FriYAY! : Tori is Published // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

From the moment that I met Tori, I knew that she was a very special little girl. Not only was she a beautiful child, but she had the brains and vivacious personality to match. We made the most of our session together, using it as an opportunity to both capture Tori's unique spirit in the images for her and her family to cherish for years to come and to enhance her blossoming modeling portfolio by adding some fun, editorial imagery to it.

I was SO excited to hear that within a few months of our session, Tori's mama had submitted some of the images to Fashion Kids Magazine and Tori had been selected for their September 50 Most Beautiful Kids Issue! Now, Tori can add to her mini-resume that she's been published in an international magazine, and I am one incredibly proud photographer and fan.

** SNAPS FOR TORI! **

I am looking so forward to watching this kiddo continue to grow and shine, and to helping your kiddos do the same!
(Your littles don't have to be models by any means to come have a session with me, but they will certainly leave feeling like one!)

A video posted by POSE PGH (@posepgh) on Oct 12, 2016 at 7:58am PDT

Queens for a Day with London + Noelle // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

I was so impressed upon meeting 8-year old London and 4 1/2-year old Noelle. There existed such an obvious mutual adoration and respect between these sweet, bold, sisters who are both wise beyond their years. I wanted to give them a session that highlighted both their beauty and their brains with a slight bohemian vibe to match their personal styles. We selected wardrobe together that encompassed the many facets of their personalities, including a sweet girly look, a flowy bohemian number, and a schoolgirl homage. I developed a book motif for their Editorial Session to celebrate their intelligence, and away we went!

As with all of my sessions, the day is 100% about the kiddos, even down to the music we listen to while we're photographing the session (and, let me tell you, these girls have some great taste and have introduced me to some really fabulous artists, such as George Ezra - go listen to "Budapest"). I always strive for the children I'm working with to have a memorable experience and the BEST. DAY. EVER. It's a day where they can embrace what makes them special, unique, and beautiful. 

Little Miss London loved the experience and has revealed herself to be somewhat of a natural model (please note the perfect half-smiles and eye-squinches below). And, Noelle has apparently since been practicing her "no-teeth smile" from Miss Lexi when Mom is taking snapshots of her.

I received this feedback from the girls' mother, Amanda, and my heart practically exploded:

"If you'd like your little to feel like queen for the day, Lexi is your girl.
What fun we've had!" 

To borrow a line from one of my favorites: "That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
That's why I do what I do, and approach children's photography so differently from others, with such a focus on the individual child and treating them like royalty. Your kids deserve that treatment and that feeling, and I'm always so, so honored to give it to them.

Three words to describe the session: Artistic, Innovative, Stylized

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Tori : The Little Drummer Girl // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

From the moment I met 5-year old Tori, I knew that we'd have a blast photographing her Editorial Session. This precocious, sweet spitfire is already an accomplished drummer, as well as a myriad of other talents. (I was even treated to an impromptu dance performance during her in-home consultation!) With a wardrobe full of miniature 90s-grunge-esque clothing and Doc Martens (atta girl!), we definitely needed to have a rocking and rolling time in the studio.

Three words to describe the session: Modern, Editorial, Bold

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The 4-1-1 on Comp Cards

Over the past year, I've had so many parents ask me questions about how to get their children involved with modeling, which can be especially overwhelming when you have literally NO idea where to even begin. I love all the children that I have the privilege of working with and I'd love nothing more than to help them blossom and succeed - so, I made the decision to put together a session option for just that purpose: The Comp Card Session. At this point, you're probably thinking, "Lexi, what in the world is a 'comp card,' and how will it help my child?"

A comp card can be referred to by many names, which could be a little confusing: comp card, composite card, zed card, z card, sed card (holy cow, industry, make up your minds!). It is essentially a large business card, typically sized to 5.5x8.5 inches, with a head shot on the front and a mini-portfolio of  2-4 images that display ability and variety on the back, along with important stats and contact information. Especially for children, the comp card should showcase a mix of action and still images, as well as varying crops (i.e. a full-length image, a half-length image, a close-up image). 

While some opportunities may allow for digital submission, you will want to have a printed comp card for most in-person castings and auditions. This is your leave-behind that they can use for reference when making decisions, so it's important that both the images and printing are high-quality and stand out from the rest. A lot of bigger modeling agencies won't meet with you until you have a comp card, because it is what they will use to promote and market you. 

Because children grow and change so quickly, it’s important that the comp card be updated as needed. You may only need to update the images once every few years, but remember that the stats on the card need to be accurate and current, especially after a big growth spurt.

I'm very excited to offer these and to help many of your children make the leap into the modeling industry. You can learn more about the POSE PGH Comp Card Session HERE and contact me HERE to book your own.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes! // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

As POSE PGH has grown and evolved over the past year, it has given me the opportunity to better understand the variety of wants and needs that my clients have. In the spirit of ensuring that you're booking a session that's right for YOU, I've decided to shake things up a bit. I am now happy to offer you three unique session options.

While the Basic and Editorial Sessions have always been around in theory, the Comp Card Session is hot off the presses. I have had so many mamas ask me if I photograph Comp Cards, and now, happily - the answer is YES!

For more information about sessions and to figure out which session is right for you, take a look at the shiny, new Investment page.

Flying High with Pilar + Leo // Pittsburgh Children's Photographer

For those that haven't come to POSE PGH for a session before and are unfamiliar with how things work, I'd like to share a bit with you. Our focus is always on the individual child/family. We don't want things to be cookie-cutter and formulaic. The whole point of portraiture is photographing a person in a way that encapsulates them and their personality in the images. We firmly believe in giving you a custom session that fits you and your children. Each booking begins with a questionnaire that helps us get to know you better. We take your answers and develop a creative vision for the session: What colors are your decor? What personality traits or interests do you want to highlight? What sort of imagery are you drawn to?

My favorite question that I find most revealing in the questionnaire is "What three words would you like to describe your finished photographs?" (Don't worry - it's multiple choice!) Moving forward, I'll be including those three words in my posts about individual sessions, to help you better *feel* the session, rather than just "see" it.

Pilar is an outgoing, spunky 6-year old with a flair for the dramatic arts, who can absolutely dance circles around me. Leo is an adorable, silly 4-year old with a love of planes, who makes some of the greatest facial expressions I've ever seen. This brother-sister duo was such a joy to work with during their Editorial Session. (We'll be rolling out the "Editorial Session" and providing you with details soon!)

Three words to describe the session: Modern, Simple, Innovative

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The Picket Fence S/S 2016 Lookbook // Behind the Scenes

The Picket Fence Spring/Summer 2016 Lookbook is officially a wrap!

This past Monday was definitely one of the top five most adorable days of my life thus far. After an epic model call and seeing these little faces just on my computer screen for a few weeks, it was such a pleasure to meet all the models (and their mamas!) in person and get to have such a fun time together. There was dancing, and fist-bumping, and jumping, and singing, and hugging, and, oh yes, there were juice boxes! While the weather refused to cooperate and forced us into a studio (seriously - snow in mid-April, what is this?!), I couldn't be happier with how the images turned out, and I'm so excited to edit and share with you soon.

A HUUUUGE thank-you to Tori for styling everyone to perfection, to Chris for assisting for the day and keeping things running smoothly (seven mini-models in one day could get a little crazy otherwise), and to Maureen and everyone at The Picket Fence for continuing to be wonderful to work with.

Here are some behind-the-scenes shots that various people so graciously forwarded to me...

Really Good Juju

Four local #girlbosses? Designer vintage threads? PIZZA?! COUNT. ME. IN.

Recently had the pleasure of spending the afternoon photographing a guest post on Niki Whittle's Style Studs and Lace, written by Leslie of Juju, modeled by Tori of Wear Wag Repeat (and snacking on some delicious Spak Brothers).  

Head over to Niki's blog to see more photos and read Leslie's sage wisdom about shopping for clothing in the vintage marketplace.

Leslie McAllister, the owner of Juju, a vintage boutique in Point Breeze, Pittsburgh.

The lovely Tori Mistick of Wear Wag Repeat was a picture-perfect model.

This blog couldn't be timed more perfectly, as Juju is having its grand opening TODAY.
So, hurry up and get on over there (and save me a glass of champagne!):
6739 Reynolds Street, Point Breeze
11AM - 7PM
Champagne reception from 5PM - 7PM.

Here are some links so that you can see more from these lovely ladies:

Niki
Website
Facebook
Instagram
 

Juju
Website                              
Facebook
Instagram
 

Tori
Website
Facebook
Instagram

Niki, Leslie, and Tori sit for a quick portrait.

The First Post // Pittsburgh Portrait Photographer

Welcome to POSE PGH's very first blog post.
I'm Lexi, the owner + photographer + wearer of many other hats + now *official blogger*. 

And, I look a little somethin' like this. ^^^

Honesty is the best policy, so I'd like to start off by just coming right out and getting this off of my chest: 
I hate blogging.

Yep, I said it. Blogging and I have had a really rocky relationship over the years. I've started several different blogs, enthusiastically blogged my little heart out for a few months, and then watched as each one met its slow, painful demise. Why?

You'll notice a certain simplicity in my aesthetic. The portraits that I create are clean, focused on the beauty of the subject, "no frills." I've never really been one for frills, even in my personal life (and closet). I always like for things to be uncomplicated, direct, and authentic, and blogging just felt like the antithesis of all of these things. Perhaps it is because I read too many blogs that spoke with a voice that didn't mesh with my own, but I always found other photographers' blogs to come off as disingenuous (i.e. each subsequent post crowning a new OMG FAVORITE CLIENT EVER). If I feel like I'm "faking it," I shy away from whatever it may be, and in the past I think I went awry in trying to blog about what I felt I should be blogging about and lost my true self and voice in the process.

With time, however, I've come to realize the importance of blogging, especially for a small, local business like POSE PGH. There is so much about the studio and the experience that I just can't possibly communicate to you without doing so. I can post helpful content here that better prepares you for your session. I can share details and images of some of our beautiful products. I can spotlight some of the amazing other small businesses that we partner up with on various endeavors. This blog has the potential to serve as such a valuable resource for my clients that I'd be doing you all a disservice if I didn't give it the college try.

BUT, if I'm going to blog, I'm totally going to blog my way.
So, this is my promise to you, Pittsburgh and beyond:
I promise you a no frills, no fluff, no BS blog. I promise to speak to you as my authentic self and to stay humble and not get all brag-a-docious when I have successes along the way. I promise that if I don't have anything interesting to say, I won't say anything at all. I promise that this blog will be more about YOU than me. And, last but not least, I promise that I will *try my best* to keep up with posting in here.

Warm wishes as we enter another little cold spell,
xoxo
Lexi