TMR: The Midsummer Reverie

09/02/2026

I met a couple who flew to Pittsburgh from New York for their wedding because the aesthetic we have here at home is so distinct, they needed it to be here.

That is exactly the kind of energy that I merged with the Hong Kong Pre wedding photo style dominating pinterest boards of alt brides.

I've been refining a specific kind of session over the last couple of years that is a mix of Hong Kong Cinema and Industrial Pittsburgh inspiration. Mixing, the atmosphere of the Hong Kong Style, with the rust belt mystique of Pittsburgh.

Here's my take on Hong Kong Pre Wedding Cult Cinema Wedding Photography.

Hong Kong pre-wedding editorial photography inspired by Wong Kar-wai's cinematic aesthetic, at Arsenal Bowl in Pittsburgh, PA - captured by The Midsummer Reverie.

09/01/2026

Of course you’re going to look for a photographer with a beautiful portfolio. But does every photographer see the same way?

Are you not overly smoochy? Not big into PDA? Don’t want performative photos? Good. I don’t want that fake crap either.

My job as a photographer is to be observant. To notice how your dynamic expresses itself in more natural ways. This is the way you look at each other, the way you move around each other. The subtle glances. The quick smirk. I am a connoisseur of the spice of life. No artificial ingredients. So your photos are 100% YOU. Not a performance. Not a pose.

If you’re wondering how you can have beautiful photos without being gushy, smoochy, or bubbly… DM me NOT SMOOCHY and I’ll tell you how.

08/31/2026

Just an amazing window situation this weekend 😮‍💨

08/27/2026

For the couples who want their engagement photos to look like a movie they’d watch twice. Intimacy that feels discovered. This is the feeling I’m chasing in my photography. Something that might get the comment “why isn’t this in my letterboxd?!” (Yes it’s happened.) You’d look like a movie you’ve been thinking about all week.

I see weddings through the lens of cult cinema, 70’s and 80’s romance, art house films, and all the visual Easter eggs that make an image yours.

For couples with a cinematic reference of their own.

Save this for your next romantic cinema inspiration and DM me to chat about what movie you’d like to see yourself in 🎬🎞️

08/26/2026

Color is what gives my cinematic style its mood. Contrasting colors play with intimacy and mystery to make you look like you’re in Wong Kar-Wai movie.

If you’re dreaming of cinematic photos that feel like a still from a movie, save this for inspiration and DM me “CINEMATIC” to chat about your vision.

08/25/2026

Rainy Pittsburgh weddings don’t have to mean sacrificing beautiful wedding photos. ☔️

This summer, Pittsburgh seemed determined to give us rain on every wedding day… and it became a really good reminder of what wedding photography is actually supposed to be about.

For this couple, we started by checking in with their comfort level. Did they want to step outside and make a little magic in the rain?

They did.

So we made a plan for a few intentional wedding portraits that felt whimsical, cinematic, and a little bit like The Notebook meets Wuthering Heights.

The mist.
The blue hour.
The movement.
The atmosphere.

We got the shot. ✨

And then we went back inside to spend time with their families.

while we had originally planned more time for portraits, the rain gave us a reason to pivot into a more documentary wedding photography approach.
Instead of forcing a portrait timeline, I focused on the feeling of the evening:

The misty blue hour. The little wedding-day details. The tablescape. The way their families gathered around them. The moments that happened when nobody was thinking about the camera.

And that, to me, is the heart of cinematic wedding photography.
Not making your wedding day revolve around getting photos.
Making photographs that remind you what your wedding day actually felt like.
Because your wedding isn’t a photoshoot.

It’s the people you love. It’s the dinner you planned. It’s your grandmother on the dance floor. It’s the quiet moment you get together before the reception. It’s getting a little rained on and laughing about it later.

My job as a Pittsburgh wedding photographer isn’t to manufacture a perfect day for the sake of your gallery.
It’s to notice what’s already happening and create beautiful, meaningful rainy wedding photos without taking you away from the people you’re there to celebrate with.

Sometimes that means ten minutes in the rain.

Sometimes it means putting the camera down.

Either way, the wedding comes first. Always. 🤍

If you’re planning a Pittsburgh wedding and want a photographer who can create cinematic, documentary inspired images while keeping the focus on you… send me a DM

08/20/2026

08/19/2026

Happy World Photography Day!

Here are some photos I took for the joy of hearing the shutter click.

08/18/2026

She walked into this anniversary couples session and immediately told me:
“I’m a photographer, and I have absolutely no idea what to do on the other side of the camera.” 😂
So she warned me she was going to need a lot of direction.

This is why the right photographer is so worth it. You don’t have to know how to pose to have beautiful candid anniversary photos.

You don’t have to know where to put your hands. You don’t have to know how to “look natural.” And you definitely don’t have to magically become comfortable in front of a camera.
You just have to show up as yourselves.

We started this photo session wandering around Jerry’s Records in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh (shout out to the staff there who were so amazingly helpful and welcoming. Please go check them out!). Figuring things out together, and little by little, we relaxed.

She started laughing.
They started playing around.
They got comfortable being affectionate with each other.
And eventually, the camera wasn’t really the thing they were thinking about anymore.

That’s always the goal.
Not perfectly posed photographs.
Not making you look like models.
Just creating enough trust and space for you to forget you’re being photographed and actually enjoy each other.
Because the best candid couples photography happens when you’re not worrying about what you’re supposed to do.
You’re just being in love.

If you’ve been looking for an artistic couples photographer for an anniversary session, a date-night shoot, or simply want photographs that feel like you, I’d love to create something with you.

Save this for the next time you convince yourself you’re “not photogenic,” or send it to the person you want to do a couples session with.

08/18/2026

Your wedding photographs can be beautiful without your wedding day feeling like a photoshoot.
Really, this is one of the things I care about most as a wedding photographer.
I want you to feel comfortable in front of my camera even if you’re convinced you’re “awkward” in photos.
I want to give you enough direction that you never feel lost, but enough space that you can forget I’m there.
I will take the small moments and turn them into something beautiful.
I notice the light, movement, little glances, and in between moments you might not even realize are happening.
And I want the energy around me to make your day feel more fun and reassuring, not more stressful.
Because I want to capture the real you that feels relaxed, present, and like yourself.
The photographs should remind you how incredible your wedding looked, but also how it felt to be there.
If you’re looking for an artistic wedding photographer who creates beautiful, honest images without making your wedding day feel overly posed, I’d love to hear what you’re planning.
DM me “WEDDING” and tell me a little about your day.