Today's Session - Nicolette Hardison

I just photographed Nicolette on Monday afternoon. This is her mom's favorite. I still need Senior Reps from Charleroi High School.

Class of 2013 Senior Reps

I did my first senior rep session last Friday with Taylor Carter from Monessen High School. Taylor did a great job. Beautiful smile. She's already on facebook and has 80+ "Likes". Keep on going Taylor! I'll have senior rep cards for you very soon.

How about this wood floor!

I love this look. This coming senior season is going to produce some really awesome portraits. I'm going all out for totally NEW looks.

Another new background

Here's Passion again with another new 8 way background. This my favorite.

ALL NEW BACKGROUNDS

I just received two new backgrounds this morning. This is one that can be used 8 different ways. This is a portrait of Monessen Class of 2012 senior Passion Harrison. Way cool background!

Shannon in the Loft.

Our exclusive loft makes for unique and especially beautiful natural lighting. It's really hard to believe that this image is natural window light.

Another great studio outfit.

Super Saturday Session!

Wow!  I had an exciting, energetic session on Saturday with Shannon Robison, Ringgold Class of 2012 senior. Shannon waited until now to do an extended session. I did her yearbook poses during the summer. She is involved in the Ringgold Marching Band and Ringgold Volleyball, so she was really busy.

We did a really great studio session. This was her first outfit. What a classy pose. Isn't that red hair just beautiful!

"The Classic Collection" for Your Wedding

This used to be my most popular wedding package. I have done quite a number of these over the years. The "Classic Collection" as shown here, is a "basic documentary" package with six hours of coverage. Well here's a SPECIAL offering. If you book your wedding with me before April 30, (the wedding can be for any future date) I will give you unlimited coverage with my total documentary coverage. In other words, this will be the same as my "Fine Art Collection" but the album will be a 10 x 10 with 90 images.


What a GREAT deal for $2,995 !!!

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY the best thing . . .

to happen to photography and the WORST thing to happen to photographers. I've been saying this for the last couple of years. As a matter of fact, this is my statement. I coined this phrase. "Digital is the best thing to happen to photography and the worst thing to happen to photographers." Dave Savarino

What do I mean? Digital capture is like comparing High Definition TV to an old black & white TV. The resolution, image quality is the best that I have seen in my 40 years as a professional photographer. I have seen it all. I printed my own photographs in the darkroom for many years. Now I still print my own images, but on archival inkjet printers. These images will last a hundred years compared to the 15 to 25 years printed in the darkroom. Yes, the quality of photography is many times better since digital photography appeared.

Why is it the worst thing to happen to photographers? Everybody who buys a camera thinks that they can do the same that I can do. The photography industry is changing so rapidly. I really don't know where it is going to go from here.

It has taken 40 years for me to accumulate the knowledge of photography that I have today. Lighting, posing, composition and how to process the image. It's not all that easy.

I'm going back to the studio. Classic portraiture.   MODELS WANTED !!!

Do You Remember the Family Scrapbook?

I can still remember the old photo album that my mother had with the family photos of days gone by. All my aunts and uncles, my grandparents when they were young, and the snapshots from family holidays were all there in that book. There was also an old shoebox filled with loose black & white photographs. Of course, all the photos were black & white.

I can't help thinking about the future. How about 10 years from now or 20 years? Will you have a family photo album? or the old shoebox full of photos. I'll bet not.

I am shocked at how many weddings that I have photographed in the past year that the bride only wanted a CD with the images and no album. Think about how fast technology has moved in the last 10 years. First the home computer used 5 1/4" floppy discs. GONE. Then it was the 3 1/2" floppy discs. GONE. What about the home computer you had 5 years ago that has since crashed and all the data on that obsolete hard drive is gone. Oh yes, you backed it up onto CD's. How long will those be readable?

Photographs, photographic prints are timeless. When properly cared for, they will last for generations, even in an old shoebox. Something to think about.

Doggy and the Deer, they are best friends.

I was visiting my cousin today. She needed some computer help. When I was there she received an email from her girlfriend in Utah which led to this link. If you are an animal lover or a dog lover, you will love this. http://www.dogwork.com/ddsff4/

Enjoy,
Dave

A Composite Sample

This a NEW product for the Bunny Portraits.

More than just Bunnies!

We will be offering multi-pose composites this so there will be a variety of closeups too! These closeups are timeless so they are not just for Easter.

Live Bunny Dates

OK. Here are the tentative dates for our Live Bunny portraits for this year. Since there were some requests for a Saturday, we are including one Saturday this year. The portraits will start on Friday, March 9; Saturday, March 10 and then carry over to Monday, March 12, and Tuesday, March 13.

The Bunnies are coming!

I have had so many inquiries as to whether we are going to do the live bunny portraits again this year. The answer is YES, YES, YES.

I am planning on extending the event over a 2 week period including one Saturday. Check back for the exact dates in March.

Another Favorite

This Garman Family portrait is a perfect example of my style of family portraiture. I love coordinated clothing and a fun interacting pose.

My Favorite Family Portrait

In my 40 years experience I always have my favorite images. Not because they are technically superior, but because they achieve the goal that I was working toward.

The Marshall Marra family portrait is displayed above the mantle in my reception area because I think it is one of the best family portraits that I have created. I will show you more of my favorites here on the blog.

Working on the studio

I have been spending the last few weeks reworking the studio for the upcoming season. I'm creating new sets and backgrounds. I can't wait to try new things this year. I going to use our NEW Senior Reps as models for the new backgrounds. I already have the new hats and headbands for infants.

It's going to be a great year!

My Daughter's Wedding

This has been a long time coming, but I'm sure you would understand that family work is always last. My daughter Susan was married on September 25, 2010. So who does the photography at a photographer's daughter's wedding?

I happen to belong to Triangle Photographer's Association and the Professional Photographer's of Pennsylvania as well as the Professional Photographers of America. I am proud to say that I serve as a board member on both Triangle and PPA of PA, and I serve as a councilman of the PPA. I have many friends in the photography industry.

Two of my very dearest friends agreed to photograph my daughter's wedding it was a fabulous day. Being on the "other side of the camera" was really cool. Pati and Bill Livengood of "Photography by Pati" and Gerry Solan of "Gerard Photography" were my photographers. I am so happy to have these true professionals as my dear friends. I owe both of them wedding photography for their children. "Thank you, Pati, Bill, and Gerry!"

I designed this album using the beautiful images created by my friends. I have to say it was a challenge because there are over 200 images used in the design. It took a few months.
Here's a link to the album as a slideshow. http://savarino-studio.com/Website%20Page/Wedding%20Page/Susan_Derek/Susan.html

Please enjoy!