Bella’s Downtown Pittsburgh Strip District and Parking Garage High School Senior Portraits

Aside from the joy of watching my clients view their photos as they see the memories created, I think I love the relationships over the years just as much. The families and their friends over time as I photograph the milestones is so rewarding. Bella’s downtown Pittsburgh Strip District high school senior portrait session was another example.

I have been photographing Bella, her sister Michaela and their mom since they were little girls. Actually, one of my first sessions when I went full time was with the both of them at Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve. Now these lovely ladies are grown and I guess that just makes me old. 😉

When Bella and I were chatting about her senior portraits, downtown Pittsburgh’s Strip District came to mind as somewhere unique and different. So we hopped in the car and went for it. What I remembered being a rundown old row of warehouse buildings has now been redone but the vibes were still there.

After waiting for someone to finish their smoke break on the ledge, we scurried over for a high contrast look with the black door and white wall. I think these are some of my favorite in this outfit.

While the main shopping area in the Pittsburgh Strip District didn’t disappoint, we drove around a little and found the cutest little apartment area that lended well to Bella’s lovely burgundy silk dress. The warm red tones from the brick building really pulled out the burgundy and gave a pop of color.

We couldn’t quite do away with the burgundy dress yet. After driving around downtown Pittsburgh a little we found this cool old building and had to spot for a few photos.

Bella’s last request was a simple ballet outfit. While I had no idea where to go, we decided to try a parking garage I had stumbled upon in my research. Not being a big city gal, it took a little while to find the “right spot” but the research didn’t disappoint, and as promised, the backdrop was grand!