Race for Pace/Paws for Pace 2012

This is the second year I've photographed the Race for Pace/Paws for Pace fundraiser for the Pace School in Churchill. Pace is a school for kids with autism, so it is a cause near and dear to my heart. It was a cold start to the morning, and some of the dogs definitely looked like they would rather have been in a nice warm bed. Even so, there were over 650 participants. As in previous years, WTAE's Mike Clark and Kelly Frye hosted the event.

Photos from the Pace race can be found here. There is an "Early Bird" 15% discount on all orders placed before October 31.

In other racing-related news, I've signed on to photograph Propel Schools' first Propel for Peace 5K Fun Run/Walk. Propel Schools is a charter school system here in the eastern suburbs, and proceeds from the race will go towards anti-violence education.

Myron Cope-Foge Fazio Memorial Classic for Autism

This past Monday I had the opportunity to photograph the Myron Cope - Foge Fazio Memorial classic for Autism at the Montour Heights Country Club. This is an annual golf outing that is a major fundraiser for the Autism Society of Pittsburgh. We had donated a gift certificate to their auction (my oldest son has autism), and they contacted me at the last minute to get candid shots of the golfers on the course and at the dinner afterwards.

It's been a lot of years since I've photographed golfers (back in high school!) so I was a little concerned about it. I used my long 80-200/2.8 zoom so I could keep my distance (and minimize any distractions I caused). Fortunately the course was quite hilly, which made it easy to get great high or low vantage points for shooting the golfers.

This year's event was hosted by WTAE's Bill Hillgrove (the Voice of the Steelers and Panthers) and legendary local weatherman Joe DiNardo. There were a lot of former Steelers and former Pitt players in attendance, including Andy Russell, Dwayne Woodruff, John Banazak, Robin Cole, Joe Walton, and Sam Clancy. Of special note was American Junior Golf Association Tim Novik (pictured above) who donates to autism for every birdie he makes in amateur competition.

CHAMPS

Status
Currently I have the first 19 events posted. I do have images from all 70 events, and do plan to post them online. I'll update this as more events are posted.

Background
This was my first year shooting CHAMPS, and it was definitely an experience! The one thing I wasn't prepared for was just how many photos we would end up taking. A month earlier I had shot a two-team meet in the same venue, and had taken approximately 750 photos. Based on that, I had figured we would shoot a total of 3000 to 4000 photos for the entire meet. In the end, I ended up with a total of over 7500 photos. That's a record for me, and twice as many as I've ever done on a single assignment. Besides have that many photos to go through, the sheer quantity takes up a lot of space on the computer

Photo Gift Card Codes are Still Available for a Limited Time
At CHAMPS I had a $20 Photo Gift Card Available for $18. This gave you a chance to save an additional 10% on your photo order. To make up for the delay in getting the CHAMPS photos up, I'm making Photo Gift Card codes available for purchase online. For a limited time you can purchase a $20 Photo Gift Card code for $18, or a $40 Photo Gift Card code for $36. Because these are online purchases, you will be emailed the code you use when you make your purchase, rather than mailing you one of the cards I had at the table at CHAMPS. Please note that your savings with the codes are in addition to any discounts or sales that may be going on.

The codes work the same as a store gift card. When you make you purchase, there will be a space on the payment screen to enter the code. When you enter the code, the amount will be deducted from your balance. If the amount of your purchase is less than the code value, then the code will have a balance remaining that can be used on a future purchase. Note: You can only use one code per purchase. If you have multiple codes, please contact me directly (before your purchase) and we can consolidate them into a single code.

If you wish to purchase a gift card, select your amount and click on the button below. You will receive your gift card code via email within 24 hours.

Save 10% on Photo Gift Cards

$20 Photo Gift Card $18.00 USD $40 Photo Gift Card $36.00 USD

If you have any questions about the gift cards codes, please don't hesitate to contact me.

What About the Early Bird Discount? Will it be Extended?
Typically when I first post an event online, I set up an "Early Bird" discount of 15% for the first one to two weeks. Currently the CHAMPS discount expires April 15. I will keep extending it until the last of the photos are posted.

To go to the CHAMPS photo gallery, please click HERE

ECS Book Bash

Last Night we were at the ECS Book Bash fundraiser for the Environmental Charter School. People could come by and have their photos taken and printed on the spot (My Epson Picturemate 4x6 photo printer is idea for this). A great time for a worthy cause. The photos can be found here.

"Frostbite 5K" Race

As some of you may be aware, my oldest son (now 19 years old) has autism. My wife and I are both involved in the Pittsburgh-area autism support groups (my wife more than I...). So when we found out about a 5K race that was an autism fundraiser, I naturally wanted to be involved.

The race was held this last Saturday. Leading into the weekend I was concerned that the weather would put a damper on the event. They were calling for rain and snow, with falling temperatures, for the day of the race. Fortunately the actual weather wasn't nearly as bad as they had predicted, and over 300 runners showed up to participate.

Photos from the race can be found here:

http://photos.paulrichardwossidlo.com/g/frostbite_5k

Race results can be found here:

http://smileymiles.com/2012Results.html

Dana and Erica's Engagement Session

Dana and Erica recently booked me to photograph their wedding next year. They also wanted engagement photos, so in early September we scheduled a photo session for October 8. At the time, I was concerned that with Fall coming, we had no idea what the weather would be like for the shoot. Fortunately we lucked out, and the weekend in question was part of the warm and sunny stretch that we had.

The session was scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Oakland, near the Heinz Chapel. We shot in the garden areas around the Chapel, and then headed over the Software Institute, across from Saint Paul's Cathedral. With the columns, steps, and "porch" area, it is a great place to shoot. It is especially popular with wedding photographers on rainy days, because the "porch" is under an overhang and protected from the weather.

Even though it was a quiet Sunday afternoon, passer-byes still took notice, including one who took a photo of me taking a photo...

2011 Race for Pace/Paws for Pace Event

Last Saturday I photographed the 2011 "Race for Pace/Paws for Pace" event, sponsored by the Pace School in Churchill. The was a 5K race for people, and a 1 mile walk for dogs (and their owners). Besides the usual race awards there were also awards for Biggest dog, smallest dog, and best costume. As in the past, this year's event was hosted by WTAE's Mile Clark and Kelly Frye.

The weather was a definite improvement over what I had to deal with at the "Tour du District" bike ride two weeks earlier. There was no rain, and we actually had sunshine towards the end of the race. The only problem was high winds, which blew over sponsor displays and prize boards.

As a parent of a child with autism, I was more than happy to help out a school that offers such an important service to our community.

Photos from the event can be found here:

http://photos.paulrichardwossidlo.com/g/race_for_pace