2ND Annual PGH PUG Cookout / J+M Marantz Visit

We had our second-annual Pittsburgh PUG Cookout last night and Justin & Mary Marantz came down from CT to join us and share their love! Thanks for coming - it was wonderful to have you with us and great to hear about all the marketing pieces you've got in place that have helped you grow your business.

It was a great time with a great group of people who gathered together to eat, drink, be merry and listen to some great ideas for building relationships with clients and other photographers. It was held at Kelly Crawford's home in a beautiful country setting - a BIG THANKS goes out to Kelly, his wife Nancy and their family for opening their home to all of us...it was a late night...

Here's a couple of images from the night...



We're planning another picnic in the Fall, so Justin and Mary or any other PUG leader or member is more than welcome to join us!!!
Best, Joanne Bartone, Photographer

INSPIRED Influences...

Here are two quotes I do my best to be aware of and "live" by whether I am photographing for my clients or for myself...

Henri Cartier-Bresson:
"To take a photograph means to recognize – simultaneously and within a fraction of a second– both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is putting one’s head, one’s eye, and one’s heart on the same axis."

If you are not familiar with H. Cartier-Bresson, you really ought to learn about him. His work is renowned and he is the one photographer most other photographers would probably say they admire the most for many reasons - I know I do! Really, take time to know of him and see his work; it is more lyrical than can be imagined!

Arnold Newman:
"We do not take pictures with our cameras; we take them with our hearts and minds."

I have loved A. Newman's portrait work forever! He is probably the one photographer who has influenced my work more than anyone else! His imagery always constantly exists in the back of my mind when I "see." No matter if I am working or just being present. His work is strong and real and artful.

Both are so INSPIRING to me because they used their hearts and their minds when photographing. They had the necessary technical knowledge and command over their cameras that allowed them to align their creative abilities with their emotions so perfectly when they instinctively created incredible images in an instant! These are qualities I hope every photographer would strive for; at least I know I do.

I often times hesitate to write about these photographic and philosophic topics because I think, 'people don't know me well enough to believe that I'm not saying these things for some self-serving reason.' But then I counter that thought with, 'the people that do know me know that I always speak from my heart." The statements of H. Cartier-Bresson and A. Newman perfectly describe the magic of photography for ME! Of how it is for me when that perfect moment aligns and I just know what I've created is really, really good! It really is like magic and keeps me so INSPIRED to create better and better imagery for my clients and for myself!

To create with intensity like this, with your heart, soul, mind and camera, involves a simultaneous "self" and "other" awareness. Without this awareness anyone could call themselves a "photographer." All it would take to earn the title would be to click the shutter hundreds of times with the hopes of getting one good shot instead of creating with decisive and deliberate intention.

So, if you aspire to be a photographer, or consider yourself having earned the title already, keep examining your work closely to make sure that you are keeping your camera off of "P" (it really doesn't stand for "professional" anyway) and push yourself continually to produce better and better imagery and be the best you can be.

BIG love, Joanne Bartone, Photographer

Celebrating Photographers I Admire...

The month of March has been designated to celebrate women's history, so I thought I would encourage the knowledge and celebration of a few of my favorite pioneering and contemporary women photographers, not listed in any particular order.

Please take a moment to explore each of the links below that will take you to Google Images to see their work. If you are INSPIRED by any one of these wonderful photographers, perhaps you might look a little deeper into how each of them came to envision and create their art. Then, take some time to see how they might influence the work you do, whether your specialty is weddings, art or editorial work...enjoy!

Mary Ellen Mark
Sylvia Plachy
Sally Mann
Berenice Abbot
Imogen Cunningham
Tina Modotti
Joyce Tennyson
Ruth Bernhard
Annie Liebowitz
Dorthea Lange
Lola Alvarez-Bravo
Esther Bubley
Diane Arbus

Thanks for stopping by my INSPIRED by light blog!
All my best, Joanne Bartone Photographer

Roof-top Shoot!

Most of you know I'm a fairly busy person, well, this month has been exceptionally busy and it's only August 8th!

I coordinated a Roof-top Shoot this month with a few of my most excellent fellow photographers here in Pittsburgh who are members of the Pictage PUG group that I lead on a monthly basis and we had a BLAST!

Maria & Brandon are two of my clients - I won't say "former" because once you become my clients, you stay my clients - I want to witness your hair turn gray! As you can see, they are GORGEOUS; typical for my client base, of course...! ;-) Maria has modeled for the Element of Love seminars that Heather Lahtinen and myself offer and we'll be having her back with us on a regular basis.

A HUGE 'thank you' and BIG hugs and kisses go out to Maria and Brandon for helping us out. They just celebrated their 1st wedding anniversary and we are giving them a beautiful gift of a book from this shoot when all the images come in! Without them, we'd have a whole lot of landscape photos! You are the BEST, Maria & Brandon!

Any way, here are some of the images from the shoot; ENJOY!

We started on the roof-top of a parking garage...

...we moved to the street next...

...then we found a great alley...

...a really dark, steamy hot alley...

I wasn't kidding when I said it was HOT...and I wasn't talking about the weather!! LOL

Best, Joanne

International Fine Art Competition Winner!

I am proud to say that one of my Fine Art images won 3rd place HM in an International Fine Art competition through WIPI, Women In Photography International AGAIN! I am thrilled, to say the least! This is the second time I've won in an Art Competition through WIPI so I thought I'd share my winning images with you...they are the top two images in the series of seven images directly below.

All the images were photographed at the same location: the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. They are part of a series of abstract architectural images I photographed and titled "Circle Game," and I'm sure you can see why I titled them as such.

Let me tell you a bit about this process and these images...
One of my first loves of photographing was abstract imagery. I enjoy it so much because it is a quiet, one-on-one experience (just me and my subject) and it challenges me to think and look at my subjects ("things" instead of people) with creative difference.

DC is one of my favorite places in this country and it's not because of the politics or that it is our Nation's "hub." It's because the whole place is like a living museum! Everywhere you go around DC proper is interesting, has history and honor attached to it, and is pleasing to the eye. I like it because it is filled with culture, Cultures and a sea of people of many Nationalities, Nations, Races and Colors! It is one of the places I love to go to refuel my art and heart. So, shortly after the NMAI opened, I had to go see it and let me tell you, the experience of seeing the architecture, both outside and inside was a breathtaking experience for me! It replicates and honors all the important aspects of our wonderful Native American Culture and the beauty and peace of the Canyons and their early way of living, and so much more! I instantly fell visually under its spell! My proverbial "hat" goes off to the designers, architects and builders and to all involved in creating such a beautiful space!

This series was meant to honor the "Spirit" of this most wonderfully spiritual and beautiful place and of the Native Americans. I do hope you enjoy the series and I'd enjoy your commenting on it as well.
My best, as always!
Joanne
These images are Copyrighted and thus protected by the Federal Copyright Laws. They are not not to be copied or used in any manner or form without my expressed, written permission. To copy or use one/all of these images without my permission is a direct violation of the Copyright Laws for which I will seek legal recourse.

EXCITING NEWS!!

I've been plugging away all week at all the necessary details involved in getting TWO new websites and a Pro blog ready to be launched!! They could be live as soon as today or tomorrow - I'm so excited!

Here is an itsy-bitsy sneak peek of the splash page of the site...
I'm going to miss my old site but may be keeping its format for my commercial/advertising and event photography...we'll see; haven't made that decision just yet. I've got to give it a visual once-over to see how that will work.

So, with the onset of this exciting news, please feel free to comment here or to send me an email and let me know your thoughts. I'll be anxious to hear what everyone thinks about it!

Looking forward to hearing from you!
Best, Joanne

a NEW blog!

Well, as if one blog weren't enough...

Welcome to what I hope will become a valuable resource for my fellow professional photographers: my Pro-Photo Source blog!

I opted to branch off from my client-focused blog with tips and information for photographers that run the gamut from creative to business-focused ideas; some information, INSPIRATION and maybe even a few creative exercises! Where do I hope this will take me/us?...well, I'm hopeful that some small piece of information I or one of my guest blog contributors might make, will take us all to a higher level of success!

I have been very fortunate to have been able to achieve my own level of success as a professional photographer, so this blog is a means for me to pay some of my success forward to those of you who are looking for a little guidance, info or fun. If what you find here may assist you in some small way to achieve more success in what you do, all I ask is that you continue to pay your success forward to the next person who may need some help.

With that, I hope you comment, visit frequently and enjoy this "work in progress!"

My best to you, now and always, Joanne