ADG Photography

New Apartment: The Kitchen

Amber Danese — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 01:08:29 +0000

Between work, school and wedding planning, John and I found ourselves an adorable little apartment on 3rd Street in Emmaus. The place is perfect for us – it has an eat-in kitchen, living room and one bedroom, all of which have plenty of storage space. We moved in a little less than 3 weeks ago and since then, we’ve been settling in nicely, enjoying cooking meals together and keeping our own place. At the request of some friends, I’d like to post some photos of what we’ve done with the space room by room. First up: the kitchen. Take note of my Mr. Potato Head collection, our awesome 1950s dining room table, the hidden lobster, and the super bright chairs that we painted ourselves (and John’s mom re-upholstered!). I love decorating!

Rebekah & Lisa-Noël

Amber Danese — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 18:53:48 +0000

A few weeks ago, Alex and I decided to book a shoot at the Maggpie Vintage Rentals space. If you get the chance to check out their website, you will see that their stock is truly what a vintage lover’s dreams are made of. Beautiful couches, tons of perfectly distressed wooden chairs, mismatched china – you name it, they’ve got it! This made our job easy. For once, all Alex and I had to worry about bringing along was clothing, accessories, our cameras, and my two lovely sisters as models. Perhaps I am biased, but I think that Rebekah and Lisa-Noël are two of the most beautiful people in the world, making my job even more easy. I just love shoots like this! More on facebook.

Thanks again to Alex for driving (be sure to check out her set of photos here!), Maggie for offering up her space and inventory to us, and Bekah & Lisa for modeling.

Bill & Michelle

Amber Danese — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:11:30 +0000

Bill & Michelle were married almost 5 years ago in a very small ceremony with no pomp or circumstance. Now they’ve got two beautiful daughters and really wanted to plan a bit larger scale of a shindig in celebration of their 5th wedding anniversary. I am really looking forward to photographing their wedding, because even though it’s a “re-do” of sorts, I can still sense the excitement that they have for the day, almost as if it’s the first time all over again! We took these photos in Historic Downtown Bethlehem on an absolutely gorgeous day. See you in July, Bill & Michelle!

Kathy & Jeff

Amber Danese — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:32:45 +0000

I have been truly blessed this year as far as clients go! It’s so wonderful to be able to work with such friendly, easy to photograph people. Kathy & Jeff fit both of these descriptions, which is why I had so much fun snapping pictures of them at the Ironton Rail Trail in Whitehall. What made their shoot even more awesome, though, was the presence of their Great Dane puppy, Franco. He is HUGE!!

Sara – Pin-Up Session

Amber Danese — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 19:40:37 +0000

I have always loved classic Pin-Ups from artists such as Gil Elvgren, Alberto Vargas and Earl MacPherson. They’re kitschy, fun and characteristic of the time period that they were created in. There are photographers today (Celeste Giuliano, for example), who have translated these illustrations into photographs in a way that is both beautiful & tasteful, all the while using women who don’t often have “model” experience. For my personal work, I prefer not to literally translate Pin-Ups, but instead, use them as one of my many sources of inspiration, adding my own twist with a touch of Old Hollywood Glamour.

I was lucky enough to work with Sara on one of these sessions. She was a great model who clearly implemented the word “retro” into every aspect of her life, something that you can easily see in her photos. I hope you enjoy them!

And – I nearly forgot to mention that a few of these images (including the last one in this post) were featured in the very first issue of Wink Pin-Up!

More on Facebook!
Hair & Make-Up by Eskandalo!

Getting Ready: Valerie’s Wedding

Amber Danese — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:50:08 +0000

A little less than a year ago, my wonderful friend Valerie got engaged to her long-time boyfriend Richard. I couldn’t be happier for the two of them! After all – there’s nothing better than seeing the people that I love in love. It was even more exciting when she asked me to be a bridesmaid. It was my first time being gifted with such an honor and I will admit, I was nervous! Prior to the wedding, I told Val that I would take photos of us girls and her getting ready. I thought this task would be a lot easier than it actually worked out to be. You see, being a first-time bridesmaid, I didn’t realize how much running around and preparation there would be! I was only able to capture a few moments, but I am glad that I got what I did. The wedding, which was on December 11th in Atlanta, Georga, was absolutely marvelous and I am so glad I was able to take part in the festivities. I can’t wait to have Val return the favor on May 11th, my big day! More on Facebook.

Someone You Love… Contest

Amber Danese — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:21:53 +0000

To enter, send me an e-mail or head on over to the ADG Photography facebook page! Can’t wait to see your entries!

Goodbye, 2011…Hello, 2012!

Amber Danese — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:23:48 +0000

Even though today is young, it has been marked with reflection for me. I can’t stop thinking about all that happened this past year and all that could and will happen this upcoming year. 2011 had its downs, but the ups that always followed those downs are what I remember. This year I (This started out in order, but went haywire a few events in!): went to Gettysburg for the first time, celebrated my one year anniversary with my sweetheart, had a solo photo show at the Secret Art Space in Bethlehem, stayed at the legendary Hotel Chelsea in NYC, saw Wicked on Broadway, turned 24, met & photographed Kassidy, celebrated my mom’s 50th birthday, got engaged to the man of my dreams, took a week long trip to Nashville, photographed two weddings, saw three dear friends get engaged (including Mel & Steve), met & photographed Ella, got accepted to the Savannah College of Art & Design and began work on my Masters of Arts in Photography, had my last Thanksgiving & Christmas as an unmarried woman, got to be a bridesmaid in Valerie’s wedding (more on that soon!), took part in some awesome collaborations (Veronika, Sally Jane Vintage, Jaime, Eskandalo!, Loose Threads Boutique, M.L.N.W.), had photo spreads featured in BLEEP! and Very Glossy, and much much more.

2012 already looks bright. After all, it is the year I will get married, start a home with John, finish my Masters degree, be a bridesmaid for two wonderful friends and who knows what else! May your new year be filled with lots of happiness, good health and love. And always remember that those rough times are what make us appreciate the wonderful times all the more!

Here are some of my favorite photos that I took this year. Some of these I never shared on the blog. Enjoy!

Happy Holidays!

Amber Danese — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 21:55:21 +0000

Kassidy’s First Christmas

Amber Danese — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:20:56 +0000

I remember when I was a little girl and would start the countdown until Christmas. I couldn’t wait to wake up early, peak at the presents and not-so-patiently wait for mom and dad to wake up so that my siblings and I could start tearing at the wrapping paper. Nowadays, Christmas is still exciting for me, but for much different reasons. I like the drop in temperature, seeing all of the decorations make their way into people’s houses, attending a Christmas Eve service at church, and spending extra time with my family. Although Kassidy is not yet one year old, I couldn’t help but to think while taking these photos that her most exciting Christmas years are coming up, not only for her, but for her family, too. What is better than experiencing the holidays through a child’s eyes?

A little note about the gingerbread house pictured in these photos: Kim and I spent a few hours creating that for Kassidy! Even though she didn’t seem to take notice of our fine craftsmanship, we are proud of how cute it turned out!