One of my favorite sayings is "BIG love!" because I love LOVE and like to pay it forward to everyone I meet!  I really DO see with my heart when I photograph.

I've recently been told by a number of my clients that I need to sing my own praises more because they consider me to be "one of the best" Professional Pittsburgh Wedding Photographers. Notice I didn't say "the best," because that is a claim that only exists in some people's minds...I digress.  Well, I think I'm one helluva photographer, but I'm a very humble person and do my best not to let ego rule my world.  I never want to appear as if I know it all or as if I'm bragging.  Besides, when you really are good at what you do, you don't have to try to convince everyone else you are, so I've decided to state facts here instead of fabricating my importance to you.  Facts cannot be taken out of context by me or anyone else!  Good idea, yes?

First and foremost is that my photography is about YOU + my subjects; it's not about me.

I have a Specialized Degree in Commercial Photography
I have almost fourteen years experience as a full-time Professional Photographer.
I'm a grounded and AUTHENTIC individual, void of pretenses.
In my previous career I was as a Director of an Inpatient D/A Treatment Center.
My Social Work background helps me nurture and calm my clients!
I apprenticed and was certified as a machinist just out of High School.
I love to go fast: in cars, airplanes and on horseback!
I made a promise as a student of photography that if I became successful as a Professional Photographer, I'd help others do the same.
Fall is my favorite Season.
I am kind and giving and I love deeply.
I have loved photography since I was a child.
I always try to believe that the world is filled mostly with good people; this makes life easier.
I love being a Professional Photographer and am grateful to be living my dream every day.
I owe a lot of my success to all the people who have loved and supported me.
I am saddened by people who are so very full of themselves, but leave them to their own devices hoping that eventually they grow to understand the depths of interconnectedness.
I work daily at improving myself personally and professionally; striving to do the right thing, always.
My photography has taken me to interesting places and I have met and worked with many famous people because of it.
I am an Award-winning Professional Photographer and very proud of my work.
I value my clients as if they were my family and their memories as if they were my own.
I want to be your photographer for life, not just for one day.
I am fortunate to have really wonderful and special clients that I get to call "friend."
I truly am inspired by life, love, art, nature and the good and beautiful things of the world.
I despise dishonesty and unethical people; there is no excuse for such negativity.
I do not hate, anything or anyone; it's too costly.
Compassion and love rule everything in both my personal and professional worlds.
I love to pay love forward to my family, friends, clients, colleagues and the frequent two- or four-legged stranger the Heavens set in front of me because I've been chosen to help. 
My values, principles and ethics are paramount to me, both personally and professionally and they were instilled by two of the most loving and wonderful people ever to set foot on this earth; my parents, who are precious gifts I cherish every day.
I am grateful always for everything and take nothing for granted.
My family is very important to me and I love them all dearly - you ALL know who you are!
I'm a really, really creative photographer who has sound technical skills as well.
I don't copy other photographer's work or shoot from a "formula" of "standard" images; yuck.
I want to learn how to speak Italian and someday live in Italy...permanently.
I LOVE fashion and design!
And I love my craft: photography with a passion that runs so deep it's amazing!

Thank you for taking the time to read all that; it was fun for me to share it with you.

There is a good reason why I am hired by so many wonderful and important Pittsburgh families.  My work comes down to one word: TRUST.  I have the ability to elegantly and stylishly portray people through my images, all the while making them feel comfortable and beautiful without making them do things that are cheesy or odd.  My photographic style runs the gamut from being ultra contemporary and uniquely artistic, to classically traditional.  But, when all is said and done, I always photograph with the end result of my client's happiness in mind and not for any personal accolades I might receive as a result of my work. 

Some of the significant families I've worked with, like the Rooneys, the Gerraros, the Giles, and the Lemieuxs, are comfortable with my professional and personal skills and know that they can rely on me to be a calming and respectful presence at their weddings and events and then deliver beautiful images and unique products that will provide them with years of happiness long afterward. 

My clients images are as important to me as they are to my clients; I'd have it no other way.

Enough about me...

I want to get to know you; tell me your story! Tell me how you met, how you fell in love and all the details of the proposal. I truly am excited to know about your wedding too.  What your dress looks like?  What colors you've chosen? What special traditions will occur?  Who are the special people that will be celebrating with you?  Share these things with me so I can have a sense of all that is important to you and help you find other vendors that can help you make your dreams come true - I'm a wealth of information. 

Tell me about the babies!  When are you due? Is it a boy or a girl?  How are you feeling so far during your pregnancy?

It is my goal not to just gain clients through my work, but instead to create life-long friendships where I am present to record your family's legacy. And, speaking of your legacy...I LOVE to get to know you so I can surprise you, my new-found friends, with personalized touches that are sure to make you smile and grow our connection long after your wedding day!

You will often find me smiling broadly or getting teary-eyed when I am photographing, BUT I promise I won't miss a shot, as my professionalism is paramount. Having a Specialized Degree in Photography and nearly fourteen years of professional experience photographing weddings, I will tell your story with a uniquely personal artistic style that will make your images appear as if they could be presented in a magazine.  And chances are they will be, because as an International Award-winning Professional Photographer, my work has been published in local and national bridal magazines since 2000.

I care about you, but I also care about my art and my reputation. So, you won't find me taking snapshots, working from a shot list of the same old poses, copying other photographer's styles/shots, or photographing frantically like the hordes of weekend photographers out there - I never shoot two weddings the same way!  I'm different and I care.  And caring about you is PRECISELY why hiring me as your photographer will be one of the best decisions you can make as you begin your life together.

After your wedding, I will delightfully tell your story by creating your Signature Wedding Story Book where the romance of your love and the beginning of your life together will live on forever. I love designing your story book as much as I love photographing your wedding!  Makes sense, yes?!

I understand the importance of your wedding day and the importance of my work to preserve your beautiful memories; I am truly honored to be chosen as your family historian.  After your cake is eaten and your dress cleaned and preserved, your love will remain present every day of your life through the images I create for you. They are priceless treasures to BOTH of us that will live on as a testament to your love for the next fifty to seventy-five years!

I look forward to meeting you and to our friendship to come!

BIG love to you!   ~ Joanne

Joanne Bartone Photographer  ::  www.joannebartone.com  ::  tele: 412.418.8075

2009 photographs of Joanne Bartone Photographer courtesy of Annie O'Neill Photographer  ::  www.annieoneillweddings.com 

THANKS ANNIE!