Living on the Edge Peter J. Daniels - Autobiography discussion - Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers

First - This is not a review of the book.  How do you review an autobiography of one of the most influential, giving Christian businessman of modern days?  Until a few months ago, I never heard of Peter J. Daniels.  Then my wife and I began reading his books and attended a workshop he conducted in a nearby town.  One of the most amazing things that I want to state from the workshop is that it was entirely free and on his dime.  Many might think, no big deal, except for the fact that he flew in from Australia and he has done this for years.  This plus the fact is that he in his late seventies.

Peter J. Daniels is a multi-billionaire and was not raised in riches.  He was raised in poverty, 'graduated' high school as an illiterate, and was told that he would amount to nothing by a school teacher.

It has been stated by those that observe him that "he could motivate an Egyptian mummy to walk".  He has an amazing business mind and to paraphrase him; "Our businesses do not sell junk to kids that rot their minds or teeth.".  He has many goals in his life and one of them is to give more money to the work of the Lord than anyone else.  Known as a genius for creating business formulas that not only solve difficult problems but are in terms that most will understand.

During one of his lectures, I remember him stating that he was not hindered by going to university.   I highly recommend not only this book but every book that he wrote.

Below is one part of a lecture.



www.kendralla.com
www.kendrallaphotography.com

Pittsburgh Wedding Photography - Images from Mt Washington

All of the guys in Andrew's wedding were long time friends and softball buddies.  Therefore, the gift from the groom (Andrew) to the guys was a softball bat with their names engraved in it.  A very nice gift and touch.  Something they can keep for years and look back on with a smile.  We were on one of the observatory decks of Mt. Washington, overlooking the beautiful city of Pittsburgh.  It was mid day and the sun was hot (100 degrees +-).  However, the groomsmen, best men, and groom, were all very cooperative and we were able to create this fun shot with a beautiful blue sky in the background.

Next up were the ladies.  We wanted to add to their beauty with a landscape shot of Pittsburgh as a backdrop.  The sunglasses helped to cut down on the strong sun glare (and no doubt glare from my head).

The third image is an entire group shot of the ladies and guys.  Again, we utilized sunglasses to reduce the strong glare from the sun and create a fun look for the group shot with the city of Pittsburgh as a backdrop.


The wedding was held in Munhall, PA (images from the beautiful church will be posted in future posts) and we stopped on Mt. Washington for wedding pictures before heading to the Double Tree hotel in Moon Twp. PA.

Images by Frank Kendralla - Pittsburgh Wedding Photography

Drew - High School Senior Portrait - Class of 2010

These images were near the Beaver Heritage Museum. A Civil War era home is located at the edge of the property and presents many tremendous photo opportunities. The rustic nature of the building is a tremendous back drop and setting for Drew's High School Senior Portraits. As you can see from the images, Drew has a large frame and a rugged setting was appropriate for his session.




The evening was perfect, overcast skies with enough light to cast some fun shadows.



I used off camera lighting with no difuser or umbrella on a light stand, camera left for most of the images in his shoot. A few of the images, I underexposed the scene by 2+ stops and filled the image with directional light to create a sunset look. This technique is critical to learn, especially living in an area where we go days and maybe weeks without any great sunsets. However, when shooting portraits, I would rather have a dull sky and create my own sunset with either an off camera flash or video light.



I used Nikon’s wireless CLS to fire the remote flash but in bright sunlight it might be a better choice to utilize a radio trigger. (Pocket wizards, Paul Buff’s, radio poppers, or the many varieties on ebay.)



These tricks can be used in many portrait settings and not only outdoors. Experiment with underexposing (use manual exposure on your camera) the scene and filling just the area you want with directional off camera lighting. With this technique you can create many different and interesting looks in your portraits.

Contact Me to photograph your Wedding or High School Senior Portrait in the Pittsburgh area.

As always, get out and enjoy the beauty of life.