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Event coverage

W. Donald Orkoskey has been providing quality event coverage through Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio, and Northern West Virginia for more than 12 years. Based in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood WDO Photography  regularly accepts bookings in Cleveland and Youngstown Ohio, Erie, Pennsylvania, Morgantown WV,  Greensburg, Pennsylvania and of course in Pittsburgh.

Don and the WDO Photography team are expert event photographers and can provide event photography for a wide range of special events from parties to fund-raisers, award ceremonies, art openings, and much more. WDO Photography has provided event photography for concerts featuring well known artists, for museum events featuring sports figures, musicians, priceless works of art, and other items of high value.

Don and his team have photographed events at venues such as Heinz Field, Cleveland Browns Stadium, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Heinz History Center and Sports Museum, The Mattress Factory, The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Phipps Conservancy, Heinz Chapel, Mountaineer Race Track and Casino, and numerous other locations where security demands are high. Don and his team are well versed in the security needs and procedures that typically surround these types of events and can work with you to ensure that your security concerns of those of the venue that is hosting your event are not compromised and that any non-photographable, or sensitive items and/or people are noted and avoided.

Shooting Script

Don and his team can work hand in hand with your events coordinator or your staff to create a list of photos that you must have. This shooting script will be carried by all of the WDO Photography team members and they will use it to ensure that you get the photos that are important to you. A shooting script is just one of the extra steps that WDO Photography takes to ensure that you not only get the best photos but that you get the photos that you want; photos that portray your event the way that you want it portrayed.

Event Stylization

Don and the WDO Photography team can photograph your event in several different ways and will work with you to ensure that you receive the style or styles of photography that you want.

Journalistic Package

One of the more popular styles in event photography today is journalistic. Journalistic photography is shot in a news style and is absent of posing, or appears to be absent of posing. Photos are typically of people interacting as in there was not a camera present. This is the more requested option and the folks at WDO Photography can provide this style of photographs or can mix journalistic coverage with more paparazzi or ”red carpet” style event photos.

Red Carpet Package

Red carpet style event photography or paparazzi style photography is bolder with higher contrast and includes mostly self-posed photos of people smiling for the camera. This style is popular for New Years parties, award galas, and other events that either feature a red carpet entrance, or mimic the feel of one. The photographers at WDO Photography can capture this style of photography exclusively, mix it with a more journalistic style, or with a more  formal style.

Formal Event Package

Formal event photos are staged, posed, and can be done in front of a backdrop or done in a specific location. Formal event style photos can also be shot tethered to a laptop or other monitor, even to a projector, so that guests can see their photos. They can also be attached to a printer or a digital transfer device that will allow your guests to either leave with a memento of the event, usually a USB drive (ask about customizing them for your event), or they can provide an email address or phone number to have the photo sent to them before they leave for the evening.

Mix and Match

None of these are mutually exclusive and you’re welcome to request a mixed packages for your event. If you require a photographer at the entrance shooting red carpet style photos of your attendants as well as photographers roaming the event floor taking journalistic style photos and a formal photo area or other aspects of the formal package WDO Photography will be happy to help you with that.

Contact WDO Photography today to schedule them for your next event.

Visual Arts

As a visual artists themselves Don and his staff are committed to documenting the work of other artists both to serve as a record of their work and for promotion of both the individual artist and the arts community in and around Pittsburgh.

If you are a visual artist you understand the importance of expressing your vision to your audience. That being said so many visual artists are mediocre photographers and damage their image by publicizing their work with less than stunning photos.

Even other photographers have turned to WDO Photography to document what they are doing and to get a fresh set of eyes that can objectively view and help to document a project for promotion and media relations.

To speak with the professionals at WDO Photography about documenting your work please visit the contact page.

Artist Services

The team of professionals at WDO Photography can help you to increase attention and increase reporting and media coverage of you and your work by helping you to create visually stunning photos of the work that you are doing. Our experienced press release staff have consulted with some of Pittsburgh’s most knowledgeable and influential editors and news staff and can help guide you through the ins-and-outs of crafting a noteworthy press release as well as providing the visual documentation that your release needs.

We also have a list of local and national media persons that accept artist press releases as well as the time frame that they need them within in order to write a story covering your work.

Performance Art

The city of Pittsburgh is blessed with an overwhelming supply of great artists from performance artists such as belly dancers, modern dancers, puppeteers, and performance art troupes to a stunning array of visual artists. Don and his team at WDO Photography has been working since 2009 to document the wide range of arts activities that happen in Pittsburgh but have yet to even scratch the surface.

One area that they hope to devote more time to are the performance arts. Pittsburgh has several highly skilled belly dance groups and solo artists. Sadiqa, pictured above are a pair of amazing dancers that dance with fire and with swords. They came to Don and asked if he could provide them with some photos documenting their dancing that they could use for promotion. The results are truly stunning. To see the full set please visit their gallery here.

The team at WDO Photography has also had the pleasure of documenting modern dance and ballet groups in and around Pittsburgh as well as musical theater, classical theater, and contemporary theater groups.

It takes high speed lenses, low-light sensitive film or advanced digital processing, as well as a knowledge of the art form, the piece being performed and the lighting cues to provide truly top-notch photography of these mediums. Don and his team can work with your group to provide excellent photos that can be used for promotion and advertising as well as to document the production. It’s preferable if they meet with the director and lighting crew in advance of the opening and that photos are done during dress rehearsal or as early as possible so that the photos can be used for promotion. That being said if a show is already in production it is possible to book WDO Photography assuming that there are a minimum of two shows left in the run.

To book WDO Photography please visit the contact page.

Group Portraits

Do you have a reunion, retirement party, milestone birthday, or other special need for a group portrait?

Even if you don’t need full event coverage WDO Photography can provide group portraits during your event – they can even provide you with a disc of the images with a print and digital release. WDO Photography offers a wide range of payment options as well to make it easy on you as the coordinator.

Corporations, community groups, and families, can all benefit from the expert photographic services of WDO Photography. Contact WDO Photography today!

Corporate Groups

Does your organization need photos of different departments or offices? Do you have a company picnic planned and want to take the opportunity to capture a staff photo that can be used in promotional materials?

Are you honoring your sales staff for their hard work? Why not go the extra step for those that have gone the extra mile for you and hire WDO Photography to professionally photograph the honorees. We can provide keep-sake prints for them as well as for any sales offices to help motivate your other sales staff. We can also provide you with a release to use the photo for in-house publications and promotions.

Community Groups

Civic organizations and community groups often do amazing work that is rarely recognized. If you’re a member of such a group and have an opportunity for WDO Photography to provide group photos call them today. Community groups often need to think a bit more about self-promotion WDO Photography can help by providing visual proof of the good works they are doing.

Family Portraits

Don has done countless family portraits over the past decade. He and his experienced staff can come to your home, can shoot on location, or, depending on the size of your family may be able to accommodate you in the studio.

If you have a family reunion or other gathering why not make it extra special by booking WDO Photography to provide portraits of each family and the entire extended family as well.

Large Format Portraits

WDO Photography offers large format film as an option for group photos.

What does that mean? It means that even the largest groups come out looking crisp and beautiful because we use a sheet of film that is 4 inches by 5 inches. This means that each family members face is crystal clear and large enough for you to recognize even if groups as large as 60 or more.

These negatives can also be blown up to extra large prints – 30×40 inches is no sweat when we are shooting large format. Ask about this option when you contact WDO Photography.

Architectural Photography

WDO Photography offers a wide selection of architectural photography from traditional project photos shot with a large format camera with full perspective and focus controls to interior details.

Each architectural project that Don and his team work on is treated with the same care and attention to detail that the architects used when planing your build. Don has long admired the work of creative architects and has been documenting some of Pittsburgh’s most unique buildings ever since he finished college.

The Pittsburgh skyline is full of impressive buildings that each have their own unique character. The Renaissance Hotel Pittsburgh is a great example.

Don and his team have had the privilege to photographed inside of the hotel as well as outside.

The photo to the left is a study of the building from the river front taken in January of 2009.

Always hire professionals like WDO Photography for any architectural job as it’s crucial to get the angles of a building correct and not just any camera can do so. Professionals like WDO Photography use specialized equipment that allows them to correct the perspective of buildings.