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.

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.

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.

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.

The design and layout is all new as is the content. When Don moved from the Strip to Lawrenceville he didn’t just change the address! He changed the website too!

It goes without saying that theknot.com is a HUGE wedding resource. They themselves claim that 80% of brides turn to them for information which makes them the industry’s equivalent to Walmart. If 80% of the consumers are using them, even for just a small percentage of their planning, shopping, and other wedding prep needs then it should be a no-brainier for most wedding vendors who want to gain more clients – the knot is probably where you can find them.

That being said I recently discovered how ruthless, manipulative, and deceptive they are in their marketing, advertising, and vendor relations. As you’ll read below I sent the regional sales rep, Sara Brunner, a message expressing my feelings about their deceptive practices and asked them to change their ways. I’m not holding my breath but what I am doing though is this – blogging about it in the hopes that you my dear reader will avoid using them in favor of other, more organic, more truly local resources.

The Backstory

While I was doing some research this week into search engine optimization I saw that, (as expected), theknot.com has a huge local market share in the search engine results. They’re not the top listing for Pittsburgh photographers, (and I’m already listed on the site that is), but they are one of the biggest.
Knowing what I know about SEO I decided I’d see if they have free or minimally priced listing (like a great many vendor listing websites do). As it turns out they don’t. No big surprise, and really no big deal because let’s face it – they are the top dog, (according to their own statistics). So they ask for just under $200/per month for advertising which isn’t unreasonable considering that if I add one more wedding a month (or 12 more a year) I could, without any price increases, cover that and not have it even make a mark on my bottom line.

Exploring theKnot

I was seriously considering paying for an advertisement on theknot.com when in the course of my research I checked the local listings page and saw that they have some curious, (i.e. deceptive), language. They have the ads for the type of vendor for the area and then they have below these ads a list of links to all the other folks who have paid for ad space but that don’t fit on the first page. It really is smart from an SEO standpoint as these folks are still listed on the first page of the vendor listings and then listed again with their ad but I digress.

Knotted Up

Where the problem lies is that they have this list under the heading: Complete List of [local area] [vendor type]

So for the list of all of the paying photographers from Pittsburgh it reads: Complete List of Pittsburgh Photographers

Now I’m not an idiot, I understand marketing but “complete list” really? No, not really. I’m not on there. I know a number of other established, well known, busy, and profitable wedding photographers that are not in this “complete list” of photographers. In fact some of the biggest names in the Pittsburgh wedding photography business are NOT listed in this list.

Tightening theKnot

So this is the part where I share with you dear reader the message I sent Sara, the sales rep. Here is the body of the message:

Good morning,
I see on your site that under the local vendor lists you have a section titled: Complete List of [local area name] [vendor specialty]

This is a little disingenuous isn’t it? I mean, honestly, I’m a Pittsburgh wedding photographer and I’m not on the “complete list of Pittsburgh photographers”. I know others that I don’t see on the list either so it can’t truly be “complete” now can it?

I could understand you using the wording “Complete list of The Knot’s (approved/favorite/paying/whatever) [local area name] [vendor specialty].

Don’t get me wrong here, I’d like to pick up some extra clients and the knot could possibly deliver them but with such disingenuous and manipulative language on your site I’m not so sure that I would want to support your business when your website seems to be less than truthful.
Now, I’m not an idiot, I understand marketing and I understand playing hard ball. I also understand the difference between being aggressive and being outright assholes and I’m sorry to have to say this but your company seems to be leaning towards the later.
I’ll make you a deal though – you clean that up and I’ll consider buying an add. I’ll also be posting this letter, as an open letter to the knot on my wedding blog.
Thank you for your time!
W. Donald Orkoskey

Untie The Knot

Like I said before – theknot.com is a huge resource for brides and wedding couples. Again though they are deceptive in their business practices and I encourage everyone to see them for what they are. Digging deeper I found some interesting information about a lawsuit back in 2000 that was the result of them trying to back out of and dishonor contracts with franchise owners of Weddingpages which they bought-out that year. I’ve not found the results of the suit but they were clearly interested in maximizing profits at the expense of small business owners. Read more about the suit here.

One thing that strikes me is that companies that do business like this encourage others to do the same. That’s not to say that all of the vendors listed on theknot.com are in any way as corrupt, morally depraved, and money-hungry as they are. In fact the majority are just trying to survive in a business that can be a little difficult to do so in. That being said the chances of coming across a vendor that will do anything to make a buck and that will deliver a less than desirable product or service are much higher with a website such as theknot.com over a locally ran site or vendor collective that polices it’s members and knows them personally.
In trying to find a way to reach them to discuss the issue I came across the following very interesting post from this February on the Fred Miranda message boards. The post is about theknot.com providing a vendor dashboard. Two of the respondents say that the knot lost their business already and  one reported that a representative told him his business would fail if he didn’t advertise with them. Fail? Really?

This god-complex is the same that I’ve encountered from people in other high pressure sales positions. One SEO salesman told me that he’d pray for me since I was going to be on welfare soon since I opted not to pay his company $1,000 per month to have my business be the only one listed on Google’s front-page. He told me they’d find another local photographer willing to take that offer and that I’d loose my business, my house, my car, my wife, my dog, and so on if I didn’t buy what he was selling.

To think that a sales-person would be driven that hard to feel the need to threaten people is insane and shows just how profit driven and/or unnecessary the company they work for is.  I truly hope that the folks at theknot.com will fix their deceptive wording. If they do I’ll honestly consider buying advertising from them.

I’m meeting with Maya today at Espresso A Mano to go over the proof of her and Ryder’s wedding album.

It’s taken a little longer than I’d normally like to get it together and get them to sign off on it but I know that in the end it will be worth it because it’s going to be a beautiful book. They were married in October and we’ve had one review already now that we’ve made some big changes I’m sure that they are going to love it!

I got Sarah involved a bit more with the album process this time and taught her how I put them together. I think she was a little scared at first but she did a bang-up job. I can’t wait until Maya sees what we’ve got for her!

It must be time for spring cleaning because we’ve finally updated the portfolio and added some photos from a few more recent weddings. We’ve included photos from Matthew and Heather, Maya and Ryder, Wendy and Aaron, and Amanda and Fred. The last update we did was more than a year ago.

We still have dates open in 2011 so after checking out the portfolio be sure to contact us to see if we have your date open.

Be sure to call or email soon before your date is booked.