Behind The Scenes – Photographing In 2019

First blog post of 2020! YAY!

We shall call 2019 “the year that I decided to grow out my bangs” – talk about a horrible life decision. The questions just roll on – why did I do it? Why didn’t I just cut them? Why did I continue letting them grow out when I so abundantly hated them & hated how they looked?
Thankfully, this particular life-choice didn’t do any permanent damage (let’s not talk about the hole I put in our couch yesterday) But seriously: all I can see when I look thru these behind-the-scenes photos is my missing bangs. Oh well – we live & learn & in 2019, I most definitely learned that I much prefer to have some bangs!

Okay, enough about my hair!
2019 was a slow year for my business – I was a part of photographing just 8 weddings. If that number seems low, it is – considering that in 2018, I photographed 18 weddings. As nerve-wracking as it was to have less than half the amount of weddings that I’d booked the year before – it was absolutely perfect. I adored every single one of my brides & grooms from 2019 & having a “slow” year couldn’t have come at a better time: I had a brand new baby after all!

What follows is a little peek into what a wedding day looks like from the other side of the camera, along with some fun commentary.

And if you can’t get enough behind-the-scenes, check out:
2018’s version, 2017’s version, 2016’s version, 2015’s version, 2014’s version, and 2013’s version!

Derrick has been my go-to second shooter for several wedding seasons now, but in 2019, with our new baby boy, it just seemed to make sense for him to stay home with our two munchkins & for me to bring along other second shooters. He did photograph one wedding with me – but the rest of the weddings I photographed in 2019, I was able to bring along a few other sweet friends & amazing photographers! Almost all of the images in this post were taken by one of them (I’m going to introduce you to them!)
This is Derrick though! He, of course, has his own Instagram account & YouTube channel entirely focused on roller coasters (which is what fills most of his free time) go follow him!

First up: my favorite photographer sister Ellen! Before Derrick was my go-to second photographer man, she was my go-to photographer woman! I still wish I could bring her along to every single wedding I shoot – she is just that amazing. I literally never worry about a single thing with her – she always has my back, gets every single shot that’s in my head (I’ve stopped asking, “Hey! Could you run & get a photo of …” because she’s already got it). She’s just the best. Unfortunately (for me, but fortunately for her), she has her own photography business to run & coming along with me on wedding days simply just doesn’t always work out (pardon me while I go sob in the corner). PLUS, she has her own sweet little princess & another on the way!! So, I guess if we can just shoot one wedding together a year – I’m happy.
If you’d like to follow along with Ellen – she’s super active on her Instagram + here is her website!

Next up in my posse of second shooters for the year is Darcie! I met Darcie a few years ago thru our Greensburg Tuesday’s Together group & via a mutual friend (one of my best friends: Tiffany!) She is the sweetest, most kind & caring person in the whole world, and bringing her along with me to 2 weddings in 2019 was SO much fun! Both of the weddings we shot together had about 45 minute commutes there & back & I might have looked forward to simply driving in the car & talking with her more than anything else!
If you can’t tell, I’m shamelessly plugging everyone! So, if you’d like to follow along with Darcie (she’s expecting a little princess in 2020 too!!) – here is the link to her Instagram + here is her website!

And last, but not least, is Katie! So, the story of how Katie & I met is actually quite hilarious: a few years ago, I was looking for a fun/different/adventurous location to take a family for a session – up where we used to live in the Sayre, PA area. I posted on Instagram, asking my friends if anyone had anything in mind & Katie actually messaged me back! It was one of those: “Hey! We’ve never met, but I’ve followed you for a long time..” kind of messages & she actually gave me the perfect location! One I literally would have never known existed – it was amazing! Ever since then, we’ve kept tabs on each other & when I found myself in need of a second-shooter for a wedding I was shooting in New York – Katie was my girl! We had such a great time (and she was so sweet & cool with hanging out with me post-wedding while I downloaded all of her images onto my laptop – which took wayyyyyyy longer than I expected!)
She is constantly on some sort of adventure around New England, so you definitely want to give her a follow: This is her Instagram account + her website!

Did I say “last but not least”? I have one more “honorable mention”! I had the immense privilege of filling the role of second-shooter myself in 2019 for one of the absolute sweetest photographer friends I have: Jessica Fike!! We met briefly at a workshop in West Virginia a few years ago & have followed each other on social media ever since – she lives at Deep Creek!! Yes, I am 100% super jealous. We have chatted back-and-forth via social media for several years now & this past summer we finally got our act together to re-meet in person for coffee at Traders! She is simply the best – so when she needed help at a wedding in Pennsylvania this summer, she reached out & asked if I was interested & of course, I said YES.
I love following Jess, because, I love her, but she also posts a ton of updates on what’s going on at the Lake! So, during these dark, cold winter months when we’re not there – it’s SO good to feel at least a little connected to Lake Life. Go follow Jess!! This is her Instagram + this is her website.
(Jess & I are on the left, Darcie & I are on the right)

OKAY, now that introductions have all been made – here is my face (ugh, let us all give a collective groan over my missing bangs).

Oh, you know, just walking out to the end of this dock (otherwise known as: location scouting for a location that we ended up not being able to use – BOOOOOO).

“Yep, just follow me – that’s right, come right along.”

Where’s Waldo?

Don’t mind me as I just take a photo of this guest’s head (I wasn’t – but that’s what this perspective looks like!)

I know that it appears I might have just stolen a piece of cake, but I promise, the bride & groom had just cut the cake – that’s why there is a piece missing!

Giving strict orders – err, instructions.

Sometimes, Catholic masses are long. And, there are only so many photos of the priest I can take. So, here I am: sitting down on the job.

Lots of mirror selfies –

Apparently I said something funny because everyone behind me is cracking up!

Just me & my sock-bun, carrying Lauren’s train thru the streets of Pittsburgh.

And this would be when Katie said: “Hey Kara! Look here!” and then fell over laughing because it looks like I have the Belhurst Castle’s “crown” on my head!

Omigoodness! My hair isn’t in a sock bun! Who even is this girl?

Let me briefly interrupt the wedding photos & show off some behind-the-scenes of Derrick & I shooting roller coasters!

Oh! And look who slipped into my behind-the-scenes post! One of Derrick’s best YouTube friends: Jonathan!

..annnnddd all of these photographer/videographers! Media Day at Kennywood for the opening of Steel Curtain was SO much fun!

Look at this handsome guy & his professional polo (that I had made for him just hours before we went to Media Day! WHEW)

Okay! Back to wedding days! And cookie tables (the best part of wedding days in south western PA)!

“Pardon me while I pick my nose.”

Don’t bother me while I’m having heart-to-heart conversations with the bush – it was very important.

If you’ve ever been curious about the night portraits that I try to take at every wedding – I find a location & then make my second shooter be my guinea pig so I can get my settings right – needless to say, they have fun with it!

And, sometimes not so much fun – like when I dragged Darcie out into the 20º weather without a coat on! Oops, sorry girl!

I’m not just a wedding photographer – I am also always the photographer at family events – me & my little remote detonator, err, shutter release.

“Just keep on following me, that’s right, out into the darkness.”

Wrangling bridal parties..

“See, I had this discussion with the bush over here earlier, and we decided..”

More mirror selfies! 2019 was the year of the mirror selfie..

Another where’s Waldo!

Me & my posse of beautiful ladies!

Run, Ellen, run!

See the earrings I’m wearing? I’ve had these earrings forever – they’re some of my absolute favorites. Well, at one wedding, while Darcie & I were setting up to photograph the cake-cutting at the reception, I reached up to scratch my ear & discovered that I was missing an earring. Where did it go? How long had it been missing? Had I seriously been wearing only one earring for potentially the entire wedding day? Ay yi yi, I must have looked like such a dork!
Needless to say, I’m adding a new clause to my second-shooter contract: “must make sure Kara doesn’t look like a complete nut-job & wearing only one earring.” HAHA

When Abby & Sam’s Moms could not get their lighters to work for the unity candles, the guests began giving suggestions & commentary – they ended up “borrowing” some flame from the candles on the alter!

Darcie’s probably going to hate me for these – but, how else can I repay her for lugging all of my bags around Downtown Pittsburgh and then freezing her butt off in Johnstown??

“Are you ticklish?”

Ninja moves –

Oh, Derrick has ninja moves too!

Oh look! And so does Katie!

Just me & my big giant MagMod diffuser!

Another serious conversation with a bush – apparently I do that a lot on wedding days.

First Look prep – except, I’m not the bride!

I’ll leave you with the yearly “walrus” photo!

Thank you all so much for your support & love for me & my little business!! I am living the dream and it’s because of you all! Cheers to an amazing (with much better hair choices) 2020!

If you can’t get enough behind-the-scenes, check out:
2018’s version, 2017’s version, 2016’s version, 2015’s version, 2014’s version, and 2013’s version!