Winter Fizzle, 2 New Art Series, Trips and Model Inquiries

Hello!  Greg here...

Just an update to keep you in informed with whats going on in the world of P&G Photography.

Dance: LayCee Houghton
Zjednodusujuce Kolekcie
Tanecnych Fotografii

Here in Utah the winter weather has been unusually warm. This is both good and bad.  The good is we weren't freezing our behinds off when the temps hit -8 degrees (-22 C), and we were able to do a lot of work both outdoors and indoors in the studio. The bad side is... we could really use the water, but aside from that, we were unable to do a lot of the winter / snow ideas due lack of snow.  Always next winter.

January was a big deal for use as we have introduced our first artistic series of photographs called "Zjednodusujuce Kolekcie Tanecnych Fotografii" or (Simplistic Collection of Dance Photography).  It is a series of black and white photographs that takes an in depth look at an alternative side of a
professional dancer.  Stripping away backgrounds and using a minimalist approach, enables us to highlight the dancers technique, bodies, passion, and emotion.  Each photograph is limited to twenty. This series will be completed at the end of 2015.  Included (and soon to be included) in this series are Phyllis Affrunti, Kelli Brown, Beth Feild, Abby Hall, LayCee Houghton, Kaitlyn Katter, Elizabet Keller, Shannon Marshall and a few others.  So far the reviews of this collection have been amazing from all across the globe.

The collection, once complete, is slated to be exhibited in full at the Southern Utah Museum of Art. Some of the photos are already in private collections and in galleries both here in the United States, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. If you would like to view the series in full (to date), or purchase one of the limited edition photographs;go here: http://pgphotographystudio.com/zjednodusukuce.html

Dance: LayCee Houghton
Dance in Motion

We also have been blessed with a brand new series that we are working on called "Dance in Motion" The photo shown here is the first photo in the series. This photo was called by one world class ballerina as "one of the best dance motion photos she has ever seen". It made Paul and I feel extremely proud. We will be working on this series throughout the year as well.  The photograph collection will be displayed here: http://pgphotographystudio.com/dance_in_motion.html

Of course these photos and these series would never be possible without the individuals who push both Paul and I to be the artists that we have grown to be. Phyllis Affrunti, Frank Affrunti, Kelli Brown, Sara Levin, Anthony Steyermark, Kathy Stout, and Evla Vlasicova.  Each one of these individuals / artists / critics all guide us in one form or another.  However, they all have one thing in common... none of them are afraid to tell both Paul and I when we screw up. For that, we are truly blessed and grateful.

We do have a few upcoming trips.  We will be in Philadelphia / Lehigh Valley area from June 10 thru June 17, and we will be up in Boise, ID  in August.  The dates for Boise are TBD.

The Philadelphia trip is nearly sold out, we have just one photo session left.  Once that session is booked we will have no more available.  I need to allow some time to be with friends and family.

The Boise trip we will primarily be working with the Boise Dance Co-op.  Aside from working with them, we will be doing a lot of work with Off Center Dance, Phyllis Affrunti, Elizabeth Keller, and fashion photographer  Sharayah Sherry in a joint session.  All this while working on the creative series mentioned above.  Busy trip.

We occasionally get emails asking what it takes to model for us and our portfolio, both in fashion, and dance. So I thought this would be a great way to address it. We hand select the models we wish to work with. However, regardless of the requirements; first and foremost you must be 18 years or older for any art series.

Dance Requirements:  You must be a professional dancer or be able to dance at or near a professional level. Extremely strong technique and a strong passion for dance are required. Those are the two aspects that are show cased in our dance art.  You must be willing to work extremely hard and have a strong attention for detail.  If interested, please e-mail us at info@pgphotographystudio.com and please include a head shot / body shot, and your dance history.

Professional Dancer:  Beth Feild
Copyright 2014

Fashion Requirements:  We shoot a lot of black and white photography with a strong European influence in our fashion photography. (Think Dolce & Gabanna for example). Which means you will need to be open to this style of photographic art.  You must have an outgoing personality, confidence, and be extremely hard working. No previous modeling experience needed. If interested, please e-mail us at info@pgphotographystudio.com and please include a head shot / body shot (If you don't have a head shot, a body shot will work fine), and modeling history (if any).

Title: La Disparition de l'homme

Till next time...

Greg & Paul
610.217.1798
info@pgphotographystudio.com
www.pgphotographystudio.com
www.facebook.com/pgphotographystudio

Happy New Year / 2014 Year in Review

Happy New Year!!!

This is Greg here, and Paul and I would like to take a second and wish you all a wonderful and prosperous 2015.  As you probably saw on the Facebook page, (Please like our page, at 1,500 likes there will be a nice give-a-way) Paul just had a baby girl, and I just had my first son.  Hence the delay in updating this.

2014 has been an amazing year for me, Paul and P&G Photography.  We were blessed to have worked with some amazing clients, companies, and have done work throughout the country.  From an art point of view, we have worked with amazing models, some of the top professional dancers in the United States, and have really pushed ourselves to continue to be the best that we can be.

We would like to take a second and thank our sponsors Tink's Superior Auto Parts and The Leatherback Trust.  I know it sounds funny that an auto part store would sponsor a fine art photography company like ours, but Gary and Stefanie Holyoak has been nothing short of amazing to us. Not only do they help us out when we need, but they continuously push both Paul and myself artistically.  They have really helped lay the groundwork for what P&G Photography is all about.

We would also like to thank Evla Vlasacova.  You have helped to shape and mold both Paul and I into the artists that we are today.  I honestly don't know if we would be at the level that we are today without your guidance, critiques, and support.

We would also like to give a huge thank you to Ballet Idaho principle dancer, and Boice Dance Co-op Artistic Director, Phyllis Affrunti for bring us up to Boise, ID to photograph the BDC

performance this year.  Thank you so much for having faith in our abilities and passion for dance. We are looking forward to working with you next summer. 

I would also like to thank our models for their time, efforts, and support to the art that Paul and I produce.

Beth Snarr

Heidi Hertig




















Heather Childs














Cara Drane

Dani Yash

Kristen Dziedzic




We have a bunch of exciting things happening already for 2015, including some top models, amazing dancers, clients, and some traveling back the the east coast and Boise, ID.  So stay tuned.

Babies, Ballerinas, and website updates

Hello!

Every time it seems that we are going to be making more of a commitment to keep this blog updated, life gets in the way.  First off, both Greg and Paul as expecting additions to their families.  This will be Greg's first child, and Paul's third. Ironically, the due dates are exactly one week apart.  No, this was not planned.

We apologize for not posting as much as we do normally on the P&G Photography facebook page. Preparing for new arrivals, and being as busy as we have been, you can understand why.

Elizabeth Keller
Boise Dance Co-op

Things since our last update have been extremely busy.

Perhaps the most exciting is we just sent 4 black and white photographs to be hung up in Evla Vlasacova's studio in the heart of Bratislava, Slovakia.

We have been continuously working on our portfolio, as well as traveling around the United States for a variety of projects.  The biggest of those projects was doing the photography and promotional work for a professional dance company called Boise Dance Co-op. Ballet Idaho principle dancer, Phyllis Affrunti and her husband Frank Affrunti, invited us up to work with them and already invited us back next year not just to work with the Boise Dance Co-op but also with some of the dancers as well, including Phyllis, Elizabeth Keller, and Off Center Dance Project.  We thank them tremendously for the opportunity.

Beth Snarr

We have also been working with professional dancer Beth Snarr.  She is a phenomenal dancer and very dear friend, and it was wonderful working with her in both dance art as well as fashion and black and white artistic work as well. We will be working with her again in the next week or two.

Cara Drane

We have also had the privilege of working with Cara Drane more on the black and white artistic photography. Cara is also a ballerina, and has a zest and attitude for life that is rarely seen anymore. She was a perfect fit for Paul and Greg's black and white artistic style.  She did a fantastic job and hope to work with her again in the future.

On top of all the model / dancer work, we have also been extremely working with local restaurants, real estate agents, gallery owners, and businesses doing commercial work.  It's always wonderful working with businesses, especially local ones, because the work we do helps the business grow which will only help the community to grow.

For the next few weeks with the changing of the leaves we will be doing a lot of family, and portrait work.  Remember if you want portrait / family work done in the fall, it's best to book a day as early as April.  This year our weekends in the fall sold out the second weekend of May.

Also in a few weeks we will be working with the St. George Dance Company. They are a new upstart professional dance company based out of St. George, UT.

Perhaps the biggest news is the website.  We have not been posting too much because Justin Wilkins and Greg have been working to get the website completed with this major update BEFORE the baby comes.  The biggest thing is going to take part in the Landscape, Cityscape, Dance (the art of dance), and Fashion sections.  You'll be able to soon click on the photos and a pop up will come up with all the information and ordering information for the photograph.  Here is a sneak peak.

You'll be able to click on the flags and have current exchange rates.  The flags posted represent where we have our biggest followings.  If your flag is not listed, just e-mail us and we will be able to give you pricing and shipping information. We have been working on this now for the past few months and Justin Wilkins has done an amazing job.  On behalf of Paul and myself (Greg), thank you.

Till next time.

Paul and Greg

Traveling, Models and Website updates

We are finally back home in southern Utah after a very busy 7 weeks that saw us traveling to St. Paul, MN, Portland, OR, Philadelphia, PA and New York, NY.  While traveling and seeing the country is always a fulfilling thing, there really is no place like home.  

If you are in the southern Utah area, please visit the summer exhibit at the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery here in Cedar City.  We currently have three pieces on display / for sale.  

We were hired in St. Paul, MN and Portland, OR to photograph weddings.  One of the greatest perks of our job is the people you meet. While the weddings were two different styles (which makes it even more fun), one thing we will remember the most is the people involved. Sometimes, when we work with a client it's all business and there is no personal time to connect on an individual level. Not here. The family's of both weddings really took us in and embraced us as if we had known them for years.  They really made us feel like we were a part of the wedding and not just a hired hand.  As a result we feel we were really able to personalize and capture their true emotions and personalities on their special day.  A big thank you to the couples for having faith in Paul and myself (Greg).  We wish you both a lifetime of happiness, laughter and love.  

Aside from working with various clients here in the southern Utah, PA, and NYC, we have also been blessed to have worked with some amazing individuals for our portfolio. They are amazing people and just wanted to take a second and thank them for their time and efforts. We greatly appreciate it.  

Heather Childs

Kristen Dziedzic

Erin Stone

Dani Yash



We are looking forward to the upcoming months working with the Boise Dance Co-Op, clients, and various models for dance and fashion.

Huge updates on our website www.pgphotographystudio.com are coming shortly.  Justin Wilkins and I (Greg) have been working very hard to make the purchasing of art much easier not just for our domestic clients but also for our international clients.  We are hoping to have it running live in roughly 1 month.

Till next time.

Paul & Greg

Spring has arrived in Southern Utah.

I (Greg) think spring has arrived.  Last week it was close to 70 degrees (21 C) and this week it's been struggling to get above 50 degrees (10 C).  The big joke in Southern Utah is that if you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes and it will change. 

Unfortunately, due to the unusually warm weather we had here, and a severe lack of snow, a lot of our winter projects had to be cancelled / postponed.   So with the postponements, it just gave us extra time to prepare for the projects that will be coming up within the next 6 weeks before leaving for St. Paul, MN for the Steyermark wedding.

Copyright 2014

However with the little snow we did have, we were able to do some fun pointe shoe photos in the snow. If your wondering if the ballerina was frozen being out in the elements with just pointe shoes and no tights, I can answer that with confidence.  Yes, she was frozen. We have to tip our hat to Shannon Marshall for being such a trooper. She earned her hot chocolate.

Speaking of ballerinas, we are happy to be working with the beautiful and amazingly talented Heather Childs in 2 weeks.  Her technique and stage presence is amazing and off stage, possesses a witty personality that will rival both Paul and myself.  It all adds up for a fun, and amazing photo shoot given the low-key approach we have in our shooting style.  

Now that the weather is warming up and the leaves are starting to reappear on the trees, we are excited and anxious to work on our spring artistic projects. We will be working with a select few new models in the upcoming weeks in a variety of styles.

Copyright 2014

We recently have been quite busy working with both new and loyal clients who have been with us from the beginning in a variety of styles. One of the things that I love about our approach, is the process of meeting new people and by the time we are done, they are no longer seen as a client but rather as friends.  We strive to get to know our clients on a personal level.  The reason for that is the more we know about you, the clients, the more personal and real the photos will be. The final result, is something that you will be able to look back 40 years from that day, remember what that individual personality was like.

Speaking of which, our fall schedule during peak leaf season is already starting to get booked up, with limited weekends available.  If you are interested in having family photos done with the leaves, please book early.  Last year, all weekends were sold out by June and this year, it looks like it might be earlier than that.

We will be in the Philadelphia / New York City area June 11 thru June 24, and are currently about 80% booked and have very limited space left.  Please contact us sooner rather than later to secure your spot.

We are always looking for select models to work with on very specific aspects of our portfolio. If you are interested in working with us to help expand and diversify our portfolio, please contact us at info@pgphotographystudio.com or call us at 610.217.1798 for consideration.

Paul has been very busy with a project he been working on called Doug's Designs (Formally Studio 436). For those who don't know, Paul is about as big a movie buff as they come and is also one of the top graphic designers in the Philadelphia / New York City area.  This project consists of him designing movie posters only during the time it takes him to watch the film.  In other words, he's watching the actual film while he's designing.  And when the film is completed, he's done working on the poster.  To the right, is the fan art he did for the movie "The Trial" (2010).  You can e-mail make a request of the movie you'd like to see him work on. You can check out his other fan art on this Facebook page by clicking here.

Switching topics... Spring also marks the beginning of the baseball season, and the Philadelphia Philllies are putting in a good "effort" so far. *sigh* After a horrible spring training, hopefully they will have a solid season. There are a lot of S.F. Giants fans were we are, and they don't mind pointing out the standings to me.  Spring is also the start of the MLS campaign.  The Philadelphia Union look much better and sharper than last year and are currently off to a solid start. Sorry Utah, but we are not and never will be RSL fans.

Till next time...

Paul & Greg

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

We hope that you all had a happy and safe new year!  One of your resolutions is to update our blog more regularly.  We have been extremely busy and sometimes things like this get pushed to the back burner and then they get remembered about 7 months later.

2013 was an amazing year for Paul and I (This is Greg typing here). We have met and done work for some amazing individuals, families, companies and made a lot of new friends in the process.  There was also a lot of traveling both locally here in Southern Utah, as well to Philadelphia, New York City, and South Jersey for various styles of landscape / cityscape work.

We have also been blessed to have met and worked with some amazing models for our portfolio, specifically in a fashion / art style.  We would like to give a big thank you to:

Jenifer Deseris,

Kirsten Godiksen

Shannon Marshall

Renata Signs

Dani Yesh.

Megan Murset

Melissa Yoder

Currently we have just updated and restructured the P&G Photography website.  Check it out when you get a chance.  But a HUGE update will be arriving in the coming month as Justin Wilkins, a local computer programmer, will be doing some amazing things for our website including developing a mobile app.  Details will be coming soon.

With weddings coming up in Oregon, Minnesota, and here in Utah, as well as working with NY Artists Management in NYC and working with the famous Boise Dance Co-Op... 2014 is shaping up already to be another amazing year.  We already have a few new models / ballerinas lined up to expand our portfolio as well.

So... Happy New Year everyone.   Enjoy the NFL playoffs, and since the Philadelphia Eagles are knocked out (nothing new there), Paul and I are counting down the time till pitchers and catchers report for spring training.

Paul & Greg

En l’honneur de

Time is an interesting thing.  When life changing events happen, you feel certain set of emotions depending on the event.  Could be anger, rage, sadness, grief, happiness, etc..  Then comes this concept called time.  Some people heal over time, some people never do.  

However for me (Greg), the longer time ticks away, the more the emotion builds up, but not in a bad way.  May 4th marked the 6th anniversary of the passing of my father.  He passed away from Leukemia in the University of Penn hospital in Philadelphia, PA.  

My father had a passion for railroads.  He loved everything about them from the caboose's to the old steam locomotives and everything in between.  When I moved out to southern Utah, I met my neighbor, Kurt Sheerwood, who works for the Union Pacific Railroad who reminded me a little of my father in the sense that he also had a passion for railroad history.  On March 23, 2012 he took me for a ride out into the middle of nowhere following the UP tracks and various tunnels to get some photographs.  I brought along my dad's 1880's Pennsylvania railroad signalman's lantern and we stop at a specific spot.  And then this photo happened...

This photo is called En l'honneur de (French for "In Honor Of").  I was informed that this stretch of track was laid in the 1880's and here sitting on it was my dad's lantern also from the 1880's.  This is my tribute photo to my dad.  This photo captures my dad's true spirit better than I could ever put into words.  I have thought about doing one more photo with this lantern, but have decided not to.  This lantern will never be photographed again.  

5 prints were made of this photo and they all belong to family.  The family agreed to give one of the 5 to Kurt as our way to say thank you.  Because, if it wasn't for Kurt... this photo would have never happened.

Sorry, but this photo will never be made available for public sale.