That's me in the corner... wearing a Dunce Hat :(

Yes, that's in, the corner there.... wearing a Dunce Hat. :( I cannot believe I have posted nothing on my Blog since August :( Shame on me.

Please forgive me... truth is, life has been pretty exciting since then and well.... time just flew... and I KNOW YOU ALL CAN SYMPATHIZE.... but still.... NO EXCUSES.

I can't even complain, because, seriously? It's not even fair to complain.... yes, life has been busy but for ALL the right reasons. :) LOL

So ... before you hate me completely, let me explain: I spent most of September in Italy. It was a LONG overdue 2nd honeymoon :) 3 weeks driving around, taking photographs, drinking wine and enjoying life. I needed the break and it was so much fun..... I came back feeling carefree, de-stressed and new. (That lasted about 5 minutes once I got back to Pittsburgh!) You know me, I know you do, I am always crazy, running around doing too many things at one time.... honestly I think I live better in the stress mode. I work well under pressure ... It seems to suit me.


So where are my images of Italy you say? Well..... I'm still working on a lot of them BUT.... you can go check out the ones we have up on our new Fine Arts site!!!!! Enjoy!

And the studio? Well, it's been non stop insanity mode since I came back. It's awesome! Even though I really enjoyed photographing Italy and the countryside, there is NOTHING like the face of a human being. NOTHING. I live for people. I like how they interact with me. It's a wonderful playing peek a boo with a baby - babies are so fantastic. The world hasn't corrupted them yet. They give love and smiles without holding back. The other day, one of my Bebe Collection babies, little Chase, give me a kiss when walking out the door. Made my heart TOTALLY melt! And talking to a senior about their future is just an fantastic... to listen to them, and how excited they are about going to college and the future or to see a family that has, ever so beautifully grown together. Relationships and people.... they are a wonderful thing. I am going to say it again, brace yourself: I am the luckiest person I know. I am so passionate about what I do and the people I get to photograph.... It's just inspiring. So... here are a few recent ones, to show you just how excited I am to come here, to the studio EVERYDAY!

Only one word needed for little Alyvia: GORGEOUS

And... last but not least: We are SOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited about our upcoming Oh Bebe Mio contest!!!!!!!!!!!!! Got the cutest baby in Pittsburgh? Enter our contest!!!!! There are tons of fabulous prizes and it's FOR A GREAT CAUSE... we are soooooooooooooo anxious to see all these amazing babies! Last year we raised about $6400 for St Jude's... these year we are super excited to raise funds for Daughters. Read all about our Bebe Mio contest on our site here AND check out the recent article in the Observer Reporter! Woo hoo!!!!

So forgive me again ... I will wear the Dunce Hat for a while and hope that you can all forgive me :)

Much love!!!! Photographically Yours:)
Maria

Jessica & Brandon

ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS WEDDING!

God Bless Jessica and Brandon!

Ivy & Adam

BEAUTIFUL wedding this past weekend! Adam and Ivy looked amazing and everyone had an awesome time! Check them out!

The past week...

So I just realized last night that July is pretty much over... how exactly does that happen? It feels like school just let out ... and now it's August... well just days shy of it anyways...

The summer has been so much fun. We have had SO MANY seniors and babies! I put a little sample show together... just to share.

Megan had her baby too! (In case you don't know who Megan is, check out our website on the About us page) Meg has worked here at the studio for over 2 years. She is a wonderful person and an amazing graphic artist and now a GREAT mommy. Little Juda is adorable too check it out!

As for myself and my family, we took a great trip to Florida, went to the beach, hung out with my parents and sister and even went to Universal studios. Then..... just shortly after that my son broke his ankle..... ugh... it's always something I suppose. He is doing better now and is looking forward to be able to walk again soon...

I also bought a new Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and I LOVE it. It is an awesome metallic green color and it's a lot of fun to drive. I also bought tickets to the Brooks and Dunn concert and I cannot wait to go this Friday! I LOVE summer, There's something about feeling the sun on my skin - best feeling ever!

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the heat too! We have a LOT of great things planned for the studio this fall including a another huge Oh Bebe Mio Baby Contest. We are REALLY excited about it!

Check out little Juda and our video of our recent seniors and babies!

Have a GREAT night!!!

Welcome to the world Juda :)

Bellies & Babies....

This past week was filled with Bellies and Babies! What a wonderful time to be a part of someones life! Thank you to all this week that were at Studio M... photographing you and your families makes me want to smile nonstop!

Had an awesome week last week!

While you were sleeping.....

On most rainy days like today, when the rain hits my window by my bed and I can hear the thunder roll in ... like many ... I lay in bed and I'm lazy... rainy weather is great sleeping weather. But.... NOT TODAY. Today, most likely while you were sleeping, I got up at 5 and headed to the studio... It was miserable and wet but I was so excited to get outside and shoot this maternity session... I arrived in downtown Pittsburgh at 7am and the rain was coming down hard. Armed with determination and a lot of plastic covers, I got the camera and flashes ready to shoot this.... Thought i'd share. We had a GREAT week at the studio and it ended with a GORGEOUS 10 week old baby girl and then this.... how fun! So... don't let the rain stop you! Get out there and do what you love most! The best thing about bad weather is the fact that you can get some really amazing skies!

Have a GREAT weekend everyone!

And so this is what we have been up to.....

and now you know why I smile all the time! :-) Hoping everyone is out there enjoying this GREAT weather!

Maria

My baby girl and blue ribbon :-)

About 2 weeks ago I received a Blue Ribbon for an image I took of my daughter Christina and Great Dane dog, Malkin. (back then a pup) It's so much fun and exciting to enter print competition. I am looking forward to entering nationals this month too. Just though I'd share.

This portrait session with my daughter was eventful (to say the least) but I got amazing images out of it! Thanks for letting me share!

Senior 2011 ... woohoo we are on our way!

Senior season has officially started! Now that we started shooting seniors we have months of fun filled shoots ahead! My favorite thing to do is to take seniors on location... I especially love it when we go somewhere special to them. Some of my favorite spots are in the city.... the South Side has amazing backdrops on every street corner. It's just so cool and so much fun....
Meet Victoria one of my Canon Mac seniors :-)

DANCE DANCE DANCE

This weekend was CRAZY BUSY INSANE!!!!! We had all the dancers from Dance Extensions here! In case you never heard about Dance Extensions ... it's this super neat dance studio in Canonsburg run by two ladies named Betsy and Dawn. Betsy, Dawn and all these girls are filled with talent and they are a LOT of fun! Check out this show we put together... just a few images! Hope everyone is having a GREAT Monday so far!

OUR STUDIO WAS INVADED!!!! :-)

Have a GREAT week everyone!

New York!

A weekend in New York! Nothing more fun than a last minute trip that you plan the day before leaving! My 10 year old son, Dylan, wanted to see the Ripley's Believe it or not museum in NYC... so we packed and left Friday! A friend of mine (Janet) and her daughter came with me because that's the kind of friend I have... she drops everything to come have a GREAT time with us :-) I don't like planning... and although I understand it's an important part of some aspects in life, I feel that too much planning leaves me stale. There's nothing like picking up and leaving on a whims notice... saying yes let's go! This was an amazing weekend! New York is definitely the city that NEVER sleeps and I REALLY found that out as I drove into the city at 1:30am and there were 30 cabs around me and a very scary bus. I felt like I was in a video game, trying NOT to crash into anyone... dodging the "cabs" and the scary monster bus! Ha!
We saw the statue of liberty, went up the Empire State Building and laughed a while lot along the way. It was COLD and WINDY but so fun! Here is Dylan, Christina, Me, Janet and Katie!

The statue of liberty was everywhere! So cool to see these people! I love to see what people do, their imagination and creativity!

Got to love the tiny cop cars in NYC..... heck, anything bigger they would not be able to park!

Now do you see what I mean about the cabs? There's 9 cabs for every car! AND they drive like maniacs! Believe me I took about 15 of them!!! LOL

Really cool to see NYC lit up!

Had to take a break from the hustle and bustle! My son took this image of my friend Janet and I! I have taught him well! Photography tip of the day: If you want to flatter people and not create that "double chin" some of us have in pictures... avoid it by shooting from above! He did just that :-)
And lastly.... gotta love this! Sinatra's New York.....

Got a busy two weeks ahead! I will be all over the place traveling! Going back to NY for a Photography thing too! Have a GREAT Easter everyone!

Maria

Maria :-)

PS - BTW.... Ripley's museum is awesome!!!

Meet Baby CHASE

The last few weeks have been filled with gurgles and laughter of adorable little human beings. These babies are amazingly gorgeous and make me miss having little babies myself .... my children, Dylan and Christina are now 10 and almost 8 respectively and do not appreciate being called "babies" - although I told them they will ALWAYS be MY babies :-)
Last week we had 9 babies at the studio... thought i'd share with everyone little CHASE. Chase was in for his newborn portraits and he sure has grown in the last few months!

Hope everyone is enjoying the better weather . . . I'm hoping it gets just a bit warmer :-)

Maria Sauserman, CPP

Robin & Pasquale

I photographed a BEAUTIFUL wedding this weekend! Meet Robin and Pasquale! Looking forward to seeing you guys soon!

Busy, busy, busy!

Studio M has just loaded two new websites! First our communion website just in time for Communion Portraits this year! Check out our communion site at:
COMMUNION WEBSITE

and our new Pets website as well, at:
PETS WEBSITE

It's been a fun and eventful winter with lots going on.... the past two weeks have been filled with seniors, babies and a cute little dog too! )Lots more dogs next week during our Tail waggin winter event!!! Interested? Call now! We only have 2 spots open! We are still looking for senior models from Wash High and Bentworth!

Have a GREAT Sunday everyone!

Chelsea

We have been busy photographing our senior models! In fact we have photographed 5 this week alone. Here is Chelsea! Chelsea is one of our 2010 senior models from Peters Township High School. Chelsea was a TROUPER being photographed in very low temperatures and yet by looking at the images you could never tell. We were all over the place in Pittsburgh but my favorite images came from the Strip District. We took a break and warmed up while we ate some sandwiches at Primanti Bros too - and that was awesome! I have known Chelsea for a few years now for I did her family portraits a few years back. GREAT Family!
I LOVE to photograph senior models because we get to drive around and have fun and just create. We are still in need of a senior model from the following schools in case you know someone interested: Wash High, Trinity, Fort Cherry & Upper St Clair. I think we are set on all the other schools. :-)
Check out a few of Chelsea's images! This is just a LITTLE preview!!!!

LINDSAY

Meet Lindsay! Lindsay and I had a LOT of fun out in the South Side this week! Lindsay is one of our senior models from North Allegheny HS. She was a lot of fun to work with! Check out a quick video of her and the images below too! Thanks Lindsay! Looking forward to seing you soon!

BELIEVE

It's been an amazing and busy beginning so far... 2010 has been interesting. I just flew in from Nashville, TN yesterday where I spent a week at the Imaging USA conference. The conference was amazing.... photographers coming together from every state and even a few countries. You could feel the excitement as you walked through the convention center, the displays were breathtaking. I love to look at images created by other photographers. I am amazed by their creativity and talent and it makes me want to work even more.
Today I got to thinking about where I am and where I was at one point in my life. A few years ago I was struggling a lot with a job I didn't care for . . . it's hard to get out of bed everyday when you are unhappy. It's hard to get up and spend hours doing something you don't want to do. It makes you feel tiered, It wears you out and it brings you down. Nothing is worse than that. You become bitter, not such a great mom, wife and friend.
A few years ago I took a leap. I was told not to, by many. I was told it would be too hard. I was told I was crazy... after all, "You have a secure job" they said... "and health care and a good salary" - but all those things didn't matter... because inside I was dying. I wasn't myself anymore, I was stuck like a lion in a cage, pacing back and forth, back and forth. It wasn't an option to stay.... I couldn't anymore. Leaping into my business was the hardest thing I ever did and people said to me, "How can you do this, how do you know it will work?" Well, the answer is I didn't, I just BELIEVED. Failure just wasn't an option. I have the best job EVER. In fact, it's only a job because I own the business and have the responsibilities that goes with that, because when I am behind my camera, the world is a different place. Time stands still and I am free to create. Nothing can bother me when I am in that state. Besides, who can resist a beautiful baby, the wonders of pregnancy, growing families and those awesome seniors? Who doesn't smile when they watch two people commit to each other for a lifetime? Doing what I do is such an honor.
I saw this movie clip recently and it made me think of so much. Where I have been, where I am heading.... and how lucky I feel.... but Rocky is right.... he said the most important thing ever....
"Until you start believing in yourself, you ain't gonna have a life" -- check out the clip.
Wishing everyone an AWESOME new year! I know that I am really excited about all our plans!
God bless!