Engagement Photos - Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers

Pittsburgh Weddings - Engagement photography

These photos were taken in Cannonsburg, PA near Cannonsburg Lake which isn't too far from Pittsburgh.  The sun was bright but the temperatures were falling and the air was cold.  These were taken in late fall when 70 degrees was normal and 50 was 'cold'.  Today, 50 degrees would feel very warm compared to the single digit temperatures that we had recently.


The sun was a beautiful golden color and since it was late fall, it set fast and presented a beautiful glow to everything.  We were able to get many photographs that had an amazing look.  


I am not from Cannonsburg and asked a friend of a good location that had water.  I didn't need much else since the theme in my mind that I wanted to create was a sunset session overlooking water.  I could not have been happier with the look and feel of the area. The critical part that I want to emphasize is that there are many locations in our backyard that present tremendous photo opportunities.  


Not far from where I was standing was a 'boring' parking lot.  By using fill lights, reflectors, and some ingenuity, we created a look that is a very romantic fun look. 

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers - Engagement Pictures

Pittsburgh Wedding Photography - Cannonsburg Lake

Tip: When selecting a location, I look for where the sun is setting (or rising if early enough in the AM), and use it to help create dramatic lighting.  I carry with me two light stands that fold up to less than 36".  These combined with two umbrellas, a 40" five in one reflector, a few clamps, and other items fit easily into a large duffel bag. This set-up enables me to be very mobile and I consider this a studio in a bag.  With the sun behind the couple, I used fill flash (flash was on a light stand - camera left - shot without a diffuser and fired via Nikon's wireless CLS).  I wasn't interested in overpowering the sun with the strobe but was interested in getting enough light on their faces to give some detail but leave the beautiful glow from the sun.  

Beaver County and Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers

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In your backyard - Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer

This Civil War Era home in Beaver, PA is a favorite site for portrait photography.  Beaver is located north west of Pittsburgh, PA and is the county seat of Beaver, PA.  I visit this site often and marvel at the simplicity, yet elegance of this home.  I can imagine other homes like it in the area with kids playing outside while others went about their daily duties and chores.


I use this site for high school senior portraits since there are many different opportunities for lighting and effects.  


This shot was done around 0800 after a moderate snow fall.  I wanted to capture the lines and elegance of the scene.  Post processing was done as an HDR image via Lightroom, HDR efex pro, and color efex pro. .  I shot 5 bracketed shots with the main image being around f/8.0 and 1/60 second.  ISO 200 - shot on a Nikon D300s with the Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 lens.
I used a tridpod for support.


There are many tremendous photo opportunities in our neighborhoods and those around us.  We only need to get out and find them.  I suggest taking different routes to and from work, school, shopping, church, etc.  


Keep your camera with you and you will be amazed at the many different photo opportunities.

Beaver Civil War Home

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Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers - Wedding Portraits - Bridal Shower Part 2

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers - Wedding Portraits - Bridal Shower Part 2

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer - Bridal Shower

This is another image that I shot at Alyssa's wedding shower in Cranberry Township, PA.  As I stated in part 1, there are many opportunities to take great portraits at a bridal shower.  These types of portraits can be used in the wedding guest book that is filled with pictures and other great information about the couple.  For this image, Alyssa was standing on the steps that led to the porch.  The light behind her was very harsh and bright.  She was standing in the shade from the porch roof which caused a beautiful soft light to flow around her face.  Exposing for her face caused the background to blow out and go completely white.  Instead of a background filled with cars, parking lot, and a walkway, we were given a beautiful white background.

We offer a customized wedding guest book for all couples who select to have an engagement shoot within their wedding photography package.   Typically, the wedding guest book is an 8x8 hardback book with one of their engagement pictures on the cover.  We design the guest book to be a story book of the couple as well as a picture book for the guest.  On the left hand pages, a beautiful photo of the couple or a portrait of either the bride or groom is included.  Under the image is usually something about the couple.  Questions such as 'where did you meet' or what is your favorite song is included for the guest to review and discuss.

The right hand page throughout the wedding guest book is left blank for the guest to sign and write notes to the couple.  Unlike a typical guest book that is bought at the local stationary or wedding store, a guest book by Kendralla Photography is custom designed and created for each couple. 

The guest book is created using a hinged page design which causes the book to lay flat on the table.  This will help avoid the pages from flopping over when wedding guests are signing the book.

Alissa and Tim were married in November.  Their wedding ceremony was at Victory Family Church with the reception at Shadow Lakes Country Club in Aliquippa, PA (near Hopewell Twp, PA).


Gear used: Nikon D300, Nikon 85mm 

Book dr Frank to photograph your wedding.  We service Pittsburgh and surrounding areas including Beaver, Butler, Allegheny County, Ohio, and West Virginia. 

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers

Pittsburgh Weddings and portraits by dr Frank @
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Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers - Wedding Portraits - Bridal Shower Part 1

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer - Bridal  Shower

Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers - Wedding Portraits - Bridal Shower Part 1


Great photographs can be made regardless of the location and in spite of the lighting.  However, creativity is required often.


This photograph was taken at a Bridal Shower in Cranberry Twp, PA. (Located north of Pittsburgh, PA). The bride's finance arrived to the shower with five dozens of beautiful red roses.  I could not pass up the opportunity to capture this fantastic memory.  This shot was taken on the porch of the venue where the bridal shower was held.  The light was harsh but the porch roof assisted in reducing the harsh light from the mid-day sun.  I bounced the light off the building wall to fill in the bride's face and keep the light very soft on her face.


She was posed in front of the evergreens that were lining the porch which added texture and contrast to the image.  


Alissa and Tim were married in November.  Their wedding ceremony was at Victory Family Church with the reception at Shadow Lakes Country Club in Aliquippa, PA (near Hopewell Twp, PA).


Gear used: Nikon D300, Nikon 85mm f/4.0 1/250 second @ 400 ISO


Weddings and portraits by dr Frank @
www.KendrallaPhotography.com
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Will you marry me? Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers

Pittsburgh Engagement Photography - will you marry me?

You might have heard this question around Christmas as you opened a beautiful engagement ring or maybe New Year's eve when you celebrated the New Year together.

The question is asked, "Will you marry me?"  Tears flow and the guy has a tough time speaking.  Maybe a few hours or days before, he met with his future bride's dad.  Do her parents like me, will they accept my request to marry their daughter?  He was scared, what if I am turned down, what if she laughs, what if she says yes?  So many questions and thoughts flow through the young man's mind as he walks with his future bride to a quiet place to 'pop' the question.

Then they are at the perfect place, a place where he thought about many times before.  The young man gets down on one knee and - "will you marry me?"

She shouts with passion and love in her voice, "yes, I will marry you!"  And a new entry in the notebook of love and romance is written.  Reminding me of the great movie, "The Notebook".

Images taken during an engagement shoot are one way to recapture that special day when the groom to be, asked the love of his life, "will you marry me". 

Gateway Clipper Engagement Photo

Station Square, Pittsburgh, Engagement Photo

The above pictures were taken during Vanessa and Andrew's engagement session which ended up near the Gateway Clipper near Station Square.  We took photos not only in Station Square but in Mount Washington overlooking the beautiful city of Pittsburgh.  

Vanessa and Andrew were married at Victory Family Church in Cranberry Twp, Pa which is is north of Pittsburgh.  The reception was at the Club at Shadow Lakes near Hopewell twp, PA.

Victory Family Church Wedding Portrait

Engagement images by Frank Kendralla

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Nikon D300

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Narnia – The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Life’s lessons from the movie:

We took our grandkids to see it yesterday and this is the first 3D movie for me.  This ‘review’ will not be about the quality of 3D since I have nothing to compare it to and that isn’t why we took the kids to the movie.

1.       This is the third movie in the series and if you didn’t see the first two or at least the first one, you might miss some of the story.  Therefore, I highly recommend that you see at a minumum the first in the series (which is an excellent movie and has many Biblical truths in it).

2.       I am sure when I see the movie again; I will have more values to add to the list below.  It had many Biblical lessons as well as general life’s lessons that can be taught/learned from the movie. 

Seven swords – Number of 7 representing the number of completeness.  Many items in the Bible and the universe are 7 – On the 7^th day, the Lord rested.  7 Octaves in the music scale, 7 days in a week. 7 colors in a rainbow and many more

Aslan’s table – The marriage supper of the Lamb –

The evil mist – filled with temptations combined with the warning by the man they found in the mansion who told them their need to find the seven swords.   He warned them to be wary of temptations and not to fall prey to them.

Proverbs 6:16-19  These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

1 John 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Lucy is envious of her sister’s beauty and wishes that she were her sister.  Edmund and Caspian argue as they each show signs of envy and jealousy.  Edmund is continuously tempted with his inner desire of being king as well as his never ending fears.

At the end of the movie, Lucy asks Aslan if she will ever see him again.  He states, not as you see me now.  This is a tremendous parallel to the fact that when Christ left, he told His disciples that he would send a comforter, the Holy Spirit.  

There are many other truths that can be taught from the movie but I wouldn't want to take away anything from it by repeating it all here. Overall it is a clean good movie for the family.  There are some wild items that might ‘frighten’ some kids. e.g. the flying dragon (but nothing more than most kids see or hear from cartoons or advertisements).   If you are taking your kids to see the movie, I suggest discussing some of the tremendous truths taught in it with your kids soon after viewing the movie.   We sat with our grandkids after the movie while eating soup and salad at the near bye Paneara bread.

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Finding Vivian Maier - Street Photographer - Pittsburgh Wedding Photography

Many will recognize the name of Cartier Bresson as a street photographer but very few will recognize the name of Vivian Maier.  Until recently, her amazing collection of over 100k images were not seen publicly. In this amazing story of how she captured over 100k images in Chicago and around the world as an unknown street photographer is amazing.

A link to this information was sent to me by a friend and since reading the behind the scene story and admiring Vivian's work, I felt I must pass on this information.  It appears that Vivian accomplished what many photographers aspire to achieve.  "Capturing life as it happens."  There are some street photographers that talk to their subject prior to the photograph and others capture the photograph with little to no interaction.

This is not a story about her gear (although there is some discussion); it is a story of a woman who was an outstanding street photographer.

The sad part about this story is that Vivian died before her work was on public display and unfortunately never was able to participate in its public showing. There is a blog dedicated to her work which is linked on the side of this blog.  In addition, there is a documentary being made about her work and life.  Vivian was a nanny as her day job but it is apparent she was passionate about photography and capturing life as it unfolds.

Please take the time to review the video below as well as visit the blog which contains more images from her collection.



This link will take you to a good article on her too.

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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.



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