In-Vision Studio, Stephen Barry

New Blog!

2007-11-11T12:39:00.000-05:00

We've moved and enhanced our blog!

It was time to move to a more professional blog structure. We still have some styling to go, but I hope you like the new look.

Please click here to visit our blog. You can also link to our new blog from our website home page.

If you use an RSS or blog reader, here is the new link. http://www.in-visionstudio.com/blog/?feed=atom

Thanks for visiting!

Steve

A Great Summer!

2007-10-19T17:58:00.000-04:00

It's not uncommon for us to work 16 hour days and 7 days a week during wedding season. It's just the nature of the business.

We've had a great summer though. We've had the pleasure of meeting some wonderful people and of sharing the beginning of many our client's new life together. It's hard to describe the feeling we have after a long wedding day - we're exhausted but kind of feel a warm glow of happiness.

This year, we really forced ourselves to get out and away from the computer, if even at dawn or an hour in the afternoon, to do some biking on the river trail, kayaking by PNC park, running or moving some weight around at Club One.

I've had a lot of fun with my Iphone camera out on the trail.

Pittsburgh is a great place for rails to trails biking. We don't have firm plans but hope to make the trip from Pittsburgh to Washington on the Great Allegheny Passage. We're not quite there yet.

The River Trail from Millvale, passing PNC park and Heinz field to the Old County Jail - one spooky place! - has been our usual morning trek, whether on the bike or in the Nike's.

I hit the 100 mile mark on my new shoes!

We can't wait for 2008! We have some really exciting plans!

Steve

Albums - when it all comes together

2007-10-19T17:10:00.000-04:00

When I'm out photographing a wedding, I find myself already planning and picturing a client's finished album design - how one photograph or scene will fit into the story of a couple's wedding day.

It's hard for a client to imagine how everything will come together in their final album design when choosing photographs from their unfinished proofs.

The digital darkroom opens limitless creative possibilities that were much more difficult in the chemical darkroom (although I do miss shutting myself up in the dark and disappearing with some great music for hours at a time). The original photograph is just a starting point.

Simmons Farm - Children's Hospital

2007-10-19T16:47:00.000-04:00

Every year we try to do something to give back to the community. This year we kept a Saturday open to photograph children and families with our friends Jen and Laszlo Bartos at Simmons Farm in Canonsburg, PA.

Simmons is great place to visit, especially this time of year. With hay rides, a well stocked store with home-grown produce, apple picking, entertainment and a petting zoo, it's fun for kids of all ages.

We only had a short time frame, but were able to photograph 35 families, the entire proceeds of which will benefit Children's Hospital.

I would like thank the owners and staff at Simmons for their generous help and accommodation.

A Bride's Perspective

2007-10-08T20:16:00.000-04:00

I think that most brides have dreamed of their wedding day, if not since they were little, at least for a very long time. It takes many months of planning and hard work and it's rare that when wedding day arrives, everything works perfectly according to plan.

We see many of the same pitfalls week after week and thought that we would start a series of articles to help our couples with their wedding plans - from a Bride's Perspective.

Christine and Jeff were married this year at Grove City Chapel with a reception at the Shakespeare's at the Olde Stonewall Golf Club.

Here's Christine's take on her wedding day and planning. Steve

"The most stressful part of a bride's wedding day is not the flowers, the cake, or any of the other million details she's spent the last year planning - it's the people. (Really.)

Take it from a bride who's been there (as of this past June 23rd!)- no matter how much you love your relatives, no matter how great your friends are, at some point during the week of your wedding, you'll want to lock them all in a closet. (Sad, but true.)

There will be, of course, a few exceptions, as there were in my case: my mom, who is also my best friend; my brother, who was also my honor attendant; and my grandfather, who walked me down the aisle.

But what every bride really wants is to experience what she sees the brides in the magazines experiencing - romance, peace, and true intimacy on her wedding day. Fortunately for me, I booked the two most fabulous (and no, I'm not just saying that) photographers in all of western Pennsylvania, and they were absolutely, without a doubt the single best investment of my wedding.

For those moments when my groom, Jeff, and I were alone working with Steve and Barb, it was absolutely magical. The romance, the intimacy, the peace - I had it all. And for those brief moments when Steve would steal us away to take some pictures ("just interact with each other!" he'd tell us), the world was quiet, the people disappeared, and I felt like I was living a fairy tale. (Guess that makes Steve my fairy godfather?!) (ed.note - godbrother maybe! - I'm blushing)

So now that I have some real bridal experience under my belt, Steve and Barb thought I just might have what it takes to offer a "bride's perspective" to some of their writing and marketing ventures! This is yet another dream come true for me, as just a month prior to my wedding I finally finished my thesis for my Master's degree in English. So you may see me writing from time to time in blogs, newsletters, or other future endeavors!

And before I go, let me put your mind at ease: despite how stressful the people involved in a wedding can be, what they say is true - your wedding will be perfect, no matter what happens. Besides, you always have the morning after to look forward to when you wake up with nothing to do and you remember that no one has the phone number for where you're staying...ahhhh!"

Patricia and Heath

2007-09-21T15:46:00.000-04:00

Patricia and Heath were married at Olgebay Resort in Wheeling West Virginia in a beautiful outdoor ceremony, with a reception following at the resort in The Glessner Ballroom.

If you haven't had a chance to visit Oglebay and you're from the Tri-State area, I would highly recommend the trip - it's a beautiful resort with lots to do and it's a fabulous place for a wedding.

Patricia's Matthew Christopher gown was perfect!

And Heath was looking pretty GQ himself:

The ceremony was held next to the mansion at the reflecting pond - the weather was perfect - well plus a few degrees.

Patricia and Heath, like many couples, chose to see each other before their ceremony. We set up a private first glance where they had a chance to see and spend some time with each other, took a few photographs and let them have some time alone.

Patricia and Heath spent their honeymoon in Riveria Maya (before the hurricane). I had a chance to see some of their photographs - what a great time!

Oh, and Barb and I are available for world-wide daytime honeymoon coverage - much more fun than sitting in front of the computer all week.

Congratulations guys!

Steve

New Album Design

2007-08-29T16:00:00.000-04:00

Coffee Table Art Books or magazine albums have become extremely popular world-wide and now account for 80% of all of our designs.

We custom design every book to suit the tastes of each of our clients - some with a cleaner simple design and some with a few more graphic design elements to add some visual interest.

Here's a sample of a recent design for Lisa and Jim who were married in Hershey with a reception at the awesome Hershey Hotel.

Click Here

Concetta and Chip

2007-08-29T15:19:00.000-04:00

Concetta and Chip were married at the beautiful St. Stanislaus Church in the strip district with a reception following at the Omni William Penn Hotel.

St. Stanislaus originally served immigrant mill workers but was damaged in an explosion at what was once the Pittsburgh Banana Company across the street; it recently has been renovated with new lighting to give the feel of the original gas lamps. With the uncovering of a stain glass window which was hidden for 50 years, the church is just gorgeous.

Concetta's Atelier Aimee gown suited her perfectly - absolutely beautiful.

Jean Marc Chatellier Bakery, my favorite stop in Millvale after a long run on the river trail (energy replacement!) created a work of art.

Homemade wine - a tradition

As usual, the ballroom at the Omni was amazing, especially with the hand of Michael Jacobs at Blooms Florist.

Concetta and Chip honeymooned in Riviera Maya, Mexico and are home enjoying married life in Pittsburgh.

Noelle and Mike

2007-08-06T17:04:00.000-04:00

Noelle and Mike were married on July 14th at the Mother of Sorrow's Church with a reception following at the Omni William Penn Hotel.

Noelle looked absolutely radiant and in her Amalia Carrara gown from Celestial Brides

When I looked over at Mike when Noelle was walking down the aisle, I have to admit that my viewfinder got a bit misty. He just looks so proud.

The ballroom in the Omni decorated more beautifully, with a cake by Bethel Bakery and floral arrangements by Gary's Floral of Murraysville

Noelle has such a heartwarming smile - she looks so happy.

Noelle and Mike are delaying their honeymoon a few weeks and are heading to Bald Head, NC. Thanks for allowing us to share your special day!

Jennifer and Caleb

2007-07-27T16:55:00.001-04:00

Jennifer and Caleb were married on June 30th at the Four Mile Presbyterian Church with a reception following at The Timberhouse at Rolling Acres, a very cool and photogenic location in Beaver Falls.

Barb and I had the opportunity of photographing Jenn and Caleb's engagement session at Buttermilk Falls where they were engaged and just had a blast with them, which carried over through wedding day.

I don't think I have met a nicer couple - they are so much in love.

Jennifer and Caleb were married by Caleb's Dad who's a minister - neat!

After a honeymoon in Mexico, Jennifer and Caleb are enjoying the beginning of their new life together - Congratulations guys!!

Steve

Jeff and Christine

2007-06-26T15:16:00.000-04:00

For a little different perspective and that stylish flair of hers, Barb is going to start contributing here and in future blog posts.

Christine and Jeff were married on Saturday, June 23rd at the beautiful Chapel at Grove City College. The ceremony was followed by a cocktail hour and reception at 'The Castle', otherwise known as Olde Stonewall Golf Club in Ellwood City, PA. Martin the catering director, and his staff were efficient and friendly.

Christine and Jeff had an intimate 'first view' before the wedding ceremony , they now have great photographic memories of that special moment and we had extra time to spend taking photographs of just the 2 of them.

One of our stops was the Historic Buhl Mansion in Sharon, Pennsylvania. We had a great time with the wedding party; Christine's attendants were her brother David and best friends since Kindergarten (!) - Jackie, Erin & Travis. Jeff chose his Navy buddies to serve as groomsmen - Cory, Andy and Cameron.

Christine was an absolute knock-out in her Antique Ivory Eve of Milady gown from Celestial Brides in Johnstown, PA.

At the reception, there wasn't a dry eye in the house after Jeff's emotional toast to his new wife.

The beautiful flowers were by Tom Penwell, the cake by Jody's Pastries and Steve and I enjoyed working with Videographers John and Mary Carol from Digital Keepsakes.

After a 2 night stay at the Buhl Mansion Bed & Breakfast, Christine and Jeff are off to Germany to tour the castles and inspirations for Grimms FairyTales - it doesn't get much more romantic than that!

Janel and James

2007-06-26T13:40:00.000-04:00

Janel and James were married on June 9th a St. Stanislaus with a reception following at The Carnegie Museum.

St. Stanislaus is such a beautiful church. It was constructed in 1891 but the original bell towers were damaged in an explosion at the Pittsburgh Banana Company which was across the street. They have renovated the lighting to give it more of the original feel and have uncovered a stain glass window that was hidden for 50 years.

Janel's Monique Lhuillier gown was perfect for her. It was a unique gown from her collection and Janel looked like Grace Kelly. Bridesmaid dresses by Vera Wang, flowers by Fields of Heather and the Tony Camarato band from Cleveland laid down the grooves.

Janel and James just returned from their honeymoon in Italy. I haven't had a chance to talk with them but I hope you had a great time!

Megan and Mark

2007-06-26T13:15:00.000-04:00

Megan and Mark were married on June 2nd at the Duquesne Chapel with a reception following at Heinz Field.

I can't tell you how many times a limo driver has asked me for directions - like how could you as a professional driver come to a job without knowing where you're going.

Well, the limo driver (no names mentioned) somehow mistook the Duquesne Chapel for Duquesne, PA and got stuck in all the parkway traffic and was 35 minutes late to the ceremony. But, Mark's Penn State buddies took over as surrogate groomsmen and made sure all the guests were seated. It was a little tense at the time, but what a great story to tell your kids.

Heinz Field is such a fun place for a reception. Michael at Blooms
one of the most creative florists in the city, really outdid himself. The room really looked amazing.

We had a chance to take some photographs on the field and in the locker room.

Megan and Mark spent a few days in New York and are off on a cruise next month. Darn, no Saturdays off in July to document your honeymoon.

Rachel and Rick

2007-06-26T12:46:00.000-04:00

Rachel and Rick were married on May 27th in a beautiful ceremony at Christ Episcopal Church with a reception following at the PPG Aquarium at the Pittsburgh Zoo, a really unique location for a reception.

Guests love walking around during cocktail hour and checking out the fishies.

Rachel looked awesome in her James Clifford gown from MB Bride in Greensburg. Flowers by Suzie-Q and cake by Bethel Bakery.

Time was really short after we arrived at the Aquarium, so we didn't get a chance to do a same-day slideshow, but here's a little sample.

Rachel and Rick honeymooned at Riveria Maya in Mexico and shortly after returning, moved to London. We'd be happy to deliver your album in person, but we might have to linger for a week or two at your flat.

Congratulations!!

Rhea and Joe

2007-06-26T11:10:00.000-04:00

When we finished the session with Rhea and Joe, Barb and I turned to each other and said: "wow, we have some great clients". Rhea and Joe are just so nice and they are obviously very much in love. We really had a blast with them, wandering around downtown and I think they had a lot of fun too.

This was shot at Club Euro in the US Steel building where Rhea and Joe first met.

Joe works at the Courthouse. It was pretty wild there in the courtyard at lunch time with loud music, a popcorn stand, and a golf challenge set up to hit whiffle golf balls into the fountain. I guess it's a distraction from what's happening inside.

I've always been intrigued by the support structure of the AT&T building - supposedly reinforced for a nuclear attack.

The lunch time crowd of hundreds really got a kick out of R&J kissing in the middle of Grant Street.

Just so much fun - we can't wait for their wedding!

Presentation Rooms

2007-06-24T18:25:00.000-04:00

We're so thrilled with our new presenation areas. It's been months and months of work but with the help of Craig McDonald at Perlora in the South Side, we're just about finished. He did a great job with the rooms and I would highly recommend his services. Perlora has some really cool stuff.

The walls have been bare for a while - we've been waiting for a new product that we've just started to offer - a canvas wrap; it's a contemporary take on a traditional canvas portrait. They're designed to display unframed and are much thicker than traditional canvas. The edges of the image wrap around a canvas stretcher frame - they have a look that's really amazing.

Here's a little 360 degree panorama (the individual photos didn't quite fit perfectly) of our new spaces.

Crew, The Summer, Running and the Rivers

2007-06-24T17:56:00.000-04:00

I just love this time of year - blue skies, warm days, outdoor fun, and of course, weddings!

I'm sure that anyone who lives in Pittsburgh and has spent any time near the rivers, especially the Allegheny, has seen an explosion of crew teams and individual rowers paddling down the rivers. The sport has become hugely popular around the country and here in Pittsburgh.

Along with school crew teams, kayaking has become very popular and you can now rent Kayaks near PNC park - it's great fun.

My kids have all been involved with rowing for the Fox Chapel Crew team - they've really been doing well. Nina gave up her graduation ceremony along with other seniors to race in the US Rowing Nationals in Cincinnati. Their boat placed 10th in the country. Ok, so I'm a proud dad!

So many fun activities are available near our rivers and I've started running again after a long absence. There's a great trail along the river from Millvale to Heinz Field and beyond (to come down the road hopefully).

If anyone is interested in maybe a 100 mile Nike challenge, that would be great motivation.

Lisa & Jim

2007-05-22T13:52:00.000-04:00

Lisa and Jim were married this past Saturday at the Derry Presbyterian Church in Hershey, PA with a reception following at The Hershey Hotel .

It's been a quite few years since Barb and I had been to the Hotel - considered to be one of the great resorts of North America. It's like taking a step back in time in the style of one of the grand hotels of the 19th century.

The Hotel is located on a beautiful vista overlooking the The Hershey Gardens, originally built by Milton Hershey.

We had so much fun with Lisa and Jim, their bridal party (20) and parents. It was such a beautiful day!

Thanks so much for letting us a part of your day. We hope you're having a great time on your honeymoon!

The Knot Best of Weddings 2007 Pick

2007-05-22T12:06:00.000-04:00

Wedding photography is our passion and we were so happy and honored to be listed among the best wedding photographers as rated by The Knot Brides in The Knot Best of Weddings national and regional publications.

Thank you so much for your vote of confidence!

Erika and Adam

2007-05-18T10:06:00.000-04:00

It's really hard for us to give up an album - we feel a bit of a loss - "no you can't have it!", like the end of a journey we spent with the bride and groom - which is one reason why we include with every wedding collection, our Portrait for Life Program.

It's so cool to follow our couples through the beginning of their new life together as a family. It brings back a flood of memories for Barb and me. And just as a warning ;) to our prospective clients, we have a very high fertility rate among our recent couples. I love taking baby pictures!

Erika and Adam were married at Oglebay Park in West Virginia. They had hoped to have an outdoor ceremony, but it rained during the morning, so they moved the ceremony inside. It was still very beautiful. It cleared up for the afternoon and we were able to head outside for some pictures.

Erika and Adam's had a luncheon time formal reception followed by an evening fun barbecue. The day was a blast.

Johanna and AJ

2007-05-18T09:36:00.000-04:00

Johanna and AJ were married this past Saturday with a ceremony and reception at the Omni William Penn.

We're not quite finished editing their photographs but I wanted to post a couple that caught my eye. I just loved Johanna's Amy Michelson gown. It was perfect for her - amazing!

Johanna and AJ are so much in love and are so very nice. I hope you're having a great time in St. Lucia.

more later.....

Heather and Jon

2007-05-18T09:01:00.000-04:00

Heather and Jon were married at the end of April at an outdoor ceremony at Springwood, a very unique location, especially for an outdoor wedding. While the weather didn't completely cooperate the ceremony was absolutely beautiful and Heather looked awesome.

Congratulations!

Jenn & Caleb

2007-05-18T07:50:00.000-04:00

It's been a really busy few weeks since the weather started to get nice, with a bunch of engagement sessions, the start of wedding season, album projects, and the kids activities. I've been a little errant with the blog posts, but my goal is to have new posts at least once a week.

I really love engagement sessions. They're always fun and a great way to get to know each other. When wedding day arrives, it's just a little more relaxed since we've already spent some time together.

Jenn and Caleb were engaged right around this spot at Buttermilk Falls so it really has some special meaning for them. It's a beautiful area with history back to the civil way and is now a state park.

Right next to the park is a very cool 19th century village - Homewood Junction, with a post office right out of Mayberry RFD. We had a lot of fun wandering around the village.

Barb and I are really looking forward to your wedding day at the end of June!

Sarika and Sri

2007-04-15T06:16:00.000-04:00

Sarika and Sri were married on April 1st at the Omni William Penn Hotel. Their wedding was amazingly beautiful. Almost 800 guests shared the festivities, definitely one of the events of the year in Pittsburgh.

Indian weddings are a week long affair, starting with the bridal shower and Mehndi or henna ceremony, continuing with the arrival of the groom in the Bharaat ceremony on Saturday - usually on a white horse but in this case, a little more contemporary mode of transportation - a Ferrari. The celebration continued with wedding ceremonies on Sunday.

The Hindu wedding ceremony, Vivaha, dates back over 3500 years - it's performed in Sanskrit, the most ancient surviving language.

On the day of the marriage, the bride is considered to be the embodiment of the Goddess Lakshmi and the groom, the Lord Vishnu. Family and friends who come to bless the couple are heavenly bodies, making the wedding a grand divine event.

Everyone was so wonderful to us - thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of the start of your new life together.

Senior Albums

2007-04-15T05:52:00.001-04:00

I remember my high school senior year like it was yesterday - so many great memories, but it can also be a stressful time, like in what I am going to with my life now...

High School reunions are always interesting - everyone else looks so old!

I love photographing seniors - the sessions are always a lot of fun.

We're offering a new album from Asuka Books which is perfect for seniors and babies and even as parent albums for our wedding clients. They have a very contemporary high-gloss look.

Here's an example of an album we did for one of our seniors.