Blackburn Portrait Design Wedding and Portrait Photography

09/07/2026

Labor Day means many things to different people.

To me, it has always signaled the end of Summer and an opportunity to have a kind of "last fling" with it. Sometimes it is a party with friends, sometimes it is a quiet day. It is always bittersweet though.

Happy Labor Day, Friends.

09/04/2026

We danced between the raindrops on this session--Sabrina was a real trooper! I actually love it when we have soft lighting on a cloudy day!

09/04/2026

Tales From The Editing Crypt--A Little Insight.

I think sometimes Retouching gets a bad rap. I try not to overly retouch, but sometimes we need to clean a little bit up.

In this case, the images was backlit, so the stray hairs were a little distracting.

We also need to make sure we are not overly cleaning--you want it to still look like hair, not a helmet.

09/03/2026

How do we get romantic photos on the Wedding Day? On the Blog today:

https://blackburnportraitdesign.com/how-to-get-romantic-wedding-photos-you-will-love/

How To Get Romantic Wedding Photos You Love | Saratoga Photographer Susan Blackburn shares her tips for Romantic Wedding Photos

09/02/2026

Wedding Wednesday

Black and White photos can convey emotion so well because it strips away distractions. But did you also know that because the world is not grey, it forces your brain to think more poetically instead of literally and invites you to inject deeper personal meaning into a scene?

08/31/2026

Sisters--these lovely ladies were at the portrait session for Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet last Spring, and I just had to get a few of them together.

08/28/2026

Behind the Scenes--courtesy of Sabrina's Mom.

On location, we end up in many different places. This is a little out of the way spot that I really like a lot. And no, I am not telling people where it is. LOL.

You can't see it, but I am using a very long telephoto lens--hence, I am so far away from Sabrina. It was overcast, so we had to be careful with where we stood, but it was lovely, minus the mosquitoes.

Where do you work?

08/26/2026

At the end of the day, a marriage is the blending of two families.

This is especially true if one or both of the partners has kids from a prior marriage. I am always touched when couples take the time to include the kids in the process. I take my job seriously when it comes to preserving these special moments.

08/25/2026

Blast From The Past

I like to do silhouettes when the mood strikes and it is the right time an location. As we were walking through Prospect Park in Brooklyn, I noticed this small hill with lovely trees as we we leaving. It was just past Golden Hour, so the light was right. Yay!

08/24/2026

Black and White can always elevate the drama in a photo. I photographed Mike as he was getting ready before his wedding this summer. This same image in color would not work--but black and white was fabulous!