#Alena Gurevich

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Sewickley Academy Varsity Girls Lacrosse game vs Shady Side Academy

The final home game of the 2022 season was between Sewickley Academy’s Varsity Girls Lacrosse team and Shady Side Academy on May 9th. The skies were clear and blue which was great for the colorful action shots but very challenging for the players having to overcome the scorching heat and blinding sunshine. What a fight!

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$20 discount for a High School Senior Portrait session booked before May 15th. 

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Business relocation announcement:

If you are planning to book a photo session with me for high school senior pictures, family portraits or business headshots, please reserve your spot ASAP as our family will be relocating from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Houston, Texas at the end of June 2022. I will still be able to deliver digitals, prints and albums from our new home. My website and email will not change. Please reach out if you have any questions.   

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City Break in Savannah, Georgia: October 2021

I’ve always wanted to visit Savannah, in fact since childhood when I read about it in a few books, but when we moved to America, there have always been more famous sights to see: New York City, Grand Canyon, the Niagara Falls, California, Pacific Northwest, the Great Lakes and so on - a very long list of all the beautiful national parks and cities in the US. 

We had actually booked a hiking trip to the Acadia National Park for that weekend to see the fall foliage. However, we felt so low on energy and in need of a warm sea and sunshine that we all agreed that a city break with easy access to a beach would be a much better option. 

It was still very warm in Savannah in October and we could swim in the Atlantic ocean for hours without getting cold. It takes only 30 min by car through picturesque marshes. Mid beach is much less crowded than the Tybee beach that offers shopping and restaurants, therefore attracting crowds of tourists. 

We stayed at the Cotton Sail Hotel on the banks of the Savannah River. This way we could explore the quaint city squares on foot without having to worry about driving and  parking. We walked through just a few of Savannah’s countless squares - Chippewa, Madison and Monterey - past Mercer-Williams House Museum portrayed in “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”, to Forsyth Park with a gorgeous fountain and a very popular playground. 

Spanish moss is everywhere and I can easily understand why it’s called a ‘symbol of nature in its most relaxed way’. The feeling of tranquility is almost surreal in the city.

My only regret is that when we got to Bonaventure Cemetery with lush vegetation and views of the ocean, they were closed for the day. Really sad, but more reason to come back. 

Did you know that you don’t have to go to New Orleans to try beignets (пончики in Russian)? Huey's makes them all day and they are just delicious. The lines are certainly not as long as in Cafe Beignet in NOLA and the river views are very pretty. 

Another romantic place, excellent for lunch or dinner, was Mansion on Forsyth Park and its outdoor dining and Bosendorfer Lounge. 

And if you like ice cream as much as we do, Leopold's Ice Cream is a must. We recommend coming to the opening as the lines in the evenings can take hours. 

Why am I talking about food if there are no pictures of the food or restaurants? Because I didn’t take any. When the food is great, I just forget about my camera. ))

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A 10-min fall mini-session, natural light only

I needed to do a 10-min fall mini-session photo challenge, natural light only, any place, any time. So I asked my favorite model in the world to pose for me in our backyard. It was raining really hard this week but there was a short window yesterday when we could go outside and do it. Love these impromptu moments.

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Portraits on the go: Artists Palette of Death Valley

I always look forward to using my camera on our trips, and not only to capture the memories of the beautiful places we visit. It’s a great opportunity for practicing quick reaction to a photogenic situation, focusing fast, and choosing your composition before your family loses patience and runs away to the next point of interest.

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Lacrosse Fan

Our dog is a notorious photobomber. When he thinks my daughter and I have spent enough time in my studio, he just lies down in front of the camera and won’t budge. This is a rare occasion when I can actually photograph him in a still position, not running, jumping, barking, or chasing a chipmunk. 

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Portraits on the go: Death Valley National Park, California

Our favorite pastime as a family is traveling and documenting what we see. Despite all our good intentions, we can never get up early enough to see the sunrise and are often too tired to stay on the road until the sunset. 

And so what? I don’t mind shooting in the full sun. If you embrace it and carefully direct the face towards the sun, you can get pleasing results: sharp focus, saturated colors and the joy of carrying only your camera around, no lighting equipment.

These portraits are from our latest trip to Death Valley in California where we hiked from Zabriskie Point into the desert. More to follow as I edit the rest of my photos.

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Sewickley Academy Varsity Girls Lacrosse game vs Quaker Valley High School

This was a very intense fight between Sewickley Academy’s Varsity Girls Lacrosse team and Quaker Valley High School in an away game on May 5th. The girls bad to play overtime to determine the winner. Here’re just a few most dynamic or otherwise significant moments from the event. The rest of the images are in the online gallery available to download until Friday.

Good luck at Shaler HS tomorrow!

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$20 discount for a High School Senior Portrait session booked before May 15th. 

~

Business relocation announcement:

If you are planning to book a photo session with me for high school senior pictures, family portraits or business headshots, please reserve your spot ASAP as our family will be relocating from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Houston, Texas at the end of June 2022. I will still be able to deliver digitals, prints and albums from our new home. My website and email will not change. Please reach out if you have any questions.   

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Sewickley Academy Varsity Girls Lacrosse game vs Moon Area High School

A few of my favorite images from Sewickley Academy’s Varsity Girls Lacrosse away game vs Moon Area High School on May 2nd.

The email with the link to the full gallery has gone out yesterday night.

Good luck at Quaker Valley HS today!

~

$20 discount for a High School Senior Portrait session booked before May 15th. 

~

Business relocation announcement:

If you are planning to book a photo session with me for high school senior pictures, family portraits or business headshots, please reserve your spot before mid-May as our family will be relocating from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Houston, Texas in June 2022. I will still be able to deliver digitals, prints and albums from our new home. My website and email will not change. Please reach out if you have any questions.   

[joyofthemomentphotography]

Sewickley Academy Varsity Girls Lacrosse game vs Freeport High School

The first home game of the season and the first win! Sewickley Academy’s Varsity Girls Lacrosse game vs Freeport High School on April 13th. 

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$20 discount for a High School Senior Portrait session booked before May 15th. 

~

Business relocation announcement:

If you are planning to book a photo session with me for high school senior pictures, family portraits or business headshots, please reserve your spot before mid-May as our family will be relocating from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Houston, Texas in June 2022. I will still be able to deliver digitals, prints and albums from our new home. My website and email will not change. Please reach out if you have any questions.   

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Sewickley Academy Varsity Girls Lacrosse game vs Butler High School

Selected photos from Sewickley Academy’s Varsity Girls Lacrosse game vs Butler High School on Tuesday April 26th. 

Best of luck during today’s game! Have fun tonight!

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$20 discount for a High School Senior Portrait session booked before May 15th. 

~

Business relocation announcement:

If you are planning to book a photo session with me for high school senior pictures, family portraits or business headshots, please reserve your spot before mid-May as our family will be relocating from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Houston, Texas in June 2022. I will still be able to deliver digitals, prints and albums from our new home. My website and email will not change. Please reach out if you have any questions.   

[joyofthemomentphotography]

Sewickley Academy Varsity Girls Lacrosse game vs North Allegheny High School

Portraits and action shots from Sewickley Academy’s Varsity Girls Lacrosse game vs North Allegheny High School on Thursday April 21st. Pennsylvania weather was at its best: we got it all - from drizzling rain to bright sunshine.

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$20 discount for a High School Senior Portrait session booked before May 15th. 

~

Business relocation announcement:

If you are planning to book a photo session with me for high school senior pictures, family portraits or business headshots, please reserve your spot before mid-May as our family will be relocating from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Houston, Texas in June 2022. I will still be able to deliver digitals, prints and albums from our new home. My website and email will not change. Please reach out if you have any questions.   

[joyofthemomentphotography]

Sewickley Academy Varsity Girls Lacrosse game vs Peters Township High School

My favorite action shots from Sewickley Academy’s Varsity Girls Lacrosse game vs Peters Township on Saturday April 23rd. 

Today is another game day vs Butler Area Senior High School. Good luck, girls!

~

$20 discount for a High School Senior Portrait session booked before May 15th. 

~

Business relocation announcement:

If you are planning to book a photo session with me for high school senior pictures, family portraits or business headshots, please reserve your spot before mid-May as our family will be relocating from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Houston, Texas in June 2022. I will still be able to deliver digitals, prints and albums from our new home. My website and email will not change. Please reach out if you have any questions.   

[joyofthemomentphotography]

Actor’s Portfolio: Alena Gurevich

Alena Gurevich as Little Becky Two-Shoes in Sewickley Academy’s 2022 Senior School Musical “Urinetown”.

Alena, sophomore, performed in her final show at SA, previously being in Bye Bye Birdie and Annie. She also designed posters for Urinetown, 12 Angry Jurors, and Spelling Bee and has played the violin for 10 years. In fact, she took an ARSM violin diploma exam the day after set strike, where she had to play 30 min of very complicated and diverse pieces. It was a great learning experience having to manage a heavy workload for a prolonged period of time - rehearsing for the musical, designing the poster, and practicing for a violin exam while keeping up with homework and tests.

Free tickets for Sewickley Academy shows