Photography by Lizzie

My Work on Display

2012-02-01T22:46:00.000-05:00

My husband and I just got back from going and hanging my work up for an exhibit! It is at the Carlisle Coffee Company's coffee shop at 950 Walnut Bottom Road, Carlisle, PA 17015. It is located beside the Nell's/Shur fine grocery store and Subway (scroll down to the bottom of this post to see their hours of operation). The photographs on display include shots of weddings, pets, newborns, engagement sessions, children, maternity, etc. You can go and see my work during the entire month of February. If you know of anyone looking for a photographer for their wedding, engagement session, family portraits, etc. please pass this post along so they can go and check out my work. There are business cards and pamphlets that one can pick up while they are there. There are also examples of Save the Dates and wedding invitations.

Here's what the place looks like from outside.

Business sign in the window

My work is hanging on the walls as well as

on the mantle of the fireplace and on the shelves.

Here's a close-up shot of the fireplace mantle.

The large photo hanging on the wall is

of a whole bridal party at a wedding.

My work also fills the shelves leading to

and around the cash register.

Examples of some of my large canvas gallery wraps.

On the left: 7 month old baby Liam.

On the right: detail shot from a wedding of the bride and

her bridesmaids and all their bouquets.

Close-up of a large canvas gallery wrap.

Detail shot of the bouquets from a wedding.

On the left is a slim canvas gallery wrap of a bride and groom.

On the right is a floating framed gallery wrap

of a bride and groom's first dance.

Framed portrait of a newborn.

floating framed canvas gallery wrap of a bridal portrait.

pet portrait (the breed of dog is a pug) canvas gallery wrap.

I hope you are able to go and check out my work! It really showcases all the different products that I can offer when I photograph a portrait session or event for you. Remember that it is only up until February 29, 2012. Their new hours of operation are: Monday - Thursday 6:30 am - 6:30 pm; Friday 6:30 am - 7:30 pm; Saturday 7:30 am - 7:30 pm; and Sunday 7:30 am - 2 pm.

Bridal Show Exhibit

2012-01-11T22:33:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, January 8, 2012 I had the opportunity to have a photography booth at the Wedding Wonderland Bridal Show at the York Expo Center in York, Pennsylvania. We had hundreds of brides and their friends and families stop by our booth. I was there along with my husband, Toby, and my mother-in-law, Crystal. It was a family affair with all of us doing meet-and-greets with everyone stopping by the booth. I am posting photos of the booth along with some descriptions because everything you see in the photographs, I offer to my clients to purchase using their photos from their weddings and engagement portraits. Please feel free to give me a call and I can email you my whole price list for 2012! If you like what you see, I would love to set up a free in-home consultation where I sit down with the soon-to-be bride and groom and bring many of these products to show you the endless possibilities of how to turn your photographs into priceless works of art and gorgeous albums.

Here's an overview shot of the whole booth. My business colors

are red, white and black and those are used throughout the booth.

Me and my husband, Toby.

I had large canvas gallery wraps and my business name on a

banner hanging up around the booth. Then I had albums,

prints, sample Save the Dates and other items on two tables.

On this side of the booth I had three large photographs on

easels. One is a sample from the custom framing company I

use. The other two are canvas gallery wraps with a floating

wood frame around it. They turn out beautifully. They really

make a statement when hanging in the home!

A corner view on one of the tables.

A different corner shot on the other end of the main table.

Different "Save the Dates", "wedding invitations" and

"wedding announcements" using photos from engagement

portraits and weddings. I can also custom create "thank you"

cards and "Christmas/Hanukkah" cards using your favorite

photos from your wedding. I can change and customize the

colors and text fonts to fit the individual colors and style

of your wedding. Call today to find out more information

on these great press printed products!

An overview photograph of four different albums I have to

showcase the different styles and wide range of how I can

custom design an album from your wedding or engagement

session. I offer three different styles of albums: (1) accordion

albums (2) Press printed books and (3) Willowbook Sequoia

albums. The accordion album is the perfect size to carry in your

purse to show friends, family and co-workers photos from your

wedding. It is a really cool little "brag book" style of album that

I am proud to offer to my clients. It is a perfect for the bride or

as gifts to the mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom.

Then there is the "Press Printed Book" style of album which is an

economical choice for either a wedding album or as a guest book

album using your engagement portraits. The last style of album

I offer is the "Willowbook Sequoia Album". It comes in over a

dozen different colors of leather, linen or brushed metal cover

styles. You can have text or photos on the cover as well. It is a

high-end album and is guaranteed to last a lifetime. All of my

albums are proudly "Made in the USA" and showcase superior

craftsmanship.

Canvas gallery wraps are a new, modern, 3-dimensional way to

showcase photographs on your walls instead of the traditional

picture in a frame. You can get one large gallery wrap or have

several that you cluster together to make a statement wall.

This is a photograph of an entire bridal party.

Here is a vertical-shaped gallery wrap of a bride and groom.

A bridal portrait as a floating framed, canvas gallery wrap.

At the top of this photo is a sample of an accordion album

(this one holds 42 photos). Then below it is a sample of an

11x14 print in a 16x20 frame with white mat that you can

have all your guests sign at your wedding. The photo is of a

couple from their engagement session. Later, many like to

change out the photo to their favorite photo from their

wedding and hang it in their new place.

I hope you like the products and services that I can offer. Please call me at 717-422-5050 today to schedule a consultation and I will be happy to email you my current price list. Good luck planning your wedding and I look forward to hearing from you soon! All the best, Lizzie

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-20T14:08:00.000-05:00

I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! This year was life changing for me and I will be glad to see a new year begin. It was very difficult for me in so many ways and I couldn't have gotten through it without the love of my husband, my in-laws and my extended family. It is hard to imagine that I lost both of my parents before I turned 30 this year, but I did. I have had to deal with the cards I was dealt and I am just glad that I made it through. Some of the hardships are going to bleed over into the new year, but I know with the help of the people I mentioned previously and the Lord that I can get through it. This Christmas will be very different but my husband and family are doing a lot of amazing things to make it nice for me even though I will be missing my parents and how are holidays used to be growing up. I am starting over. It is much like the first year after my husband and I got married and how we had to form new traditions of our own. It is like that for every newly married couple. You get to decide what traditions you liked or didn't like growing up and meld them with your spouse's traditions and then you get to make new traditions as well. So to all my future brides and grooms, try not to stress over the holidays about how to see everyone on both sides of your families and make sure you spend precious time together as new husbands and wives. All the best to all my past and future clients that this holiday season be the best yet! God Bless, Lizzie

And because I always post a photo with each new

entry on my website, here is a photo I took a few years

ago of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building in

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania after a snow storm. It is such

a beautiful, wintry photo that I thought it was perfect

to post for my holiday entry.

Green Family Christmas Portraits

2011-12-15T22:45:00.000-05:00

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to photography my favorite family, The Greens, when they welcomed their son, Josiah (you can check out that post here). I have been friends for years with the mom and dad, Frank & Janelle, and I even photographed their wedding (you can check out that post here). What a beautiful family they have!

From left to right: Naomi, Frank (holding Josiah),

Mia, Janelle, and Myanna.

Josiah (at 8 months old)

I loved the next series of photos of the girls.

They all looked so beautiful! Here's Mia.

Naomi

Myanna

All the children together

Just the girls

Thanksgiving

2011-12-06T00:46:00.000-05:00

This year was a hard year for me personally. I had my mother pass away in March (and I also had my father pass away in 2006). So, I didn't feel like I would have a place to go to for Thanksgiving to be with my family until my aunt and cousins invited me and my husband to their home. It was wonderful to spend time with everyone. I took a bunch of portraits of everybody before the meal and was then able to turn them into Christmas presents.

This is a photo of me and my husband, Toby,

and we later used it for our Christmas cards.

From Left to Right: my cousin Rachael, my Aunt Val,

my cousin Mandi, Aunt Val's mom, June and up

front and center is Bishop, Rachael's son.

Mandi and her husband, Danny

Rachael and Bishop

Aunt Val and her fiance, Nick. Now both Nick and

Aunt Val lost their spouses a few years ago and

we are all so excited that they found each other.

Nick and his two grandsons

Nick's son's family (who drove down for the

day from Alexandria, VA).

After dinner who got this great shot of all of us. I love my

family and all they have done for me this year. They have

all truly blessed my life in so many ways!

I couldn't do a Thanksgiving posts without a few food shots.

Here's a pecan pie.

I made and brought the fruit salad (or ambrosia as we call

it). I made it every year for my family's Thanksgivings, so

it was special for me to make it this year.

After dinner all the kids (as we are still called) went out to

see a light show. I set up my tri-pod and ran back and forth

to get this shot of all of us as we waited for the show to begin.

I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends. Even though I have been through the ringer this year, I am still standing and it is because of my husband, his family and the family that I have left. Here's to new traditions!

April & Chris Get Married!

2011-12-03T21:33:00.001-05:00

On November 19, 2011 I had the honor of photographing April and Chris' beautiful wedding at the home of Chris' parents in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. I was introduced to the happy couple last summer at Chris' cousin, Janelle's wedding (check out that wedding on my blog Janelle & Frank Get Married!). April is an amazing cater (to check out her website click on this link: Noshes and Nibbles), so I knew that her attention to detail in her work would ooze over into the attention to the details at her wedding. April did not disappoint. She handcrafted a beautiful wedding where every detail looked like it belonged in a wedding magazine. The first photos are of some of those beautiful details. All of the floral arrangements and most of the details were handmade by the bride herself! She is such a talented woman!

I loved April's accessories so I started out photographing them.

Here is a photo of all her jewelry, shoes and purse.

Another shot of her shoes and her maid of honor's bouquet.

Here is a shot of their invitations and the bride's bouquet.

The groom's boutonniere and tie

Detail shot of the bride

I loved these ring pillows that April and Chris'

sons carried down the aisle for the ceremony.

This precious bulletin board was what the guests got to

see when they first walked into the backyard before

they took their seats for the ceremony.

The groom looking dashing!

And his bride looking radiant! I loved her fur coat!

It was an outdoor ceremony in mid-November in

Pennsylvania, so it was cold.

The maid of honor and best man, who are also

husband and wife. Such a great couple and their

toast and the reception was so touching!

April and Chris opted to see each other before the wedding,

in what has become known as "The First Look". That

way we were able to get all the portraits done before

the ceremony. I love it when a couple chooses to do this.

It allows them to be able to get right to their reception instead

of doing a lot of the portraits directly after the ceremony.

This photo is the moment when they first saw each other!

My favorite photo of the beautiful couple!

The ring bearers: one son is April's and one son is Chris'.

Such a sweet photo. April wanted this one!

The whole new family. They all look so great!

Congratulations April and Chris! I am so excited for you and your children! May you have continued happiness, love, laughter and blessings!

Upcoming Posts

2011-11-28T20:11:00.001-05:00

I have a several posts that I am going to upload soon. I photographed a wedding, a family for their Christmas cards, a football game, the Baltimore Aquarium, Thanksgiving and the new addition in our family (my new nephew). I will start uploading new posts closer to the end of the week, but I wanted to give you a sneak peak of the work I am currently working on. Also, big things are happening for my little business. I am going to be uploading a post on the products I offer (wedding albums, canvas gallery wraps, accordion mini albums, framed prints, engagement session guest book albums, etc.). The possibilities are endless to what I can do when I photograph something. But this post will help my customers and future clients see what I can do with their important memories. Also, on Sunday, January 8, 2012 I will be at the York Expo Center and my photography business, Photography by Lizzie, will have a booth at the largest bridal show in the area. So come check me out at the Wink 103, Winter Wonderland Bridal Show at the York Expo Center. Me and my husband, Toby, will be on hand at the booth and all of the great products and services I can offer will be on display. It is a great way to meet and get to know me and see personally how I can turn a photograph into a treasured possession in your home. Also, for the month of February 2012 at the Carlisle Coffee & Smoothie Cafe at 950 Walnut Bottom Road next to the Nell's Grocery Store, I will be the featured artist and all of my work will be on display on their walls. I will have dozens of pieces up and this will be another way for future clients to check out my work and see if I am the right photographer for them! Come check me out (when the time comes, I will make a post of my work up at the coffee shop so you can all see how it turned out)! And of course a post isn't a post without some photos so here are the previews of what I have been up to!

This week I will do a post of April and Chris'

beautiful wedding in Nazareth, Pennsylvania (out

east closer to Philadelphia) that I photographed

a week ago. All of the details were so amazing

and I can't wait to share more with you!

On the same day as April and Chris' wedding,

I photographed the Green family for their family's

Christmas cards for this year! The pictures

turned out great and I will be happy to

share more from the portrait session with you.

Back in September, my husband and I had the

opportunity to go to the Alabama vs. Penn State

game in State College. I went to the University of

Alabama for college and got to photograph the

football team while I was a student working

for the college newspaper. The stadium allows

large cameras in even if you aren't official

press for the event, so I was able to take in all

of my equipment and I got some great shots.

Here is one of Alabama's #3 - Trent Richardson,

going in for a touchdown. He is in the running

for the Heisman Trophy this year and I really

hope he gets it. He is an amazing football player.

At the same time, it looks like Alabama might

get to go to the National Championship game

this year again for the 2nd time in 3 years and I

couldn't be more excited for my team. Roll Tide!

Also, this fall I was able to go to the National

Aquarium in Baltimore with a friend of mine and

I am going to post a few of my favorites later this

month. Here is one of a really cool fish amongst

the coral.

Last month, my husband and I went out to

Pittsburgh to visit our new nephew, Miles. Here

is his Halloween photo in a Santa Claus outfit we

got him. He is so cute!

Then, last week I photographed my extended

family during our visit to Fredericksburg, Virginia

to my aunt's house. Here is a favorite of me and

my husband, Toby. It was such a beautiful day

and bittersweet for me now that both of my parents

have passed away. We all have lost many of our

family members recently and my aunt's blessing

before the meal was beautifully said.

We miss you all but are thankful for the

blessings we still receive!

So, as you can see, I have been busy photographing cool events and portrait sessions and I will start sharing more of it all with you this week. So check back often for new posts! Thanks for stopping by today!

End of Summer

2011-09-24T00:52:00.000-04:00

Today marks the last day of summer. It has been a time that seemed to feel like a roller coaster for me. I have been missing my parents terribly. I turned 30 years old and it was a terrible day not having the special phone call from my mom and dad at the exact time I was born and the retelling of my beautiful adoption story and the day they got to bring me home from the hospital in their arms. My husband did a nice job with trying to make the day special for me (he ordered me flowers and had shipped in from NYC my favorite Junior's cheesecake), but it didn't matter what he did or didn't do, he could not fill the void in my heart that my parents used to fill. I will miss them every minute of every day for the rest of my life. I will miss them not being here for all the birthdays, holidays, and special occasions. I will miss that my children will never have my parents as their amazing grandparents, because they always talked about how they wanted to spoil them rotten with hugs and kisses and surprises. I miss not talking to them on the phone every single day (I really talked to my parents at least once - usually more - every single day of my life) and hearing "I love you" and having a hug and kiss from them. Nothing will ever make up for their love. But I still want to find something beautiful in each day, so I am posting photos of one such moment I had in my garden at home. It was of a big, beautiful monarch butterfly on a butterfly bush that my husband planted (just for me) beside our kitchen window. This is my view while I am at the kitchen sink cleaning dishes and cooking. I grabbed my camera on this day (a few days after my milestone birthday) and this little guy just stayed on the bush. He just circled around on the same branch for over a half hour while I took a ton of pictures. I got him from every angle and from very close up. I was almost touching him with the end of my camera lens and he did not mind me at all! I couldn't believe it. Another thing I really enjoy, is that this bush also attracts big black and yellow bumble bees. I enjoy this only because our big American bulldog mix loves to watch them and try and jump up and bite at them with his mouth. It is so cute! His tail goes and his ears perk up and he just sits and watches them as his giant head tilts back and forth. It is precious to watch and gives me joy. On these days filled with sadness, usually the only thing that gets me laughing and smiling are our two dogs: one big (75 lb. Zeppie) and one little (20 lb. Oliver - the pug). They really know how to make me and my husband (Toby) happy. Their kisses, or wanting belly rubs, or making their heads tilt when we talk to them, doing acrobatic tricks in the yard or on the bed, they are so silly and precious and I don't know what we would do without them. We love them both more than anything in this world. Please enjoy these photos that I think symbolize summer perfectly! Now on to fall (my personal favorite time of year and the time of year that my husband and I chose to have our wedding in on a beautiful, mountain top, outdoor ceremony in Gettysburg)!

Why I use Pictage

2011-09-03T22:41:00.002-04:00

*this post is provided on the Pictage website: Pictage: find a photographer forum. I post all of my photographs from your event or portrait session on a unique, personalized website that you can readily share with your friends and family. They can view all the images from the portrait session or event, select favorites and purchase them. They are then shipped to the person's home. I also use Pictage's tools to design all my albums and they get nothing but rave reviews from my clients! Read on to learn more about Pictage, their products (including prints and albums) and how they add quality craftsmanship to all of my shoots! Call me today to learn more about the services I can provide.

The Photographers We Serve

Pictage is honored to serve nearly 10,000 of the world’s best professional photographers. Members of our community are leaders in their field, providing exceptional photography services for weddings, family and school portraits, sports and other meaningful life events.

Pictage offers the best platform for marketing, selling and fulfilling professional photo products online. By streamlining workflow and taking on time consuming tasks like image editing, album design, fulfilling client orders and handling customer service, we free photographers to focus on shooting more events and making lasting, favorable impressions on their clients.

Looking to Hire a Professional Photographer?
Find a Professional Photographer

Hiring a professional photographer can be a daunting process. When you don't really understand the art, it's easy to wonder about the costs. We've all seen what digital cameras can do. When we see this it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking it's the camera that takes the pictures and not the people. While the cameras absolutely play a critical role, there is no question that the time, training, experience, and skills of your professional will deliver you a lifelong memorial, capturing not just the events, but the emotion and the special moments.

Professional photographers know how to get great results

Digital cameras are designed to provide the safest possible result in any circumstance. This means that their output is essentially neutral. For most things, that's ok. When you hire a professional, you're doing so because you want images that are powerful and real. You want white whites. You want real emotion. You want to see the rooms and the people and the smiles and the tears in the way you remember them. You want to look your best.

The process of capturing these moments in camera is one requiring years of training and experience. Simply understanding where to stand, how to hold the camera, which settings to use, when to use a flash and when not to are the outgrowth of training trial and error and talent.

During a special event such as a wedding, professional photographers will capture literally thousands of images, most without you even knowing they're there. Once the images are captured they will spend hours editing, cropping, filtering and screening the images to make sure you are at your very best. It is not unusual for this process to take 2-3 times as long as the event itself.

Professional Prints will last a lifetime

When you order prints, your professional photographer will go through every detail, removing blemishes and unwanted details, making sure each color is as bright and clear as possible. At times your photographer will provide special screens and toning, such as sepias, tints, or black and white treatments to further enhance the result. Single images can again take hours to get just right, so you'll be proud to display them. Pictage plays a part in this as well. We're frequently asked why an 8x10 print can cost a couple of dollars from a local drug store and so much more when delivered by a professional. This is because these prints are handcrafted by artisans who pay attention to every detail, making sure the colors, balance, density and contrasts print exactly according to the photographer's design. Even the paper that is used is of archival quality, manufactured to maintain the best possible colors for decades after printing.

Albums and books with the best designs

If you think about the amount of attention that is paid to a single professional print, you can appreciate the work that goes into an archival quality album. Albums are a collection of up to hundreds of prints, each one managed with much the same process as a single print. These prints are chosen by you and your photographer and then your photographer will design an album telling the story of your special experience. Once printed, the images are bonded to backings chosen for such characteristics as moisture and heat tolerance, adhesion reliability, smoothness and resistance to warping. Albums are then assembled by hand to ensure a lasting result, and delivered to you to enjoy for a lifetime. Yes, you can get a photo book from an online source with some pictures in it for a lot less, but it doesn't compare in any way to the albums your photographers are prepared to deliver.

This attention to detail is what makes your photographers a professional. They enable you to remember the precious moments in your life in vivid color and detail. If these things are important to you - and they should be - then you need to take the time to meet with your photographer and get a sense of the value of each of these products. They are justifiably proud of the work they do and the samples they will show you will not simply provide a window into their work, but will also give you fun ideas for the days you are planning.

It's probably clear from reading this that we at Pictage have a huge respect for the photographers we serve. Their work amazes us and it will amaze you. We wish you the best in your planning and we wish you the best on your special days.

Family Reunion

2011-08-16T23:09:00.001-04:00

Every 4th of July, out in western Pennsylvania my husband's mother's maternal side of the family has a family reunion which is a camping trip. It is on a beautiful piece of property and this year the weather cooperated wonderfully. It wasn't as hot as it could have been and it didn't rain. We all camp out in tents all over the fields. These are all photos of the different family groupings from the trip as well as one large family photo of everyone. My husband's family has been so kind to me and especially this year, with me having now lost both of my parents, they were really supportive. I love this family!

The smallest member of the family,
7 month old, Liam, in his play pen

Courtney with one of her twin boys. They have 4

boys now and they are all the sweetest children.

Baby Liam now asleep in his stroller in the shade

The other twin on his tricycle

Morgan and Courtney with their son, Liam

This is my favorite portrait that I have

taken of a child. He is sooo cute!

Bo Maverick, an English Mastiff, laying under his parent's

tent. He is so huge and gorgeous (all 200 lbs. of him).

There are a lot of funny games that we all play. This one is to see

how much water each person can pour back over their shoulder.

Gracie, a black lab, laying after playing fetch with her ball.

Uncle Bunk and Aunt Abie

The Wensels

Megan and her son

Keith and his daughter

Megan and Keith

Then a group of guys put off a fireworks show

while all the family sits in their lawn chairs and enjoy it.

Summer's end is fast approaching and I am designing several albums from the weddings I photographed this summer. I am also working on getting everything together to start having my own booth at bridal shows to showcase by business. It is a big undertaking and I am so excited to take my business to the next level.

Josie & Ben Get Married! (Portraits)

2011-06-30T13:46:00.000-04:00

As promised, here is the posting of the portraits from Josie & Ben's beautiful wedding. I couldn't be more pleased with how all of these turned out. There were so many great photos, so it was really hard to pick my favorites! The first photos are my favorites of Josie & Ben together. They are such a photogenic couple!

The next few photos are my favorites

of the bride. Josie you are stunning!

The next three photos are of the groom

alone! Gotta love a man in uniform!

Before the wedding there was a one hour portrait

session of Josie and her side of the family and

her bridesmaids. Here are the photos from that hour.

The bride and her immediate side of the

family (her parents and her sisters).

After I shot Josie's side of the family in the morning,

I then did another hour with Ben and all the guys.

Here are some from that hour of photography.

This is a shot of Ben and all his brothers.

Later after the ceremony, we took the whole bridal

party out to get some shots. These are my favorites.

Congratulations Ben & Josie! May you have many

years of love and laughter. Thank you so much for

allowing me to be a part of your big day!

Josie & Ben Get Married! (Details, Ceremony & Reception)

2011-06-30T00:30:00.000-04:00

There is much to say about this happy couple that I had the honor of photographing on June 18th at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. They planned their wedding long distance (she was finishing school in South Carolina and he is in the Army is upstate New York and the wedding took place in Central Pennsylvania. Her parents now live in Texas and the bride's family grew up in New Jersey). Everyone traveled quite a distance to be a part of their happy day and what a day it was. It was cooler on that summer day than it had been which was a welcome surprise. The sky was a perfect blue and the wedding coordinator helped make the most picturesque setting at both the chapel and the reception which took place at a close family friend's farm under a big white tent. This post is all about the details, setting, the ceremony and later the fun at the reception.

The main building at the Army War College

The bride's bouquet and the rings

One of the groomsman's boutonniere's and the lavender

color that was seen throughout the day.

The maid of honor and her flowers

Detail shot of the bride's bouquet

Then on to the wedding, which took place at

the U.S. Army War College Memorial Chapel.

I love the details on the back of Josie's gown.

Josie & Ben saying their vows

Ashley provided the music during

the ceremony. What a gorgeous voice!

Ben & Josie watching Ashley sing

The happy couple walking back down

the aisle now as husband and wife!

After the receiving line, Ben & Josie

exited the chapel through a sea of bubbles.

Then we took a beautiful drive out in to the country

to where the reception took place. This precious

sign welcomed the guests to the party.

The details were amazing. Loved all the romantic touches!

I loved the candy buffet and so did all the guests!

David, one of Ben's brothers, giving a toast

Then Katie, Josie's sister, gave her toast

Ben & Josie, with the bridal party, enjoying all the toasts

The cake was made by the Holland American Bakery

and delivered from Sussex, New Jersey.

Josie & Ben cutting the cake

Then they smashed it all over each other's faces. I

grabbed this cute shot of the two with cake all over their faces.

Check back soon for another posting of all the portraits from the day.

Ty & Angie's Baby Shower and family portraits

2011-06-23T22:52:00.000-04:00

Soon my husband's (Toby) family will have one new member. Toby's brother, Ty, and Ty's wife, Angie, are due to have a baby boy on the 5th of July. We can't wait to be an aunt and uncle! It is also the first grand-baby on both Ty and Angie's sides of the family. My parents-in-law are ecstatic! There is nothing more precious than a new baby as well as seeing the new parents hold their child. My husband and I are planning on adopting, so watching Angie go through her pregnancy has been very special for us since I am unable to carry a child myself. We all couldn't be happier for them. Here are some of my favorite photos from their baby shower and the quick portraits I took just after the shower. The first photo is my absolute favorite!

One of the most beautiful things on

the planet (to me), is a pregnant woman.

The expectant parents, Ty and Angie

Left to Right: my mother-in-law (Crystal),

her youngest son (Ty), Angie, her oldest son &

my husband (Toby) and myself.

Angie opening presents during her baby shower

The cake from the shower. It was covered in toasted almonds.

The shower favor: sugar cookies in the shape of a baby's foot.

One of the many details from the different packages

My mother-in-law handcrafted these precious carriages

for each woman at the shower. This one was mine :-)

The theme of the shower was the bumble bee.

It is also the theme of the baby's room.

Another shot of Angie opening presents

Congratulations Ty and Angie!

We can't wait for the little guy to arrive!

Military Ceremony

2011-06-21T19:35:00.000-04:00

Words can not express my gratitude to the woman who hired me to photograph the military ceremony found in this posting. I met her while she was caring for my mother at the hospital that my mother was a patient at this year. She was one of the many medical professionals caring for my mother during her stay there but she made an impression that will last a lifetime. She always performed her rounds in the evenings after most people were no longer visiting. But I stayed there most of the time so I was always there to talk to her when she came in to treat my mom. She is a beautiful woman inside and out and I will forever be thankful to how she treated me, my mom and my family while my mom was so sick. It was here that I showed her the pictures of my mom that I had in the room and told her that I was a photographer. She later asked if I would be willing to photograph her husband's ceremony in the summer in Virginia Beach. Things worked out so that I was able to photograph it and the day couldn't have been nicer. I was glad to help her after all that she had done in caring for my mom.

(Due to the secretive nature of what the men and women do for our military, I can not name those in the photographs.) It was a change of command ceremony which is when one leader is leaving for a new post and a new leader is taking over the command in their place. The military base was on the water and there was a large tent set up for the ceremony due to how hot is was going to be. There was a lot of pomp and circumstance. Afterwards, I was able to walk on the beach and took some photos that I thought the family would like, but I also went because it was a favorite place of my mom's. Anywhere that my mom could be near an ocean, she loved. As the water rushed up over my feet, the sun started to make rays of light come through the clouds and it felt as though my mom was watching over me from up above. Here are some of my favorite photos from the day!

Military Band

The color guard

WWII veteran

Family looking on

Welcome Baby Josiah!

2011-06-09T22:40:00.000-04:00

I couldn't have been happier arriving at the home of Frank and Janelle to photograph the newest addition to their family. Last July, I had the honor of photographing their wedding and it is a thrill for a photographer to keep photographing a couple long after the wedding on other momentous occasions. When Frank and Janelle met, they already had three daughters between them, so everyone got even more excited once we learned they were expecting a baby boy to expand their growing family. He is so precious and tiny and both mother and baby went through the delivery safely. I have known Janelle as we were a part of the same women's Bible study through our church. Frank and Janelle just made sense and it was their two eldest daughters who became best friends in day care that brought the two of them together. All the girls just instantly became sisters and they are so excited to be the big sisters to little brother Josiah. Congratulations to Frank, Janelle, and the girls as you welcome this handsome little guy into your lives!

The next photos are a series of precious details

(little baby ears, fingers and toes). Too cute!

The whole family!

Tiffany & Matt Get Married!

2011-06-04T22:21:00.004-04:00

I always get nervous when I go to meet a couple for the first time who are considering me to photography their wedding. But things quickly turned to giddy laughter when Tiffany introduced herself to me and then her fiance, Matt. I could feel immediately the love radiating from the happy and very much in love couple. They have known each other for so long that they can finish each other's sentences. We all hit it off and much to my happiness they asked me to be their wedding photographer. Even though there were little things that popped up on their wedding day that didn't allow everything to go smoothly (rain during the portrait session just after the ceremony, dresses not fitting on bridesmaids, or the cake and cupcake tower not arriving at the reception until just before the cake cutting was to happen), nothing could put a damper on their big day. The details were all carefully planned and made by hand, the colors were perfect for a beautiful spring day, and the bubbles were perfect for this super bubbly couple to come out to as the new Mr. and Mrs. On to the pictures!

Detail of the bride, maid of honor and

bridesmaids dresses and bouquets.

Tiffany and her bridesmaids

The glowing bride

The dashing groom

The bride's bouquet

The groom's boutonniere

maid of honor detail shot

Tiffany, you are absolutely stunning!

Another good one of Mr. Groom

I loved the details on Tiffany's gown and veil!

Good Shepherd Community United Methodist in Carlisle, PA

This photo is of the ceremony inside of the beautiful church.

Then after the ceremony, the afternoon showers

came and we did the bride and groom's

portraits inside the chapel. I loved the stained glass windows.

Another shot of them by the window

And just when we thought we were finished,

the rain let up and we got this great shot of the

happy couple together outside of the church.

The couple exited the church through a wall

of bubbles that their guests were blowing.

The "Oh so cute" cupcake tower at the reception

The theme of their wedding were these precious

pink & green pears. So, I grabbed one shot of their

rings with them at the reception.

The last shot is of the rings in the bride's bouquet

Congratulations again Matt and Tiffany!

I couldn't be happier for the both of you and that

you had such a wonderful wedding day. All the best, Lizzie

This spring

2011-06-03T20:00:00.000-04:00

I wanted to let everyone know why I have not been blogging this spring. My mother fell very ill at the beginning of the year and later passed away in March. It has been very difficult for my sister and I now that we have lost both of the parents that adopted us at birth in the last few years. It is hard for us to believe we are on our own before we turn 30 but that is what we are faced with now. Business for me has picked up again and blogging will resume as usual now. Just wanted to explain why there hadn't been a post since Christmas. Check back because I have 2 weddings, a military ceremony and newborn portrait session all to be posted in the next month! So excited to get back into the swing of things again. And because a post wouldn't be a post without some photos, here are some of my favorite photos of my mom from the past few years. All the best, Lizzie

My mom and me on Thanksgiving Day

2005 in Fredericksburg, Virginia

My wedding in October 2007: After my father passed

away recently, my mom is seen here doing the honor of

walking me down the aisle and giving me away.

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

October 2010 - my mom and my sister on my sister's

wedding day. We are all so blessed that she was also able to walk

my sister down the aisle to her new husband. Smithfield, Virginia

Me and my mom on my wedding day

My mom doing one of the things she loved best: cooking

for her family the opening night of the University

of Alabama's football season (Labor Day weekend

2009). Bama went all the way to win the national

championship that year. At her home in Smithfield, Virginia.

She will forever be in our hearts! Love you mom!

From your Punkin Lil.

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-08T20:15:00.013-05:00

I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! This time of year is filled with cold weather, hot chocolate, warm fires and sharing the season with your loved ones. Take time to truly enjoy the season and the true meaning of it and take the time to tell those you love how much they mean to you! Below is our family Christmas card that I designed for this year. It is my husband and I with our two dogs in the Blizzard of 2010 from February of this year. We got more than 20 inches of snow and the dogs just loved jumping around and playing in it. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and have love and laughter in your life because I know I do. To my husband, I love you more than words can say and thank you for loving me so much! Blessings to all, Lizzie

Yingst Wedding (Part 2 of 2)

2010-11-21T20:36:00.001-05:00

For my second posting, I wanted to focus on just portraits that I took during the wedding day for Mike and Lori. I thought they turned out great. There were so many wonderful spots up at Kings Gap to take all the different portraits during the day. Individual photos of each, photos of the couple together, the different people in the wedding and family portraits. I think you will agree with me that their venue could not have been more beautiful on that glorious fall afternoon! Now on the pictures.

their flower girl

Friends of the couple, Mike and Phillip,

provided the beautiful music.

A large family portrait with the bride and groom

I did a little something different for this photo and

added texture to give it an antique feel.

To Mike & Lori, I wish you all the happiness in the world and

thank you for letting me be a part of your most special day!

Yingst Wedding (Part 1 of 2)

2010-11-20T20:37:00.007-05:00

On October 30th, I had the privilege of photographing Mike and Lori's wedding. You can see the love they have for each other in the way that they look at each other or the gentle way they are around each other. They decided to get married at the beautiful mansion up on the mountain at King's Gap Environmental Education Center that overlooks the valley of Central Pennsylvania. It was a gorgeous fall afternoon and the day couldn't have been more perfect for this wonderful couple.

This was the view I had driving up to the top
of the mountain. Just breathtaking!

Lori's beautiful wedding gown hanging in
the grand stairway in the mansion.

The corsages for the mothers

Lori's shoes and faux fur muff and flowers

The rings placed on a small pumpkin that was

a part of the centerpieces at their reception.

Lori getting into gown with a little help

from her future sister-in-law.

The flower girl undoing the bride's gown's bustling.

Mike's mom putting on his boutonniere.

Lori and Mike opted to have a "First Look" session

which is becoming more popular these days. What that

means is that the bride and groom see each other

before the wedding ceremony so they can get most of

the wedding photography out of the way and that way

after the ceremony they don't take all their pictures

and miss out on part of the reception. Rather they are

already finished with all the pictures and get to go straight

to the reception to be with their guests and get to enjoy

more of the events of the day! I can't recommend this

enough! These photos are of them just before they

saw each other for the first time on the grand

staircase in the mansion.

Then these two photos are of each of them

seeing each other for the first time.

Detail shot of the bride and groom

Another shot of the rings

Detail shot of the groom and his boutonniere

Lori & Mike, with the pastor, during the

ceremony out on the terrace of the mansion.

The bride during the ceremony

The groom during the ceremony

After the ceremony and following receiving line in the

mansion, Mike took Lori out onto the terrace to have

their first dance. It was just the two of them as their

ceremony musicians (who were friends of the couple),

Mike and Phillip sang and played their acoustic

guitars for the happy couple. I just love this photo

and how Mike is looking at his new wife with

such love and the beauty of the mountains and

valley in the background!

Detail shot of Mike (with his new wedding band)

holding Lori during their first dance as husband and wife.

They opted for a popular cupcakes display.

Check back tomorrow for the more photos from Lori and Mike's beautiful fall wedding!

Portfolio

2010-11-18T19:30:00.000-05:00

I recently came across my portfolio of work that I used to get my current job back in the spring of 2007. They are pictures I took while working for publications from 2001 until 2007 in the states of Alabama, New York and Pennsylvania. I thought I would share them so you could see my older photojournalism work.

Cody Locke, a Freshman biology major, was recently

named one of U.S.A. Today's Top Scholars.

Not just famed for its ice skating rink, Rockefeller Plaza

serves up some of the best cheesecake in New York City.

The Aaron's 499 NASCAR race at Talladega

Speedway gets underway in Talladega, Alabama.

Pete Townshend of the British band, The Who, plays

during a concert at Hershey, Pennsylvania's Giant Center.

The debut show for designer Irene Munger's line, "Blackpool"

was during New York's Olympus Fashion Week.

A couple take advantage of the nice weather and study

on the Quad at the University of Alabama.

Buzz Owens joins fellow bikers from around the area every

Tuesday night for "Biker Night" at Rhythm and Brews located

in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

The Marine Corps band was on hand to participate

in the second Inaugural Parade for George W. Bush

in Washington, D.C

Studio shot of Nine West shoes.

The state of Hawaii was represented in the Inaugural Parade

for George W. Bush with an Aloha float with traditional

Hawaiian dancers.

India.arie performs during the Homecoming

festivities at the University of Alabama.

Dancers perform from the Alabama Repertory Dance Theater

at the Moody Music Concert Hall at the University of Alabama.

Byron Quann, former president and CEO of Whitaker Center

for Science and the Arts, stands among children performing as a

part of the Russian American Kids Circus at the

Sunoco Theater in Harrisburg, PA.

Both love and spring are in bloom at Big Spring Park

in Huntsville, Alabama.

A little girl at St. Stephen's Episcopal School in

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Sophomore forward, Kennedy Winston, goes up for points in

the Crimson Tide's 70-67 loss to Vanderbilt.

The Gates, a modern art work, by Cristo and Jeanne-Claude

was installed in New York's Central Park for sixteen days.

The Pennsylvania state capitol building in Harrisburg,

Pennsylvania covered in snow.

The circus came to town in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The day

before the opening night, the elephants are seen here

getting a bath from their trainer.

Dennis McKibbem, of Williamsport, portrays a Stockbridge

Indian during a historical reenactment.

Sisters, age four and six, were featured on the

November 2006 cover of Central Penn Parent as a

part of the article "Kids in the Kitchen".

Note: These next few photos are from the same event.

More than a million protesters came to New York City during the

Republican National Convention in 2004 as part of the

United for Peace and Justice protest march.

The New York Police Department was out in full force to

ensure the safety of the public as well as the rights of the protestors.

Two of more than one million people that came out to

protest the policies of President Bush.

United for Peace and Justice workers lead the protest

along 34th Street past the Empire State Building.

The Fall Season

2010-10-17T17:44:00.000-04:00

I live in Central Pennsylvania and up here the fall season is so beautiful. It is my favorite time of year and I have so many fond memories and milestones that happened during this season. Six years ago while living in NYC, I bought my dog, Oliver in October. He was my first pet living on my own and he has been my world ever since. He is the coolest, smartest, funniest and cutest pug I have ever known and I know how lucky I am to have found him. Then exactly one year later, just after I have moved out of NYC to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, I met the man I would marry. The next year we bought a house in October, then the following year we married in October. We married on a mountain top, outside at a location just outside of Gettysburg. It was a beautiful fall wedding. So, for four years in a row, the biggest things of my life happened in October in the beautiful season of fall. I hope you and your family have a wonderful fall season with Halloween and now Thanksgiving just around the corner. I'm going to leave you with a photo of "my little man", my pug Oliver in the fall leaves outside in a Charlie Brown sweater that I saw and couldn't resist getting for him. He's just too cute! Happy Fall!

The End of Summer

2010-09-13T19:34:00.000-04:00

Each year we know it is summer when, out in our large garden, our sunflowers begin to bloom. This year my husband planted hundreds of seeds of many different varieties and they took off. They grew to be over ten feet tall and every size, shape and color. They are one of my favorite types of flowers, so I think it is so sweet that my husband grows them just for me. We cut a ton and put them in vases throughout the house all through the summer. We gave them away to friends that needed to be cheered up and had friends come over and cut their own since there were way more than we could use in our home. Here are some of my photos of them throughout the summer.

I love how the sun sets each evening through the tall stalks and radiates through the pedals.

The beginning of a sunflower.

The beginning of a mammoth-sized sunflower

My husband, Toby, proud of his crops this year in our garden.

I love how every detail is so intricate and beautiful.

Vases of sunflowers that we put throughout the house.

My favorite. The seed we planted was called 'Lemon'.

The end of our sunflowers marks the end of summer at our home each year.

Welcome Baby Jace!

2010-08-17T19:34:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited to finally be posting the photos from baby Jace's newborn and family portrait session. My husband, Toby, grew up with baby Jace's mom, Maria. When we learned that she was expecting with her new husband, Mike, we were thrilled for their large family. Toby and I went out to visit them at their home in Millersville, PA and took family photos on a Sunday afternoon. Though it stormed during the whole session and we weren't able to take photos in their beautiful backyard, I think we came away with wonderful photos from inside their home. Though most photographers would prefer the infant to be napping through the session because it is a lot easier to place the newborn for all the photos, Jace had other plans. He was awake and alert for most of the session and I have a bunch of photos with him looking right at the camera. He is such a beautiful baby and I am so happy for Maria and Mike and their older children. Their family is wonderful and I am just so happy I could photograph them so they will be able to look back on the photos with fondness of when Jace was first born. Congratulations Brown family!

We started with photos of the whole family in the parents' king-sized bed.

What a big and happy family!

Baby Jace in one of the few photos I have when he was still with his eyes closed.

Laying in his crib

Here he is looking around and playing with his fingers.


Since he is a July baby, we took over one of our sunflower's from our garden for him to pose with. He liked to play with it and waved it around like a wand.

Mom and dad having a laugh while he was talking to us.

I love close-up shots of babies. Their hands and feet are so small.

Jace joins the family along with his 3 older siblings.

This photo to me shows love - baby along with the hands of his mom and dad.

Mom & Dad - so happy with their son.

The family pet, a pug mix, got in on some photos near the end of the session.

I love this photo! It is perfect how he was looking right at me.

Their dog loved looking at the baby. He was so good with him.

One of my favorites of the whole family. They are all so in love with baby Jace. Congratulations again and I hope this is just the first time of many that I get to photograph this family!

Frank & Janelle Get Married: Reception (Part 5 of 5)

2010-07-29T19:09:00.001-04:00

After the ceremony and photos were completed, everyone returned to the Holiday Inn Harrisburg West for the reception. The staff at the hotel were amazing and the best in the business (they truly were the best people I had ever worked with at a venue). Janelle and Frank wanted to be able to relax and have fun and it was a joy to watch how much fun they really had that night. They danced and laughed all night. They had a photo booth (from Five Star Amusements) which was so much fun and the hit of the night (especially for their 3 young daughters). Their beautiful wedding cake (which was by Sweet Confections) was delicious. Their videographer, Peter Newton of Tailored for You, came out from Eastern Pennsylvania and was with them every minute recording it all. The DJ (Bob Foltz) was so great that they booked him for extra time at the end of the night because no one wanted to stop dancing. Everything went on without a hitch and the bride and groom couldn't have been happier. Now on to the photos.

Janelle & Frank with the photo booth.

Frank dipping Janelle at the end of their first dance as husband and wife.

Janelle and Frank laughing while her father gave a toast to the happy couple.

Frank and Janelle with their wedding cake and then the cake cutting.

Mia, Janelle's daughter, looking at the wedding cake.

Janelle & Frank with Frank's daughter, Myanna.

Janelle and Frank's daughters enjoying the photo booth.

Mia looking like a disco viking

Frank being silly in the photo booth with his daughter Myanna.

Frank dancing with his mother for their Mother/Son dance

Frank and Janelle danced and laughed all night like this. They were so happy.

Love the expression on their faces as Frank goes to get Janelle's garter.

Frank once we got the garter off. Priceless!

The bride and groom dancing with their daughters.


Because it was the 4th of July weekend, the hotel set off fireworks. Janelle & Frank learned that day that they would have a free fireworks display for them and their guests and here they are watching them. Janelle & Frank, thank you so much for letting me document the beginning of the next chapter of your love together. It was amazing for me to be a part of it. I wish you both all the happiness in the world. Lizzie

Frank & Janelle Get Married: the Portraits (Part 4 of 5)

2010-07-24T18:48:00.001-04:00

Now on to my favorite photos from a wedding (along with the detail shots), it is the portraits. I love trying to capture the essence of the bride and groom's love and happiness so they can always look back at their wedding photos with fondness. Despite all the hustle and bustle that morning, in the afternoon after the ceremony was over and it was down to the last portrait photos of the day, Frank and Janelle were relaxed and happy. They went along with my suggestions and ideas and I think all of their photos together with just the two of them turned out wonderfully. I just hope they enjoy them as much as I did taking them. Enjoy!

Check back soon for the final posting of the reception photos!

Frank & Janelle Get Married: the Ceremony (Part 3 of 5)

2010-07-23T18:55:00.000-04:00

After the limo ride from Mechanicsburg to Carlisle, it was time for the ceremony which took place at Carlisle Brethren in Christ. People were greeted by the most beautiful music performed by Scott Hallman, pastor of music, on piano along with strings musicians Mackenzie Sorem, Kendall Sorem and Meredith Schmehl. The pastor of young adults, Bryan Hoke, performed the ceremony. The couple's three daughters were the flower girls and they sprinkled pink rose pedals down the aisle. Then Janelle's father, Frank Keglovitz, walked his daughter down the aisle and gave his daughter away. The ceremony was so tender as tears of joy was shed by many including the groom. When they were finally allowed to kiss each other it was the biggest kiss as people started to clap and then with great joy they were introduced as husband and wife. After the ceremony was over and the bridal party walked back down the aisle, the happy couple started a receiving line so they could greet all their family and friends. They later came out of the church into a sea of bubbles that filled the air and then Frank and Janelle rode in the limousine back to the hotel for the reception. Now on to some of my favorite photos from at the church.

Don't forget to check back soon for the next posting of portraits from the wedding.

Frank & Janelle Get Married: Getting Ready (Part 2 of 5)

2010-07-19T23:02:00.003-04:00

I first arrived to the Holiday Inn Harrisburg West and was greeted by the guys. I took photos of them getting ready and then I headed over to another room at the hotel where the girls were getting ready after returning from Sass Salon & Day Spa. It was a fast-paced morning with a lot of people needing to do a lot of things. One thing I loved most about Janelle and Frank was they opted for the "First Look"and saw each other before the ceremony so we could get most of the photography out of the way so they could really enjoy their reception and wedding day. To read more about the first look, click on the text to read what groom's have to say about the benefits of it on the world-renowned Jasmine Star's photography blog. Janelle and Frank called each other throughout the morning, so I had to get a shot of each talking on the cell with the other before the big reveal.

The men found their great tuxes at Top Line Tuxedos

All the women (bride, bridesmaids and flower girls) found their gowns at Alfred Angelo.

I loved the moment Janelle's mom saw her

Janelle's mom putting on the final touch, her grandmother's pearls.

Once Janelle was ready, her father escorted her to see Frank

The flower girls (Janelle's daughter) escort their mom down the stairs

Frank eagerly awaiting his bride

They were so happy to see each other for the first time

The bridal party shares a toast before the festivities begin

Janelle and Frank rode in a limo (transportation provided by Premiere 1 Limousine Service) from the hotel to the church.

Be sure to check back later in the week for the next post: 'Ceremony' photos.

Frank & Janelle Get Married!: Details (Part 1 of 5)

2010-07-18T09:18:00.071-04:00

Recently I had the honor of photographing my friends' wedding. I first met the bride, Janelle, several years ago when we ended up in the same ladies Bible study through our church, Carlisle Brethren in Christ. She was dating Frank, the groom, and I was able to witness their love grow through the years. I was so excited when they asked me to photography their wedding. It is the biggest honor when a couple selects me to photograph their most important day. I take it very seriously and I am so thrilled to be a part of the day. Janelle and Frank planned everything down to the smallest detail. These are some of the photographs of all the beautiful details from their wedding day after all their hard work.

Floral designs by : George's Flowers

Cake by Sweet Confections

More to come throughout the week, so keep coming back!

Cutman Family Portraits

2010-06-21T22:18:00.011-04:00

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity of photographing the Cutman family in Lemoyne, Pennsylvania. The location was so great. We went to Negley Park which overlooks the Susquehanna River and the skyline of downtown Harrisburg. The reason for the photos was it was the Cutman's 50th wedding anniversary and the whole family wanted to take these photos as their gift to them. We all met up at the park after they had a celebratory dinner.

Dave & Joanne

It was so great to see that they are still in

love and having fun after all these years.

Mr. Cutman and his two daughters (Kristen & Kathy)

Mr. & Mrs. Cutman with all their grandchildren

The Derk family: parents Craig & Kathy

with their daughters Jessica & Stephanie

All the grandchildren: Stephanie, Jessica, Steven, Emily & Ashley

The Golds & Huffers: Kristen & her husband, Aaron,

along with Ashley, Steven, and Emily

Siblings: Emily, Ashley & Steven

Steven and his girlfriend, Sam

Sisters: Emily & Ashley

Photo of the whole family. Thanks so much for letting me

photograph your wonderful family. I had a great time!

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Cutman on 50 years of marriage.

Pet Photography

2010-05-16T18:48:00.002-04:00

I love pet photography. It can be my pets or my clients. But they are each so unique and expressive and I love trying to show their personalities in a portrait. Spending time with pets, I get down on their level (I have rolled around in many yards with them), give them their favorite treat to help them pose and zoom in and get close to show their features and souls. I have two wonderful dogs and I grew up with many dogs and cats in the home with my family. I have been photographing animals my whole life. First with a little pink and gray polaroid camera, later with a 35 mm camera and lastly my professional digital camera. I feel the more pictures you take, the better during a session.

Each night before I go to bed, I let our dogs jump into the bed and they have play time and snuggle time with me and each other until they fall asleep with me. Later my husband comes to bed and puts the dogs in their beds for the night. This is one of those evenings when they were just in our bed but I got my camera out and started shooting them. I got so many great shots in less than an hour. These are some of my favorites.

Oliver, pug

Zeppie, American Bulldog/Pit Bull mix

They love to play tug of war with stuffed animals

Contact me to photograph you and your pets today!

2010-05-11T17:31:00.001-04:00

My photography business is now in the phonebook! I was excited to finally see the ad when we received our phonebook in the mail in April. My husband and I had worked with the sales department many months beforehand to get the ad made. I think it turned out great, so here are some photos.

Close-up of my Photography by Lizzie ad

My Life as a Photographer

2010-05-01T01:29:00.005-04:00

These photos are some self portraits that my husband

and I went out and shot one spring afternoon.
I shoot with Canon SLR lenses, bodies and flash equipment.
I also love my on-the-go camera bag by Shootsac.

Often people ask me, "How did you become a photographer?" It was a round about way, but I came to the conclusion in college. When I first arrived at college at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama I was a music & theater double major. I came to the conclusion that wouldn't be the best career choice for me during my 1st semester and fell in love with interior design & architecture. While I was a design major, I worked two summers interning at a design firm back home in Huntsville, Alabama. For my major, I had to take 9 art history classes which I loved. Luckily before I started college in the summer of 1999, my family went to Italy for almost a month. It was amazing and I fell in love with art and culture even more there. That trip only made the Renaissance and other art periods more fascinating to me. I also had to take several other art courses: drawing, painting, color theory and it was while I was in the art building that I also needed to take an elective art class. I decided to take a photography class. After one class, I was hooked and I decided I wanted to change my major for a third time. Only this time, my father decided I needed to be really sure before I changed my direction for a third time (and needed to be in college for 5th year). So he talked to several photographers back home and they agreed to let me shadow them for a few days over my Christmas break. I met with a photojournalist at the newspaper and a wedding photographer. After meeting them and seeing what they did for a living, I was positive that I wanted to be a photographer. I changed my major and I went to our nationally award-winning college newspaper, The Crimson White, and I started photographing assignments for them. After one semester of working for free, they liked my work and work ethic and hired me as a paid staff photographer. I was able to get press access to all university events such as plays, musicals, ballets and operas. I got press passes to all the sporting events and I photographed all the different NCAA athletic sports (football, basketball, baseball, gymnastics, and more). I started traveling around to the different SEC schools (Mississippi State, Georgia, and Tennessee, to name a few) photographing the Crimson Tide. I loved working for the paper and I decided to minor in photojournalism through the journalism department while I was a photography major in the art department. For my major it was all B&W film that we developed ourselves and did our own work in the university photo labs and dark rooms. I would later become a photo lab monitor so I could get a dark room key and I would stay late at night and keep the lab open for other students to work on their projects and help teach the newbies. Between my B&W artistic work and color film photojournalism work, I grew a large portfolio.

The goal my entire life was for me to leave Alabama and move to NYC. I visited NYC for Christmas with my family when I was 6 years old and I was hooked. I just thought the city was magical and I knew I wanted to live there. So, though I changed majors 3 times they were all careers that I could move to NYC to pursue. During my last year of college, my family planned that for spring break we would go to NYC together and I would take my portfolio and hit the streets. My parents and sister were all so supportive and did everything in the world to help me make my dreams come true. I got interviews at several prestigious magazines for internships (Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, and Vogue to name a few). It was an experience of a lifetime to talk to photographers and and see the artistic departments at these cultural icons of the magazine world. Though Rolling Stone had already filled their intern position, they opened the door for me and shared my name and work with the people at Annie Leibovitz's studio. Two days later, I was in her studio meeting with her studio manager while she was conducting a photo shoot. I couldn't believe that I was able to meet one of the most famous photographers of all time. After the interview, I flew back home to Alabama and went back to college. A week later, her people called me and offered me the internship if I could move up there and start the day after Memorial Day. So, I finished my last semester and moved to NYC.

I found roommates through Craig's list (which this was 2004 and it had just gotten started) and I moved to the Upper West Side just one block south of Harlem and the Cotton Club and the Apollo. I loved the city and I was able to get press passes for the huge protests outside of the Republican National Convention for George Bush's second run at the white house. That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I knew for sure then that I could really cut it as a newspaper photojournalist. So, I started sending my resume and CD portfolio to newspapers and magazines around NYC and the rest of the nation. I continued to finish up my internship and began working for an online lifestyle magazine about life in NYC and the surrounding area (it was new york cool). I got to photograph concerts and movie premiers and even runway shows during New York Fashion Week. It was another wonderful experience. It was while working there that I learned my father had pancreatic cancer. I had lived my dream but I knew it was time to go home, even if for just a little while to be closer to him so I could see him on a daily basis. So, I said goodbye to NYC (still hoping that I would return) and moved back to Huntsville, Alabama. While there, I started hitting the road to find a full-time staff photographer position at a newspaper. I drove all over the country for interviews. And in August 2005 (just 2 months after leaving NYC) I got a call from a newspaper/publishing company out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and they wanted me to start in 2 weeks. This was the same day that my father had major surgery to fight the cancer and we didn't even know if he would make it through the surgery, so I told them I would have to get back to them. Well, my father made it through surgery and while he was in the intensive care unit at the University of Alabama, Birmingham Medical Center I was able to talk to him and see if he would be OK with me moving to Pennsylvania and finally taking my first full-time position at a newspaper. He gave me his blessing and the day after Hurricane Katrina hit the south, I followed the massive storm all the way from Alabama to Pennsylvania.

My new job was at the publishing company Journal Publications and they ran the weekly business newspaper the Central Penn Business Journal and the monthly magazine Central Penn Parent. They also produced many other publications and events and I was the sole photographer for the company. I had a coverage area of 7 counties so I drove a lot. I could be in Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Gettysburg and Carlisle all in one day. I did photo shoots of children each month for the cover of Central Penn Parent and any non-stock photos needed for inside the magazine. I did all the photography for the newspaper. I also covered all the events the firm put on with other partners like 40 Under 40, Business of the Year, Best Places to Work and many others. I usually worked more than 50 hours a week, but I loved it. I photographed so many businesses throughout the area. I photographed CEOs and entrepreneurs who were all willing to let me try different shots to get a unique photograph explaining in one photo what they did for a living. It was while I was in Harrisburg that I met my husband and my father passed away due to complications from the cancer. I went through a lot while living and working in Harrisburg.
Later when I got married, my husband and I bought a house in Carlisle, and it was there that I had the opportunity to apply for a new position at the US Army War College (which was closer to our home). I have been working there for more than 3 years now. At the War College I mainly photograph our military personnel in our studio. I photograph all the branches of the military (Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force & Coast Guard) and I meet people who have traveled all over the world and have such wonderful stories to tell about their lives. People travel up to 5 hours to come to our photo lab for their official photos. On occasion, I also get to photograph events, such as promotions and retirements as well as luncheons and speakers and even sporting events for intramural sports on the post.
With my steady and predictable hours at the War College (Monday-Friday 8 am - 4:30 pm), I was able to start my own business that I had wanted to do for years. I officially formed Photography by Lizzie in the fall of 2008. For this business, I photograph headshots and portraits of families, children, high school seniors, engaged couples, pets, and more. I also photograph events such as weddings, baptisms, birthday parties, bridal showers and more. I had so many different experiences leading up to my decision to start my own business that I knew I could photograph anything and do it well. I'm also great with numbers, taxes and finances so I knew I could run the business side of it. I have big hopes for my company as it grows. I want to do advertisements, have booths at bridal shows and events and continue to hone my skills by going to photography shoots with other professional photographers who teach and attend two large conventions that are held once a year in Las Vegas and New Orleans. My husband and family are all so supportive of my endeavors and I want there to be no limit to what I can do!
So, that is my story of how I became a photographer, my work experiences and how I got to where I am today. I wrote this so clients could better understand me and know my background in the photography business. I hope the experiences that I have been through will help them to know I am skilled for the job and capable of any job that comes my way. I truly love what I do and I am so privileged to have led the life that I have as a photographer!

PIAA State Indoor Track Championships

2010-04-21T18:48:00.001-04:00

About a month ago, I photographed the Pennsylvania High School Indoor State Track Meet at Penn State University in State College for Don Rich of http://www.penntrackxc.com/. I have had the opportunity to work for Don many times over the last 3 years doing both the indoor and outdoor state meets. He freelances out work to both photographers and videographers for the meets and there is a large group of us to cover all the action taking place throughout the venue at the same time. I met up with a fellow photographer and videographer to make the drive up to State College together. Then we worked most of the day and returned back to our homes in Carlisle, Pennsylvania later that night. It was a long, fun day!

A series of photographs of this girl running,

taking the jump and landing in the sand pit.

Coming over the finish line during the hurdles

Jumping over the hurdle

Girls coming across the finish line in the dash

Pole vault

Cely Turns 16!

2010-04-14T21:50:00.008-04:00

I photographed Cely's 16th birthday party in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It was a large affair attended by most of her family and friends. She has Puerto Rican heritage and turning 16 is a milestone in her culture and they call it quinceanera. It is the time where a girl becomes a woman so her father threw her a massive Mardi Gras themed party to celebrate.

Cely looking beautiful in her ballgown. It was the first

of two different dresses she would wear during the evening.

Cely and her family arrived at the party in a limousine.

This is her mother stepping out of the limo.

Cely and her mother
Cely's father
Cely and her father
Cely and her family: her parents and brothers.
Cely and her friends
Cely entering the reception hall where her party was held.
At the beginning of the party, her parents changed her

shoes from flats to heals to symbolize Cely transforming from

a girl to a woman.

The awesome birthday cake
Cely's brother and his friend
During the party, they played games and one was to run

around and collect beads by kissing the person on the

cheek. These girls won prizes for collecting the most beads. Cely, I hope you had a wonderful birthday! All the best, Lizzie

Tamara's Bridal Shower

2010-04-06T21:24:00.004-04:00

I had the pleasure of getting to photograph Tamara's bridal shower in Upper Marlboro, Maryland (located just outside of Washington, D.C.) two weekends ago. It was a wonderful event put on by her bridesmaids. Tamara didn't want just any bridal shower, she wanted a tea and everyone to put on their best dress and a hat. The ladies looked ready for the Kentucky Derby! They laughed, danced, sang, prayed and sipped on a wide array of teas along with wonderful finger foods. I walked away glad I could try and capture the memories from the event for this great group of ladies. I was just happy I could be a part of it. Now on to the pictures!

My favorite portrait of Tamara

Favors at the shower were personalized tea bags

Spring was definitely in the air in the decor of the event

Signing in at the guest table

They had the most beautifully decorated cupcakes

There was one table that had many different types of Tazo
teas to select from. Here's Tamara making her selection.

Tamara and her sweet grandmother

Left to Right: Tamara's mother, Tamara,
and Tamara's future mother-in-law

Tamara couldn't keep from smiling throughout the entire
event. I had to get a photo of her sipping tea at her tea party!

Tamara and her mom

And last but not least, the hostesses of
the event, Tamara's bridesmaids.

Tamara, I wish you nothing but the best for your upcoming wedding and new life as a wife! So happy for you and thank you for letting me be a part of such a wonderful event. I had so much fun sharing the afternoon with your friends and family. Best wishes, Lizzie

Happy Easter!

2010-04-02T17:32:00.000-04:00

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter! Easter is always such a wonderful time. It was always special for me and my family while I was growing up. My father was an amazing amateur photographer (he even had a darkroom in our home) and he always took such beautiful portraits of my sister and me when we were little. Looking back at them and how I have become a professional photographer I can see how that influenced me in my life. I hope everyone enjoys the full meaning of the season and can enjoy going to church as a family and saying an Easter blessing before your family's meal. Take time to enjoy the company of your loved ones and take plenty of pictures or hire a photographer to take pictures of your family or children. Easter clothes are always so cute this time of year and make for perfect portraits. I took some portraits of our pets to accompany this post with some props I bought.

Oliver, our almost 5 year-old pug

Giuseppe, or Zeppie for short, our almost
10 year-old American bulldog mix

I hope everyone is able to enjoy this wonderful season -
full of beautiful weather, blooming trees and plants,
and delicious food - with family and friends!

Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.

2010-03-29T18:35:00.000-04:00

This weekend I photographed a bridal shower in Maryland just outside of Washington, D.C. While I was already down there, I took the opportunity to go to the opening weekend of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Winter was hard in the Northeast this year and the blossoms still had not come out 2 days before the festival was set to begin. Visitors from all over the world come to see the gorgeous cherry trees in the nation's capital and it looked dismal for the opening of the festival. But Mother Nature cooperated and the blooms opened. It was a gray, overcast day and rain was in the forecast, but it held off for the 4 hours I walked around with my dear friend (Betsy) and little sis from our sorority at the University of Alabama. She lives in Alexandria, so I was not far from her home which allowed us to be able to ride over to the festival together, enjoy the day and then go out to lunch afterwards before I drove back home to Pennsylvania.

The cherry blossoms surrounding the Tidal Basin.

Across the way is the Jefferson Memorial.

Portrait of Betsy amongst the cherry blossoms
The rotunda and Thomas Jefferson himself

inside the Jefferson Memorial

Close-up of the cherry blossoms

The Korean War Memorial

Names of the fallen on the wall of the Vietnam War Memorial

View of the Washington Memorial from the Constitution Gardens

Tulips trees in bloom in the Constitution Gardens

There were ducks and geese in the pond inside the Constitution Gardens

Inside the Constitution Gardens is a memorial to those

who signed the Declaration of Independence. It is
amazing to see the calligraphy used in the day that
each man penned to that famous document.

Another portrait of Betsy by the Tidal Basin

with the Jefferson Memorial in the background.

There are hundreds of cherry trees surrounding the

lake that is known as the Tidal Basin. It is centrally

located with all of the memorials scattered around it.

Visitors can rent paddle boats and float around the lake.

Betsy also got a photo of me during our excursion.

The massive Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln looks over the waters of the reflecting pool

to the other end of the city, where the Capitol is located.

Close-up of President Abraham Lincoln

Check back later in the week for photos of the
bridal shower I photographed on Saturday.

Chrisie and Russell Engaged!

2010-02-22T18:58:00.000-05:00

I was so excited for my sister when I found out the weekend her boyfriend planned on popping the question (he wanted me to be there to photograph them before and after they got engaged. It was for the weekend of Valentine's Day and her birthday. So, I drove from Central Pennsylvania to see her in southern Virginia. They had already been planning a wedding for a few weeks and had the date and venues picked out. They asked me to be their wedding photographer, so since I'm in the wedding as Matron of Honor I will do all the portraits and the reception and a friend's going to photograph the ceremony for them. The day of their engagement was cold but sunny at my mom and sister's home, so we just did a few photographs before a limo came to take them out to a fancy restaurant where Russell was going to give her the ring. We will do more engagement pictures in different locations around town once it warms up. So, here are a few of my favorites.

The happy couple

Russell brought Chrisie roses for Valentine's Day,

which was the same day as their engagement.

Congrats to my big sister and Russell. I'm so excited for you both!

With love, Lizzie

Missing My Father

2010-01-30T12:02:00.000-05:00

It was 4 years today that my father lost his brave fight with pancreatic cancer. It was weird how recently Patrick Swayze passed away from the same type of cancer at the same age as my father was when he too passed (they were both 57). I miss my father terribly and every day something reminds me of him. Usually it is a song on the radio that brings a smile to my face. You see growing up, my mother was an amazing piano player, my father was a great guitarist and I have always wanted to be a singer. We had jam sessions (all of us playing instruments until the wee hours of the morning) but we also loved seeing live musicians play, so we went to a lot of concerts. We saw the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Dixie Chicks, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Reba McEntire, to name a few of the big stadium tours we saw. So, every time the Stones are on the radio and I hear 'You can't always get what you want' I smile up at my father. These are some of my favorite photos from his last year.

In 2004, I was living in NYC doing the internship at Annie Leibovitz's studio and I flew home for Easter. I wanted to take portraits of my whole family, so we all went down to a beautiful park near our home in downtown Huntsville, Alabama. I took a lot of photos of my family and pets, but this one I set everybody in place and I set my camera on a timer and I ran and got in the photo before the 15 seconds was up. This was our last family portrait and it was taken before we knew my father had cancer. It includes my mom and dad, my sister (Chrisie), my two pets who lived with my family in Alabama (Chopper the Shih tzu and Samson the Great Pyrenees), along with my dog who lived with me in NYC (Oliver the pug).

There is a gorgeous spring and lake at the park. Here is my

father with my 8-month old dog, Oliver, sitting by the water.

My dad with Samson - his 'man dog' that was 4 years old.

My father came to visit me in NYC shortly after he found

out he had cancer. It was a special trip and it was my birthday.

Here we are at our front row seats to a NY Mets game.

I remember my father with such fondness. He always said,

"Boys would come and go but I will always be the one constant

man in your life." Though he's not here, he still is with me.

Love you dad, Your baby girl

Global Refuge International Benefit Concert

2010-01-20T17:45:00.001-05:00

I went to Arlington, Virginia to a benefit concert event for the amazing charity, Global Refuge International. My great college friend and sorority sister from The University of Alabama, Betsy Cantrell, helped to organize the event. The cause is near and dear to her heart since she traveled with the organization twice to Uganda and Thailand. The event was to raise money for work in Haiti and Africa and included two musical acts that Betsy knew of personally. Then the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the poor nation of Haiti the week of the concert and we knew it was more important than ever to raise money for GRI to send relief. I drove the 2.5 hours to visit with Betsy for the weekend and to do what I could for the cause, take photographs. Here are some of my favorites from the event. Please log onto GRI's website and help if you can. It is for a great cause!

Here is my friend, Betsy, introducing the first act, Scattered Leaves.

Daniel Palmer, lead vocals, piano, and guitar

Dana Robinson singing vocals

The whole group

Bass guitarist, Jeremy Robinson

Daniel changing it up and playing piano

Then Shaunessy McNeely of GRI from their Florida
office, introduced the second act, Stephanie Cuomo.

Stephanie did an amazing job. Check out her

powerful new CD, Hope Is On The Way.

I just loved the look of her high heels, her set list and guitar pedal.

The whole group.

Allida Born on cello

Stephanie's husband, Dan Cuomo, on drums

Here is a group of new friends (and old friends) from the event.

Blizzard 2009

2009-12-22T18:21:00.002-05:00

As everyone is well aware, the Mid-Atlantic region received a blizzard from Mother Nature in time for the weekend before Christmas. In Central Pennsylvania (depending on how far north you lived) people got anywhere from 6-24 inches of snow. At my house, I think we got about 12 inches of snow and it was the largest snow storm that our pug had seen in his life, but my husband and I along with our oldest dog had seen other large snow storms like this one. We had a blast in it and watching the dogs play in it. They both just loved it! They ran, jumped, danced and ate the snow.

My husband, Toby, and our oldest dog, Zeppie.

Our youngest dog, Oliver

Me and Oliver

The scene from our back yard

The front of our house

I loved how the snow looked in one of our large oak trees.

The sun was beginning to set through our back yard.

I took a picture of my boots in the snow.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-15T17:30:00.001-05:00

No holiday season would be complete without photos used for Christmas cards. My husband and I took a family photo last year but wanted to do something different this year, so we just are doing our pets and not the two of us (they are so much cuter than us anyway). So, here are some of my favorites from our pet session in our family room in front of the fireplace.

First up is our 8 year-old pit bull/American bulldog mix, Guiseppe (or Zeppie for short). He hates the camera and tries to eat it. My husband and I each had our dogs before we met so Zeppie came with my husband into the marriage. I have been in his life for four years now and love him as if he were mine from the beginning. He is such a sweet heart and is so kind and loving and the biggest baby you will ever meet. Then it was on to our 5 year-old pug, Oliver. He is a ham for the camera. He just loves it! Having a mom who is a photographer has turned him into a camera hog. He loves to pose. So, here are a couple of my favorites (I tried several different looks on him because he was so agreeable to it).

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season filled with hope, joy and love!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2009-11-25T17:15:00.003-05:00

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! This year I have gone through a lot of ups and downs but I'm still pushing through. I am thankful to all my clients who have opened their lives to me and let me photograph them and their families. I love what I do! Photography has been my life since I realized I wanted to be a photographer at the end of my sophomore year in college at The University of Alabama. I have gotten to photograph college sports, had an internship in NYC with famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, worked for a newspaper, worked at a children's magazine, I currently work on a military base and I also photograph weddings, families, pets, and babies for my side business. I have been all over the United States and had so many opportunities to photograph amazing events. Photography has opened the world up to me and I am so thankful for that. I have met some of the most amazing people - athletes, celebrities, personal heroes, musicians, models, families, children, brides and grooms, and our soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines to name a few. I have photographed people during their highs and lows in life and I still get excited pulling up all the photos after a job to see what I got. This Thanksgiving, be thankful for family, friends, health, faith and our service men and women stationed all over the world. Not everyone gets to have a great Thanksgiving or they might not get to be with the ones they love, but we all can find something to be thankful for through it all. I hope everyone has a blessed holiday with family, friends, or brothers- and sisters-in-arms. God Bless, Lizzie

Photography by Lizzie

My Work on Display

Bridal Show Exhibit

Happy Holidays!

Green Family Christmas Portraits

Thanksgiving

April & Chris Get Married!

Upcoming Posts

End of Summer

Why I use Pictage

The Photographers We Serve

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Professional photographers know how to get great results

Professional Prints will last a lifetime

Albums and books with the best designs

Family Reunion

Josie & Ben Get Married! (Portraits)

Josie & Ben Get Married! (Details, Ceremony & Reception)

Ty & Angie's Baby Shower and family portraits

Military Ceremony

Welcome Baby Josiah!

Tiffany & Matt Get Married!

This spring

Happy Holidays!

Yingst Wedding (Part 2 of 2)

Yingst Wedding (Part 1 of 2)

Portfolio

The Fall Season

The End of Summer

Welcome Baby Jace!

Frank & Janelle Get Married: Reception (Part 5 of 5)

Frank & Janelle Get Married: the Portraits (Part 4 of 5)

Frank & Janelle Get Married: the Ceremony (Part 3 of 5)

Frank & Janelle Get Married: Getting Ready (Part 2 of 5)

Frank & Janelle Get Married!: Details (Part 1 of 5)

Cutman Family Portraits

Pet Photography

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My Life as a Photographer

PIAA State Indoor Track Championships

Cely Turns 16!

Tamara's Bridal Shower

Happy Easter!

Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.

Chrisie and Russell Engaged!

Missing My Father

Global Refuge International Benefit Concert

Blizzard 2009

Happy Holidays!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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