Welcome to the Little Story Studio blog! There's something here for everyone: for the lifestyle or documentary photographer searching for online photography education or tutorials, and for the mom and dad with a camera trying to beautifully document their son or daughter's childhood.
Andrea Moffatt is a Pittsburgh PA family photographer, serving Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas through family photography sessions and photography education workshops.
June and July 2017 were overflowing with life and more blessings than we could count. While I continued shooting every day, I was mindful to put my camera down a lot in order to be present in the moment. When we make this choice, we must also be more selective about when we do choose to shoot.
Read MoreTo say my teacher soul was satisfied at the end of my breakout in June would be an understatement. I had the opportunity to work with moms from all over the globe and together, we got to inquire into our own hearts. Why are we drawn to shoot what we do? (Hint: Nothing is random.) How do our past experiences and values leak into our personal photos?
So, when - right as I was about to put my feet up and enjoy a tall drink of something at the end of my breakout- I was offered another teaching opportunity, I didn't think long before taking it. I can't talk about it just yet, but I'll make the announcement as soon as all the parts are in place.
In order to continue writing and teaching, I need to make some extra space in my life. I will be eliminating some session types and continuing to shoot others at a much-needed price increase. Here are the changes you will see, beginning September 2017:
Read MoreIt's here! My monthly round up of January stories. This year, I aim to complete my 3rd 365 project in a row... this one, in full color. Already my choice to only edit my daily picture in color is vexing me. Especially with low light photography, it is often so much easier to fiddle around with a color picture for a few minutes and then throw up your hands and say, "to heck with it! black and white it is!" Without that option to fall back on, I've already had to think carefully while shooting. (Which is never a bad thing, of course!)
Read MoreWhen I first started documentary family photography back in 2014, I relied heavily on my own family to figure out how to make impactful storytelling images (and how to keep it up for whole events- even whole days). I practiced on my family by doing a DITL (Day in the Life) project frequently- back then I subjected us probably monthly. The idea of that project is simple: document your life, from morning to night. And let me tell you, it is HARD work! Hard, as in physically tiring and hard, as in mentally exhausting.
Read More....Because I couldn't let 2016 go without seeing them all in one place. ;-)
My 2016 daily 366 project wasn't as strict as my 2015 project. I allowed myself to shoot with my phone for a month straight in the summer. When choosing which photos to include in my final set, I chose 2 or 3 from some days and zero from other days. In short, I shot and shared what made me happy.
Are you shooting a daily project with me in 2017? If so, I recommend the following:
Read More2016 was a great year for me as a photographer because I was lucky to connect with lots of clients who value photo stories as much as I do. They, like I, believe that every picture will forever hold a little story. They, like I, believe that we are all made of stories; that stories will someday be all we have left.
Read More2016 is coming to a close, and all over social media it's getting pretty grim reviews and hearty good-riddances. I acknowledge that, for the world as a whole, 2016 pretty much stunk. But if I tried to shoulder all the hate and killings and bickering, I'd be a shadow of myself. So I choose to stay informed, speak out when I feel it matters, and focus on raising two little boys who will someday face the world with love, understanding, and bravery.
Read MoreToday I was in my glory! It was going to be a baking day, but then miracle of miracles, it snowed! And not just any snow, but the sticky kind that coats every. single. branch. Not to mention, it was the first real snow of the season, and that comes with it's own magic.
In the way a sunny cloudless summer day refreshes some, days like today revive me. And when I'm feeling gratitude, I always reach for my camera.
Here are some of my favorites from the day:
Read MoreFrom trees bursting with vibrant leaves to bare branches and the first snow, November lived up to its name. I know many dread this slow march toward winter, but November is one of my favorite months for its direct shafts of fall light, warm colors, indoor coziness, and quiet anticipation of the approaching season.
It's also the official month of gratitude, and focusing on that never fails to make my heart full. At the end of this post, I'll share with you a little about how shooting from a place of gratitude can free you up to create images that mean something to you.
Here's my November gratitude list, in pictures...
Read MoreMy family and I stopped at the playground one chilly evening after daylight savings. The sun set much more quickly than we were prepared for, but it made for gorgeous fall skies. I had my Lensbaby Edge 50 on my camera because I was playing- mostly shooting sky and nature pictures. In case you're not familiar, Lensbaby lenses are completely manual focus and produce interesting, surprising effects, but the learning curve is a bit steep if it's not something to which you're accustomed.
Read MoreMeet the easy-going, friendly Ruttenberg family. When they suggested doing their mini Story of a Day session at Phipp's Conservatory near their Pittsburgh home, I was excited to shoot in that location. I loved tagging along as their exuberant toddler led me through some of his favorite rooms and exhibits in the historic greenhouses. The flowers, colors, and light were to die for that morning; together, they made the perfect backdrop to capture the Ruttenberg's special family bond.
Read MoreUsually by this time in early November, I'm mourning the last of autumn's big show. Typically, at the beginning of November, the only leaves left to fall are our brown crunchy oak leaves. But not this year! We've enjoyed fall's vibrant colors throughout October and still have plenty on the branches to be thankful for now. As I culled through October's memories looking for my favorites, I told myself a story about this past month....
Read MoreEven though Little Story Studio specializes in documentary, unposed imagery, I still offer more traditional family photo sessions. These Family Portrait Sessions are a mix of lightly posed/photographer guided and unposed, playful photos that capture your family's unique personality. While I'm shooting, my aim is to tell the story of how you are when you're together.
Every session is different and customized to you, but here are some of the shots that all sessions have in common.
When you book a Family Portrait Session with me, you get:
Read MoreI thought I might make a quick and easy blog post to give you a peek at some of my favorite shots from September. I wanted to choose 30 images for each day in September. But as I was searching among all my September photos for the diamonds in the rough, I felt sad I couldn't show you all of it.
Every mistake.
Every missed focus.
Ever blah composition.
Because there were a lot of them. These are some of my best:
Read MoreI met the most easy-going, friendly family a couple weeks ago. We hung out at home, fed the ducks a few blocks away, and played in the front yard- all while entertaining some out of town family! Even though I only was there for a few hours, I feel like I know them well enough to say that these pictures are probably pretty representative of their life at home with two little ones. (And can I just say, I LOVE a house filled with books, and this house was one of those!)
Here are some of my favorite shots from the afternoon:
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