when THEY were kids.  For the last 13 years I've shot this with digital equipment.  With the advent of online galleries and social media, we no longer supply prints, but rather provide a digital file that parents can use as they wish.  They are in an online gallery for the parent to download, so it is no longer necessary to track the individual photos.  Overall, things are much more streamlined now.

I decided to try a few new wrinkles this year.  Rather than my previous years' setup of an on-camera flash mounted on a flash bracket, I decided to have two flashes firing into 33-inch white umbrellas, using the wireless trigger mounted on the camera.  The wireless trigger was the key to making this work, because I didn't want wires dangling where a child running around might trip on them.  This setup worked like a charm.  The lighting was very even, and the resulting images were very consistent, requiring a minimal amount of exposure correction from image to image.

The second change this year was to use the EyeFi card in the camera to send images directly to my iPad, so parents could get an idea what the images looked like.  This proved to be quite popular with parents, and gave them confidence that their kids looked good in the photos (other than the occasional screaming and crying toddler, of course...).

The photos can be found HERE.

Ryan and Georgia's Elopement Wedding

Over the 30-plus years that I have been photographing weddings, I've seen all sizes of weddings.  From a small group crammed into an car on the Duquesne Incline, to St. Paul's Cathedral, and everything in between.

A growing trend in weddings are  "Elopement Weddings".  Now, these aren't the "sneaking out the bedroom window in the middle of the night" elopements I used to think of.  These days, "Elopement Weddings" refer to much smaller weddings, usually held in beautiful locations.  Elopement weddings are less costly and less stressful than a standard big-budget wedding, but at the same time they are often more meaningful to the couple.  Social media also plays a role in this, because you get some great photos taken and you can share them with all your friends who weren't there.

Georgia and Ryan contacted me to shoot their elopement ceremony.  There were only going to be 5 people in attendance:  the couple, their five-year-old son, their mothers, and the officiant, Reverend Dina McGee.  I don't offer a separate "Elopement Package" (since I don't have packages), so I gave them a custom quote that met their needs.  The location that Georgia and Ryan chose is the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, in Oakdale, Pennsylvania. It only opened this year, and it is AMAZING.  I arrived early to scout out the best angles and settings.  The Lotus Pond includes a footbridge, a wooden dock, and a set of stepping stones across one end of the pond.  The photographic possibilities are endless.

Shooting an elopement ceremony is different than a regular wedding.  Other than the 20 minute ceremony, the rest of our time was spent taking photos, and I had complete freedom.  In some ways, it is much more like photographing an engagement session than a wedding.  The couple (and their incredibly cute son) were a joy to work with, and we got some great shots.

Samantha's Bat Mitzvah

Last weekend I photographed Samantha's Bat Mitzvah at the Temple Sinai in Squirrel Hill.  Samantha's a tiny thing, and even the Rabbi joked that the Torah was as tall as she was.

The party was at Green Oaks Country Club.  A great place with a first-rate staff.  Music and entertainment was provided by The Party Crew from Soundtastic Enterprises, who have proven very popular with many of the Bar/Bat Mitzvahs that I have photographed this year.  Much of the decorating was done by one of Samantha's grandmothers, who did an incredible job with the centerpieces.

One of the things that was new for me was the use of the EverSnap app to share photos.  Samantha's parents set up an online album for Samantha's photos, and guests were given the name and password for the album.  They could then download the app (available for both iOS and Android) to upload photos from their phones.  There was a projector behind the DJ running a slideshow of the photos from the online album, updated in real time as new photos were uploaded.  In essence, this is the digital version of the film-era disposable cameras people would put on guest tables.  A cool idea, and I uploaded a few images from the Friday night and Saturday morning services, which got a lot of compliments.  There were a few issues with it.  Some folks apparently had a little trouble with the app, and accidentally uploaded other photos from their phones.  So there were some vacation photos and non-party selfies in the slide show.  These had all been deleted by the next day.  In addition, the plan was to set up a special wifi network at the party, to make it easier for people to upload photos, and there were problems getting that running.  Even when it was running, the signal was so weak that I couldn't upload from where my laptop was located.  Finally, the app allows people to order prints of any photo in the gallery.  I have an issue with this, because I own the copyright on all my images.  The solution was to upload low-res versions of the photos (800 pixels on the long edge), which is great for online viewing, but won't give you a good print.  This is what I do for any social media use of my images, and it worked out great in this case.

Carolina's Sweet 16 Party

Sweet 16 parties are not something we have often in the Pittsburgh area.  This was only the second Sweet 16 that I've shot, the first being Carolina's older sister's party a couple of years ago.  The party was at the Treesdale Country Club in Gibsonia, which is a wonderful venue with an awesome staff.

Cara was stunning in a white dress.  The weather was great, and before the party started I had a chance to take her out on the balcony for some quick portraits.

One think that was different for this event was that I set up my backdrop and flash umbrellas as a sort of photo booth.  As I shot the images, they were automatically transferred to my laptop via my Eye-Fi card and displayed as a slide show.  We had a table of props for the kids, and they had a lot of fun hamming it up in front of my camera.

Photos from the event can be found HERE.

2015 PIIN Celebration Banquet

The 2015 Celebration Banquet for the Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network (PIIN) was held Sunday, May 3, at the Westin Convention Center Hotel.  This is my third year photographing the event.  PIIN is an alliance of religious groups, organized labor, and others engaged in social activism.  When you watch the local news, and you see clergy being arrested outside UPMC during a protest, or protests for a living wage, you're seeing PIIN in action.

Photos from the event can be found HERE.

Olivia's Bat Mitzvah

Olivia's Bat Mitzvah was my second one for 2015, and was also at my "home base" of Temple Sinai in Squirrel Hill.  One of the hardest things to photograph during the service is to get people actually looking up, instead of looking down at what they are reading.  Olivia made it easy for me.  She would notice me at the back of the sanctuary, and she made it a point to look at the camera and smile, making for the perfect "Kodak Moment".

We lucked out in that this was the nicest weekend of the year to that point.  Plenty of sunshine, and a high temperature in the low 70s.  Because I can do formal and family photos quickly when I have to, we had enough time after the photos in the sanctuary to head to the rose garden behind Temple Sinai to shoot some great stuff.  There weren't any roses yet, but the sunshine, combined with the dark walls in the background, made for some wonderful shots.

Olivia didn't want your typical Bat Mitzvah party, so instead of the usual locations, her family rented out the BRGR restaurant in East Liberty.  The kids were upstairs on the top balcony, while the adults were underneath in the main restaurant area.  Entertainment was provided by Vincient the Magician, who provided amazing performances that wowed both the adults and the kids.

Mara's Bat Mitzvah

I had photographed Mara's older sister's Bat Mitzvah a couple of years ago, so I was excited when her family contacted me for Mara's.  The ceremony was at Temple Sinai in Squirrel Hill, and the party was at the Longue Vue Country Club in Verona.  Mara's theme for her party was "Masquerade", so all of the kids had decorative masks to wear.  DJ Vanessa had plenty of music, balloons, and games to keep the party going.

Photos from Mara's big day can be found HERE.

Easter Portraits at the Playground

Late last year I did a series of "Photos at the Playground" sessions over at the Swisshelm Park Playground, where parents could bring their kids for photos in a relaxed, kid-friendly environment. There was a small shooting fee, and parents can then order prints and enlargements online. We were able to have three session in the late fall before it finally got too cold and nasty

After laying low for the winter, I was looking forward to bring the concept back this spring.  Easter Sunday seemed like a perfect fit, even though it came early this year.  Unfortunately, in early April there aren't a lot of flowers in bloom, and the grass is more brown than green.  I needed to come up with something that would say "Spring".  I had a colorful blanket to start with, which would also help if the ground was wet.  A quick trip to local stores produced some nice bright flower decorations and some oversized eggs which added color to the scene and made great props.  Perfect!

2014 Swissvale Mile

Saturday June 28, 2014 marked the inaugural running of the Swissvale Mile. This is a family-friendly and pet-friendly fundraiser for the Swissvale K-9 unit. For a first-time event, there was a nice turnout (both the two-legged and four-legged variety) and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The walk through the streets of Swissvale was led by Swissvale's K-9 officer, Brando (pictured at left). To see more photos, please click HERE. You can download a free web-sized image from the gallery. If you wish to purchase prints or a full-sized download, use the coupon code "Brando" to save 15% on your order until July 4th.

2014 ECS Graduation Ceremony

Last night my son graduated from 8th grade at the Environmental Charter School at Frick Park.  His class is the first graduating class from the school, which he has been attending since it opened in 2007.  The graduation ceremony was held at Phipps Conservatory, which was a beautiful and appropriate venue for the school to use.  The ceremony was nicely done, with the teachers providing their insights on each of the 58 graduates.  The keynote speaker was Saleem Ghubril (pictured above), the Executive Director of Pittsburgh Promise, who gave one of the most inspiring commencement speeches I've heard (and I've heard a lot, since I photograph a number of college graduation ceremonies every year).

I'd like to thank the teachers and administrators at ECS for all their hard work, and contributing to much to my son's education and growth.  He's become quite the young scholar, and I think they've prepared him well for his future educational experiences.

Photos from the graduation can be found HERE.

2014 PIIN Banquet

The 2014 banquet for the Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network (PIIN) was held this past Sunday at the Westin Convention Center Hotel.  This is my second year photographing the event.  PIIN is an alliance of religious groups, organized labor, and others engaged in social activism.

Photos from the event can be found HERE.

Celebration of Friends

Last Thursday I photographed the annual "Celebration of Friends" presentation put on by the Friendship Circle of Pittsburgh, which was held at the JCC in Squirrel Hill.

Friendship Circle is a non-profit organization that unites high-school age Jewish teens with young members of the Jewish disabled community.  My son KJ, who has autism, has been attending for several years.  There are a variety of sponsored activities that support a wide range of interests.  KJ always looks forward to getting the postcard in the mail announcing upcoming activities.

Last Thursday's presentation was an end of year wrap up to recognize everyone's efforts.  Especially those students who are graduating seniors, and will be moving on from Friendship Circle.  This year's colors are purple and gold, as you can tell from the photos.

Photos from the event can be found here.   The password is "volunteers", because they are the ones who make Friendship Circle work as well as it does.

The Pittsburgh Marathon

Sunday, May 4th, was the Pittsburgh Marathon. I was lucky enough to get a chance to photograph it this year.

For the last couple of years I've been working for a national company that photographs graduation and commencement ceremonies around the country. They have a sister division that covers major marathons and similar events. I was contacted mid-week because they needed additional photographers to help cover the Pittsburgh Marathon.  This is a huge production from the photography side.  They had a total of 37 photographers, and they expected to have over a quarter-million photos when we were finished.

My assignment was to photograph the runners after the race, in front of a Pittsburgh Marathon backdrop. There were ten of us assigned to do this, each with our own backdrop set up after the finish line. As the runners finished, we invited them to come over for an official portrait. Having 10 stations meant the runners shouldn't have to wait long. This type of assignment doesn't depend on a photographer's technical expertise. But it does depend on the photographer's ability to interact with their subject and get a great photo quickly. I found that a simple "How'd you do?" was a great way to start (they just finished a race, after all).

Things started rather slowly, but once more people started finishing, we got very busy, very quickly.  All 10 backdrops had multiple runners waiting to get their photo taken.  The most amazing moment for me: photographing a woman who was 5 months pregnant and still completed the race!   The weirdest/funniest moment was the two girls who came up for a photo together, and they couldn't decide which was their good side.   Really??? You just finished running 13  miles.   Your "good side" disappeared 10 miles ago!

Things were going smoothly for the first three hours, then the wind started to pick up, amplified by the concrete canyon we were in.  Our backdrops were attached to PVC frames, which were zip-tied to the temporary crowd-control fences that were set up.  The backdrops were like giant sails, and one by one they blew over, until only two of the original ten were still standing.

Thus ended my day photographing the Pittsburgh Marathon.  All in all, a great time, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

Spectrum Charter School 15th Anniversary Dinner

This past weekend was the fifteenth anniversary for Spectrum Charter School in Monroeville.  Spectrum is a high school specifically set up for autistic students, and my son KJ is graduating from there this year.  The dinner was both a fundraiser for the school (with a variety of raffle and silent auction items), as well as an opportunity to recognize board members, staff, students (past and present), and their parents.  The food was excellent, and everyone had a great time.  Of course, they asked me to photograph the event for them.  Photos from the event can be found HERE. The password is "puzzle".

2014 ECS Bloomin' Bash

This past weekend was the "Blooming Bash" fundraising gala for the Environmental Charter School arts programs.  This is our third year participating in this event.  It is always a lot of fun, and everyone has a good time.  Even though our youngest is graduating this year, we're looking forward to doing this again next year.  We had a photo booth set up (backdrop, flash umbrellas, and goofy props) and printed 4x6 prints on the spot using the Epson PictureMate printer.  The PictureMate is great for this, because the prints come out fast, and are waterproof and smudgeproof.  Photos from the event can be found here.

2012 "Propel for Peace" 5K Race

Last Sunday (November 4) I was photographing the first "Propel for Peace" 5K Race and Fun Run, which was sponsored by the Propel Charter School in Homestead.

The race started at the Pumphouse at the Waterfront shopping complex in Homestead, and run out-and-back on the Great Allegheny Passage trail. Over 250 people showed up, in spite of the cold cloudy weather (fingerless gloves are perfect for shooting in that kind of weather!).

Photos from the race can be found here:

http://photos.paulrichardwossidlo.com/g/2012_propel_for_peace

Dynamo Soccer Photos: An Extra Hour to Save This Weekend

As a public service reminder, don't forget to turn your clocks back Saturday night. You get an extra hour to sleep.

It also means you get an extra hour to save if you order your soccer photos this weekend. From now until next Tuesday, purchase 4 items at the regular price, and get the 5th one for free. That's equivalent to a 20% savings. This offer applies to my most popular items: 3.5x5 prints, 4x6 prints, 5x7 prints, and digital downloads. The 5 items must all be same size, and the discount will be automatically applied in your shopping cart. It is NOT necessary to order them from a single image. For example, you can order 1 4x6 print of 5 different images, or even 2 4x6 prints of one image and 3 4x6 prints of another. Either way, the discount will show up in your cart.

As another public service announcement, don't forget that Tuesday, November 6, is Election Day. It's also the last day for this sale.